Fantasy Football 2014: Five Breakout Candidates

Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Sam Bradford, QB, St. Louis Rams

Other guys like Jay Cutler, Colin Kaepernick or possibly even Jake Locker deserve a mention here when it comes to a true breakout season and mere potential, but Bradford has been pulling the sleeper card every year since entering the league. It’s time for fantasy owners to cash in.

There have been some doubts surrounding Bradford through his first four seasons, but despite some inconsistent play, it’s not really his fault. His offensive line has been leaky, his weapons have been mostly trash, his defense has been shaky and his running game has been inconsistent. In addition, he’s also played in numerous offensive systems and has never really had the ability to get all that comfortable.

Add on injuries (torn ACL last year), and there’s a lot of reason to worry about Bradford’s 2014 fantasy appeal. With that said, there’s also a lot to love. Bradford was actually on pace for over 3,700 passing yards and 32 touchdowns before going down with a knee injury last year, and will be entering year two with explosive weapons such as Tavon Austin and Jared Cook. Add in the effective Zac Stacy in the ground game, Kenny Britt and potentially more help in the draft, and Bradford could be poised for his best fantasy season to date.

He still comes with clear risk, so be sure to draft him as nothing more than a QB2. Just know that he’s one of the few quarterbacks who could be ready for a monster leap to QB1 status.