Fantasy: 7 players who will lead you to a title (Updated)

Get ready for your season with theScore's 2016 Fantasy Football Draft Kit.

No fantasy owner's draft plan should be so rigid as to classify any player as a "must-own," but it's wise to enter your draft with a short list of players to target.

Below, theScore's editors identify seven players we believe are key to winning a fantasy title this season. All are available in the third round or later in average leagues (with some expected to go off the board much later), and we expect all will exceed their draft status by a significant margin.

You shouldn't plan to get all seven of these players on your roster - that's probably impossible - but if you build your draft plan around selecting at least a few of them, we believe you'll greatly increase your chances of fantasy glory.

Carson Palmer, QB, Cardinals

What's not to like about Palmer's situation in 2016? In addition to having one of the deepest receiving corps in the NFL, he has a pass-happy head coach, a top-10 offensive line, and an emerging star running back who excels in the passing game.

The 36-year-old was fantasy's fifth-best quarterback in 2015, appearing in all 16 games and setting career highs with 4,671 yards and 35 touchdowns - numbers he should challenge this year.

Age and injury history might be factors in his late seventh-round ADP, or perhaps owners are hung up on the four interceptions he threw in a blowout loss to the Panthers in the NFC championship. Whatever the reason, Palmer is the eighth quarterback being selected on average in drafts, which represents league-winning value.

C.J. Anderson, RB, Broncos

Anderson's inclusion on this list will have some owners crying "fool me once!" - but those shying away from the Broncos' lead runner because he burned them last season may live to regret it. Yes, Anderson busted as a first-round pick in 2015 fantasy drafts. But it's not entirely his fault. He battled injuries all season, and watched the Broncos' once-prolific offense wither in lockstep with Peyton Manning's arm strength.

In Anderson's brief moments of relative health last season, he showed flashes of excellence - like his 113 yards and two touchdowns in a snowy Week 11 game against the Patriots. He also finished the year strong, scoring in Weeks 16 and 17, and in two of the Broncos' three postseason games, including the game-clinching score in Super Bowl 50.

With Manning (and Brock Osweiler) out of the picture, the Broncos are going to run the ball and then run it some more. Anderson, fresh off signing an $18-million contract, will be the centerpiece. He's a perfect fit for Gary Kubiak's scheme, and, if he can stay healthy, should provide a good return on his third-round ADP. He's a strong RB1 target for owners who prefer a WR-WR start to their draft.

Duke Johnson, RB, Browns

Fantasy owners' distaste for Browns players of all shapes and sizes has created an opportunity for those with selective colorblindness. If Johnson wore any colors but orange and brown, he'd be widely hailed as a breakout candidate this season. Instead, his buzz is muted - but it's growing.

New Browns head coach Hue Jackson is a big upgrade on the previous regime, and his scheme should be a boon for the team's running backs. The threat of mobile quarterback Robert Griffin III should also open plenty of lanes. Though Johnson's rookie season wasn't a smashing success (in large part because the Browns were an abject disaster as a whole), Johnson flashed high-end talent in limited use - particularly as a receiver. It's clear he has the raw talent to be a star, and it's clear his coaches know it. Run game coordinator Kirby Wilson called the sophomore "an ultimate weapon."

Everything is lining up for Johnson to break out, yet he's still available in the seventh round in most drafts. Put on your Browns blinders and add him to your roster.

Michael Floyd, WR, Cardinals

Predicting a big campaign for Floyd is simple. His gruesome preseason finger injury prevented him from asserting himself early in 2015, but once healthy, his targets per game doubled and he emerged as the most dangerous fantasy receiver on a team with three quality options.

From Week 8 to Week 16, Floyd averaged 12.3 fantasy points per game, which was 10th-best in the NFL. If he kept that production up over a full season, we're talking about a WR1 who is currently going off the board in the fifth round of fantasy drafts.

Larry Fitzgerald and John Brown each topped 1,000 yards last season, but both were more productive when Floyd was out of the lineup. With the third member of their trio entering the year healthy, expect Floyd to lead the Cardinals in receiving yards and touchdowns.

Donte Moncrief, WR, Colts

The Colts' offense wasn't exactly fantasy nirvana last season, with Andrew Luck missing all but seven games, but the second-year receiver Moncrief managed to break out nonetheless. In 16 games (10 starts), most of them with Matt Hasselbeck or someone worse at quarterback, Moncrief caught 64 passes for 733 yards and six touchdowns.

Now, with Luck healthy, there's every reason to believe Moncrief will take the next step toward fantasy stardom. Already possessing the raw athletic tools needed for success in the pros when he came out of college, he has since refined his route-running and cut down on mistakes.

Moncrief has an ADP more than two rounds later than teammate T.Y. Hilton. If you want a piece of what should be a high-scoring offense, but don't want to pay a premium, he should be your target.

Tyler Lockett, WR, Seahawks

Every year of Russell Wilson's career, the Seahawks passer has attempted more passes than the previous season. That trend should continue in 2016, especially following the retirement of workhorse runner Marshawn Lynch, and the freakishly athletic sophomore Lockett is poised to benefit most from the Seahawks' trend toward an aerial attack.

No, he doesn't look like a prototypical No. 1 wideout. At 5-foot-10 and 182 pounds, he probably won't ever be a red-zone monster. But Wilson isn't a prototypical player either, and that hasn't exactly hampered his fantasy production. What Lockett lacks in height he more than makes up for in speed, change of direction, and polished route-running.

As a rookie, he often looked like the most explosive player in football. In limited work, he caught 51 passes for 664 yards and six touchdowns, and also added two touchdowns as a returner (one punt, one kick). The chains are about to come off, and there's no reason to believe Lockett can't compete with Doug Baldwin in an every-down role to be the Seahawks' leading receiver.

Dwayne Allen, TE, Colts

The picture above was captured moments after Allen found out Coby Fleener left the Colts in free agency. For the first time in his career, he'll be the clear starting tight end for his club, which will welcome a healthy Andrew Luck back to the offense.

Shortly after signing a new deal in the offseason, Allen told reporters that offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski promised him a bigger role in the offense. That's notable, since Chudzinski has a history of getting the most out of his tight ends, going back to Jordan Cameron with the Browns and Greg Olsen with the Panthers.

Allen has always been a reliable target in the red zone, and even tied for the team lead in receiving touchdowns during the 2014 season. With Fleener's departure, he should continue his work in that area while increasing his yardage totals, making him a solid TE1 option.