Fantasy Football: Matt Forte and 10 Guys Who Should Get One More Shot

Now that fantasy football has successfully taken over the lives of most Americans, it's time to look at some players that can do big things this year. Sometimes these players are the ones that people have already given up on.

In fantasy football there are the Adrian Petersons and the Aaron Rodgers that are going to be great assets to any team, no matter what. The key to having a great fantasy team is making the moves that people do not expect.

Two years ago, one of the highest rated fantasy players was Chicago Bears' running back Matt Forte. Forte was coming off a rookie season in which he rushed for over 1,200 yards and had 8 touchdowns.

Following that season up with a disappointing sub-1,000 yard season with only 4 touchdowns has made Forte a fantasy pick that many are weary of.

According to ESPN Fantasy Football, Forte is the 14th ranked running back, which makes him a pick that could be a steal. Forte had a great season last year and is ready to prove that he can be a premier back in this league. Another year with Jay Cutler and familiarity with a Mike Martz offense will make Forte a guy to watch this season.

Here is a list of 10 other players who should get one more shot:

Mark Sanchez

While the Jets have made it to back to back NFC Championships, a lot of people are pointing the finger towards the offensive side of the ball due to their dominant defense. A lot of fantasy owners agree, and many of them are pointing at the quarterback Mark Sanchez.

Sanchez was a very inconsistent player last year, which made him a player that was consistently added and then dropped by fantasy owners.

When Sanchez was good, he was great. For the first quarter of the season, Sanchez was spectacular. He threw for 8 touchdowns, and more importantly 0 interceptions during the first 4 games of the season.

Sanchez then went on to have an up-and-down rest of the season, where he did have a few very bad games.

What is promising about Sanchez is the fact that he is another year older, he has more experience under his belt, and he had a great postseason in which he threw 5 touchdowns and only 1 interception.

With Sanchez you will get a guy that is a bit of a gunslinger, but one that is getting better with age. Sanchez threw for 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions last year, compared to the 12 touchdowns and 8 interceptions he had his rookie season.

Look for Sanchez to be a lot more consistent this year and put up solid passing numbers. One thing that fantasy owners must respect about Sanchez is the fact that he will have the ball in his hands a lot if his defense is as dominant as it has been the past few seasons.

Ryan Mathews

Ryan Mathews was supposed to be a big surprise last season for the San Diego Chargers, but he ended up not living up to the expectations.

Mathews is not a popular fantasy pick this season due to his disappointing rookie season and also the fact that his backup, Mike Tolbert, shone as his replacement.

Despite the negatives, Mathews has too much talent and too much size to not bounce back.

Mathews battled an ankle injury all season, which led him to struggle in the early part of the year and also miss 4 games.

When Mathews recovered and came back, however, he came in and had 222 total yards with 4 touchdowns in his final 2 games. If Mathews can continue his steam from the end of the season, he will be a nice surprise.

Felix Jones

Due to Dallas'  "3 Headed Monster" at running back last season, Felix Jones became a forgotten name in the fantasy world.

This year, Felix Jones will be back. With Marion Barber gone and not cleaning up the short yardage touchdowns anymore, expect Jones to get more opportunities to score touchdowns.

Although his rushing statistics are not that impressive, what makes Jones desirable is his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield.

Once Jason Garrett became the offensive coordinator of the Cowboys, Jones' role as a receiver skyrocketed.  Jones showed off his big play potential by making a reception of at least 24 yards in 5 of the 6 final games of the season.

Expect Jones to be the feature back for the Cowboys this season, even after the Cowboys drafted DeMarco Murray, which will make him a quality fantasy option.

Kevin Kolb

Probably one of the hottest fantasy draft picks last season was Kevin Kolb. Many fantasy owners were greatly disappointed when he got hurt and Michael Vick took over.

Kolb is now in Arizona and looking to prove that he can be a great quarterback in this league.

To be a good fantasy quarterback, it certain helps to have weapons around you. Kolb now has the luxury of throwing to one of the best receivers in the game, Larry Fitzgerald. Even when Kolb makes bad throws, he will sometimes be bailed out by his phenomenal receiver.

Another reason to take a look at Kevin Kolb is the fact that he is in the NFC West. Easily the worst division in football, the NFC West does not have a single defense in it that has a good pass defense.

Kevin Kolb may not be as appealing as he was last year, but he is definitely a guy not to sleep on just yet.

Greg Olsen

Now a member of the Carolina Panthers, former Chicago Bear tight end Greg Olsen is a player that could be a surprising addition to a fantasy team.

Olsen was a disappointment for fantasy owners last year, but he may have found a better situation. Yep I said it, the Carolina Panthers are a better situation for him.

When the Bears went out and signed offensive coordinator Mike Martz, they hired a coach who seldom uses the tight end in his offense. Greg Olsen is not much of a blocker, making his value lost in Chicago.

Olsen is now one of the only receiving threats on the Carolina Panthers, which will make him an instant target for, most likely, quarterback Cameron Newton.

According to ESPN, Olsen is ranked as the 9th best tight end and is projected to have 64 receptions and 7 touchdowns.

Jonathan Stewart

A terrible first half of the season last year made Jonathan Stewart one of the biggest busts in fantasy football last year. Stewart did not pass the 50 yard mark until week 12 of the season and frustrated fantasy owners into dropping him for good.

Stewart then sat out two games due to injury in weeks 10 and 11, and this must have done something good for him. He returned with a vengeance and had an incredibly strong end to the season.

Rushing for over 90 yards in 4 of his final 6 games, Stewart showed that he knows how to run the football. This final stretch of the season reminded fantasy owners of Stewart's 1,100 yards rushing in 2010 and his back to back double digit touchdown seasons of 2009 and 2010.

Deangelo Williams signed a big contract this off-season, but his career has shown that he is as injury prone as anyone else, which means that Stewart will get a good amount of carries this season. Don't expect Stewart to have more carries than Williams, but look for him to know how to get the ball in the end zone and get tough yards.

Roy Williams

The Bears think that they finally have their big receiver that will elevate their passing game to the next level, and fantasy owners may want to start thinking that way soon.

The signing of Roy Williams to the Bears may be a move that instantly upgrades his fantasy status. Williams was a forgotten man in Dallas. Williams totaled only 94 receptions and 13 touchdowns in about 2 and a half seasons in Dallas.

Williams is now in Chicago where he will be a big time receiver for Jay Cutler. According to ESPN, Roy Williams is ranked as the 38th best wide receiver, which makes him a player that could be a steal late in a draft.

Reunited with former coach Mike Martz, Williams can be a legit receiving threat that the Bears have not had in years. Williams had his best season of his career in a Mike Martz led offense in Detroit, where he caught 82 passes for 1,310 yards and 7 touchdowns.

Lee Evans

A man that has completely fallen off the map is wide receiver Lee Evans. After a couple 1,000 yard years receiving, Evans has struggled the past two seasons and has not been a quality fantasy contributor.

A lot of the blame for the inconsistent play of Evans can be put on the dismal play of their quarterbacks. After Evans was traded to the Ravens this offseason, his quarterback situation will greatly improve.

Joe Flacco will now be throwing the ball to Evans, and Flacco is becoming one of the better and more consistent quarterbacks in the NFL. Throughout his career, Evans has been a deadly deep threat, and the strong, accurate arm of Flacco should compliment him greatly.

Don't expect Evans to be a top 10 receiver, but expect him to regain fantasy relevance and be an interesting pick to consider.

Ryan Grant

Trying to bounce back from an injury is incredibly difficult for a running back, but look for Ryan Grant to try and do so.

Grant had surgery last September for torn ankle ligaments, which is good because he has had about a year to recover from the injury. Grant did not play through injuries, but rather got it fixed as soon as possible.

The lethal passing game of the Packers forces defenses to guard the pass very closely, which should open up the running game for Grant.

Before last season's injury plagued year, Grant had back to back 1,200 yard seasons. He also had 11 touchdowns in 2009.

Get ready for a hard running Grant to be back and just another lethal weapon for the defending Super Bowl Champs.

Mathew Stafford

This one is probably the biggest stretch of all the players on this list, but Mathew Stafford could be a big time quarterback in this league and a quality fantasy player.

The obvious question mark surrounding Stafford is his health. Stafford suffered multiple injuries last season, which forced him to miss 13 games.

After returning from the disabled list the first time, Stafford played extremely well. In 2 weeks, Stafford threw for 6 touchdowns and 1 interception and showed that he has a future in this league if he stays healthy.

Obviously Stafford's shoulder is a concern going forward, but if he stays healthy the former number one overall pick can be a surprise for fantasy owners. Due to his injury plagued past, it is a good bet to rank Stafford as a middle of the pack quarterback, but one healthy season can change that.