Every Fantasy season there's a handful of guys who come out of virtually nowhere to have a productive season. These sleepers are often responsible for the salvation of many owners' fantasy teams. Last year you had a guy like Maurice Jones-Drew who nobody expected to have the monster year that he did. It's very difficult to accurately predict who these players will be but here are my educated guesses:
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Player |
Rationale |
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1 |
Jamal Lewis
Cleveland Browns
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You heard it here first, Jamal Lewis is going to be a top 10 rusher this season. He has been widely reported as looking no less than rejuvenated in camp. The Browns have a revamped offensive line and they have a quarterback in Charlie Frye who is more than capable of keeping defenses honest. |
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2 |
Nate Washington
Pittsburgh Steelers |
This talented receiver cracked the lineup last season and have a pretty good year for someone who was an unknown. I don't see anything stopping him from building on that and having an even more productive season. |
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3 |
Kolby Smith
Kansas City Chiefs |
He is a rookie but guess what? He's running with the first team in camp because of Larry Johnson's holdout and Priest Holmes isn't even close to being ready to be in the lineup. Michael Bennett is never going to be a starter again. The reports on this young guy are that he looks ready to make people forget that LJ is holding out. |
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4 |
Dwayne Jarrett
Carolina Panthers |
Everyone knows how he did at USC but he has alot of doubters due to the limited success that USC receivers have had in the league. I personally believe he is going to buck that trend and have a season that puts him in the race for ROY honors. With Steve Smith on the other side I don't think that's a far-fetched notion. Do you? |
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5 |
Eric Johnson
New Orleans Saints |
With all the attention going to the guys on the outside and in the backfield, he has the perfect situation. He can slip underneath all day with single or no coverage and kill the heart the defense. He has great hands and knows how to get open but just had injury problems in the past. Look out for him in later rounds. |
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6 |
Deion Branch
Seattle Seahawks |
Remember him? He's going to be a problem this season, trust me. Darrell Jackson is gone and he knows if he ever wants to validate his super bowl mvp trophy this is his do or die season. |
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7 |
Anthony Gonzalez
Indianapolis Colts |
This rookie is going to feast on nickelbacks this year as Peyton Manning's slot receiver. If he is available late, draft him. |
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8 |
Vincent Jackson
San Diego Chargers |
He is poised to have a big season after 2 years of learning. He's huge, fast, and has great hands. He also benefits from having LT in the backfield and will be single covered often. |
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9 |
Adrian Peterson
Chicago Bears |
Everyone is checking for Cedric Benson but this man is the one getting most of the reps with the first team in camp. He's a talented back and deserves the job just as much as the highly paid but unproductive Benson. Keep an eye on this training camp war. |
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10 |
Ben Watson
New England Patriots |
See above comment for Eric Johnson |
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11 |
Damon Huard
Kansas City Chiefs |
Hardly a sleeper due to his stellar performance last year after Trent Green went down, he has been all but counted out due to Herm Edwards' desire to start the Brodie Croyle era. However, Croyle isn't making it so easy for this to happen with a lackluster camp so far. If it continues this way look for Huard to work his magic again.
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12 |
Jason Campbell
Washington Redskins |
This talented passer will finally get a chance to show what he can do this year as the full time starter. He has some very good weapons and a defense that should be able to assure consistenly good field position. He has a strong and accurate arm and alot of poise in the pocket. |
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13 |
Matt Leinart
Arizona Cardinals |
You already know the weapons he has at his disposal, with a year of experience under his belt and an infusion of positivity in the new coaching regime things are looking up. I expect big things from Leinart and the Cards this year. |
