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2014 Fantasy Football Draft Guide: Eric Mack's Ultimate Blueprint
August 15, 20142014 Fantasy Football Draft Guide: Eric Mack's Ultimate Blueprint
Somewhere Over the Dwayne Bowe (h/t to my Fantasy FatCast co-host David Gonos of About.com for that team-name gem), you are officially on the clock.
"Uh, (panic) um, (lost bodily functions), I'll pick..."
It doesn't have to be so stressful or complex. Bleacher Report has you prepared as well as anyone with the Ultimate Blueprint from our 2014 Fantasy Football Draft Guide. This slideshow breaks down every position comprehensively, and we present you with all the options and reasoning.
All you need to do is read up now and push the buttons in a couple of weeks. Class is now in session...
Top 100 Overall: Jamaal Charles Still No. 1, but LeSean McCoy Is Closing Ground
Fantasy owners tend to complicate things. It might be because of very meticulous fantasy analysts.
When you are drafting, take just one tool with you. You don't want to be flipping through pages or a multitude of Internet links when you are making your decisions round by round.
K.I.S.S.: Keep it simple, stupid.
Most of the organization in Bleacher Report's Top 100 overall players for 2014 is explained in the following slides, but here is how everything comes together in one tidy package.
You will notice, analysts and the public are united in thinking the first four picks should be running backs in a standard draft this season. We will examine it a bit deeper in the running backs slide, but Jamaal Charles is clinging to a lead on LeSean McCoy as the No. 1 overall pick.
Bleacher Report Top 100
| Rank | Overall Rankings | Team | ECR | vs. ECR |
| 1 | Jamaal Charles | KC | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | LeSean McCoy | Phi | 2 | 0 |
| 3 | Adrian Peterson | Min | 3 | 0 |
| 4 | Matt Forte | Chi | 4 | 0 |
| 5 | Jimmy Graham | NO | 7 | +2 |
| 6 | Calvin Johnson | Det | 6 | 0 |
| 7 | Eddie Lacy | GB | 5 | -2 |
| 8 | Peyton Manning | Den | 20 | +12 |
| 9 | DeMarco Murray | Dal | 10 | +1 |
| 10 | Marshawn Lynch | Sea | 12 | +2 |
| 11 | Doug Martin | TB | 26 | +15 |
| 12 | Zac Stacy | StL | 21 | +9 |
| 13 | A.J. Green | Cin | 13 | 0 |
| 14 | Demaryius Thomas | Den | 8 | -6 |
| 15 | Dez Bryant | Dal | 9 | -6 |
| 16 | Montee Ball | Den | 11 | -5 |
| 17 | Aaron Rodgers | GB | 25 | +8 |
| 18 | Drew Brees | NO | 27 | +9 |
| 19 | Brandon Marshall | Chi | 15 | -4 |
| 20 | Alfred Morris | Was | 22 | +2 |
| 21 | Julio Jones | Atl | 14 | -7 |
| 22 | Alshon Jeffery | Chi | 23 | +1 |
| 23 | Le'Veon Bell | Pit | 16 | -7 |
| 24 | Giovani Bernard | Cin | 17 | -7 |
| 25 | Andre Ellington | Ari | 28 | +3 |
| 26 | Julius Thomas | Den | 36 | +10 |
| 27 | Antonio Brown | Pit | 24 | -3 |
| 28 | Jordy Nelson | GB | 19 | -9 |
| 29 | Randall Cobb | GB | 29 | 0 |
| 30 | C.J. Spiller | Buf | 30 | 0 |
| 31 | Pierre Garcon | Was | 38 | +7 |
| 32 | Victor Cruz | NYG | 35 | +3 |
| 33 | Arian Foster | Hou | 18 | -15 |
| 34 | Reggie Bush | Det | 42 | +8 |
| 35 | Rob Gronkowski | NE | 34 | -1 |
| 36 | Larry Fitzgerald | Ari | 40 | +4 |
| 37 | DeSean Jackson | Was | 55 | +18 |
| 38 | Michael Crabtree | SF | 44 | +6 |
| 39 | Chris Johnson | NYJ | 59 | +20 |
| 40 | Andrew Luck | Ind | 54 | +14 |
| 41 | Roddy White | Atl | 41 | 0 |
| 42 | Frank Gore | SF | 46 | +4 |
| 43 | Ryan Mathews | SD | 39 | -4 |
| 44 | Keenan Allen | SD | 32 | -12 |
| 45 | Vernon Davis | SF | 65 | +20 |
| 46 | Vincent Jackson | TB | 31 | -15 |
| 47 | Torrey Smith | Bal | 52 | +5 |
| 48 | Jeremy Maclin | Phi | 75 | +27 |
| 49 | Rashad Jennings | NYG | 43 | -6 |
| 50 | Matthew Stafford | Det | 45 | -5 |
| 51 | T.Y. Hilton | Ind | 67 | +16 |
| 52 | Michael Floyd | Ari | 48 | -4 |
| 53 | Ben Tate | Cle | 57 | +4 |
| 54 | Toby Gerhart | Jac | 33 | -21 |
| 55 | Bishop Sankey | Ten | 51 | -4 |
| 56 | Nick Foles | Phi | 62 | +6 |
| 57 | Cam Newton | Car | 72 | +15 |
| 58 | Robert Griffin | Was | 64 | +6 |
| 59 | Julian Edelman | NE | 78 | +19 |
| 60 | Trent Richardson | Ind | 68 | +8 |
| 61 | Wes Welker | Den | 50 | -11 |
| 62 | Eric Decker | NYJ | 77 | +15 |
| 63 | Lamar Miller | Mia | 63 | 0 |
| 64 | Matt Ryan | Atl | 66 | +2 |
| 65 | Marques Colston | NO | 71 | +6 |
| 66 | Percy Harvin | Sea | 53 | -13 |
| 67 | Tom Brady | NE | 73 | +6 |
| 68 | Ray Rice | Bal | 61 | -7 |
| 69 | Stevan Ridley | NE | 70 | +1 |
| 70 | Andre Johnson | Hou | 37 | -33 |
| 71 | Cordarrelle Patterson | Min | 49 | -22 |
| 72 | Kendall Wright | Ten | 69 | -3 |
| 73 | Jordan Cameron | Cle | 58 | -15 |
| 74 | Russell Wilson | Sea | 96 | +22 |
| 75 | Tony Romo | Dal | 76 | +1 |
| 76 | Shane Vereen | NE | 56 | -20 |
| 77 | Jason Witten | Dal | 84 | +7 |
| 78 | Steven Jackson | Atl | 74 | -4 |
| 79 | Maurice Jones-Drew | Oak | 90 | +11 |
| 80 | Joique Bell | Det | 47 | -33 |
| 81 | Greg Olsen | Car | 82 | +1 |
| 82 | Cecil Shorts | Jac | 97 | +15 |
| 83 | Jordan Reed | Was | 89 | +6 |
| 84 | Sammy Watkins | Buf | 95 | +11 |
| 85 | Mike Wallace | Mia | 60 | -25 |
| 86 | Riley Cooper | Phi | 108 | +22 |
| 87 | Terrance Williams | Dal | 79 | -8 |
| 88 | Colin Kaepernick | SF | 81 | -7 |
| 89 | Andy Dalton | Cin | 123 | +34 |
| 90 | Dwayne Bowe | KC | 94 | +4 |
| 91 | Jay Cutler | Chi | 87 | -4 |
| 92 | Dennis Pitta | Bal | 93 | +1 |
| 93 | Mark Ingram | NO | 127 | +34 |
| 94 | Bernard Pierce | Bal | 100 | +6 |
| 95 | Darren Sproles | Phi | 111 | +16 |
| 96 | Hakeem Nicks | Ind | 121 | +25 |
| 97 | Emmanuel Sanders | Den | 85 | -12 |
| 98 | Kelvin Benjamin | Car | 112 | +14 |
| 99 | Brandin Cooks | NO | 99 | 0 |
| 100 | DeAngelo Williams | Car | 103 | +3 |
Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) from over 100 experts provided by FantasyPros
Quarterbacks: Pass on Peyton Manning? He'll Pass All over You
- Tiers: It is Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and then everybody else. If you don't get one of those elite three, you should wait until Round 6 to pick your starting passer in a standard, one-quarterback league.
- Rookies: Blake Bortles has been impressive in the preseason, but as of preseason Week 2, there isn't a rookie starting quarterback on the board. Don't draft any of them...yet.
- Breakout: The third time is a charm for Andrew Luck. He has the weapons set for a huge breakthrough into the fantasy elite.
- Bust: Nick Foles hasn't been a full-year starter yet in the NFL, but he is being drafted like he is a megastar at a position full of them. Consider this a warning.
- Sleeper: Every quarterback after that top trio above can fall to a position of great value in drafts.
Fantasy analysts pound the pavement repeatedly in saying "wait on the quarterback position." There is even a whole website (LateRoundQB.com) and book by JJ Zachariason devoted to the strategy.
It was an effective strategy last year. Manning slipped into Round 5 of some drafts and wound up being the highest-scoring fantasy football player in history, as my former colleague Tristan Cockcroft wrote at ESPN.com.
Waiting on a quarterback this year will mean passing on the most prolific single-season passer in NFL history.
If you want options, strategies and the kitchen sink, we have it at B/R with our QB blueprint here.
Here are the highlights:
B/R's Top 40 QBs (Updated)
| Rank | Quarterbacks | Team | ECR | vs. ECR |
| 1 | Peyton Manning | Den | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | Aaron Rodgers | GB | 2 | 0 |
| 3 | Drew Brees | NO | 3 | 0 |
| 4 | Andrew Luck | Ind | 5 | +1 |
| 5 | Matthew Stafford | Det | 4 | -1 |
| 6 | Nick Foles | Phi | 6 | 0 |
| 7 | Cam Newton | Car | 9 | +2 |
| 8 | Robert Griffin | Was | 7 | -1 |
| 9 | Matt Ryan | Atl | 8 | -1 |
| 10 | Tom Brady | NE | 10 | 0 |
| 11 | Russell Wilson | Sea | 14 | +3 |
| 12 | Tony Romo | Dal | 11 | -1 |
| 13 | Colin Kaepernick | SF | 12 | -1 |
| 14 | Andy Dalton | Cin | 17 | +3 |
| 15 | Jay Cutler | Chi | 13 | -2 |
| 16 | Philip Rivers | SD | 15 | -1 |
| 17 | Ben Roethlisberger | Pit | 16 | -1 |
| 18 | Eli Manning | NYG | 21 | +3 |
| 19 | Joe Flacco | Bal | 24 | +5 |
| 20 | Ryan Tannehill | Mia | 18 | -2 |
| 21 | Alex Smith | KC | 20 | -1 |
| 22 | Carson Palmer | Ari | 19 | -3 |
| 23 | Brian Hoyer | Cle | 31 | +8 |
| 24 | Josh McCown | TB | 23 | -1 |
| 25 | Sam Bradford | StL | 25 | 0 |
| 26 | EJ Manuel | Buf | 27 | +1 |
| 27 | Johnny Manziel | Cle | 22 | -5 |
| 28 | Jake Locker | Ten | 26 | -2 |
| 29 | Geno Smith | NYJ | 29 | 0 |
| 30 | Chad Henne | Jac | 34 | +4 |
| 31 | Matt Cassel | Min | 32 | +1 |
| 32 | Matt Schaub | Oak | 33 | +1 |
| 33 | Ryan Fitzpatrick | Hou | 28 | -5 |
| 34 | Blake Bortles | Jac | 39 | +5 |
| 35 | Teddy Bridgewater | Min | 30 | -5 |
| 36 | Case Keenum | Hou | 43 | +7 |
| 37 | Michael Vick | NYJ | 35 | -2 |
| 38 | Derek Carr | Oak | 37 | -1 |
| 39 | Tom Savage | Hou | 41 | +2 |
| 40 | Kirk Cousins | Was | 38 | -2 |
Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) from over 100 experts provided by FantasyPros
Running Backs: You Still Have to Draft Them Early and Often
- Tiers: There is a clear top four that has developed, and you can make a case for any of them projecting to be the best running back in fantasy. We say it is either Charles or McCoy at No. 1, with Charles' slight lead dwindling by the day.
- Rookies: Bishop Sankey might be the only Week 1 starter of this group, but he still hasn't won his position battle. There are a lot of viable rookie handcuffs who will fly off the board in the middle rounds.
- Breakouts: While we cannot be sure of the rookies, we sure love a trio of second-year backs on the verge of fantasy stardom. Montee Ball, Andre Ellington and Giovani Bernard look ready to carry teams in 2014.
- Busts: Fantasy's biggest busts always come from this position and from the players you least expect to fall apart. In order to be labeled a bust, you would have had to have early-round expectations that were unmet. Look out at running back; everyone is suspect.
- Sleepers: It is impossible to see it now, but there are going to be late-rounders—and even waiver pickups—who wind up carrying you at this position. You cannot merely wait on them and pray, but drafting a slew of backs throughout can give you the best chance to snag one of those big-time surprises.
As the NFL continues to trend toward favoring the downfield passing games, fantasy football is following suit in passing up on running backs more and more. There should be only one way to attack the still-critical running back position: Take them early and often.
Our comprehensive B/R RB blueprint has all the machinations at the position you cannot loosen your grip on in drafts. Here are the highlights:
B/R's Top 90 RBs (Updated)
| Rank | Running Backs | Team | ECR | vs. ECR |
| 1 | Jamaal Charles | KC | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | LeSean McCoy | Phi | 2 | 0 |
| 3 | Adrian Peterson | Min | 3 | 0 |
| 4 | Matt Forte | Chi | 4 | 0 |
| 5 | Eddie Lacy | GB | 5 | 0 |
| 6 | DeMarco Murray | Dal | 6 | 0 |
| 7 | Marshawn Lynch | Sea | 8 | +1 |
| 8 | Doug Martin | TB | 14 | +6 |
| 9 | Zac Stacy | StL | 12 | +3 |
| 10 | Montee Ball | Den | 7 | -3 |
| 11 | Alfred Morris | Was | 13 | +2 |
| 12 | Le'Veon Bell | Pit | 9 | -3 |
| 13 | Giovani Bernard | Cin | 10 | -3 |
| 14 | Andre Ellington | Ari | 15 | +1 |
| 15 | C.J. Spiller | Buf | 16 | +1 |
| 16 | Arian Foster | Hou | 11 | -5 |
| 17 | Reggie Bush | Det | 19 | +2 |
| 18 | Chris Johnson | NYJ | 26 | +8 |
| 19 | Frank Gore | SF | 21 | +2 |
| 20 | Ryan Mathews | SD | 18 | -2 |
| 21 | Rashad Jennings | NYG | 20 | -1 |
| 22 | Ben Tate | Cle | 25 | +3 |
| 23 | Toby Gerhart | Jac | 17 | -6 |
| 24 | Bishop Sankey | Ten | 23 | -1 |
| 25 | Trent Richardson | Ind | 29 | +4 |
| 26 | Lamar Miller | Mia | 28 | +2 |
| 27 | Ray Rice | Bal | 27 | 0 |
| 28 | Stevan Ridley | NE | 30 | +2 |
| 29 | Shane Vereen | NE | 24 | -5 |
| 30 | Steven Jackson | Atl | 31 | +1 |
| 31 | Maurice Jones-Drew | Oak | 34 | +3 |
| 32 | Joique Bell | Det | 22 | -10 |
| 33 | Mark Ingram | NO | 46 | +13 |
| 34 | Bernard Pierce | Bal | 35 | +1 |
| 35 | Darren Sproles | Phi | 40 | +5 |
| 36 | DeAngelo Williams | Car | 37 | +1 |
| 37 | Jeremy Hill | Cin | 38 | +1 |
| 38 | Pierre Thomas | NO | 32 | -6 |
| 39 | Knowshon Moreno | Mia | 43 | +4 |
| 40 | Darren McFadden | Oak | 41 | +1 |
| 41 | Christine Michael | Sea | 49 | +8 |
| 42 | Andre Williams | NYG | 47 | +5 |
| 43 | Carlos Hyde | SF | 44 | +1 |
| 44 | Khiry Robinson | NO | 48 | +4 |
| 45 | Fred Jackson | Buf | 33 | -12 |
| 46 | LeGarrette Blount | Pit | 55 | +9 |
| 47 | Terrance West | Cle | 39 | -8 |
| 48 | Devonta Freeman | Atl | 45 | -3 |
| 49 | Tre Mason | StL | 64 | +15 |
| 50 | Danny Woodhead | SD | 36 | -14 |
| 51 | Chris Ivory | NYJ | 42 | -9 |
| 52 | Knile Davis | KC | 57 | +5 |
| 53 | Shonn Greene | Ten | 51 | -2 |
| 54 | Jonathan Stewart | Car | 52 | -2 |
| 55 | Ahmad Bradshaw | Ind | 50 | -5 |
| 56 | Ronnie Hillman | Den | 59 | +3 |
| 57 | Charles Sims | TB | 61 | +4 |
| 58 | Bryce Brown | Buf | 71 | +13 |
| 59 | BenJarvus Green-Ellis | Cin | 68 | +9 |
| 60 | Jacquizz Rodgers | Atl | 74 | +14 |
| 61 | Robert Turbin | Sea | 69 | +8 |
| 62 | Ka'Deem Carey | Chi | 77 | +15 |
| 63 | Donald Brown | SD | 56 | -7 |
| 64 | Bilal Powell | NYJ | 76 | +12 |
| 65 | Roy Helu | Was | 65 | 0 |
| 66 | Jonathan Grimes | Hou | 63 | -3 |
| 67 | Daniel Thomas | Mia | 82 | +15 |
| 68 | James White | NE | 54 | -14 |
| 69 | Brandon Bolden | NE | 99 | +30 |
| 70 | Lorenzo Taliaferro | Bal | 90 | +20 |
| 71 | James Starks | GB | 58 | -13 |
| 72 | Stepfan Taylor | Ari | 66 | -6 |
| 73 | Storm Johnson | Jac | 73 | 0 |
| 74 | Latavius Murray | Oak | 67 | -7 |
| 75 | Dexter McCluster | Ten | 72 | -3 |
| 76 | Alfred Blue | Hou | 89 | +13 |
| 77 | Jerick McKinnon | Min | 95 | +18 |
| 78 | Lache Seastrunk | Was | 94 | +16 |
| 79 | Isaiah Crowell | Cle | 87 | +8 |
| 80 | Chris Polk | Phi | 70 | -10 |
| 81 | Dion Lewis | Cle | 105 | +24 |
| 82 | Lance Dunbar | Dal | 53 | -29 |
| 83 | Denard Robinson | Jac | 92 | +9 |
| 84 | Joseph Randle | Dal | 96 | +12 |
| 85 | C.J. Anderson | Den | 78 | -7 |
| 86 | Mikel Leshoure | Det | 108 | +22 |
| 87 | Marcel Reece | Oak | 81 | -6 |
| 88 | Peyton Hillis | NYG | 98 | +10 |
| 89 | Dri Archer | Pit | 80 | -9 |
| 90 | Marcus Lattimore | SF | 86 | -4 |
Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) from over 100 experts provided by FantasyPros
Wide Receivers: They Are Sneaking Up into the 1st Round More Than Ever
- Tiers: Everyone is unanimous in thinking Megatron is No. 1 here, but those four first-round candidates above have closed the gap. It should be noted that Megatron was merely the third-highest-scoring fantasy wideout a year ago, per FFToday.com.
- Rookies: They tend to be overhyped at this position, because receiving can be more art than skill and takes time to develop. Sammy Watkins is the No. 1 rookie wideout, but Kelvin Benjamin and Brandin Cooks are also getting a lot of love this preseason.
- Breakouts: Get ready for Jeremy Maclin to smash his modest WR3 expectation/draft position. Also, Michael Crabtree is not a sorry receiver, and Randall Cobb is in that famed "contract-year" category.
- Busts: We all know to avoid running backs over the age of 30, but wide receivers are equally likely to decline at that advanced age. In fact, the fantasy statistical decline begins after the age of 27. Are you listening, Megatron owners?
- Sleepers: Dozens of late-round picks can emerge to be useful fantasy starters at this very deep position. So, while you keep plucking receivers off the board early, there will be some fantasy owners finding legit starters late.
Round 1 of fantasy drafts has tended to have one, maybe two, wide receivers getting picked. It has been Calvin Johnson for years. The 28-year-old Megatron looks like he has plenty of company now. Demaryius Thomas, A.J. Green, Dez Bryant and perhaps even Brandon Marshall are candidates to go among the top 12 picks in fantasy.
We break it all down in B/R's WR blueprint, but here are the bullet points:
B/R's Top 120 WRs (Updated)