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Fantasy football dart throws: 8 deep picks who could be league-winners

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston (3) throws a pass against the Chicago Bears during an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 27, 2015, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

If your draft lands before August 15, you won’t get to see the first full round of preseason games. There’s a lot of debate around whether or not the preseason should weigh into your fantasy rankings. Spoiler alert: I absolutely think it should.

But rather than have an effect on your top-ranked fantasy prospects, the preseason is all about the guys you take a chance on at the end of your drafts. The preseason has the most bearing on the players trying to make their actual NFL team. Sometimes when fighting for a roster spot, those players show a spark, get the attention of not only their coaches, but also fantasy players. Sometimes that spark can lead to a role on the offense, and eventually a role in your starting lineup.

Right now, though, we aren’t there. Right now, we’re working off conjecture, scouting reports and old stats. Right now, some of these picks are dart throws.

But these are the smart dart throws. These are the guys you can get at or near the end of your draft and potentially ride them to a fantasy title. These are the late-round (even last-round) picks who could end up being league-winners for you in 2016.

Quarterbacks

Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: According to Fantasy Football Calculator, Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota are going off the board at the same time in the 12th round. Both players are entering their sophomore season. Mariota’s rookie season ended with an injury. Winston finished the season with the most passing touchdowns in a single game by a rookie quarterback (5, tied with Ray Buivid and Matthew Stafford) and he’s the youngest player to go over 4,000 passing yards. He also holds four Tampa Bay franchise records: Most passing touchdowns in a game (5, tied), most passing touchdowns by a rookie (22), most passing yards by a rookie (4,042) and most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in a season (6).

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