Fantasy’s Biggest Boom or Bust Candidates: AFC North
Dorian “The Trashman” Colbert, Rosterwatch.com

Ray Rice RB, Ravens: Rice and Arian Foster are arguably the biggest boom/bust running back candidates in the NFl this season. Rice has a harder year ahead of him though, as he will probably miss at least the first three games of the season due to an assault charge. Even when Rice rejoins the team, we don’t know how well he will perform. He was abysmal last year nursing a bad hip behind a terrible offensive line, and though he is said to be healthy this year, his o-line hasn’t  necessarily improved. The good news is that Rice is capable of being a top 5 back and carries elite upside as long as he’s in the game.

Marvin Jones WR, Bengals: Jones had sneakily good season last year, posting 10 tds on 700+ yards as the de-facto number 2 in Cincinnati behind A.J. Green. No longer slated to lose snaps to Mohamed Sanu, Jones will be on the field most of the time. A lightning rod for touchdowns, the only thing that could slow down Jones is the lack of targets, as the team is planning to reduce the amount of passes that Andy Dalton attempts in an effort to lessen his mistakes.

Tyler Eifert TE, Bengals: Many fantasy prognosticators are bullish on Eifert this season, and why shouldn’t they be? He has all the tools to be a major offensive force for the Bengals. But, the last time I checked, Jermaine Gresham is still playing significant minutes at the same position, and that won’t change as long as he’s healthy. That fact, along with the aforementioned diminishing of targets going around in Cincy, makes Eifert a fantasy risk as anything more than a TE 2.

Miles Austin WR, Browns: Austin’s best days are presumably behind him, but that doesn’t mean the lack of a clear go to receiver in Cleveland won’t force him into having a surprisingly productive fantasy season. As it stands, the Brown’s best ball catcher is their tight end, leaving a gaping hole at the receiving position. Until Austin pulls a hammy, and that’s probable, he will be Cleveland’s no.1 receiver.

Johnny Manziel QB, Browns: It seems that with every passing weekend we see more and more signs that Manziel is headed for bust land. His most recent debacle has him photographed rolling a dollar bill in a Las Vegas bathroom– indicating that he was either making an antenna for his money phone, or he was about to snort a line of cocaine. I’m guessing it was the latter. Should Manziel actually make the field this season, he will be an electric player capable of turning any game around with the flick of his wrist, but those odds are decreasing quickly. I’m sure the fact the fellow QB Brian Hoyer isn’t doing all the wrong things this offseason isn’t lost on the Browns’ head brass.

Andy Dalton QB, Bengals: Somehow, Dalton remains a viable fantasy QB despite coming off as a man not deserving of his starting job whenever I see him play. His on-field errors are many, but when you have a receiving corps like Dalton has, there is a lot of room for error. He’s got the receiving weapons, a stout run game, and the o-line to carry him to success this year. The plan to lessen Dalton’s passing attempts will probably actually help his fantasy value over the long run.

Ben Tate RB, Browns:  We at Rosterwatch have little to no love for tate, but that doesn’t mean he’s not capable of having a great fantasy season. The Browns will be among the league’s leaders in rushing attempts due to the dearth of solid receiving options at hand. If Tate can manage to keep Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell off the field for extended periods of time, he could make believers of all of us. Chances are he won’t though.

Markus Wheaton WR, Steelers: Wheaton could very well be the reincarnation of DeSean Jackson in Pennsylvania, although on another team, with his quickness and elusive size. We thought he had a chance to make his mark last season, but apparently it took longer for Wheaton to adjust to the speed of the NFL than most thought. He’ll have his share of opportunities to go big this year, but with Antonio Brown, Lance Moore, Heath Miller, and Martavis Bryant as options, he could get lost in the shuffle.