"Upside" can be such an overused word in fantasy.
We're all guilty of it. We're always hoping to be first to discover the next big star, but fantasy football isn't only about getting the greatest gain from the least expected source.
It's also about being the team that puts up the most competitive score week in and week out, the team that grinds it out until the playoffs, and never runs quiet. "Slow and steady wins the race" might be a boring saying, but it's absolutely true. (Well, it's true at least as it pertains to teams qualifying for the fantasy football postseason.)
In addition to seeking the biggest return for your buck at the draft table, be sure to fill at least a few spots on your roster with reliable weekly bets, the consistent types who won't let you down and will elevate your team's points-scored floor. They might be boring, unsexy picks, but they're necessary parts in your championship quest. Entering 2016, the following players best fit the description of "steady" performers.
The players who fit this description are not merely those with the best consistency metrics, such as those found in my consistency ratings. Those measures do generally identify more reliable bets, but roles change, unexpected injuries derail seasonal outcomes -- see the third name on the list -- and therefore the player's profile in its entirety needs be considered.
Each steady performer includes "Tristan's ADP take," listing the player's ADP in ESPN leagues as of July 5, as well as my opinion on how worthy it is to risk it.
Giovani Bernard, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
It might seem difficult to believe, but only 10 running backs scored more standard-league fantasy points than Bernard from 2013-15 combined, and only seven did so in PPR scoring. That's largely due to his involvement in the Bengals' passing game; he had 163 of his standard-league points on receptions alone, fifth most among running backs. Bernard should be involved at least as much in the Bengals' passing game this season, considering their lack of depth at wide receiver. Plus, he's involved enough as a runner to make an impact there as well, one of only 11 running backs to have at least 150 carries in each of the past three seasons.
Tristan's ADP take: 110th (110.4) is at least a round (and probably two rounds) too late. Bernard is an excellent value past the 10th round.
Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Arizona Cardinals
Though there are many mouths to feed in the Cardinals' passing game and their quarterback is one of the older ones in the NFL, Fitzgerald's role lends itself to consistency, at least at the lower tiers of the position. His average target distance has shrunk at this latter stage of his career, dropping to a career-low 8.4 yards in 2015, yet he was able to score between seven and 13 fantasy points in nine of his 16 games. Fitzgerald is pretty predictable: He gets nine or so targets per game, one to two of those in the red zone, and his good hands fuel a high catch rate that should keep him firmly within that range most weeks, making him a nice WR3 to own.
Tristan's ADP take: 59th (62.3) is perhaps a round too soon, but in a season in which wide receivers are being drafted more aggressively than ever, he might need to be on your radar by the sixth round.
Mark Ingram, RB, New Orleans Saints
A player doesn't necessarily have to stay completely healthy to be considered consistent, especially at running back, where injuries are commonplace. In Ingram's case, his status as the Saints' go-to option at the goal line, as well as a significant contributor in their receiving game, has made him remarkably reliable on a weekly basis. To that point, he never scored fewer than six fantasy points in any of his 12 healthy games. In fact, in Ingram's 25 games played from 2014-15, he averaged 12 standard-league and 15 PPR fantasy points, and in 17 of those games he finished within five points of his averages in both formats; in four other contests he exceeded his weekly averages by a larger margin.
Tristan's ADP take: 22nd (23.0) is a few spots late. In a season during which the top tier of wide receivers makes more compelling cases for first- and early second-round status, Ingram makes a weak case for a first-round selection, but he's one to aggressively target in the mid-to-late second round.
Greg Olsen, TE, Carolina Panthers
There might not be a player in the NFL who better fits the description of "steady" than Olsen, who on 25 occasions the past three seasons combined produced a fantasy point total that ranked among the top 10 tight ends for the week, second only to Rob Gronkowski (29). In addition, Olsen on only nine occasions during that same time span finished outside the top 20 tight ends in weekly scoring, and he has appeared in 142 consecutive games, starting each of the past 64 of those. Olsen's critics claim that his consistency will dry up with the return of wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin, but that's not necessarily so, as Olsen scored only 13 more standard-league and six more PPR fantasy points in 2015 than 2014, when Benjamin was last healthy. Olsen also accrued a greater percentage of the Panthers' total targets in 2014 (25.3 percent) than 2015 (24.9), which indicates that he shouldn't be any less involved in the game plan.
Tristan's ADP take: 38th (39.5) is just about right, but I'd be apt to take him if he slips even a spot or two.
Golden Tate, WR, Detroit Lions
Though Tate's consistency metrics might not hint his belonging on this list -- he was a top-25 wide receiver 12 times and finished outside the top 50 at the position on seven occasions in his first two seasons with the Lions -- his role supports his being a safe selection. Calvin Johnson's retirement will shift things around in the Lions' passing game, but Tate will be the team leader in targets, absorbing a solid eight to 15 weekly, more than stabilizing his weekly fantasy score. Keep in mind that Johnson missed three games in 2014, and in those games Tate was targeted 12, 13 and 14 times, scoring four, 21 and 21 fantasy points (11, 31 and 28 in PPR scoring). Tate has as good a chance as any receiver to reach the 150-target plateau, which makes him an especially safe investment in PPR.
Tristan's ADP take: 54th (56.0) is about right.
Delanie Walker, TE, Tennessee Titans
If you're going the consistent/safe route at tight end and aren't angling for Olsen, Walker should be your pick. Walker appeared in 15 games last season and didn't finish lower than 18th at the position in weekly scoring in any of them; he was the only tight end to finish within the top 20 in every game that he played plus appear in at least 15 contests. He had the 10th-largest target share -- 27 percent of the Titans' total targets -- in the league and the largest among tight ends last season, and while Walker might be needed to block more in Mike Mularkey's "exotic smashmouth" offense in 2016, he's still highly likely to finish among the top five at the position in targets. Remember, opportunity at this position breeds consistency.
Tristan's ADP take: 53rd (55.8) is about right, though I'd prefer to wait another round in standard formats.
Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks
He was the No. 3-scoring quarterback in fantasy in both 2014 and 2015 and is the third-most desirable quarterback off the board in early drafts this season, but it's actually his consistency that's an even more valuable trait than his productivity. Mobile quarterbacks tend to fit the description; those who can contribute five to 10 points each week with their legs are considerably safer because their off days throwing aren't so damaging to a fantasy team's competitive chances. In Wilson's case, he was the only quarterback in the league to finish within the top 20 in scoring at his position in all 16 of his games last season, and since the beginning of 2013, he has the most top-10 weekly performances at the position (26).
Tristan's ADP take: I tend to wait much, much longer to select a quarterback than Wilson's No. 29 (31.9) spot, and I think he's a wiser pick at least a round later, but he's closer to value at that number than most of the upper-echelon passers.