ESPN

Upside. Breakout potential. They're terms that refer to the possibility a fantasy football player will rack up explosive statistical totals. They're also words that can't help but inspire excitement in an owner pondering a certain player fitting that description.

I'm all for picking exciting, young players on the rise. I like drafting heavily in players with upside, players with breakout potential. You do, too. Heck, we all do. But the problem is that these guys aren't always in abundant supply, and after they're gone, you're left to pick and choose among the less thrilling, more predictable types to fill in the holes on your roster.

What's wrong with predictability? In these days of the breakouts and sleepers, it's the consistent, proven players who often slip between the cracks. Maybe it doesn't seem as fun to pick a guy who notches only 10 fantasy points every given week but never has that one huge, team-leading game, but build a roster of nine of those players and you're talking about 90 points a week, enough to put you in contention for a victory every game.

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