Fantasy Football Strategy: 5 Fantasy Football Studs You Don't Know About

Every year fantasy football has its sleepers, busts and those guys that just go about their business and play to their expected potential. We all know where those guys belong. 

Last year saw Arian Foster come out of nowhere to be the top player in fantasy football, the absolute bust that was Shonn Greene and all the superstar players we know and rely upon every year staying within their projected point totals.

Sometimes people focus so much on sleepers that they don't know remember all the faces that actually help carry a team until sleepers makes themselves known.

Most of the guys on this list will be of the consistent variety but can be considered sleepers at the same time.

5. Matt Ryan

In 2010, Ryan helped turn Roddy White into arguably the top wide receiver in the league. The Falcons finished the season with the top record in the NFC at 13-3 and lost to the eventual Super Bowl champions.

Last season saw Ryan's pass attempts climb by more than 100 from the previous with a corresponding increase in passing yards and touchdowns while his interceptions dropped to a career low.

If there's anything we learned from the Falcons trading up 21 spots in the draft to nab Julio Jones, it's that they are ready to open things up in the passing game even more this season.

In interview with NFL.com, White acknowledged the team's intent to become a more aggressive aerial team.

"The play-calling is going to be aggressive," White said. "We're going to try and get the ball down the field and get some explosive plays. We're going to try to look for a lot of mismatches. Wherever those mismatches are, that's where we're going."

Expect Ryan's passing totals to begin to mirror those of other pass-happy offenses around the league.  

4. Mike Wallace

Wallace has set his sights on Jerry Rice's single season receiving yards record for this season. But he doesn't want to just surpass it, he plans to shatter it, aiming for 2,000 yards.

He finished last season with an average of 21 yards per reception. If he can keep up that average and average six or seven catches a game, he would actually reach his lofty goal.

Roethlisberger likes sending him deep, but he also runs his fair share of short and cross-routes.

I'll be realistic, there's no way Wallace adds nearly 40 receptions to his total this season no matter how much Hines Ward regresses. However, I do count on him becoming a top five receiver this season. 

3. LeSean McCoy

McCoy managed to fly a bit under the radar last season with the reemergence of Michael Vick as an elite quarterback.

But Shady managed to rush for more than 1,000 yards on just 207 carries and added nearly 600 yards receiving on 78 receptions—making him a point-scoring machine in PPR leagues.

Vick has proven to be the perfect complement to McCoy's running style and head coach Andy Reid has noticed, planning to possibly get him even involved in the offense.

"I think last year LeSean showed that he could be a full-time RB and shoulder that load," Reid said. "... and we’ll continue to utilize him in that regard." 

2. Knowshon Moreno

Moreno is a guy that could just as easily fall underneath the sleeper category for what I'm about to write, but he has proven himself to be a solid RB3 in his first two seasons.

Last season he was on pace to gain more than 1,400 all-purpose yards. With new head coach John Fox taking over, you can expect the Broncos to run the ball approximately 30 times a game.

The danger here is that Fox may implement a a platoon situation like he did with DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart.

Luckily, Moreno's only competition is an aging Willis McGahee. As far as RB3s go, you can't do any better than Moreno, and he may finish the season as a great RB2 option.  

1. Miles Austin

With Tony Romo at the helm, Austin is an absolute beast. Austin was on pace to be the top receiver in the NFL, not to mention fantasy football, before his quarterback's injury.

Austin was Romo's top target in the red zone and Austin is always top five in the league in yards after the catch. There's no reason he can't return to being an elite fantasy receiver again except...the question is: How much does the emergence of Dez Bryant affect Austin for the upcoming season?

I'll take my chances on Austin being the brightest star in Dallas this year.