Sleeper Watch

Chris Draft just keeps getting better and better. His 63 solo tackles tie him with Ray Lewis and Andra Davis for sixth in the league; so why is the Falcons linebacker still available in so many leagues?

For one thing, with a career high of 73 tackles (57 solo) and little name recognition, Chris Draft wasn’t a hot commodity heading into this year’s fantasy drafts. The former sixth-round pick (by Chicago in 1998) also had a slow start to the season, recording more than five tackles just once in his first four games. All that changed, however, once October rolled around. Draft hasn’t collected fewer than seven solo tackles in any of his last five games, culminating in a fantastic 13-tackle effort last week in Atlanta’s upset win over the Giants. In that contest, he also picked up his first sack of the season as the Falcons harried Kerry Collins and Jesse Palmer.

Linebackers are a vital component of any fantasy defense in an IDP league. One of the keys to fielding a solid linebacking corps is finding players who don’t only post solid overall numbers, but show consistency from week to week, and few have been as consistent lately as Draft. Whether you’re looking to replace an injured starter like John Mobley or a disappointment such as Brian Urlacher, or simply trying to upgrade your defense, Chris Draft is worth a look.