Fantasy Football Sleepers 2012: Ryan Williams and More Under-the-Radar Targets

If you want to win your fantasy league this season, you are going to have to pick a few sleepers, select them in the late rounds and hope they perform above expectations.

Fantasy is a game of luck and randomness, but you can help to control that by carefully selecting players with a higher chance of consistently producing solid amounts of points that are above their average draft position.

Let’s take a look at three guys that you can snag late who should have a solid 2012 season.

QB – Jake Locker

The Tennessee Titans saw enough out of Locker to name him their Week 1 starter and it’s likely a position he will hold barring injury.

He’s a dual-threat QB who could easily take off and scurry for a few TDs this season, as well as rack up points through the air with his strong arm.

While he doesn’t have the best passing weapons—especially with Kenny Britt’s status up in the air—Locker will be able to produce because of the strong Tennessee ground game and focus on Chris Johnson.

RB – Ryan Williams

Williams was a sleeper last year, but his season-ending injury derailed those dreams.

Now, he’s got a second training camp under his belt and a good shot at surpassing Beanie Wells as the lead back in Arizona.

Even if he doesn’t, the Cardinals air attack is so anemic—outside of Larry Fitzgerald—that coach Ken Whisenhunt will be forced to rely on both Wells and Williams to generate offense.

Expect some solid numbers out of Williams, especially if he gets 15 or more touches a game.

WR – Brandon LaFell

The Carolina Panthers are bound to be a solid football team in 2012, largely because of their elite young QB—Cam Newton—and the incredible stable of rushers on the roster.

With so much attention on Carolina’s ground game, there will be no other option but for defenses to remain honest and play the run on many possessions.

They will not be able to double up on the receivers, and when they do, Steve Smith will draw the extra man.

LaFell is going to get plenty of single coverage and the speedy third-year WR is going to take advantage by putting up a solid statistical season.