In the realm of fantasy sports, one of the best experiences for an owner is drafting a player that few are expecting to be a quality pick and being rewarded by the player with a great season. Aside from the performance of the expected power players, this set of players is the most important; having the right supporting cast to the stars is make or break in a fantasy season.
These ‘sleeper picks’ are incredibly important to NFL franchises too; each year in the NFL Draft, owners, GMs, and coaches look for the guy that other teams haven’t noticed who may turn out to be something big. This year’s draft is chock full of unheralded players from smaller schools and underrated big conference standouts who are poised to really break out once they hit the big league. Here are a few that may be game changers this fantasy season:
- Georgia Tech WR Stephen Hill is the product of a Yellow Jackets offense that coach Paul Johnson believes prepares receivers to thrive in the NFL.
- Ryan Lindley, a quarterback out of San Diego State, has been met with fears of inconsistency, but is considered by many to have a very high upside should he find the right organization.
- The dawn of the two Tight End system era may see Ladarius Green out of Louisiana Lafayette become a primary target for the QB of the team that drafts him.
Of course, it is hard to tell which off-the-radar player will be the next Tom Brady (199th overall pick) or Willie Parker (entirely undrafted). Luckily, NFL organizations do much of the leg work for you. Fantasy owners should watch the draft for whose stock is rising and which rookies-to-be are taken at much higher than their expected value – NFL scouts believe in the potential of those players, and they are worth consideration come fantasy draft time.
