Week 9 Fantasy Football Rankings: Mario Manningham and More Sleeper WR Plays

What defines a sleeper? Well, that's a tough definition. But I am calling a sleeper someone who is on the bench in most of his leagues. Ultimately, that's a pretty fair assessment. 

This week, Steve Smith and Calvin Johnson are on a bye. They have been two of the best receivers in the league this season, and their fantasy input will be missed. 

So, if you happen to have one of those guys, or anyone not playing this week, who should you look towards? Well, keep an eye on these guys.

Mario Manningham

When Manningham is healthy, he's generally a pretty good option. Eli Manning throws a fair amount of passes his way. 

So, he's a good play in PPR leagues and even a reliable option in non-PPR leagues. But there are a few things to consider this week that make him better than just a solid play.

One is that the Patriots' pass defense is not particularly strong.

Thursday, November at 2:11 p.m. EDT

New York Newsday's Bob Glauber gave another reason to consider Manningham.

Even if Nicks plays, don't expect him to have a huge day. Manningham will see a lot of passes.

Darrius Heyward-Bey

Darren McFadden is listed as questionable right now. What that means is that the Raiders may have to drift away from their running attack and go vertical. 

Heyward-Bey has had 80 yards or more in each of his last four games. That's a stretch I easily see continuing against the Broncos defense. 

Heyward-Bey is actually a good play for most of the rest of the season. He's getting plenty of catches.

Plaxico Burress

I don't expect a lot of yards from Burress. What I do expect is a similar performance to what we saw against the Chargers two weeks ago. 

That means that he'll be a great red-zone threat. That's especially the case against the Bills, who don't have the secondary to match his size.

Burress will find the end zone again this week. Don't be surprised to see him make a few trips there.