Fantasy Football: Arizona Wildcats Edition

Several Arizona Wildcats will be playing on Sundays this season, and some with more frequency than others. But when it comes to your fantasy football league, should you even consider drafting them, or is the urge to support your alma mater outweighed by pure common sense? Below I break down which players to consider and how seriously to consider them:

1. Rob Gronkowski (Tight End, Patriots)

Analysis: The Gronk’s size and athleticism has re-defined the tight-end position, making him too fast for a linebacker, too big for a defensive back and therefore nearly unstoppable when Brady decides to throw in his general direction. This in combination with the fact that the NFL is evolving into a “throw at all costs” league puts the value of a good Tight End–especially Rob Gronknowski and Jimmy Graham–at unprecedented levels.

Where to draft: People will not laugh at you if you take Gronkowski in the late first round or early second round, and he will be gone if you wait any longer than that. In many leagues, the Gronk is being drafted after Calvin Johnson and in lieu of the likes of Fitzgerald, White, Jennings, Johnson and Marshall.

2. Nick Foles (Quarterback, Eagles)

This will be the first season Nick Foles will put on an NFL uniform, and his chance to get it dirty is a good one. Foles’ stock is rising rapidly and he looks to be emerging as the backup Quarterback for injury prone Michael Vick, who has already left the game early in two pre-season games with a minor thumb injury and a minor rib injury. Foles went 18 of 28 for 217 yards and two touchdowns in his recent preseason game against the Patriots and after Vick went down. It is only a matter of time before Vick breaks his entire body and Foles takes over the starting role.

Where to draft: Foles is not currently on the better half of any major draft lists, but with Vick’s high risk of injury and Foles’ increasing production, I’m not so sure that will be the case for long. You may want to wait-and-see approach, picking him up during the season as a free agent once Vick goes down. If you are in a keeper league and the likes of Andrew Luck, Jake Locker and Ryan Tannehill are already gone, Foles might not be a bad take.

3. Nick Folk (Kicker, Jets)

Nick Folk has been on the decline, but the Jets brought in veteran Josh Brown for some competition, so maybe this will motivate Folk to step it up a notch.

Where to draft: He’s a kicker, so draft him last. You have nothing to lose: If he doesn’t produce and Josh Brown takes over, you can drop him and pick up another kicker at will. If he does produce, he will likely be producing a lot since the Jets offense does not seem to know what an endzone is.

4. Juron Criner (Wide Receiver, Raiders)

Like Foles, Criner has impressed the Raiders in preseason and could see himself playing a small but important role on the Oakland offense this year.

Where to draft: Unless you are in a really deep keeper league and have first filled out your roster to your heart’s content, I would wait and see what happens in the season first. My prediction: He will be productive enough to be draftable next season, but his fantasy value will not be there this year.

5. Mike Thomas (Wide Receiver, Jaguars)

Thomas had a great year in 2010 but went MIA in ’11, and with a poor performance in the offseason, it does not appear that he will be on the rise again anytime soon.

Where to draft: Don’t. He plays for a crummy team and is dropping in the depth charts.