Nine players divided into three different categories, all of whom can help you win a championship this year.

Three players who deserve more respect

Ben Roethlisberger – QB Pittsburgh Steelers

Antonio Brown. That’s really all that needs to be said. Markus Wheaton. Sammie Coates. Oh yeah, and he’ll have the incredibly gifted Martavis Bryant to throw to and superstar running back Le’Veon Bell opening the field up for him once they get back from suspension. With all players healthy and in the lineup, this offense can no doubt be number one in the league after establishing themselves as elite last year. Somebody has to lead this offense, and that somebody is two-time Super Bowl champion Ben Roethlisberger. He threw for nearly 5,000 yards last year and over 30 touchdowns while becoming the first quarterback to have two straight games with six or more touchdowns. There’s no reason that he can’t at least replicate those numbers, if not surpass them, while trying to capture his third title.

Justin Forsett – RB Baltimore Ravens

Justin Forsett was probably the biggest surprise in fantasy football last year, and a lot of the people who snatched him off the waiver wire won their leagues. But a lot of experts think it might have been a revelation for the 29-year-old running back, and that he’ll fall back to earth this year. But why? They really didn’t bring in much competition aside from rookie Buck Allen, who hasn’t yet beat out power runner Lorenzo Taliaferro for the backup job. Not to mention the Ravens new offensive coordinator, Marc Trestman, the man who helped Matt Forte become just the second running back in history to catch 100 passes last year. But many still think the arrow is pointing down for a running back who should only improve on his impressive totals last year, and one who is a bargain with a third to fourth round price tag.

Jeremy Maclin – WR Kansas City Chiefs

Kirkwood graduate Jeremy Maclin has come home… well, sort of. He’s back in Missouri, but on the other side of the state. In Philadelphia last year, he finally produced like so many Kirkwood residents wanted to see, putting up incredible numbers in his first year as the number one wideout in Chip Kelly’s system, without the presence of DeSean Jackson. Now he’s in Kansas City, where receivers apparently go to be put to fantasy death after no wide receiver caught a touchdown last year for Kansas City. That seems to be scaring off a lot of people even though he’s a number one target once again. Maybe they’re just putting him on the same level as Dwayne Bowe (who’s now in Cleveland), which is absurd. Maclin is not any less talented than he was last year, and he’s already showed great rapport with quarterback Alex Smith. Oh, and he’s scored a touchdown!

Three high-quality sleepers

Ryan Tannehill – QB Miami Dolphins

Ryan Tannehill surpassed 4,000 passing yards last year, and he looked like he was on his way to becoming one of the elite in the near future. Well, the future could be now when you take a look at the talent surrounding him. The Dolphins added three receivers in the form of DeVante Parker, the team’s first round pick this year, the explosive Kenny Stills, whom they acquired from the Saints, and veteran Greg Jennings. They also signed Jordan Cameron, a top five talent at tight end if he can stay healthy. All that on top of a very solid offensive line and an equally solid running back in Lamar Miller, Tannehill looks to be on his way to an even bigger breakout season and fantasy stardom.

C.J. Spiller – RB New Orleans Saints

It may seem like a long time ago, but before his injury setbacks, C.J. Spiller was a great running back, even surpassing 1,000 rushing yards in 2012 for the Bills. But as good of a runner he is, he may be an even better receiver. And who is best known for their receiving backs’ success? That’s right, Sean Payton and the Saints. Reggie Bush, Darren Sproles or Pierre Thomas ring any bells? Spiller may be the most talented out of the bunch, and he’s entering the prime of his career. For a team that lost nearly all of its top receivers, the Saints may turn into more of a running back-oriented team. With Mark Ingram providing the thunder, Spiller should provide the lightning, and probably a whole lot more.

Andre Johnson – WR Indianapolis Colts

As amazing as it is for Ben Roethlisberger to have Antonio Brown catching his passes, it is equally amazing for veteran receiver Andre Johnson to have Andrew Luck throwing him passes this season. Luck is far better than any of the quarterbacks Johnson has ever played with during his Hall of Fame career and it’s not even close. Johnson’s locked up the number two position for the team, which is no small feat on a roster that includes T.Y. Hilton, Donte Moncrief, and 2015 first-round pick Phillip Dorsett. Also, number two on a team that throws as much as the Colts do is basically like number one on any other team, and he’ll most likely be on the field just as much as Hilton, if not more since he is more of a possession receiver. He has already impressed coaches and teammates during training camp and preseason, and he should keep impressing throughout the season.

Three rookies to watch

Amari Cooper – WR Oakland Raiders

The top receiver leading up to the draft, and arguably the most polished player in his class, Amari Cooper landed in a great situation with the pass-happy Raiders, led by second year quarterback Derek Carr. Cooper has virtually no competition on the depth chart aside from the lackluster free agent signee Michael Crabtree. That being the case, Oakland hasn’t been shy about getting him the football as much as possible throughout the preseason, and that shouldn’t change for Week 1. He’ll get tons of targets and catches, and with his talent, that’s guaranteed to convert to tons of points.

Ameer Abdullah – RB Detroit Lions

Ameer Abdullah is another player who has impressed coaches and fans, during the preseason, compiling a couple of eye-popping runs and showing off his tremendous skills. Even without that, Abdullah had seemingly locked up the change-of-pace back role for the Lions. But with the incumbent Joique Bell nursing injuries and acting as more of a bruiser with little homerun ability, Abdullah could become much more than a third down running back. Expect him to take over the majority of the carries and the starting role at some point in the season, possibly even week one if Bell isn’t ready in time.

Devin Funchess – WR Carolina Panthers

With the season-ending injury to Kelvin Benjamin, Devin Funchess finds himself in a very similar situation as Cooper. There’s no other receiver on the Panther’s roster that deserves a starting spot, so no matter how raw anybody thinks Funchess is, he is bound to become the team’s number one target sooner rather than later. He dropped to the second round of the draft due to his slow 40 yard dash time, but he provides the perfect big-bodied, talented receiver that Cam Newton loves and he should step right into Benjamin’s role.