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

Jay Cutler QB, Bears: In a pass friendly offensive scheme, joined by a superstar supporting cast, Jay Cutler is primed to blow up this season. His QB coach Matt Cavanaugh has lauded Cutler’s progress this offseason, noticing a new found attention to fundamentals and increased physical strength. We’ve seen Jay self-destruct before though, whether it be some physical ailment or debilitating lapses in judgement in decision making. Inconsistency has been his undoing. He could be a top 5 QB this year if he keeps is head, and the rest of his body, on point.

Golden Tate WR, Lions: Tate has been touting his abilities for years, but we’ve yet to see them translate to fantasy pay-dirt. Hopefully the wait is over now that he’s playing opposite Calvin Johnson on one of the league’s most prolific passing offenses in Detroit. Tate has compared his role on his new team to that of Lance Moore when he was in New Orleans. Tate is arguably a better receiver in most aspects, so this could be an exciting year for him and  his fantasy owners.

Kyle Rudolph TE, Vikings: New Vikings OC Norv Turner is well known for turning tight ends into offensive powerhouses, and Rudolph should be no exception. He’s an athletic specimen that has largely been held back by poor QB play, but with a new and hopefully competent play caller under center in Teddy Bridgewater, this could be the year Rudolph gets loose. It could also be another year in which he produces inconsistently; enough so that he becomes unusable in fantasy.

Marquess Wilson WR, Bears: Wilson is a step up from former Bears slot-receiver Earl Bennett, but there are a lot of mouths to feed in Chicago with Marshall, Jeffery, and Martellus Bennett above him in the pecking order. He’s still worth a speculative late round flier in most leagues.

Jarrett Boykin WR, Packers: Boykin was sitting pretty as the third receiver in Green Bay until the Packers drafted receivers Davante Adams and Jared Abbrederis. Now Boykins’ hold on that coveted spot is tenuous at best. He should start out the season ahead of them, but Adams will push Boykins for time right out of the gate as he’s arguably a more talented receiver.

Teddy Bridgewater QB, Vikings: Once the highest rated QB coming out of college, Bridgwater’s status has taken a nosedive due to his lackluster pro-day. Perhaps that’s a good thing though, as pressure to succeed doesn’t seem so intense now. He shouldn’t have a problem beating Matt Cassel or Christian Ponder for the starting role, and teams will be spending most of their efforts trying to bottle up Adrian Peterson. I like Bridgewater to be the most productive of the rookie class QBs this season.

Eric Ebron TE, Lions: First round pick Ebron has the look of a fantasy savior, but early indications are that he’s still a raw prospect and he’s having trouble holding onto the ball. There’s a chance the light turns on this season, but it’s more likely that we won’t see his star rise until year two.

Greg Jennings WR, Vikings: Jennings has a light load to carry in Minnesota’s offense, though he’s technically their “no.1” receiver. Peterson, Patterson, and Rudolph will be the major focuses of the new look Vikings offense, but Jennings will be on the field every play. That could add up to a productive, and more importantly, consistent fantasy output. It’s yet to be seen if the Vikings will generate enough offense to make him viable though.