Dez Bryant and Fantasy Stars with Too Much Baggage to Bet on

In order to field a winning fantasy football team, fantasy drafters must be willing to roll the proverbial dice a bit, taking a calculated risk that players coming off an injury or dealing with off-the-field issues will pull it together and produce a successful season.

However, there's a difference between a calculated risk and a sucker's bet, and for this handful of fantasy stars the risks involved with selecting them in fantasy drafts this summer far outweigh the rewards.

Dez Bryant, WR, Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant certainly doesn't lack for talent on the field.

With many fantasy enthusiasts predicting the mythical "third-year breakout" for Bryant in 2012, the former Oklahoma State star has been going well ahead of teammate Miles Austin in many fantasy football drafts this year.

Unfortunately, all that talent appears attached to a teeny-tiny brain. Bryant has a long history of off-the-field missteps dating back to his time in Stillwater.

The most recent came when the 23-year-old was arrested in Texas after a July 14 incident in which Bryant allegedly assaulted his own mother.

Stay classy, Dez.

According to the Associated Press via ESPN, Bryant's mother has declined to press charges in the case—but just because Bryant may escape the long arm of the law doesn't mean that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell won't drop the hammer on Bryant given his checkered past.

Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

Running back Maurice Jones-Drew led the National Football League with 1,606 rushing yards in 2011, and after a season in which the 27-year-old finished among the top five fantasy ball-carriers, Jones-Drew would appear to be an easy choice as a first-round pick in fantasy drafts this year.

However, Jones-Drew feels that last season's lofty statistics merit a fat new contract extension, and with two years remaining on the $31 million deal that Jones-Drew signed in 2009, that view is not shared by Jaguars management.

With Jacksonville head coach Mike Mularkey "unsure" of whether Jones will report to camp this week according to The Florida Times-Union, this has all the makings of a protracted holdout.

As running back Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans demonstrated all too clearly last year, that's the last kind of headache that fantasy owners need.

Kenny Britt, WR, Tennessee Titans

Many fantasy pundits predicted big things in 2011 for Tennessee Titans wide receiver Kenny Britt, but a serious knee injury ended Britt's season early and delayed his ascension into the NFL's elite wideouts by another year.

Or more.

Not only has Britt undergone three separate knee surgeries since tearing his ACL and MCL last September, according to Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean, but the fourth-year pro was arrested on July 20 for driving under the influence in Kentucky according to an AP report in The Washington Post.

Since being drafted 30th overall in 2009 Britt has now been arrested a staggering seven times, and while the reasons for these arrests have varied Britt is a prime candidate for a lengthy suspension under the NFL's "repeat offender" policy.

So, just to recap: Balky knees + can't stay out of trouble + probably getting suspended = no thanks.

Marshawn Lynch, RB, Seattle Seahawks

There may well have been no better running back in the NFL over the second half of the 2011 season than Marshawn Lynch of the Seattle Seahawks.

The sixth-year veteran went into full-on "beast mode" in his second year in the Emerald City, rushing for a career-high 1,204 yards while also setting a career mark with 13 total touchdowns.

The Seahawks rewarded Lynch's efforts with a four-year, $31-million contract. Unfortunately, Lynch then decided to reward himself with a night out on the town, which resulted in an arrest for driving under the influence earlier this month, according to a report in The Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

What the heck is it with NFL players and drunk driving? Have they not heard of taxis? I'm pretty sure $31 million would cover the fare.

Lynch is no stranger to trips to the commissioner's office, either, having already served a three-game suspension in 2009 after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor gun charge.

There's some question as to how that suspension might affect Lynch's latest transgression, as the former is a personal conduct policy violation while the latter involves running afoul of the NFL's substance abuse policy.

However, Roger Goodell has never been shy about bending the rules where it suits him, and given the epidemic of DUI arrests among NFL players, it wouldn't be at all surprising to see Goodell make an example of Lynch with a four- or even six-game ban, a sentiment echoed by Nick Eaton of The Post-Intelligencer:

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Lynch’s DUI incident could result in another suspension by the NFL and force him to potentially miss six games in the upcoming season. His charge on Wednesday increases the likelihood of an NFL suspension, particularly with his criminal history, though until now he had stayed out of trouble during his two years with the Seahawks.

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Mark Sanchez, QB, New York Jets

I almost feel mean about including New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez on this list, as there may be no player in the NFL that's taken more of a pounding this offseason than the fourth-year signal-caller.

The Jets were a relative disappointment as a team in 2011. However, Sanchez actually turned in the best statistical season of his career a year ago, throwing for nearly 3,500 yards while finishing the year among the top 10 fantasy quarterbacks.

Sanchez's fantasy stock has plummeted this season, though, leaving some to wonder whether the Jets' starter might be worth a late flier as a backup in fantasy football leagues for 2012.

The answer to that query is NO.

With Tim Tebow now in the Big Apple, the pressure on Sanchez to perform has gone from immense to just ridiculous. And given that Sanchez has shown to have something of a fragile ego, it's only a matter of time before the chants of "Tebow!" get into his head.

Add to that a leash that will probably be all of four inches long, and spending a draft pick on Sanchez is a waste unless you also want to burn one on Tebow, who Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. expects will be the Jets' starter at some point this season, according to an ESPN report.

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"I think [coach] Rex Ryan will look at it more and more like Tebow gives the Jets the better chance to win. The Jets' defense is so strong and they’re pretty good on special teams that they could play Tebow more and more, because it gives them the best chance to have a winning record this year. That may not be the right answer long term, but I don’t think Rex cares about that. He’s probably feeling a little heat there with the Jets. I think Tebow becomes the starter before midseason.”

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