Fantasy Football 2011: Felix Jones and 10 Sleepers Poised for Breakout Seasons

Now is the time of year when friends become enemies as we start drafting for our fantasy football leagues. It is also the time when everyone looks for the biggest sleepers.

Fantasy seasons are not always won by picking a stud in the first round. More often, the best teams are full of middle-round picks that end up being near the top of the league in points, and late-round picks who end up starting.

Here is a list of players that are forgotten on many lists. They are all currently projected to be picked in the fifth round or later. Some are unknown, others are known and forgotten, but many could help you get that trophy at the end of the year.

Felix Jones, RB Dallas Cowboys

The fourth-year running back from Arkansas seems primed to break out and have a dominant year for the Dallas Cowboys, yet he is not rated high on many draft boards. Felix Jones has shown big play ability, but has had injury problems and has been in a crowded backfield.

The Cowboys released Marion Barber, leaving Jones with the starting gig. He received double-digit carries the last eight games of last season and that should only increase this season with Jason Garrett remaining as head coach. Fantasy owners should also expect him to improve on his one touchdown from last year with more opportunities.

Shonn Greene, RB New York Jets

Greene was a disappointment last season, but only because LaDainian Tomlinson started off last year as one of the bigger surprises in the league. Most thought Tomlinson had very little left in the tank, so he set off to prove them wrong. Although after a great start, he showed little success.

In his last six games, Tomlinson failed to break 50 yards rushing. He did not even break 60 rushing yards after Week 5. This should give Greene a chance to get more carries and break out the way the experts thought he would last season.

Daniel Thomas, RB Miami Dolphins

Although there were running backs selected before him in this year's draft, second-round pick Daniel Thomas might have the best season of any rookie running back. The duo of Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown has moved on to different teams, which leaves a hole in the Dolphins’ backfield.

The only true threat to Thomas for the majority of carries will be new acquisition Reggie Bush. Fortunately, Bush has never shown the ability to handle the workload of a full-time running back. Worst case scenario, the 6’1”, 228-pound Thomas can be a successful goal-line bruiser.

Ryan Williams, RB Arizona Cardinals

The story of Ryan Williams seems very similar to that of Frank Gore. Both were very talented running backs in college, but their amateur careers were cut short due to injuries. Each player was then drafted to teams with little talent blocking their path to a starting job.

We all know that Gore went on to have a successful career with the 49ers. It might take some time to know if Williams can replicate his success. Tim Hightower was traded to the Redskins and Beanie Wells had a poor year last season. Pair that with the fact that the addition of Kevin Kolb should spread out more defenses, and Ryan Williams can surprise some people this season.

Ryan Torain, RB Washington Redskins

Many times in football, success is the result of opportunity. Last season, when Torain got his opportunity to show what he could do when Clinton Portis was injured, he took advantage of it. Portis is now gone for good, so there are a lot of carries to go around.

When healthy, Torain had some very impressive games. He rushed for 100 yards and two touchdowns against the Colts and torched the Buccaneers for 172 yards in December. I believe in a full season, Torain can put up some huge numbers for a Redskin team in dire need of good news.

C.J. Spiller, RB Buffalo Bills

Spiller was a high draft pick last year and people were salivating over his big play ability. However, he was buried on the Bills' depth chart and never really got his chance to show what he can do.

This year, Fred Jackson is still the Bills' starter, but that might only be for a matter of time. With a year in the NFL under his belt, Spiller should have been able to figure out the intricacies of the league enough to outplay a mediocre Jackson. Once he takes over the starting job, he might cause some defensive coordinators to lose sleep.

Kenny Britt, WR Tennessee Titans

Britt had a solid year last season, finishing with nine touchdowns and 18.5 yards per catch in 12 games. Consistency was a problem for him, but when he was good, he was really good. Just ask the Eagles, who allowed him to get seven catches for 225 yards and three touchdowns in a single game.

Despite these stats, many experts do not expect him to go until the middle rounds of fantasy drafts. A shaky quarterback situation and the fact that Britt is not a true No. 1 receiver have many doubting his worth. However if things go right this season, the Rutgers product has a chance to prove he is one of the best deep threats in the league.

Mario Manningham, WR New York Giants

Although he might not be as deep of a sleeper as others on this list, Mario Mannigham is a player that fantasy owners should reach for come draft time. With the future of Steve Smith unknown, the speedster Manningham will emerge as a very important target for Eli Manning.

While many will jump on Hakeem Nicks early in the draft due to a breakout year last year, do not forget that Manningham still had 944 yards and nine touchdowns in a very underrated season. In his last three games, he had 346 yards and four touchdowns plus receptions of 85 and 92 yards. Do not wait too long in the draft to snag this player.

Braylon Edwards, WR San Francisco 49ers

Most times a “sleeper” will be a young, unknown player ready to have a breakout year. In this case, the player is someone that everyone knows, but many are ready to give up on him. In my opinion, no one should.

Edwards had a solid year last year, but was dumped by the Jets in favor of Plaxico Burress. He found a home in San Francisco with a one-year, incentive laden contract. This will cause him to play with a chip on his shoulder, playing not only for money this year but next year as well.

In addition, early reports out of San Francisco is that Jim Harbaugh’s offense is much more wide open than the straight-forward offense of his predecessor, Mike Singletary. This should give Alex Smith his best chance to succeed and outside of Vernon Davis, there are few better receiving targets on the 49ers roster than Edwards.

Of course, this is all if he behaves himself.

A.J. Green, WR Cincinnati Bengals

Rookie receivers do not often have immediate success, but Green may be the exception. The fourth overall pick in the most recent draft has all of the talent in the world and, just as importantly, has the opportunity.

The Bengals got rid of the high-profile tandem of Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco and it has left the starting job wide open for A.J. Green to take over. He will get his targets, but the question will be if anyone can throw him the ball.

Deep Sleepers To Watch For

Every year there are a ton of players who will go undrafted, yet help lead a fantasy team to a championship. Watch these players on the waiver wire as the season progresses:

Early Doucet, WR Arizona Cardinals

He has talent and has had some good games in his career, including in 2009 as the fourth receiver. Now due to departures, he could find himself as the No. 2 receiver behind Larry Fitzgerald. Also, Kevin Kolb brings legitimacy to the quarterback position and Doucet could benefit.

Donnie Avery, WR St. Louis Rams

Missed all of last season due to a torn ACL, but had two solid years prior to the injury. With Sam Bradford showing potential to become one of the better passers in the game, he will need a favorite target to step up. Avery might become that player.

Roy Helu, RB Washington Redskins

With Clinton Portis gone in D.C., the Redskins will need a running back to step up to the challenge. Ryan Torain will get the first crack at the job, but rookie Roy Helu will be right there waiting for the opportunity. The Redskins are also hoping Mike Shanahan can bring his running game expertise from his Denver days.

Darren Sproles, RB New Orleans Saints

Although he did not take advantage of LaDainian Tomlinson’s departure in San Diego, he did land in New Orleans this offseason. While there will be a lot of contenders for carries in that backfield, Sean Payton might be able to find a way to utilize Sproles’ speed now that Reggie Bush is in Miami.