Week 14: Super Sleepers
There's a reason we call these guys super sleepers. Often times they are filling in for a starter or we believe they'll get enough touches in garbage time to make them fantasy worthy. These guys aren't going to carry your team to the playoffs, but they could come in handy during a bye week or to fill a gap due to injury. If you're looking for someone then check these guys out. A good number of these guys are still available in a majority of leagues.
QB Rex Grossman, ---
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I know it seems like I keep picking on the Patriots secondary, but until they show up and stop (heck slow down) an opposing receiving corp I'm going to continue going after them. This week the Redskins will host the Patriots, whose pass defense remains the worst in the league. Last week New England allowed the Colts' Dan Orlovsky to throw for 353 yards with a pair of touchdowns and one interception. I'm thinking if Orlovsky can throw for 300 yards then Grossman should be able to do it too. My only concern here is that Grossman will be without his favorite target Fred Davis (who will be serving a 4 game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy). If you need a quarterback who has a good shot at throwing for 300+ yards this weekend then Grossman is your guy.
QB Carson Palmer, ---
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If you're using a quarterback by committee or simply looking for a quarterback with a good match-up each week then you may want to take a look at Carson Palmer for this weekend. Palmer and the Raiders head to Green Bay Sunday afternoon to face the undefeated Packers. While I don't have the exact numbers, I do know that Green Bay has been leading for all but about 20 minutes during their 12 games this season. This means Oakland will be playing from behind for most of this game. When playing from behind, teams tend to air it out and that's exactly what Oakland will need to do if they're going to keep pace with Green Bay. This could be the reason Green Bay's pass defense is ranked 31st in the league, but don't let that fool you. The Packers secondary has not played well this year and the fact that they have allowed 22 passing touchdowns (second most in the league) should also get you excited. If you're in a league which penalizes for interceptions, don't be too upset when Carson tosses one or two on Sunday. Palmer has thrown an interception in all but one game since becoming a starter. The good news on this front is that he has not thrown more than one interception in a game since week 9 against Denver when he threw three picks.
RB Isaac Redman, ---
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Before we go into why Redman may be a good flex start this weekend, take a look at who the Steelers are playing Thursday night. That's right, Pittsburgh will be hosting the Cleveland Browns. These are the same Browns who allowed Ray Rice and Ricky Williams to run for 280 yards on 45 carries with a pair of trips to the house. The Steelers can run the ball equally as well as Baltimore, so I don't see why Pittsburgh wouldn't pound the ball just like the Ravens did last Sunday. If Pittsburgh follows a similar formula then we could see around 50 rushing attempts between Mendenhall and Redman. With 15-20 carries, Redman should finish the game with 60-80 yards; and if he's lucky, one of those carries will end with a trip to the end zone. If you're a fantasy owner looking for a flex starter with a good match-up then look no further than Isaac Redman. The only cautionary note I have is that Redman is a backup, so if Cleveland stays close or takes a lead late into the game then Pittsburgh may not run the ball enough times for Redman to score many fantasy points.
RB Ricky Williams, ---
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The Ravens' bread and butter is running the ball. More so with the Ravens than many other teams, the key to victory for Baltimore is a successful run game. This was as clear as day last Sunday when Baltimore ran the ball 55 times for 290 yards in their victory over the Browns. In giving up those 290 yards, the Browns passed the Colts and became the second worst run defense in the league. This honor may last just one week, however, as the Ravens host the Colts this Sunday. There will be little reason for Baltimore to throw the ball against Indianapolis. The Colts have been one of the worst run defenses all season and Ray Rice, Ricky Williams and the rest of Baltimore's backfield should have a field day. If Ricky can carry the ball 16 times for 76 yards and a touchdown this Sunday then I think fantasy owners would be excited to have him in their line up. The one thing we all need to keep in mind here is that Ricky is Baltimore's number two back. If this game somehow stays close or the Colts take a big lead then Ricky likely won't have many fantasy points. For this reason, you may want to start Ricky in a flex position. I'd hate to lose in the first round of the playoffs because the Colts pull a stunner and Ricky rides the pine.
WR Laurent Robinson, ---
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I know Robinson isn't much of a super sleeper, but I like the match-up this week so I'm putting him on the list. The Cowboys host the Giants on Sunday for what could be the NFC East title. A win this weekend for Dallas almost assures them a trip to the playoffs. Dallas would be two games and a tie break ahead of the Giants with three games remaining. The Giants need this game in order to keep pace with Dallas and I believe when the dust settles, we're going to see a high scoring game. The Giants' defense is currently ranked 29th in the league, allowing 260 yards per game. In addition, New York's defense has allowed 20 passing touchdowns, ranking them 23rd in the NFL. With 7 touchdowns in the last 6 games, you have to like Robinson's chances at finding the end zone against this defense.
