Sleeper Watch

So you drafted Jerome Bettis or Duce Staley in order to get a piece of a powerful Pittsburgh running game that finished second in the league in total yards last year? Congratulations – now go out and get yourself a piece of Willie Parker.

Staley, who rushed for 830 yards in ten games last season, is recovering from knee surgery and might miss all of September. Bettis, who led the Steelers with 941 yards on the ground in 2004, had to exit Pittsburgh’s 17-10 preseason loss to Washington after suffering a calf injury in the opening quarter. The extent of that injury isn’t known yet, but it’s possible that he too won’t be available for the team’s season opener against Tennessee. If both Staley and Bettis are forced to sit, Parker will most likely take over.

Willie Parker has already proved that he can play, coming through with a strong performance in last year’s hard-fought week 17 win over Buffalo. In a game in which the Steelers held out many of their key starters (but which the Bills needed to win in order to reach the playoffs), Parker, an undrafted rookie out of North Carolina, stepped in and kept the offense rolling, finishing with 102 yards on 19 carries.

For Steelers fans, it’s reassuring to know that the team has enough depth to withstand the injuries that invariably hit during the course of a long NFL season. For fantasy owners, it could make Parker a legitimate play in week 1 if you lack depth at the running back position.