Ten Fantasy Football Players to Watch in Super Bowl XLVI

Published: 5th Feb 12 12:00 pm
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by Adam McGill
adammcgill

By Adam McGill

The Super Bowl is by far the most watched game of the year, and it is  a safe bet that most of your fantasy league will be watching it as well.  The big game is the most nerve-rattling experience of these players’ lives, so this will be a perfect way to gauge if they have the demeanor to be a superstar in the league.  It will be a perfect time to scout players to grab next fantasy season and as always will showcase some of the best talent in the NFL.  Below are ten players to watch in the Super Bowl to scout for next fantasy football season.

 

1. Tom Brady, NE – Only a couple quarterbacks in the league are as stronger of keeping option than “Tom Terrific”, as Brady has mastered the New England system.  He is one of only three quarterbacks who can throw upwards of 45 touchdowns in a single season, putting him in that elite fantasy status.  Brady will constantly be a guy to build a fantasy team around and will be at the top of quarterback lists for another couple seasons.

2. Eli Manning, NYG – Manning had the season of his life in 2011, as he earned his way to the second Super Bowl appearance of his career.  He threw for 4,933 yards with 29 passing touchdowns this year, energizing an injury riddled Giants’ squad.  Manning has posted three straight seasons with over 4,000 yards and 27 touchdowns, finally developing into the fantasy star that the New York faithful has been hoping for.

3. Rob Gronkowski, NE – “Gronk” has dominated the last two years with an unprecedented 28 touchdowns in the first 32 games of his career.  He catches everything thrown at him, and is far and away quarterback Tom Brady’s favorite target inside the red-zone.  He is the ultimate fantasy tight end, and is currently looking like the only player at his position to be drafted inside the top 40 in 2012.

4. Wes Welker, NE – Welker has been unstoppable since coming back from three torn knee ligaments last year.  He leads the Patriot wideouts, and despite the emergence of Rob Gronkowski, Welker remains Brady’s favorite downfield target.  Welker runs very precise routes and the veteran will always be among the AFC leaders in every category.

5. Hakeem Nicks, NYG – Nicks has been by far the most dominant red-zone option for the Giants’. Nicks caught 7 touchdowns in 2011, including an additional 335 yards and 4 touchdowns so far in the playoffs.  He is 100% healthy from his nagging hamstring injury and the Giants’ real number one wideout is finally living up to his title.  Nicks will be severely undervalued heading into next year, despite the fact that he will likely lead the team scores next season.

6.  Ahmad Bradshaw, NYG – Bradshaw was a major disappointment to fantasy owners this year.  He missed four games with a broken foot right in the heart of the season, and even worse was that he came back to put up extremely meager numbers.  He only racked up 659 yards on the ground, but his 9 total rushing touchdowns is very promising looking ahead to next year.  Also, Bradshaw is only 25 years old and is coming off a year in which he missed time with a fluke injury, as opposed to coming back from ACL surgery.  Bradshaw will be the leader in the Giants’ ground game in 2012 and expect next year to be the breakout year that Bradshaw owners’ where hoping for this year.

7.  Victor Cruz, NYG – Cruz has been dancing all over opposing defensive backs this season.  He finished third in the regular season with 1,536 receiving yards and proved to be the dominant downfield target for quarterback Eli Manning.  Cruz’s monstrous 2011 campaign will cause him to be an extremely high draft pick next year, but owners’ should make sure that they do not reach too high for the kid with only one strong year in the “Big Apple”.

8. BenJarvus Green-Ellis, NE – The “Law-firm” exceeded all of his expectations heading into the 2011 season.  He rushed for a team high 11 touchdowns, as he quickly established himself as the main option in the New England backfield.  Green-Ellis will be much more expensive in 2012, but will again be a constant source of red-zone touches in the team’s high scoring offense.

9. Jason Pierre-Paul, NYG – JPP has stepped up to become the fantasy MVP of the Giants’ defense.   He registered an outstanding 86 tackles with 16.5 sacks in only his second season in the league.  Pierre-Paul will be a hot commodity this summer when drafts come back around, so owners’ in IDP leagues should do whatever they can to get the star, while he is still attainable.

10. Jerod Mayo, NE – Mayo returned in week nine from a sprained MCL, but quickly returned to his form that won him the tackling title in 2010 with 175 tackles.  He averaged 7.5 tackles per game since returning and the former Tennessee star is one of the ultimate IDP keepers in the game.

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