Sleeper Watch

As I look into the upcoming NFL draft, I like to analyze the reasons why teams are interested in the players they are projected to pick. In this article, I will look at two different players who may have significant fantasy impacts.

The first interesting thing I found was when I came to the 16th pick in the draft belonging to the Green Bay Packers. With the recent departure of Ahman Green to the Houston Texans and the limited faith of the masses in Vernand Morency to carry the work load as the top back, I see the reasons for Green Bay to look in the direction of a running back. Enter Marshawn Lynch. As I delved into the write-ups and tape on Lynch, it appeared to me he is the prototypical younger version of Ahman Green. He can run, catch, and is prone to the occasional fumble. From what I have read and seen, Lynch has the ability to pick up a blitz, the speed to misdirect the opposition, and the endurance to carry the load as an every down back. In his final year at the University of California he amassed these stats:

Category	Stat
Games	13
Attempts	223
Yards	1356
Yards per game	104.3
Yards per carry	6.1
Touchdowns	11
Receptions	34
Receiving Yards	328
Receiving Touchdowns	4

With the Green Bay system, if Lynch shows a good transition to the pros, he has a chance to start as well as make a fantasy impact almost immediately.

The next player beneath the talk of the top ten picks would be Robert Meachem. As I observed some interest in the mock drafts, I noticed a prediction on Yahoo! of him landing with the Tennessee Titans with the 19th overall pick. Again, I went further into the reasoning of why they would take him there. With the departure of Drew Bennett it sure could cement this argument of the mock. Meachem is a faster version of Drew and although his speed is not the tops, he makes up for it with his vision along the sidelines and the talent of sticking those catches when it counts. His same vision along the back line of the end zone also made him the go-to-guy in the red zone in Tennessee, where he went to school. As you add on home state favoritism, I believe it adds to the value of this prediction.

If things align just right, and these players land on their perspective teams, they could very well become Fantasy Impact Players. Keep your eyes on the NFL draft, and be prepared to take a late round flyer on either one of these guys if all goes as it could.

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