Sleeper Watch

Drew Brees wasn’t exactly a hot ticket in fantasy drafts this year, and remains on the waiver wire in a large number of leagues. Thanks to San Diego’s bye this week, that number is increasing in spite of his three-touchdown effort at Jacksonville last Sunday, as some owners are dropping him for a bye-week fill-in.

And admittedly, Brees hasn’t put up All-Pro caliber statistics this season. Seven touchdowns, seven interceptions, 1137 yards passing … not terrible numbers, of course, but nothing spectacular. Nonetheless, now might be a good time to pick up San Diego’s starter.

Last week’s game was clearly a good sign. The Jaguars defense might not be the most daunting in the league, but Brees seemed more comfortable and confident than he has so far. Even better, David Boston came to play, giving opposing defenders fits all day. If Boston continues to play at this level, Brees will be the prime beneficiary.

Obviously, there are better fantasy quarterbacks than Brees, but if your QB situation is in disarray or you’re planning ahead for future bye-week replacements, you could do far worse than to turn to the Chargers’ signal-caller when his matchup looks good.

(San Diego’s upcoming schedule is a mixed bag; choose your starts carefully.)