NFL, Fantasy, Cedric Benson, Brandon Pettigrew, Mike Williams, Andrew Luck, Lagarrette Blount
The first five we’ll call “Solid Sleepers,” guys that are most likely to be drafted and possible late-round steals. The one stipulation is that they have to be outside the top-100. And just for some perspective, the last five players on the ESPN top 100 are: Kenny Britt, Shane Vereen, Nate Washington, Jay Cutler, and Robert Griffin.
Then the second five, we’ll call “Deep Sleepers,” guys that you maybe haven’t even heard of before and will possibly remain somewhat anonymous until a big splash triggers twitter-mania and waiver-wire craziness. And these are all guys outside the ESPN top-150.
So here they are:
SOLID SLEEPERS:
BRANDON PETTIGREW, TE, DETROIT LIONSPettigrew has all the tools in place to become an elite fantasy tight end. The last two seasons he’s been right around 750 yards and 5 touchdowns, but I think he’s got the potential for a lot more. Working in Pettigrew’s favor is the fact that he’s teamed up with a pro-bowl caliber quarterback, the most talented receiver in the NFL, and he was the team’s second most targeted receiver last year. From a fantasy perspective, the key is going to be more endzone targets and the hope that defenses will be smart and put everything they have on Calvin Johnson so that Pettigrew will find a fair share of openings.
CEDRIC BENSON, RB, GREEN BAY PACKERS
Alright, so he’s number 101 and probably going to be drafted in most fantasy leagues around the tenth round or so, but he’s been doing well so far in the Packers system – 6 carries, 38 yards in preseason debut – and could be a late-round goldmine. Meanwhile, the Packers other leading candidate for the starting running back spot, James Starks, is nursing a turf toe injury. Even when healthy last year though, Starks couldn’t prove to be the number one guy while Benson has proven he can carry that load in the past.
