Fantasy Football Sleepers

Look, I could easily write this blog saying to pick Adrian Peterson with the number one pick. Or to pick Larry Fitzgerald if you want to pick a receiver first. Most likely if you’re reading this, you already know that. Anyone can tell you that Peterson will be a fantasy stud or that Drew Brees will out-throw almost everyone in the league.

This article is here to help you find the sleepers, the golden nuggets of this year’s fantasy football season. Sleepers are guys that you want to draft in the mid to late rounds who will put up a lot more favorable numbers than they are projected.

See: Kevin Smith for an example of a 2008 sleeper.

I will breakdown the sleepers by position, with analysis on each player. I will list each player's ADP, which stands for Average Draft Position, based upon ESPN's online drafts.These sleepers and analyses apply best to a standard ten team league.

**Week 2 Sleeper Updates**

Running Backs

-Mike Bell, Saints

If you own Pierre Thomas, pick Bell up, and if you don't own Thomas, pick Bell up. Until Thomas shows he can play, Bell will get the carries. Saints' coach Payton has even said when Thomas is healthy, they will be competing for carries. Either way, grab Bell off your waiver wire if someone hasn't already. He faces the Eagles, but should get a goal-line carry for a touchdown this week.

- Michael Bush, Raiders

McFadden is the Number One on this team, but Bush looked good on Monday against a pretty good defense in the Chargers. Plus, he got some carries inside the 10-yard line and scored a touchdown. The other back, Fargas, may be back this week, but they will ease him in. Bush has a favorable matchup against the Chiefs this week.

Other notables: Caddy Williams, Bucs

Wide Receivers

- Earl Bennett, Bears

Jay Cutler looked terrible on Sunday night, but he threw the ball a lot to Bennett. Look for this trend to continue, no matter who the Bears are facing. They're playing the Steelers this week so expect them to be passing a lot because they will be trailing for most of the game.

Steve Smith, Giants

The young receivers for the Giants stepped up this Sunday and Smith is the guy to have. He was target 8 times by Manning against the Redskins. It could be a high scoring game this Sunday against the Cowboys and I expect Smith to get a lot off looks again.

Antwaan Randle El, Redskins

Redskins' quarterback Jason Campbell didn't look good Sunday against the Giants, but his favorite target was Randle El. They play my terrible Rams this weekend. Expect Randle El to find pay dirt early on in this matchup.

Other notables: Laurent Robinson, Rams; Nate Burleson, Seahawks

Tight Ends

- Todd Heap, Ravens

Heap looked good on Sunday with five receptions and a touchdown. The Ravens look to be passing more this season and Heap will benefit. Ravens get the Chargers this week and they allowed a lot of open passes to the Raiders' tight end Miller on Monday.

- John Carlson, Seahawks

Anytime a tight end score two touchdowns in one game, it opens eyes. That is exactly what Carlson did on Sunday against the Rams. Hassleback loved throwing to him and he should be owned in most leagues, especially if you have an open spot on your roster.

Other notables: Ben Watson, Patriots; Brent Celek, Eagles

For Season

Running Backs

Every fantasy team should have a plethora of running backs. After the first couple of rounds, most of the big name running backs are gone. So here is a list of players to keep an eye out for during your draft.

- Donald Brown, Colts

· Addai will be the starter, but Coach Caldwell has stated Brown and Addai will be in some type of rotation. I know, that is very specific. With Addai’s injury problems, Brown could easily breakout this year. Coaches and players are raving about Brown’s work ethic and talent so keep an eye out for him.

o ADP (average draft position): 100.7

- Cedric Benson, Bengals

· Cedirc Benson has the starting job, without a doubt. But a couple lackluster seasons have made fantasy footballers stay far away from Benson. He only gets better with Carson Palmer healthy, so Benson should have a much better season than last.

· The main reason that Benson is on this list is because of the value you will be getting for drafting him. I’ve seen some drafts and mock drafts where he falls to 9^th round. In my opinion, that is a steal for a running back that should get about 225+ carries.

o ADP: 85.6

- Julius Jones, Seahawks

· Jones, like Benson, will be available in late rounds of your draft because of really underwhelming performance last year. What will change this year? There is a new coach in town and the Seahawks get back their QB, Matt Hasselback. Coach Jim Mora has officially given the starting job to Jones. There is a good article here. Mora and Jones are both excited about each other.

· Another plus for Jones is that he plays the Rams (twice), Lions, Colts, Texans, Packers, and Buccaneers all which ranked in the bottom half of rushing yards allowed in 2008. Most of his other matchups are against middle of the road defenses like the 49ers, Cardinals, and Cowboys.

o ADP: 109.3

Other potential sleepers: LeSean McCoy and Tim Hightower

Wide Receivers

Picking an under the radar wide receiver can be a very tricky task. Luckily, there is a decent amount to choose from this year.

- Josh Morgan, 49ers

· Michael Crabwho? With Crabtree being a diva, Josh Morgan has taking this golden opportunity and pretty much guaranteed himself the Number 2 WR position on the Niners. Isaac Bruce may be number 1 on the depth chart, but all the buzz is saying Morgan will be the top target.

· He is 6 feet tall and weighs 219 pounds. That is a perfect body for a receiver. Last year, with very limited playing time Morgan had 319 yards, 3 touchdowns, and an average of 16 yards per reception. I expect big things out this potential stud.

o ADP: 122.8

- Percy Harvin, Vikings

· Purple Haze. That is the nickname Percy Harvin has had bestowed upon him. He is expected to be utilized all over the field. In training camp, the coaching staff has had Harvin line up in the slot, out wide, and several formations including running plays. The hype on this kid is ridiculous, even though he is listed as the third receiver on the Vikings depth chart. It may be worth it to take a shot at him especially with now in the mix.

o ADP: 116.4

- Anthony Gonzalez, Colts

· Gonzo has a couple of things going for him. First, Peyton Manning is his quarterback. Second, Reggie Wayne is the other top wide receiver on the Colts. And Finally, Marvin Harrison is no longer on the Colts. What does all that equal? It equals a potential for 1,000 yards and 10+ touchdowns.

· Manning loved throwing to Gonzo last year, especially on third downs, so now that they have established trust and chemistry, Gonzalez’s value can only go up. Look for him as a viable low end number two or high end number three receiver on your team.

o ADP: 83.1

- Chaz Schilens, Raiders

· The bad news is that Chaz recently broke a bone in his left foot and he will be out till about week three or four. The only good thing out of this is that you can almost guarantee no one in your league will draft him. Why would you want a WR with a broken foot you say? Well he is slated to be the number one receiver.

· I would recommend only drafting him if your league has more than ten teams, or you have deep rosters. Even if you don’t want to take the risk of drafting him, look to pick him up off the waiver wires before he is scheduled to come back.

o ADP: Going undrafted in most leagues

Other potential sleepers: Ted Ginn Jr., Domenik Hixon, and Donnie Avery

Tight Ends

If you would rather stock up on WRs and RBs rather than dive in early and take a tight end, don’t worry; the tight end position is pretty deep this year.

- Greg Olsen, Bears

· Olsen had a decent season last year with 54 receptions, 574 yards, and 5 touchdowns. Those stats could drastically increase with the addition of Jay Cutler. Cutler is going to throw the ball and the Bears do not have one single legitimate wide receiver. Devin Hester is the Bears number one and he is young and unproven.

· Once the stud tight ends are gone (Whitten, Gonzalez, Gates) you can wait a good two, three, or four rounds and steal Olsen. You won’t be disappointed.

o ADP: 84.2

- Dustin Keller, Jets

· Keller had a great first season, especially for a tight end. He had 48 receptions, 535 yards and 3 touchdowns last year. With Laveraues Coles going to the Bengals, Keller is the 2^nd best option for Clemens or Sanchez to throw to, behind Jerricho Cotchery. I’d look for Keller to have 65 receptions, 680 yards, and 5 touchdowns. If you don’t land a tight end in the first ten rounds, Keller is your man.

o ADP: 129.9

Other potential sleepers: Zach Miller and Kevin Boss

Good luck in your fantasy drafts this year.