2010 Fantasy Football Sleeper Spotlight: John Carlson

A typical fantasy football league consists of 12 teams with nine starters (QB, two RBs, three WRs, TE, K, D) and anywhere from five to seven bench players. If you go with the latter bench allotment, you’re looking at 16 roster spots or 192 draft picks. By that definition, any sleeper should have an average draft position about 180 or lower.

Seattle Seahawks tight end John Carlson has an ADP of 189, according to Mock Draft Central . I know he’s not Dallas Clark or Antonio Gates, but that seems awfully low. It would put him as the ninth pick in the 15th round and the 19th tight end selected, going behind the likes of Brandon Pettigrew, Todd Heap, Marcedes Lewis, and Anthony Fasano. Click here to see where I have Carlson ranked among fantasy TEs .

That seems odd for a guy that has put up numbers since coming into the NFL. As a rookie he caught 55 passes for 627 yards and 5 touchdowns. Last year he caught 51 for 574 yards and 7 touchdowns. He had a lengthy drought that can explain why his stock is so low, but the talent is there.

He opened the season with a bang, catching six passes for 95 yards and two touchdowns. He finished the season with a four-game touchdown streak. The middle 11 games left plenty to be desired as he scored just one touchdown and topped 50 yards just once. I think it had more to do with the offensive ineptitude of the Seahawks than a reflection of Carlson’s ability or lack thereof.

The Seahawks added Russell Okung in the recent NFL Draft and signed tight end Chris Baker to handle the blocking duties. Carlson should be able to focus his attention on the passing game, which should make him a much more consistent fantasy threat.

Prediction: 70 catches, 770 yards, 5 TDs

Where do you have John Carlson ranked?

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