Fantasy Football Sleepers

Although I hate the term 'sleeper', as it implies a Rip Van Winkle sort of player, I love picking up players no one thought of and succeeding with them. By far, the greatest team I've ever drafted (with Papa Murk) had Terry Allen as a Redskin, Marshall Faulk in his rookie year and Natrone Means before he was famous. At least, that's how I remember it.

So, in honor of late round trash talkers everywhere, I bring you the Secret Weapons of Fantasy Football 2008.

Quaterback:

Don't waste your time searching for value early. If you pull the trigger on a QB in the first round, you'd better be damn sure what you're getting. A late flyer on one of these names might do it for you.

Jay Cutler - Not a sleeper per se, but overlooked. 20 tds and 3000 yards baseline, with a bit of upside. Not great for head to head leagues.

Matt Schaub - Papa Murk's pick. Nuff said. Great receivers, great arm. Stay healthy, please Matt.

David Garrard - Oh, he looks bad until the last 3 round of the draft, then you say, "Hey, he's still there?" And he will be.

Running Backs:

Don't draft running backs. Draft ONE running back. By this I mean, stay away from split duty guys. Pick a full time runner early if you can and fill in the gaps with steady yardage guys.

Jamal Lewis - He's not dead yet. Solid 10 point a week guy. Pick him up in the fourth or fifth, depending on your league IQ.

Edgerrin James - WHAT? Just wait. Pick him up late and wait. Not your number 1. Hell, not your number 2, but number 3??? Hell.

Julius Jones - This has a lot of risk, but Seattle always seems to pick up an average guy and make him great. Their Offensive Line is great. Everyone jumps on Denver running backs, but Seattle is the place for me.

Ricky Williams - What am I, high? Yes. High on some of that Jamaican Ricky Bomb. Value late. Maybe some upside.

Wide Receivers:

Picking wide receiver sleepers is like making out with your sister. Sure, it's making out, but it's really NOT something to brag about. But, why let 2000 years of taboo stand in the way.

Jerricho Cotchery - He will be the number six scoring receiver in your league by the end of the season. Bank it.

Calvin Johnson - Ut oh. Bad pick goes right. We call this one the KEARNS. So bad it has to work.

Roddy White - The annual "Someone has to catch the ball there" pick. A deep deep sleeper that may never wake up. BUT, worth a 7th round flier if he's there.

Kickers, Defenses, TE, etc:

They're all sleepers.

More Draft Coverage Next Week.