2004 NFL Sleepers

[Canacuna]

You cant argue that sleepers are no names and then say you drafted SANTA MOSS and steve smith. I know at the beginning of the season neither was highly sought after, but at the same time those were both people that most people knew and had a starting spot. I am doing no different by picking guys that will get a chance to see the field but arn't the big names just like Moss and Smith were last season. How picky do you want to get about the term? If I start saying Ty Detmer is a sleeper because I think Vick will get hurt again, does that make it valid?

They weren't "true sleepers", I 'spose, but definitely moreso than Julius Jones and Lee Suggs. A lot of people expect big numbers from those two - Steve Smith and Santana Moss were on the waiver wire in a lot of leagues. Browse the forums for questions about them last year - people were listing the best available free agents and hardly anyone even suggested picking up either. I think that, for the most part, the sleeper picks on the website are fine - just not at the RB position.

[hander99]

You are right...they were on waivers because at the beginning of the season they didnt do crap, but coming into last years draft both those guys were always selected in all the leagues I did. I just didnt want to put runningbacks that had little to no chance of doing anything but had the "potential" for a breakout year contingent on something else. So if you want to knock me for that I accept that. But my receivers are definetly sleepers.

[Kensat30]

I think a lot of people define sleeper differently.

1)A player that is drafted for great value could be considered a sleeper to some people. I usually just call this a value pick.

2)A player that produces but mostly goes undrafted is what I would consider a sleeper. Most of the time these guys come off the waiver wire, but on occasion savvy owners pick up this player in the 14th or 15th round of the draft.

I see the term deep sleepers being used by some people to help differentiate between what kind of player they're talking about.

For instance Andre Johnson could be considered a sleeper pick by some if he becomes a top5 WR this season. But he could never be a deep sleeper(true sleeper) because he is being drafted as a top20.


That said, Tony Hollings is my sleeper pick of the year at RB.

[hander99]

Nicely put kensat, I agree with you and I guess we will see about tony hollings

[Gunslinger]

Some potential sleepers I'll be watching in preseason:
QB: Grossman
RB: Galloway
WR: Calico and Terrell
TE: Witten

[FaMoUsXsTaRz]

Heres your sleeper--- Quentin Griffin! If you wanna call him a sleeper..... you can get him in mid to late rounds and he will perform like a great 2nd, okay 1st. He will be the starter for the Broncos this year and we all know how the Broncos starters make do.

[Cornbread Maxwell]

Nice post Hander99.

Some good food for thought on those WRs. I think Harrington should be bumped up on your QB list, but thats probably just the homer in me.

That Osgood call is very interesting - SD cant run LT on every down, so someone has to be the recipient, right? This could turn into a "Boldin Syndrom" situation where SD ends up playing a lot of catchup and having to go downfield often in the 2nd half.

Clayton isnt that great of a sleeper to me because of the depth at WR for the Bucs. I just dont see him getting enough passes thrown his way - even if he does become a starter.

Your RB sleepers are questionable however. Id call Green the sleeper between him and Suggs right now. Same with Artose Pinner - a very underrated RB who is the starter right now - if he can hold off KJ (who is a high draft pick while Pinner is a WW pickup), he could be huge. You gave no mention of Thomas Jones - who is being drafted after the guys on your list. I also think you need to add Hollings. Thats 3 solid sleeper RB candidates instead of guys who are being drafted in the first 6 rds of every draft.

As for your TE's - Boo Williams is not a sleeper - most cheat sheets have him ranked in the top 10 - normally around 6th or 7th.

Good post all around though, Handler - welcome to the Cafe!

[KingGhidra]

I think a lot of people define sleeper differently.

1)A player that is drafted for great value could be considered a sleeper to some people. I usually just call this a value pick.

YES! To those people I always say "so anyone who isn't drafted #1 overall is a sleeper in your book huh?"

I'm writing an article for the cafe on sleepers (it's as funny as it is informative), but considering it's been about two weeks since I sent my first one in and no answer it's not looking too good.

[Franchise Fan]

well if tony hollings is your guys sleeper pick at rb, then mine is Avon cobourne because he went to my friends high school.
and he has as much a chance as hollings as being a sleeper

[Cornbread Maxwell]

well if tony hollings is your guys sleeper pick at rb, then mine is Avon cobourne because he went to my friends high school.
and he has as much a chance as hollings as being a sleeper

Well, no, actually Hollings has impressed the coaches down in HOU enough that there are actually rumors that Hollings could push DDavis out of the starting spot.

What is Cobourne - 4th in the depth chart for the Lions now?