Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
The 2013 fantasy football season is about to kickoff and almost everyone has drafted already. Owners are studying their rosters and imagining the potential of each star they drafted. Be prepared for career fantasy numbers if you were lucky enough to draft any of these stars.
Here is my full fantasy football All-Breakout team for the upcoming season:
Quarterbacks:
Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals – Whenever Dalton’s name is brought up in fantasy circles; it is almost always followed with some sort of admonishing comment. It is true that Red Dalton doesn’t have the best arm or the best pocket presence at times, but he knows how to manage a game. The former TCU standout has one of the best wideouts (A.J. Green) in all of fantasy to throw the bean to and that alone will help him rack up touchdowns. Now factor in the addition of TE Tyler Eifert and RB Giovani Bernard in this past year’s draft, and I fully anticipate this being the first season in which Dalton goes over 3,800 yards and 30 touchdowns.
E.J. Manuel, Buffalo Bills – The loss of Kevin Kolb has skyrocketed the value of Manuel in recent weeks. It is true that the former Florida State signal caller just had a minor knee procedure, however he is already practicing. He may still be questionable for Week 1, but he will definitely be under center for Week 2. Manuel will be worth locking up in dynasty leagues and he will give fantasy owners a glimpse of his potential this season.
Running Backs:
David Wilson, New York Giants – In limited action in four preseason games, Wilson has amassed an astonishing 179 yards and averaged 7.5 yards per carry. He dazzled the world with an 84-yard touchdown run against the New York Jets and showed his true breakout ability. Now factor in that his main backup, Andre Brown, broke his leg and Wilson is primed to have a breakout campaign this season.
Eddie Lacy, Green Bay Packers – After weeks of the media harping on the running back’s weight, it only took a couple snaps for Lacy to put those rumors to rest. The former Alabama standout has looked like a bruiser this preseason and seems ready to take the starting gig in Green Bay. QB Aaron Rodgers has needed a safety blanket his whole career and Lacy should step into a 1,000-yard, 10-touchdwon rookie season in this high-powered offense.
Mark Ingram, New Orleans Saints – Ingram has been amazing this preseason, but he continues to fly under the radar. The former first round pick has scored two touchdowns on the ground in limited preseason action and is in line to get the bulk of the carries in New Orleans. If you are looking for a breakout candidate on the Saints, look now further than Ingram.
Wide Receivers:
T.Y Hilton, Indianapolis Colts – Hilton has caught a touchdown pass in all three of the team’s preseason games and has looked like QB Andrew Luck’s favorite receiving option. Hilton caught just 50 balls last year for 861 yards and seven touchdowns, but I expect those numbers to go up significantly in his second season.
Kenbrell Thompkins, New England Patriots – Thompkins has quickly become one of the favorite targets of All-Pro quarterback, Tom Brady, this summer. The youngster hauled in a game-high eight passes for 116 yards in the team’s third preseason game against the Detroit Lions and showed he is extremely sure-handed. New England desperately needs a receiver to breakout with all their losses in the passing game and the rookie looks like the frontrunner to lead the team in targets.
Cordarrelle Patterson, Minnesota Vikings – Patterson is another rookie that continues to fly under the radar. Opposing defenses are constantly stacking the box against RB Adrian Peterson and the respect drawn to the NFL’s leading rusher will only give Patterson more one-on-one coverage on the outside. The first round pick will also have value in the return game and could eventually develop into a nice WR4 this season in deeper formats.
Tight End:
Jordan Cameron, Cleveland Browns – Cleveland’s offense looks much stronger this preseason and QB Brandon Weeden seems ready to finally make the transition into a NFL-caliber field general. He is distributing the ball nicely and has found a reliable target in Cameron. The tight end has the ideal mix of speed and athleticism considering his size (6’5”, 245 pounds). He is an above-average route runner and is almost uncoverable inside the red-zone. He should easily finish with 7-9 touchdowns this season.
Related Links:
25 Funny Fantasy Football Team Names
Deep Sleepers: Late-Round Fantasy Football Picks
Fantasy Football Owners Beware: Kenbrell Thompkins Dazzles Once Again
Adam McGill is the Senior Fantasy Sports Writer at Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @adammcgill83, like him on Facebook, or add him to you networks on Google here or here.
