Fantasy MythBuster -- Sam Bradford

Rookie QB Sam Bradford was mighty impressive in his first start against New England.

This blog post might even be pointless, I don't know. But I just felt the need to make it, since Bradford's stock is actually rising and some fantasy players are actually picking him up. Maybe you're a smart fantasy guy and you didn't invest in Bradford's start against New England. But some people are investing in it, and I'm here to reprimand you for that.

Sam Bradford looked relatively unimpressive in his first two preseason games, but he shined in his start against the Patriots. I'll give you that. He was very, very impressive and he has a very bright future in this league. But it's not going to happen this year, people. Definitely not from a fantasy perspective. Hell, he's still not even listed as #1 on the depth chart yet. A.J. Feeley is the Rams starter. But let's say, for the sake of argument, Bradford becomes their opening day starter. He'll be under center behind an offensive line that allowed 44 sacks last season, and he has a receiving core that was already pretty bad before losing top wideout Donny Avery for the season (torn ACL vs Patriots). Steven Jackson is far and away their top offensive weapon and that will not change. It's not a passing offense out there in St. Louis. So that's working against Bradford. And ultimately, I can't believe that anyone is putting stock into a preseason game that the Patriots played in. Haven't you learned not to do that by now? They beat the Super Bowl champs and they lost to the 1-15 Rams. What did you notice about that Patriots defensive gameplan the other night? In the first two games, the DB's were jamming at the line and playing a very aggressive style. In this game, they were dropping into coverage. It wasn't because jamming didn't work. It was because Belichick needed to get a look at how guys play when dropping into coverage. We learned a few things that Devin McCourty needs to work on. Those things wouldn't have been exposed if they kept the same game plan as before. If that were a regular season game, Sam Bradford would have seen such a different defensive scheme from New England that I would guarantee his passer rating would have dropped a solid 20-30 points. Bradford won't see coverages that easy to pick apart in the regular season. It just won't happen.

But, for the sake of argument, let's say it does. Let's say Bradford plays the way he did against the Patriots once the regular season rolls around. Is he even fantasy worthy? Most leagues stick with 1 QB these days, and the answer for leagues like that is no chance in hell. In a 2-QB league, I can maybe see the reasoning behind considering adding him for your bench. And only to keep your bench warm. But you need depth at running back and wide receiver. Those are the guys you fill your bench with. Not rookie QBs who are #2 on the depth chart earning the spot on your squad based on one preseason showing against New England. I'm sorry, but it's just nearly impossible for Bradford to become a viable fantasy option this season. I know bench slots are very valuable and precious in my league. If they are remotely important in your own league, just take my advice -- don't sign Bradford.