theScore's Fantasy Football All-Bust-Proof Team

The majority of savvy fantasy football players follow a similar strategy in the early portions of their drafts: risk avoidance at all costs.

Precious few players fit the "bust-proof" label each season, so it's critical to know who those players are, and make them the centerpieces of your roster. The following players should be the safest plays at their position, disregarding injury or significant personnel changes:

QB Drew Brees, Saints

That Brees has been a high-end QB1 for the majority of his time in New Orleans isn't a surprise - it's that he has done so without the benefit of an elite wide receiver that makes him such a wonderful value play. He's being drafted in the QB4-6 range overall, but has the highest floor of the bunch.

Look for the Saints to do what they've always done under head coach Sean Payton - air it out no matter the opponent, and hope for the best. And though the Saints have one of the more challenging schedules in the league, you simply can't bet against Brees given his impressive track record.

RB Lamar Miller, Texans

The hesitance to make Miller a top-3 fantasy running back selection based on his limited use in Miami is one of the more ridiculous developments this draft season. Not only is Miller joining one of the most run-heavy teams in the league, there's not one talented running back behind him on the depth chart.

Miller was a top-six RB in standard scoring last season on the strength of a career-high 47 receptions for 397 yards. Expect those totals to increase, as well, in an offense where running backs are active in the passing game. All signs point to Miller having a monster season no matter how the Texans fare.

RB Jamaal Charles, Chiefs

The injury risk is legitimate here, but there's no denying Charles is the class of NFL running backs when healthy. He has averaged at least 5.0 yards per carry every season of his career, and is a prominent feature in a Chiefs' passing attack that has Charles, Jeremy Maclin and Travis Kelce - and that's it.

Prior to a lost 2015 season, Charles had missed just two games over the previous three seasons. And even with a reduced workload, Charles has the ability to put up the kind of weekly performances that win fantasy matchups. If you get 15 games out of Charles, you're getting a top-3 running back.

WR Antonio Brown, Steelers

Brown is the top player in fantasy for a multitude of reasons. If you're blessed with the No. 1 pick in your league, you can use any of those reasons to justify taking him. But the biggest reason he should be the first player off the board - there's no way, barring injury, that he won't be a stud.

In the last 16 games in which Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger has played the majority, Brown has 152 catches for 2,039 yards. Those are record-breaking totals - and with RB Le'Veon Bell out for the first four games and WR Martavis Bryant gone for the season, Brown could approach those numbers.

WR Brandon Marshall, Jets

They don't get much more dependable than Marshall, who finished as a top-5 wide receiver in the majority of formats thanks to 1,502 yards through the air and 14 touchdowns. With quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick back at the helm, Marshall is in great position to approach those numbers again.

Fitzpatrick made it a point to focus on Marshall regardless of game flow. That consistency carried through the entire season; Marshall had 54 catches for 730 yards in the first eight games of 2015, and 55 catches for 772 yards in the final eight games. If healthy, he's a lock to be a high-end WR1.

WR Keenan Allen, Chargers

Allen was a top-5 wide receiver last season before suffering a serious kidney injury that limited him to just eight games. If you extrapolate his 2015 stats over a full season, you wind up with 134 catches for 1,450 yards and eight TDs. He may not get there in 2016, but he should come close.

Allen is the undisputed top option in a Philip Rivers-led offense that isn't shy about airing it out. An improved and healthier offensive line should provide Rivers more room and time to operate, and Rivers will undoubtedly look to Allen first. His floor is among the highest at the position.

TE Delanie Walker, Titans

It may seem odd for a team facing such a mess on offense to produce a bust-proof player, but it's the chaos that makes Walker so tantalizing. With Dorial Green-Beckham off to Philadelphia and few bankable options among the remaining receivers, look for QB Marcus Mariota to lean on his tight end.

Walker was Mariota's safety valve in 2015, racking up double-digit targets in seven of his 16 games - including five of the final seven. He may not be a threat to record double-digit scores, but a 1,000-yard campaign is definitely in play here. At such a volatile position, Walker represents big value.

K Stephen Gostkowski, Patriots

Our own Ken Conrad makes it clear that you shouldn't reach for Gostkowski in fantasy drafts. But if you're bent on securing the kicker with the highest weekly floor, you won't do much better than selecting the guy who has been the most consistent kicking option for the past several seasons.

Gostkowski has connected on greater than 90 percent of his field-goal attempts in three straight seasons - including an incredible 10-for-12 success rate on kicks of 50 yards or longer. He has also averaged better than 35 field goals per season from 2013-15. He's the king of his position.

Arizona Cardinals Defense

Here's another pick you might have to make a bit early for your tastes, but the Cardinals defense is in great position to return significant value relative to ADP. Not only does it boast one of the most imposing group of defenders in the league, it also benefits from a rather cushy schedule.

In addition to being treated to four games against the offensively-inept San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams, the Cardinals will face the Tampa Bay Buccaners, Buffalo Bills, New York Jets, Minnesota Vikings and Washington Redskins. That's a lot of opportunities for defensive touchdowns.