Fantasy Football 2011: Top Sleepers and Busts at Each Position

Sleeper and bust are relative terms of endearment and criticism a fantasy owner may use to critique players before their draft. Fantasy football leagues come in different sizes, sets of rules and varied levels of competition.

What may be a sleeper in one league may not be draft-worthy in another, or might be obvious—that's where the level of competition factor comes in.

Last year's big sleeper, and eventual crown jewel of the fantasy world, was Texans running back Arian Foster. I won't pretend to be able to predict the next Foster, but hopefully this list will help lead you to a fantasy championship.

Quarterback

Sleeper: Josh Freeman is one of the few dual threat options at the quarterback position. There were only eight quarterbacks in the league who rushed for 200-plus yards and only three who ran for more than 300 yards.

Freeman rushed for 364 yards to go along with 3,451 yards passing. I'm not saying he's Michael Vick or that he'll keep the same touchdown to interception ratio, but if he can get a couple rushing touchdowns to add to his passing stats, he has the potential to become one of the elite fantasy quarterbacks.

Deep Sleeper: Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams

Bust: Joe Flacco has been touted as a sleeper pick the past two seasons and has not delivered the goods. The Ravens' conservative play-calling has limited his scoring potential, and with Anquan Boldi being the only legitimate receiving threat on the roster, it appears that Flacco may be trending down.

Running Back

Sleeper: Felix Jones is an explosive back with big time receiving ability who has finally been handed the reins in Dallas. With Marion Barber departing via free agency, the only worry for those willing to draft Jones are injury and third-round draft pick DeMarco Murray being a possible touchdown vulture.

Deep Sleeper: C.J. Spiller, Buffalo Bills

Bust: BenJarvus Green-Ellis came out of nowhere last year as a touchdown machine for the Patriots, finishing the season with 1,008 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns. Belichick thanked Green-Ellis by drafting running backs in the second and third rounds of the 2011 draft. Welcome back to that old Patriots running back-by-committee offense that we're used to.

Wide Receiver

Sleeper: Kenny Britt proved last season that he is capable of being an elite receiver when given the opportunity to start. It didn't matter if Vince Young or Kerry Collins was throwing the ball to him, Britt was a yardage and touchdown monster in the seven games that he started, finishing the season with 775 yards and nine touchdowns. As long he can stay out of trouble off the field, Britt is a sure-fire elite receiving option.

Deep Sleeper: Jacoby Ford, Oakland Raiders

Bust: Sidney Rice had a breakout year in 2009, then followed it by playing in only six games in 2010 due to a hip injury. Now he has signed on to join the Seattle Seahawks where he was joined by fellow former Viking Tavaris Jackson. With Jackson at quarterback, I just don't see Rice putting up his 2009 numbers anytime soon.  

Tight End

Sleeper: Jimmy Graham followed in Antonio Gates' footsteps going from the hardwood to the gridiron last year. He struggled for the majority of the season, but appeared to figure things out as the season went on. He scored four touchdowns in the Saints final three regular season games and caught 27 of his 31 receptions over the second half of the season. Playing in the Saints' prolific offense minus Jeremy Shockey means Graham has a chance to become a top-10 fantasy tight end.

Deep Sleeper: Ed Dickson, Baltimore Ravens

Bust: Mercedes Lewis has to prove to me that last season wasn't an anomaly. In his first four seasons, Lewis never snagged more than two touchdowns. His 10 touchdown grabs last year seem highly unlikely to be repeated, despite his large frame. I expect Maurice Jones-Drew to take back some of those touchdowns and cut into Lewis' scoring potential.