The Fool's Take: Brady dodges a 4-game bullet

First off, we all know he did it, right?

That said...

Prior to Thursday's ruling, selecting Tom Brady as your starting fantasy QB was essentially a calculated risk. Given that his ADP (average draft position) was hovering around the 8th or 9th round in 10-team leagues, drafting him offered significant upside should his suspension be reduced or eliminated entirely. 

If you took the chance, you're patting yourself on the back today. But don't get too cocky just yet. Before Thursday, Brady was, on average, the tenth QB off the board. In 2014, he finished the season as the tenth-ranked fantasy QB (depending on scoring system). So while he'll get a deserved bump in my rankings (from #10 to #7) when I update them this weekend, keep in mind that Brady hasn't been among the fantasy elites since 2012. 

Perhaps the biggest winners are those who invested a premium pick on TE Rob Gronkowski and a mid-round selection on WR Julian Edelman. They won't be limited by an inexperienced passer taking his lumps at the start of the season.

If you were banking on big things from Jimmy Garoppolo, well, there's always next year…