2011 Fantasy Football: DeSean Jackson, Matt Schaub & a Sleeper at Each Position

The 2011 NFL Lockout is over, and that means one thing: fantasy football is back. With that being the case, there is one sleeper at each position that you need to know about if you want to win your league this year.

While I could write an article about who to draft in the early rounds, an article like that could very well go unnoticed. Telling an audience what they already know is pointless, and it isn't nearly as much fun for me.

What is fun about fantasy football is the unknown. We know that there are going to be sleepers who shake up the league, but we obviously can't know who they are.

Not getting the No. 1 pick in your draft means nothing: I have won my league three years in a row (including an undefeated 2009 season) without ever having the first pick (sorry to sound conceited). I owe all the credit not to my first few picks, but to my later picks.

Sleepers have given me some serious bragging rights, which is something that everyone craves. It is important to have a general idea of who the sleepers could be going into your draft. Reading articles like this one and doing a few mock drafts with others can give you a good idea of who you need to draft and when to do so.

While I don't recommend picking any of these players first, make sure that you pick them so no one else can take them.

Quarterback: Matt Schaub (Houston Texans)

Matt Schaub is the quarterback of the Houston Texans, and he is currently ranked as the No. 8 quarterback available.

Having a good quarterback is essential to winning a league, and if you miss out on Michael Vick, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and the top-notch QBs, go for Schaub.

Andre Johnson is the best wide receiver in the league and is always going to put up big numbers. Owen Daniels is a very productive tight end and usually has a few games with multiple touchdowns.

If Johnson and Daniels are going to put up good numbers (and we know they will), it only makes sense that their quarterback will be a very good option as well.

While the Texans have Arian Foster in their back-field, they still like to pass…a lot.

Schaub should not be ranked the No. 8 quarterback. With QBs like Tony Romo, who usually disappoints, Peyton Manning, who is coming off of neck surgery, and Drew Brees, who struggled at times last season, ahead of him, he is a sleeper for sure.

Running Back: Ryan Matthews (San Diego Chargers)

Ryan Matthews is a running back who is ranked No. 17 at the position. Matthews was the Chargers' first-round pick, but 2010 was a very disappointing year for him

Matthews hurt his ankle in the early-part of the season, and aggravated it again in November. He was held back by his injury for most of the season, but he is healthy now.

In the final two games of the season, Matthews stepped up his game. With Mike Tolbert injured, Matthews went for 222 yards and four touchdowns on 44 carries.

Wow.

Matthews showed us then that is the more dominant running back of the two. If Matthews remains healthy in 2011, expect him to outshine Tolbert and become the featured back.

Matthews is currently listed behind Ahmad Bradshaw, the consistently disappointing DeAngelo Williams, the one-year-wonder Peyton Hillis, who is bound to see a steep decline, two "star" running backs in Frank Gore and Steven Jackson, whose expectations are never even close to reality, and Darren McFadden, who suffers from injury problems and a lack of help from the rest of the Oakland Raiders offense.

I know that I am going to take Matthews earlier than I should, but he is one of the biggest sleepers in the draft.

Wide Receiver: DeSean Jackson (Philadelphia Eagles)

DeSean Jackson is a wide receiver, punt-returner, and even a running back at times. He is a do-everything type of player, but he is listed as the No. 11 wide receiver.

Jackson led the league with 22.5 yards per catch, and he gave us the play of the year on a punt-return that capped the Miracle at the Meadowlands Part II.

Jackson is an all-or-nothing type of player, who seems to either put up 5 or 20 points every week, but that could be changing. Jackson established good chemistry with quarterback Michael Vick last season, and they can hook-up on an 80-yard touchdown at any time.

Jackson is guaranteed to win you a few games during the course of a season, and that can never be underestimated. In a playoff match-up against the best team in my league last season, I was projected to lose by about 20 points. One of my all-or-nothing players came up big with 36 points and carried me to victory by a margin of 12 points.

Some may say that I picked Jackson because I have a soft spot for players who are erratic in a good way, but the truth is: they get the job done. Everyone has won and lost games because of performances by streaky players, and getting big games from players in the playoffs is key in fantasy football.

In terms of fantasy, I put Jackson above Miles Austin, Reggie Wayne, Vincent Jackson, Mike Wallace, and perhaps even Larry Fitzgerald this season because he has big-play ability, and a good quarterback throwing to him.

Tight End: Owen Daniels (Houston Texans)

Owen Daniels is a tight end for the Houston Texans, and he is ranked No. 6 at the position. Daniels struggled in the first seven games, going for only 29 yards. He then missed five games, but he did well in the final four games.

Even with Andre Johnson as an option too, Daniels had the most targets and receptions in the final four games of the season.

Daniels struggled with knee-related issues early in the 2010 season, but the Texans showed their faith in him by signing Daniels to a four-year contract extension in March.

Daniels is ready to return to elite-status among tight ends, and 2011 will be the year he does so.

Fantasy-owners (especially those who look only at stats from the previous season) will be wary of Daniels because of his struggles last season. But don't underestimate him, it may cost you the title in your league.

Daniels is ranked behind Vernon Davis, Jermichael Finley and Jason Witten. I see him out-performing all of these guys, and that would make him a top-three tight end. Do your best to get him, but don't go too far out of your way to do so. If you can snag Antonio Gates or Dallas Clark, do so.

Team Defense/Special Teams: Philadelpia Eagles D/ST

The Philadelphia Eagles have the most improved defense in the NFL, and a very talented return game. The Eagles are ranked No. 5, but they are going to have the best defense in the NFL this season.

The additions of cornerbacks Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, they now have three Pro-Bowl cornerbacks, as these two will join Asante Samuel.

The Eagles also solidified their defensive line by adding Jason Babin and Cullen Jenkins, giving them arguably the best defense in the NFL.

The Eagles have an electric return game. They have DeSean Jackson, who can take any return to the house, which means that they have no weakness in these two categories.

One last thing to remember about these teams is this: you can't score if you don't have the ball.

When I pick my defense/special teams unit, I look for a team with a good offense, too. The Eagles have one of the best offenses in the NFL, and they are going to be able to keep the ball away from opponents. This will limit their chances at getting sacks or forcing turnovers, but they will cut into the yards and score of opponent that way.

The Eagles could have the No. 1 D/ST in terms of fantasy, and they are sleepers despite being in the top five.

Kicker: Matt Bryant (Atlanta Falcons)

Matt Bryant is a kicker for the Atlanta Falcons, who did well last season. He is ranked the No. 13 kicker, but he should be much higher.

I almost picked Alex Henery, the rookie kicker for the Philadelphia Eagles, because they have such a potent offense, but most fantasy owners are projecting him higher, and he could very well be a bust.

Bryant, on the other hand, also plays for a potent offense, but he has already proven himself.

Bryant went 28-for-31 on field goal-attempts, going 19-for-20 within 40 yards, 8-for-10 from 40 to 49 years, and he hit his only attempt from 50+ yards. Bryant did not miss an extra point, going 44-for-44, and he had a very good 2010 season.

Bryant is going to have a lot of chances to score with the Falcons, and he is due for season much bigger than his No. 13 ranking indicates. He should be a Top-5 kicker this year, and if you can get him late, go for it.