NFL Playoff Predictions: 4 Sleeper Players to Look for in the NFC Championship

In the New York Giants-San Francisco 49ers NFC Championship game, we know players like Alex Smith, Eli Manning, Frank Gore and Hakeem Nicks are going to play well.

So, what about other good players that contribute a solid amount? Well, aside from the obvious players among others, here are four players (two from each team) to look for on Sunday.

Jake Ballard: TE, Giants

New York tight end Jake Ballard is becoming one of the more reliable targets for quarterback Eli Manning.

With a great receiving core, expect the San Francisco defense to gear their pass defense toward isolating guys like Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz.

And with Ballard not being nearly as well-established, he's going to see a lot of single coverage or zone to his side. So, expect Manning to look for Ballard more often than not.

He's great at finding the soft zone spots, having reliability on third down and he is also a solid run-blocker. Ballard may not get a lot of yards after the catch but he did finish second on the team in averaging 15.9 yards per reception.

Against the 49ers, Ballard needs to have a sound performance because with so many other threatening players on the New York offense, San Francisco is going to overlook him.

Kyle Williams: WR, 49ers

Much like Jake Ballard for New York, San Francisco's Kyle Williams is going to see a lot of single coverage and zone to his side.

In not being the more presenting receiver like Michael Crabtree or more established than tight end Vernon Davis, the Giants will neglect to really gameplan for him.

On the year Williams only compiled 241 yards on 20 receptions, however, with Alex Smith continuing to develop as a quarterback, Williams will earn more targets as Smith begins to spread the field more.

Also in needing to worry more about stopping the run, Williams can use that to his advantage over the Giants' secondary.

Provided that he can sell the run quite well on the outside, making a double move to the corner or post will suffice in stretching the field. Now, that's not going to happen every time San Francisco tries play action but showing it once or twice will get New York thinking.

Expect Williams to earn more targets and especially in the red zone, because that's where a quarterback needs to use the entire width of the field the most.

Linval Joseph: DT, Giants

When you think of the Giants front four, guys like Justin Tuck, Chris Canty, Osi Umenyiora and Jason Pierre-Paul come to mind.

Move throughout the rest of their front seven and other players like Michael Boley and Chase Blackburn are more recognizable. Well because of all that, defensive tackle Linval Joseph is going significantly overlooked.

Now, his stats may not be as sexy with all the sacks like his fellow defensive linesmen, however, he still has recorded four defended passes (most along the defensive line) and has 55 tackles including the playoffs.

For a defensive tackle to have the kind of production, Linval is going to have a lot of opportunities against a run-oriented offense like San Francisco. He will see double-teams but any defensive lineman will tell you that that's just as good as a sack or tackle since someone else is left unblocked.

And if Linval is one-on-one, a lot of run stuffs are going to happen because that's his job as part of New York's front four.

Bruce Miller: FB, 49ers

In a run-first offense, one of the most, if not the most, important players is a stud fullback.

Along the same lines as a tight end who can block and receive, a complete fullback is just that as well, except he gets to lead block for the running back.

It's a lost art in today's NFL with so many teams relying on the passing game or favoring a two-back system. Well, San Francisco's Bruce Miller is making 49er fans remember the days of Tom Rathman and Marc Edwards.

And against a beefy New York front seven, Frank Gore needs Miller to blast any defender out of the way regardless of who and where the play is designed. Perhaps the best advantage for San Francisco is to simply slam the trenches as much as possible to wear down the New York front four.

With a guy like Miller coming at a full head of steam and Gore behind him moving just a quickly, San Francisco must hit the lanes fast from the snap. It's the best way to catch the Giants off guard then setup for the pass later on.

However, none of that happens without Bruce Miller.

John Rozum on Twitter