In Fantasy Football Drafts it's easy to get caught at the end of a position run and the emotions of watching the guys you had in mind get pulled right before your eyes. You should always have three players in your queue so when your chance to draft comes around, even if you're at the end of a run or feel pissed about the players already taken, you'll have two or three solid options ready to pick. Another thing to keep in mind is the players you have forgot about. The players not on your radar. Naturally you'll need a list of fantasy football sleepers but one thing you can't let slide by are the forgotten players.
1. Quarterbacks: I think the most forgotten player in most fantasy football drafts this year has to be an entire position, the quarterback. If you find yourself at the end of a QB run you will be looking down the barrel of a gun, its not fun. When looking at the average draft position of 12 team, 15 round, PPR-Flex format league for quarterbacks, you can tell big names are slipping. With Aaron Rodgers going 11, Drew Brees going 17 and Peyton Manning going 22, its obvious to me quarterbacks are being overlooked entirely too much. With only six quarterbacks taken on average in the first 40 picks [Brady, Romo, Schaub] of a fantasy football draft, I think the problem lies in relying on late rounds to fill the skill positions.
2. Wes Welker: With Wes being taken on average at the 35th pick, I know Welker is being ignored. We understand the risk here: injuries, pretty quarterback, aging defensive on other side of ball, great division, ect… but we still like the PPR monster that Welker has become over the years. Some would say the production of Julian Edelman means the end of Wes Welker’s dominance, but I feel its just the opposite. Ever since his days in Miami, Welker has been a magnet to the ball catching over 100 passes the last three seasons and being Tom Brady’s favorite target [yes, even more than Randy “I want the ball this instant” Moss].
3. Bernard Scott: This backup cannot and should not be ignored this season, especially after he showed his potential when Cedric Benson went down with an injury last season. Scott is being taken around the 170th pick in most drafts and I think around there he is an absolute steal. Any team who takes Benson early in the draft would be extremely foolish not to nab Bernard in the later rounds in case of a repeat from last year. Benson and Scott are very different types of running backs, so the chances of Scott getting more carries this season than previously has without a doubt increased because of his versatility. Even if you did not draft Benson in the first three rounds, you should definitely take a look at Scott a little later on, if not just to handcuff an opponent of yours later in the season.
4. Dallas Defense: I understand it is just the preseason, but Jerry Jones’ defense has looked very stellar in the first two games. Ignoring a 17 point letdown at the very end of the most recent Oakland game, Dallas’ “D” has looked up to par this season so far. With the Super Bowl being in Dallas this season, I am big on their defense for the regular season because of the fight and emotion that the Cowboys will play with this year. Being taken as the ninth best defense in fantasy leagues is an absolute embarrassment, I think Dallas will surprise a lot of people this year with their young cornerbacks and talented front seven.
5. Rob Bironas: I apologize for this ahead of time, we all know how much we love kickers. Currently Bironas is being drafted as the 6th best kicker in fantasy leagues, and I think people are seriously forgetting about the kicker with the biggest leg. When I think of big legged kickers currently in the NFL only a few names come to mind, and these should be the kickers you think of while drafting because of their potential to hit 50+ yard field goals: David Buehler, Sebastian Janikowski and the favorite Mason Crosby. I personally do not like to be the one to nab a kicker early in the draft, but that is because I think there is huge value in someone like Rob Bironas, who plays for a Titans team that will most likely get in the end zone from Chris Johnson or settle for a field goal this season.
