Sleeper Watch

In playoff leagues where owners are allowed only a small number of transactions, getting the most games played out of your roster is one of the keys to winning. An ideal lineup would consist of players on a team that kicks off its playoff drive on wild card weekend and proceeds to go all the way to the Super Bowl. Yet sometimes, it’s wise to choose a player who won’t see action until the divisional playoffs.

Daniel Graham is such a player. Thanks to New England’s first round bye, he won’t give you four games played, but with many pundits picking the Patriots as the AFC favorites, three games are a distinct possibility. Graham has played very well lately, finding the endzone in two of his last three contests (including a classic tight end line of one reception, one yard, one touchdown in week 17), and will also come at a lower price than Shannon Sharpe, Todd Heap, or Tony Gonzalez.

In most cases, the unreliable tight end position is not where you want to spend your valuable transactions, making the strategy of picking one TE for the entire playoffs quite common. If this is your game plan as well, look beyond the opening round and consider making Daniel Graham your choice.