Fantasy Football Sleepers: Chad Henne Heads List for NFL Draft

In previous articles (see links below), fantasy football and rotisserie baseball players are making money daily with predictions on Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Randy Moss, Aaron Rodgers, Brett Favre, and others. 

Now that we’ve covered the fantasy football staples—our top quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers—it’s time to delve deeper. 

Which sleeper picks should NFL betting players keep a close eye on for 2010? Here are a few names to consider; some are more obvious than others. 

Note: A rookie doesn’t automatically equal a sleeper. Ryan Mathews, C.J. Spiller, and Jahvid Best were all highly-touted draft picks and won’t come cheaply in drafts. They’re not sleepers. 


Quarterback

Chad Henne, Dolphins 

Any quarterback who adds Brandon Marshall to his target list will get a huge spike in production. Independent of Marshall, I also think Henne simply has some game. I really like his arm. 

Josh Freeman, Buccaneers 

Tampa Bay will stink this year but that doesn’t mean it will be an utter fantasy graveyard. Josh Freeman turns over the ball too much but he’s also a gifted athlete who will add to his fantasy points with his rushing totals. He could be a respectable QB2 or spot starter. 


Running Back

Arian Foster, Texans 

Foster’s value is rocketing so quickly that he barely qualifies as a sleeper now. Ben Tate is out for the season, meaning Foster only has to hold off Steve Slaton for touches. Hello, fantasy value and hello, Houston Texans NFL futures. 

Bernard Scott, Bengals 

Scott isn’t set to have a big role in Cincinnati’s offense. However, Cedric Benson is injury-prone, so Scott could be thrust into the starting role at any moment. He has the explosiveness to excel if that happens. 

Donald Brown, Colts 

Joseph Addai has the Colts’ starting tailback job but (a) he gets nicked up often and (b) the Colts have publicly discussed expanding the sophomore Brown’s role in 2010. Any Colt skill player is worth a pick. 

Michael Bush, Raiders 

Hopefully, Bush gets a more extended look as Oakland’s featured back than Darren McFadden will. Bush is simply more of an NFL-type, with a lower center of gravity and better toughness. 


Wide Receiver

Mike Wallace, Steelers 

Wallace is another guy barely clinging to sleeper status (like Johnny Knox, who I can’t call a sleeper anymore), as he’s a popular choice among fantasy sports betting players. All you can hope is that his pedestrian 2009 numbers and Ben Roethlisberger’s suspension scare your opponents into thinking Wallace is a fantasy backup. 

Jordan Shipley,  Bengals 

Shipley only popped onto my fantasy radar this week. He’s having a great camp, showing quickness and toughness, and he’s playing well enough that the Bengals may cut the banged-up Antonio Bryant. If they do, watch out for Shipley. 

Dexter McCluster, Chiefs 

McCluster doesn’t have anything close to a starting job with the Chiefs. But he’s an exciting receiver/running back cut from the same cloth as Percy Harvin and he’s arguably been Kansas City’s best player at camp. Maybe the Chiefs will find a way to work him into their offense? 

Mike Williams, Buccaneers 

Rookie receivers are always risky picks but the Buccaneers (and sports betting podcasts) can’t stop raving about Williams at camp. He’s been Tampa’s best pass catcher by far. He could really elevate Josh Freeman’s sleeper payout. 

Golden Tate, Seahawks 

Tate could be a nice steal depending on your league’s scoring system. He probably won’t score much but, if your league counts return yards, Tate could be, well, golden, as the lowly Seahawks will get scored on plenty. 


Tight End

Zach Miller, Raiders 

Miller was already a relevant fantasy tight end in Oakland despite having no one throwing to him. Now, he gets Jason Campbell, a competent NFLer known for deferring to his tight end more than any other position. Does that mean Miller could be a top-five fantasy tight end in 2010? 


For more information: Also get Shea Matthews of ScoresOddsPicks.com breaking down the fantasy football wide receivers, the top fantasy sports running backs and the marquee position, the top rotisserie football and fantasy quarterbacks