Fantasy Football Draft Strategy: 5 Reasons to Pick Sam Bradford

So how is your draft board looking right now?  If you are a fantasy football player, you are asking yourself that question daily, as we are quickly approaching the first regular season game.  Some guys are injured, other guys are in position battles and all of these things will impact your draft.

Obviously you need to nail your pick when drafting a quarterback and running back.  If you have the top quarterback pick in your draft, keep it simple.  You need to pick Tom Brady or Michael Vick.  But if you are sitting there picking a sleeper quarterback, I have some advice for you.

Take a long, hard look at Sam Bradford of the St. Louis Rams. 

Here are five reasons you should take a good look at Bradford:

Josh McDaniels is the Rams offensive coordinator. 

 Yes, that would be the same McDaniels that was pulling the strings for the greatest offense of all time, the 2008 New England Patriots.  Okay, he did have Tom Brady and Randy Moss, I get it, but if you need more proof, look at McDaniels' tenure as the Denver Broncos head coach.  That offense was really good.  Kyle Orton put up Pro Bowl-caliber numbers.  Brandon Lloyd became on of the best wide receivers in the NFL. 

Sure, McDaniels got fired, but that was mostly because his defense was awful, and his draft record was worse than awful.  Bottom line, McDaniels will put Bradford in a position to put up huge numbers.

The Rams have a really good defense. 

 I see you shaking your head.  What does the Rams defense have to do with the Rams offense?  Well, the Rams defense was really good last year.  It was good by any measure—third-down efficiency, red-zone efficiency, points per game, etc.

If the Rams D can get stops, then Bradford will get the ball back quicker.  Also, by playing with a good defense, that allows the Rams offense to be balanced.  They don't have to air it out all the time because they won't be playing from behind.  This allows Bradford to be unpredictable, and it makes the Rams' biggest weapon a big-time threat.  Speaking of that weapon...

Bradford has Steven Jackson running behind him. 

 Jackson has been one of the most productive backs in the league for years.  The Rams have been awful, so Jackson hasn't gotten his due.  That will change this year.  Jackson runs hard, and he makes defenses focus on the run.  There will be a lot of eight-man boxes that Bradford gets to throw against, simply because he has Jackson running behind him. 

The Rams also went out and signed Cadillac Williams and Jerious Norwood to add depth to the running attack, something the Rams haven't had since Jackson was backing up Marshall Faulk.  This will keep Jackson fresh and healthy, running behind a powerful offensive line.  Speaking of that line...

Bradford has a great line in front of him. 

 The Rams have invested heavily in the offensive line in the last couple years.  They drafted Jason Smith with the No. 2 pick in the draft a couple years ago.  They drafted Roger Saffold with the first pick of the second round a year later. That gives the Rams young, talented, bookend tackles for years to come.  They should be one of the better tackle combos in football this year. 

In between those two guys, the Rams have signed Jacob Bell, Jason Brown, and then this offseason added Harvey Dahl.  I think Dahl will add a nasty streak to this group, and they will blow holes open for Jackson.  They will protect Bradford.  It doesn't matter how good a QB is without a good line in front of him. 

Case in point, the best offense ever, the previously mentioned Patriots, got beat by the New York Giants in the Super Bowl.  Why?  The line got destroyed, and Brady spent all night on his back.  The quarterback can't throw if he can't stand up.

Bradford finally has some weapons to throw to. 

 The Rams added several weapons for Bradford.  They signed Mike Sims-Walker.  Donnie Avery is healthy.  Danny Amendola was made for this offense—the Rams' version of Wes Welker.  The team drafted Lance Kendricks at tight end, and that guy looks like a stud.  They drafted Austin Pettis and Greg Salas as wide receivers, two guys who add depth and red zone options.  Brandon Gibson, picked up in a trade two years ago, looks like he is going to have a good season. 

Add it all up, and Bradford will have plenty of guys to spread the ball around to.

Take my advice!  If you don't, you'll be sitting there in Week 10 saying, "I should've drafted Sam Bradford.  He is having a monster season!" 

And I'll be saying "I told you so."