Fantasy Football: A Cheat Sheet to Finding 2012's Biggest Sleepers

We all clamor for sleepers.

As any red-blooded fantasy junkie will attest, grabbing that precocious sleeper and watching him develop is what fantasy football drafts are made of. Once you nail which sleeper will deliver on his promise, it will give you a good feeling of self-fulfillment. More importantly, these sleepers could possibly lead you to "Titletown."

So, in this slideshow, I will compile a “cheat sheet” of some intriguing sleepers for each relevant position for fantasy purposes.

QB Sleepers

Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts

Luck will be given the keys to Colts offense, and just for the fact that Luck has been labeled as a can’t-miss prospect for years, he’s worth the risk late in drafts.

Josh Freeman, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

 While Freeman regressed in 2011, with new coach Greg Schiano revamping the offense and adding the talents of Doug Martin, Dallas Clark and Vincent Jackson, Freeman has the chance for a great bounce-back season.

Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals

 If Dalton can take the Bengals to the playoffs in his rookie season, just imagine how good he could be in his sophomore season with a year’s worth of maturity under his belt. With A.J. Green, Jermaine Gresham, Jordan Shipley and rookie Mohamed Sanu at his disposal, expect Dalton to take the next step in his game.

Matt Schaub, Houston Texans

 Now that he is healthy, Schaub should not be a forgotten man. You do remember he has Andre Johnson to throw to?

Carson Palmer, Oakland Raiders

 Once he finally felt relaxed late in the season with the Raiders, Palmer started to show what made him a top-10 quarterback in the first place. With great, young receivers like Denarius Moore, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Jacoby Ford and Louis Murphy to throw to, Palmer will prove to be a high-end fantasy backup.

Others Who Will Be Undervalued

Joe Flacco, Alex Smith, Sam Bradford, Matt Flynn and Jake Locker.

RB Sleepers

BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Cincinnati Bengals

 Now that the “law firm” is on an offense that will rely on the running game, Green-Ellis could be in line for a career year.

Isaac Redman, Pittsburgh Steelers

 The selection of Redman is, of course, contingent on Rashard Mendenhall being out for an extended period of time. With that likely being the case, expect Redman to run with the job.

Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

 Greg Schiano, who once coached Ray Rice in college, loves Martin’s versatility, and Martin wasn’t drafted to be LeGarrette Blount’s caddy.

Toby Gerhart, Minnesota Vikings

 The chances of Adrian Peterson holding up for the majority of the season appear to be slim. Regardless of Peterson’s health, Gerhart should get enough carries to matter.

Mike Goodson, Oakland Raiders

 With Darren McFadden’s health always a measure of concern, if Goodson gets a chance, he could thrive in the Raiders offense.

Others Who Will Be Undervalued

Mark Ingram, Donald Brown, Evan Royster, Daniel Thomas, Ryan Williams, and David Wilson.

WR Sleepers

Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers

 With Mike Wallace’s contract issues unsettled and Ben Roethlisberger showing more trust in Brown last year, Brown should be in line for a stellar 2012 campaign.

Malcom Floyd, San Diego Chargers

 With the departure of Vincent Jackson, expect Floyd to be Philip Rivers’ No. 1 target among Charger wide receivers.

Mike Williams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

 Also benefiting from Vincent Jackson going from San Diego to Tampa will be Jackson’s running mate in Tampa, Mike Williams. With Jackson getting most of the attention in the passing game, Williams should make up for a shoddy 2011 season and pounce on single-coverage looks.

Doug Baldwin, Seattle Seahawks

 With Matt Flynn moving to Seattle, there is a good chance he’ll rely on the talents of Baldwin to get him going.

Titus Young, Detroit Lions

 Young had a fantastic end to his rookie season last year, as Matt Stafford finally developed a rapport with the gifted wide receiver. Young should be more involved in the Lions offense this year.

Others Who Will Be Undervalued:

Darrius Heyward-Bey, Santana Moss, Brandon LaFell, Michael Crabtree, Denarius Moore, Greg Little and Jon Baldwin

TE Sleepers

Brandon Pettigrew, Detroit Lions

 With the Lions’ juggernaut offense evolving, expect Matt Stafford to connect with Pettigrew on more occasions this season.

Jermaine Gresham, Cincinnati Bengals

 The maturation of Andy Dalton will be in full effect this year, and one of the keys to his growth is relying on the wide-bodied tight end Gresham in the red zone.

Dallas Clark, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

 While 2011 was a disaster, Clark should feel refreshed in the remodeled Bucs offense.

Jacob Tamme, Denver Broncos

 Tamme is another former Colts’ TE who should flourish now that he is reunited with his future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning.

Jared Cook, Tennessee Titans

 While the Titans offense is a work in progress, Cook Is a trusted target that either Jake Locker or Matt Hasselbeck will turn to.

Others Who Will Be Undervalued

 Dustin Keller, Ed Dickson, Owen Daniels, Coby Fleener, Kyle Rudolph and Martellus Bennett.

Kicker and TD/ST Sleepers

While kickers and defenses are usually snatched up late, that doesn’t mean you can’t find value in the later rounds with them.

Here are some kickers to target late: Robbie Gould, Matt Bryant, Jason Hanson, Lawrence Tynes and Rob Bironas.

And last but certainly not least, here are some sleeper defensive units to target: Buffalo Bills, New York Giants, Houston Texans, Cincinnati Bengals and the Atlanta Falcons.

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