***Official Fantasy Football Sleeper Study***
Every year we start a Fantasy Football Advice thread that runs through the season. The topics kind of turn over from Summer Draft Strategy sessions, to Early season picking the scraps off the waiver wire, or managing your roster through the championships.
I've had a convo with a couple of guys and one of the things worth extra addressing is finding those sleepers. Because really in the end, those late round sleepers (Like Miles Austin and Mendy were last year) go just as far towards making a deep playoff run as those first three rounds of the draft.
This is not a thread for early round draft strategy or in depth debate of scoring systems. We'll kick over to a thread for that as Training Camps start opening in about a month.
The goal of this thread is to look at sleepers, rookies and potenial break out candidates, or handcuffs that could become big names if the starter in front of them gets hurt. The goal is to generate awareness of these lesser known players, their role on their team and their potential role on your team, so owners can get a feel on where to draft them in the late rounds.
In an effort to keep the thread somewhat organized, let's try to look at a max of only 3-4-5 players a day.
Something to keep and eye on.
Another player-situation to keep an eye out for mining a sleeper is the back up RB's in Tennessee.
A couple of things to consider... Chris Johnson is not built for durability... Last year he had a lot of touches (408 combined!)... And IF he holds out, there are a lot of past precedents shown for Backs who hold out and show up not being in game shape and getting hurt.
Not saying he's going to grab his knee in week 1. But there are some cards stacked against him, that don't exactly make it "Unwise" to look at the depth behind him.
Right now Javon Ringer has the back up duty and is a sure handcuff to anyone drafting CJ. But I doubt Jeff Fisher sees Ringer as a featured back. (Especially when he's got very little pass blocking experience or ability.)
This brings us to Lagarette Blount. If it wasn't for the whole Punching incident his Senior year... Blount would have probably gone as the #5-6-7 running back in the 2010 draft. They guy is faster than LenDale and hits harder.
I think Blount is worth keeping an eye on to see if he plays his way into that LenDale White Role. (Regardless of CJ's status)
Blount can probably be had in the second to last or last round... Stashed as a #4 or #5 RB... Who might play himself (With the right set of circumstances) into a steady handed role come Fantasy Playoff time.
I mean if he can become the next Lendale White... Like how LenDale was in 2007, when he was getting me 60 yards and a TD almost every week. Then Blount "Might" just provide some stability in the FF playoff time, when injuries to starters are piling up.