Fantasy: 7 players who will lead you to a title

No matter how much research a fantasy owner does, at some point they are forced to take a stand on the players they believe will be the difference makers that season.

After long discussions and several debates, theScore's NFL editors have narrowed their list down to seven players who will carry teams to fantasy championships in 2015.

Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Steelers

Roethlisberger obliterated his career-high in passing yards in 2014, finishing tied for the league lead with 4,952. After Martavis Bryant emerged in Week 7, Big Ben averaged 335.9 passing yards per outing the rest of the way, including his back-to-back six-touchdown games. Entering his 12th season, Roethlisberger is surrounded by more talent than ever. The Steelers' offense is returning every starter from a group that averaged a franchise-record 27.2 points per game last year. Perhaps most promising for the offense are the shortcomings of the defense. Pittsburgh isn't going to be able to grind out wins any longer and, with the weapons they have on offense, they won't have to. Roethlisberger has top-3 upside in 2015 and requires less of an investment than some of the other fantasy darlings at his position.

Mark Ingram, RB, Saints

With all the hype being paid to C.J. Spiller, very few words have been written or spoken about Ingram this offseason. The Saints' early-down back is currently being drafted at the end of the third round, near some very unproven rushers like Latavius Murray, Melvin Gordon, and Carlos Hyde. The Saints have made it clear they plan to use a more balanced attack and will feature Ingram and Spiller behind their revamped offensive line. Despite playing in just 13 games last year, Ingram ended the season 15th overall among fantasy running backs. If he stays healthy, he should see an uptick from his 226 carries a year ago, which will put him in the RB1 conversation for fantasy. He's also a good bet for double-digit touchdowns after his total of nine last season. Regardless of Spiller's usage, Ingram is the hammer in the Saints offense and can be the same for fantasy owners who recognize his value.

Ameer Abdullah, RB, Lions

At least one rookie running back has finished as a top-10 fantasy player at his position in each of the past three seasons. Abdullah, the fourth running back off the board in this spring's NFL draft, looks like the best bet to do it this year. That's not to say first-round picks Todd Gurley and Melvin Gordon won't be stars in their own right in time, but Gurley is overcoming an ACL injury and Gordon has looked raw at training camp. Abdullah, on the other hand, just keeps blowing away onlookers at camp and in the preseason and looks ready to be a superstar. There's so much to like here: Abdullah's off-the-charts athleticism score, his highly productive college career, and his place on the depth chart behind an old, injured starter in a prolific offense. Joique Bell may open the season as starter in name, but Abdullah should surpass him on the depth chart by October and never look back. Considering Abdullah is cheaper to acquire than Gurley and Gordon in most fantasy leagues (though Abdullah's ADP rises with each passing day), he's the rookie rusher fantasy owners should target.

Jordan Matthews, WR, Eagles

It's not hard to make a case for a second-year player, coming off a 67-reception, 872-yard, eight-touchdown rookie campaign, who is expected to see an increase in targets. Matthews is moving into the No. 1 receiver role, after Jeremy Maclin and his 143 targets left in free agency. Nearly every report coming out of Philadelphia is touting Matthews as a breakout star in 2015. Chip Kelly's offense has produced a 1,300-yard receiver in each of his two seasons in the league and the stars are aligning for Matthews to be the third. The 23-year-old is doing his part as well, working hard to improve his game in the offseason. After finishing as the 24th receiver in fantasy last season, Matthews has an outside chance to be a WR1 this year.

Amari Cooper, WR, Raiders

Forget the idea that rookie receivers rarely have a fantasy impact. Last year, a rookie pass-catcher finished in the top five in fantasy scoring at his position, another finished in the top 10 and three more finished in the top 25. So why is the No. 4 pick in the NFL draft - and a player some analysts called the most polished receiver to enter the draft in years - going off the board in the late fourth round of fantasy drafts as roughly WR20? Cooper, who is a masterful route-runner and excellent after the catch, is a perfect match for the Raiders' short to intermediate passing attack and will be a target vacuum. Seventy-five catches for 1,200 yards and six touchdowns is a good baseline - and there's potential for much more. It's rare to be able to draft a rookie receiver with a floor as high as Cooper's but also top-three upside if everything clicks. Don't miss out.

John Brown, WR, Cardinals

Michael Floyd's hand injury cemented what the Cardinals had already hinted at: John Brown is a starting wideout and perhaps even the team's primary option in the passing attack. The diminutive receiver has simply been too good to limit since entering the NFL as an unheralded third-round pick last year. Break down the film and you see a player whose play is reminiscent of Marvin Harrison. Brown's 48 receptions for 696 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie don't scream "fantasy breakout candidate," but recall that he produced those numbers playing behind Floyd and with a revolving door of terrible quarterbacks after Carson Palmer went down. Palmer is healthy again, the Cardinals' offensive line should provide plenty of protection, and Brown will be unleashed to shred opposing secondaries. Snag him in the eighth round as a WR3 and laugh all the way to the bank.

Tyler Eifert, TE, Bengals

The former first-round pick is entering his third year in the league. He shared snaps with veteran Jermaine Gresham during his rookie year and then missed nearly the entire 2014 season with an elbow injury. Now he's the unquestioned starter in a productive offense that's searching for a No. 2 option in the receiving game behind A.J. Green. The 24-year-old tight end played eight snaps before suffering his season-ending injury, and in that very small sample size, he caught three passes for 37 yards. Perhaps it was a fluke, but maybe it was a sign of what can happen when a player with his talent gets the right opportunity. If you're looking for a tight end available in the later rounds who can break into the top-5 at his position, Eifert is the perfect choice.