Fantasy Football: Players to Never Worry About Drafting

Fantasy football has arrived.

The closest thing to the real thing, the thing that unashamedly takes up hours out of the work day and 17 Sundays (the 24-hour kind of Sundays), won’t really kick off until the Vikings take on the defending Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints in the Superdome on Sept. 9.

By now some drafts are completed, but the bulk of the fantasy football world will be drafting in the next two weekends.

With two players per position, here are the selections that simply can’t go wrong.

Quarterback

Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts

Enough said. Manning passed for 4,500 yards last season, second most to his 2004 year when he threw for 4,557. While he may be 34, he is still the smartest quarterback in the NFL, and he’s durable. Another 4,000 yard season with 30 touchdowns is almost a given.

Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

Rodgers enters his third year as the Packers signal caller, and the pieces he’s got around him are fantastic, not to mention his own arm. Ryan Grant will get his touches out of the backfield, but this team is a high-octane giant if they choose to attack through the air.

Rodgers threw only seven interceptions last year to his 28 touchdowns. Cut away the mistakes and pick a winner.

Running Back

Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans

Too easy. Running backs can make or break a team, and Johnson is the best of the best right now. Getting his 300+ touches as well as a healthy amount of receptions out of the backfield are already accounted for this season.

Got the first pick in the draft? Do the right thing. We all know he’s gunning for Eric Dickerson’s record.

Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens

The best thing in fantasy football besides a good running back is a good running back that can catch. Despite the 254 carries he had in 2009, Rice led all tailbacks in receptions and targets last season.

Playing in a points-per-reception league? This is the guy to own.

Wide Receiver

Andre Johnson, Houston Texans

He doesn’t even need those Nike Vapor Trail Gloves. The former Hurricane simply catches everything thrown his way, and he’ll punish the smaller cornerbacks and safeties for getting close to him. The Texans have no other legitimate go-to option at receiver, and Matt Schaub can fling the ball.

This man eats yards for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Colts

Even though Manning can spread the ball around the field as he pleases, in deep yardage situations Wayne is his go-to receiver. He makes the silliest catches, is durable and hasn’t gone for less than 1,000 yards receiving since 2003. He may be 31, but he’s a damn good option if the top receivers are already off the board.

Tight End

Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers

He’s been the mainstay at the position in San Diego since 2003 and has missed just three games his NFL career. Gates hauled in a career high 1,157 yards in 2009 and brought in eight touchdowns. Let it be known that the Kent State product hasn’t reeled in less than eight touchdowns since his rookie year in ’03.

Plus, Gates tends to be Philip Rivers’ favorite. Can’t go wrong with that.

Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys

Witten has brought in at least 80 receptions in the last three seasons, averaging 1,042 yards per campaign. The extra attention at wide receiver with Dez Bryant and Miles Austin to go with Roy Williams may detract from the looks Witten gets from Tony Romo, but the tight end still seems to be Romo’s go-to option and release in times of desperation.

Defense

New York Jets

Watching HBO’s Hard Knocks makes for a great selling point for Rex Ryan’s defense.

But it almost makes no difference because the Jets defense looks to be just as salty this season as it did in 2009. Look past the Darrelle Revis holdout, and there is a defense destined to dominate the opposition this year. The Jets have a great defensive line, a solidly anchored linebacker unit and perhaps the most athletic and intimidating secondary in the league.

Green Bay Packers

It’s always been tough to play at Lambeau, but this Packers defense is very good. Linebackers Clay Matthews and A.J. Hawk are Pro Bowl caliber defenders, but the secondary has playmakers all over the place.

A healthy Packers defense is one of the league’s best. After an NFL-best +24 on turnover differential in 2009, a ridiculously high statistic (the next closest was Philadelphia with +15), it’s hard to expect similar output. But don’t be surprised if they are one of NFL’s most efficient units on defense.

Kicker

Mason Crosby, Green Bay Packers

Kickers are really a crap-shoot in fantasy football, but identifying the kickers on the offenses that move the football will get the extra couple of points needed to solidify a win every week. Crosby gets ample attempts to tack on three, but the Packers offense looks to score plenty of touchdowns. Those extra points begin to add up.

Garrett Hartley, New Orleans Saints

Much like Crosby, Hartley will get more than enough chances in what looks to be his first full season as the Saints’ place kicker. Couple the high-octane offense with Drew Brees at the helm and the indoor environment in the Superdome, and Hartley looks the part of a great option on the fantasy roster.

Individual Defensive Player

Jared Allen, Minnesota Vikings

The former mullet spokesman for the league has been doing his other job very well since coming into the league seven years ago. During that span he’s racked up 72 sacks, including 45.5 sacks in the last three years.

Patrick Willis, San Francisco 49ers

This third-year star out of Ole Miss continues to wreak havoc on opposing offenses. Willis is averaging 156 tackles in his three seasons for San Francisco—topping the NFL two out of the three years—and is one of the league’s brightest spots at linebacker. But he also plays in coverage, forces fumbles and occasionally picks off a couple of passes.