There are a thousand articles on sleepers. They start back in January.
Moments after the final gun on Monday night, there in a lonely cabin,
shrouded only in moonlight, stooped over an Atari 800 XL, sits our
intrepid writer. Later the next morning the first sleeper article
is born. Born of sweat, coffee, blood, and tequila it breaths new
life into the fantasy football season. Millions of fantasy football
fans weep tears of joy.
Forget sleepers. What owners should be looking for are players that
are likely to play ahead of their draft spot. I don't believe I
can spot players that are going to be the next Jeff Garcia because
even though I thought Garcia would play better than his draft slot
last year, never in my wildest dreams - not that I would ever dream
of Jeff Garcia - would I have him in the top-5 quarterbacks. If
he had finished in the top-15, it would've satisfied my expectations.
He would've played beyond his draft slot.
The more players you get that play beyond their slot, the better
your team becomes. The better your team becomes, the more likely
you are to turn those players that played above their slots into
gold. The game is to get players early in the draft that will, at
the minimum, play to their draft slot and get players later in the
draft that will play beyond it.
That is the type of team to strive for and these are the players
that will put you there.
CostCo - Rounds 1-4
Ricky Williams
Found late in the first round he has talent similar to Fred Taylor,
with all the injury problems tossed in to boot. Why he gets selected
10th and Fred is found in the top-3 boggles the imagination. And
he runs behind a better line.
Warrick Dunn
Tampa Bay's offense looks
like something hanging off the end of a dog this preseason, but
it is preseason. Dunn is going in the third round around when running
backs taken are either questionable or aged. He is neither. A third
round choice is a bargain.
Jimmy Smith
The intestines are now safely ensconced and the risk of his collapsing
in a heap of bile is slim. Still, instead of going late in the second
round or maybe mid-third he is falling into fourth or fifth rounds.
His play in the Jags third preseason game may drop the price a little
but the fraidy cats will chuckle when you slip him on the team round
three. This is a he who laughs last deal.
Tiki Barber
"Catch me now I'm falling" should be Tiki's theme song.
With a broken hand and pub about Ron Dayne's Slim Fast offseason,
Tiki is sliding back towards the end of the fourth round. Once he
is back on the field, he will glide past Dayne and Dayne's indecisiveness.
Steal him.
Wholesale-Rounds 5-8
Wayne Chrebet
Now that the Jets offense has taken wing, we've left the little
guy behind. He is going sixth or seventh round at the earliest and
who do we suspect will catch all those balls? Chrebet is not a game-breaker
but he will take down a ton of receptions and with each reception
comes yards and potential scores.
Michael Pittman
The mess is, hopefully, behind him. He will serve a suspension.
He will be the starter. If you want to play ostrich, take both he
and Thomas Jones but Pittman will be the main guy. It will cost
a seventh round pick can you afford it?
Tim Biakabutuka
Yeah there are medical tomes dedicated to the Panther running back's
history of injury. He has had the opportunity to play in 80 games
and been involved in 45. So what. He is the starter and will go
into the seventh, eighth, or even ninth rounds. We don't recommend
his being counted on as a starter but he could be nice trade bait,
a bye week player, or potential starter. The Richard Huntley era
is on hold grab Biakabutuka.
Derrick Mason
The Titans passing game revolves around dump offs to Eddie George
and short passes to Frank Wycheck. It rarely includes 400-yard assaults
that use the wide receivers. Consequently, the Titans wide receivers
are overlooked. Don't overlook Mason who is routinely going in the
seventh or eighth rounds. He will perform at a fourth or fifth round
rate.
Vinny Testaverde
While quarterbacks trudge along and we dream of wonderful seasons
from Jeff Garcia or Elvis Grbac, Vinny Testaverde stands alone in
the seventh or eighth round like a schmuck. He's not. He will pass
for 3,800-4,000 yards and 25-plus touchdowns, which are classic
top-10 numbers. That should be the minimum.
Kevan Barlow
This just in, two years off from professional football and an armload
of surgeries won't promote your career. Garrison Hearst is close
to being cut and the profit-maker from this will be Barlow a large,
quick back with decent hands. He will start dropping soon but get
him if you can.
Five Finger Discount - Rounds 9-12
Jeff George
He has tendinitis, the Redskins will force the run, and the wide
receivers are not top-notch. Oh, yeah, George is an idiot. We can't
expect world domination as the team is not set up like the Rams
but we can expect solid numbers that will place him near the top-10.
George is not the guy I would hang my team around but if I took
a risk quarterback early, he would be a solid guy to fall back on.
Doug Flutie
He is one of five quarterbacks with 50, 000 professional passing
yards but so few have been against the behemoths of the NFL that
we have little idea what he could do if given a chance to shine.
San Diego is not a place to shine but it is an opportunity. The
offensive line is not very good, the running game is a mystery,
and he is almost 39-years old and shorter than the average water
boy. He is going late in drafts and should play as a decent starter
or a great backup.
Jason Brookins
This is the land of true long shots for running backs but Brookins
has a shot at the job in Baltimore. If he can get it, he shoots
up to top-20 status. If he doesn't, someone off the waiver wire
can replace the late pick you spent on him.
Tony Richardson
Allegedly, Dick Vermeil is not happy with the Chiefs running game.
Now, whether that means Priest Holmes will fall down the ladder
and Richardson will pop up is anyone's guess but we like Richardson
for goal line packages, at worst, and a double-digit draft choice
is a good gamble.
Willie Jackson
He is not very fast but he has the eye of quarterback Aaron Brooks.
If Albert Connell - the current starter - is injured or disappoints
- Connell's last season in a nutshell --, Jackson will get the call
and could put up some good numbers. This is a draft and watch guy,
but his numbers when he gets in the game will be starter's numbers.
Ike Hilliard
As we get closer to Opening Day, Hilliard is sliding down draft
lists due to the obvious fact that he will not start playing Week
1. While that should scare off plenty of owners, the other fact
is that when he does start playing, he will be a fifth or sixth
round talent. It may take until the halfway point of the season
but waiting him out will be worthwhile.
Cameron Cleeland
This stage of the draft is loaded with tight ends and Cleeland could
fall beyond this spot. If he had been healthy the past two seasons,
he'd be chasing Wesley Wall and Frank Wycheck but he hasn't been.
The Saints offense will have plenty of scoring opportunities and
Cleeland will cash in.
Grand Larceny-Rounds 13 and beyond
Jake Plummer
There was a bitter taste left from Plummer after his failures in
1999 and 2000. He is not to be drafted especially early but for
a starting quarterback, with good offensive personnel, and the need
to keep up with his porous defense, to go late in the draft, is
silly. He should put up solid numbers and could be a top-10 quarterback.
Chris Weinke
He will probably move up and could bust, as many rookie quarterbacks
do, but he has a good receiving corps and has shown the ability
in the preseason to play. Expect little and don't ride the bandwagon
but if he goes this late, he has a chance to play much better.
Paul Smith
He will fall back to the nether reaches but with the running game
in San Francisco in upheaval, he could step past rookie Barlow and
move in the door. A must for Barlow owners and a good shot for owners
that like to collect backs - hey, stop pointing.
Jamel White
The Browns running game is not one to hang your hat on but a starting
running back, no matter how lame, is valuable. White is chasing
rookie James Jackson for the starting job and will go very late
in most drafts. If you have a deep draft, White wouldn't look out
of place in the last rounds and could play like a…well like a Browns
starting running back. We are talking 50 yards a game and a touchdown
every three games.
Ben Gay
Two Browns' backs in a row. The former high school phenom has run
the gamut of football teams from college to the CFL without sticking
in one place long enough to grow roots. He has physical talent but
is possibly the rawest player in the league. A late round selection,
at best, and he could be third string when the season starts, but
his talent is scary. Of course, so is his pass protection.
Lavernaues Coles
Getting some heavy praise from Vinny Testaverde and easily the fastest
offensive player on the team, Coles will steal starting time from
former Viking Matthew Hatchette.
Jacquez Green
Somewhat shocking that Green falls so far. It wasn't his fault that
Shaun King couldn't throw the ball more than fifteen yards. Green
is a deep threat with the ability to put up a 1,000-yard season
with six touchdowns.
John Carney
Carney plays with New Orleans now, not the Chargers. With New Orleans
he will gain the benefit of a dome stadium, artificial turf for
10 games and has only one cold weather game after Halloween. The
Saints are a good defensive team with a solid offense. Carney should
be in field goal position many times each game.
Mark Bond can be found,
most days, listening to Stevie Ray Vaughn, eating hot sausage sandwiches
topped with BBQ chips, chili, and coleslaw, slapping back Cuervo
shooters, and rambling on about those warm evenings spent with Janet
Reno. He is not related to James Bond but has the same air of sophistication
of Sean Connery. Mark is currently annoying his workmates at Jackpot
Sports, home of the first daily fantasy baseball game, the Reggie
Jackson Fantasy Baseball Challenge, plus weekly and seasonal Fantasy
Football games.
CostCo - Rounds 1-4
