2011 Fantasy Football: The Best of the Best of the Late-Round Sleepers

I gotta confess, I’m walking like George Jefferson on a good day because I picked up some WR/RB steals. I did a segment on RB steals once upon a time before the lockout began, and while the names have changed, the concept of picking up backups who will most likely be starting midseason still applies.

I’ve added some WR choices, and I believe these picks are heads above the rest of the so-so picks in the same rounds.

Hey, fantasy fans, keep me in your net rotation, as I have a weekly segment that's informative and fun in which I make imaginary bets that my selection will outperform the selection of others. I'm almost right 70 percent of the time. Either way, you should get a chuckle and hopefully, a winning week.

Also, I'm considering posting my league's draft with updates. If anyone's interested, let me know by dropping a message below. Happy Drafting!

About Me, Wendell "Papa Smurf" Gaymon

I’m not really a little, blue, hairless, half-naked leprechaun who lives in a decked out mushroom. I’m an average Joe like you, who spends his eight hours of sleep obsessing over this game we call Fantasy Football. You’ll find I’m a bit off-kilter with my picks, but I think that’s how you win best, picking the best players with the best matchups.

Best RBs to Pick When No One Cares: Rashad Jennings

One bad tackle. That’s all it takes for MJD to be sidelined. As much as I don’t like the idea of MJD getting injured, the probability is high he will get injured, and you can tell the coaches feel the same way from his presence in the preseason games. Rashad Jennings, for dubious reasons, is a great pick Round 11 or 12, that is, if he’s still there. I will not gloat where I picked him up out of respect for my fellow competitors, but the MJD owners are gonna hate me something fierce around Week 6.

Best RBs to Pick When No One Cares: Jerome Harrison

Yeah, I know he doesn’t sound exciting, but how fickle we can be in our selective memory. He was a sexy pick last year after posting 561yds and five TDs in his last three games in 2009. He also broke Jim Brown’s game rushing record for a Cleveland Brown running back and the Browns' franchise record for most yards in a game*.

When he left the outrageously unappreciative Browns to head to the Philly Eagles as a backup, he posted a 100-plus yard game when he had the opportunity to shine. Now he’s the backup to an RB with an injury history that would make Frank Gore blush. What is Jahvid best at? Ask Chaz Schilenz of the Oakland Raiders. They’re practically football twins. James is a great pick that you should safely get Round 12 or 13 just in case Rashad Jennings is swiped by that cheeky weasel in your league who read this same post.

*Website Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerome_Harrison

Best RBs to Pick When No One Cares: Tim Hightower

The former starter subbing for a backup that became a starter, becoming a backup to a starter that should be a backup…is now a starter. Does that make sense? Doesn’t really matter since Tim Hightower is an underrated RB with big skills playing for a team with a better offensive line than the Cardinals.

If you had a chance to watch the preseason games, you might see Hightower lighting up the Steelers' defensive wall or busting through the Ravens' barrier of meat muscle. This non-committee RB is being drafted at ridiculous levels with Daniel Thomas (a rookie RB in a committee share) and Mark Ingram (another rookie RB in a committee share) being drafted two rounds ahead of him! His only risk is fumblitis, and you could do much worse in Round 7. Mark him down as a breakout candidate.

P.S., I know he's not really a late-round sleeper, but he's a late mid-round guy that can give you third-round performance.

Best WRs to Pick During the Kicker Run: Robert Meachem

Robert Meachem: WR Backup? Is there such a thing? Well, apparently in the New Orleans offense, Meachem is in the same bed as Rashad Jennings—becoming a replacement to a talented counterpart suffering from bad knees. Graham takes a little shine off Meachem, but if you can get him in Round 12 or 13, he can be a WR4 who would put up high WR3 numbers. Like MAD Magazine, he’s production on the cheap. Pick him up for peanuts.

Best WRs to Pick During the Kicker Run: Braylon Edwards

I’m gonna use simple words to describe why Edwards is being drafted as a WR4 but will put up WR2 numbers. Ready? Here we go.

Determined. Smith. Loathing. Crabtree. Lazy. Conceited. Edwards. Humbled. Prepared. $1 million contract. $2 million perks. Motivation.

Edwards is gravy that’s been set on low with a fat piece of sirloin steak sitting in the middle. Eat him up Round 10 and thank me next year.

Best WRs to Pick During the Kicker Run: Earl Bennett

The sleeper that no one is talking about is my man Earl.

While everyone is debating Knox or Williams, pick up Earl in Round 14, or if you got coconuts, Round 15. I dare ya. The coaches and Cutler himself are pushing to give him more targets this year. He already has a rapport with Cutler from his college years, and he also achieved an outstanding stat that has gone overlooked: He is one of the few, the proud (no, not the Marines) WRs who had no dropped passes last year. None? None. Why so serious, Stevie? Ask Earl when he skyrockets to the top of WRs this year.  You may not of heard it here first…but you did hear it here.