Fantasy Football: Five Quick Rules & Ten Sleeper Picks For 2013

While most normal people look forward to Christmas, Thanksgiving, or any other holiday, there is something even more important, for not so normal people:


Fantasy Football. 

It is finally that time again and the real geeks have been reading fantasy football magazines since their "powerhouse" team somehow didn't make the playoffs last year because of "injuries" and "bad luck".

Don't worry, five months from now they will be saying the exact same thing. There might be three, four, or if you are really lucky, five players like that in your league. 



Here are five quick rules to go by before your draft:

1. Wait to draft a QB

There are a ton of quarterbacks that can get you a ton of fantasy points. Unless it is Drew Brees or Aaron Rodgers you shouldn't be drafting a quarterback in the first two rounds. I know, I know, the Denver Broncos signed Wes Welker, but with the Denver Broncos question marks on the offensive line I'd stay away from Peyton Manning until at least the third or fourth round. There are good quarterbacks you can steal later in rounds six or seven. Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck, Ben Roethlisberger, Michael Vick, Tony Romo, Eli Manning, Jay Cutler, Matt Schuab, and plenty of other QB's are ranked outside of the top-ten on the yahoo projections for 2013. 

2. Have plenty of depth at RB

You can never have too many running backs on your fantasy team. They get hurt all the time and it's important to have a back on your bench you can depend on. Also, running backs turn into great trading bait if you want to acquire a good quarterback, wide receiver, or tight end to put your team over the top. There are a lot of legit running backs to draft and don't be afraid to draft four running backs before round seven comes around. 

3. Draft WR earlier than later

Make sure you snag one wide receiver before the third round is over. The WR you think will be waiting for you in the fourth or fifth round will be gone the pick before, trust me you are not the only one who slams your computer desk when that goes down. The most important thing to a great wide receiver is a good quarterback. Luckily, Larry Fitzgerald owners won't have to deal with John Skelton, Ryan Lindley, or Kevin Kolb throwing him the rock anymore. It's important to have at least one wide out you can depend on week in and week out. 

4. Don't draft a kicker until the last round

Please don't even think about drafting a kicker before the double-digit rounds come around. One of my buddies drafted David Akers in the sixth round last year. Akers made an NFL high 44 field goals in 2011 but things changed quickly last season. No other kicker missed more field goals than Akers' 13 last year. Blair Walsh went undrafted in over 90% of fantasy leagues last year and no kicker had more points than Walsh. There are always good kickers on the waiver wire and it's way more important to add depth at QB, RB, and WR than wasting a pick on a kicker who you will probably end up dropping when his bye week comes around. 

5. Make sure there is beer

Beer better be involved when you are selecting your team with your buddies, co-workers, or imaginary friends. A fantasy draft requires three rules: 
1. Drink beer
2. Talk smack
3. Have fun
If you abide by these three simple rules you will have the best fantasy draft possible. Just make sure you don't drink too much beer and select Tim Tebow. 

Okay now to the important stuff. Once the latter rounds come around there is always that tough decision when the clock is ticking and you think way too much, talk yourself out of taking the guy you should have, then end up selecting the biggest bust of the year while the guy you originally wanted has a breakout year. Kind of like selecting Shonn Greene instead of Alfred Morris or letting Doug Martin slip by your keyboard last season. Don't worry you won't make that mistake two years in a row. Here is the ultimate list of the Top Ten sleepers who could be the difference in you holding up your imaginary trophy at the end of the year and waiting two years to get your dolla dolla bills ya'll. 



10. Arizona Cardinals -D/ST

Hear me out before you laugh at this. The Cardinals defense had 22 interceptions and 38 sacks in 2012. Arizona's defense ranked second and 11th respectively in the NFL last season. They have one of the top corners in the league in Patrick Peterson and he was fourth in the NFL with seven interceptions and has four career punt returns for touchdowns. Anytime he gets his hands on the rock he can take it back for six. Also, if Tyrann Mathieu pans out, he will add another playmaker on defense and in special teams. He helped lead LSU to the National Championship game in 2011 when he was a true sophomore and was a Heisman Trophy finalist. He was an absolute ball-hawk on defense during his two-year career, in 26 games he created 15 turnovers on defense (four interceptions, 11 forced fumbles) and recovered six fumbles. He also had four defensive/special teams touchdowns (two interceptions / two punt return). His career at LSU was cut short because of off the field issues but all signs point he has his head on straight in Phoenix. His former LSU teammate, Patrick Peterson, has been a great role model for Mathieu in training camp. Arizona's defense finished in the top-ten last year among fantasy defenses and should do so again this year. If you don't want to waste a mid-round pick on a good defense you can wait until the last couple rounds and pick up the Cardinals defense. The Cards defense is a projected 15th round selection and have been selected in just over five percent in leagues so far. 


9. WR - Vincent Brown - San Diego Chargers

He is currently ranked 36th on the yahoo rankings among wide receivers. The Chargers top receiver heading into this season, Danario Alexander, tore his ACL in camp and is done for the year. San Diego's second wide out, Malcom Floyd, almost suffered the same injury but it was only ruled a strain. Floyd still hasn't lived up to the hype in his eight seasons and the job is wide open for the number one spot on the depth chart. Brown was on the rise before he sustained a season-ending injury during last seasons preseason. He is entering his third season in the NFL and showed signs of becoming a very good receiver at times during his rookie campaign. Now it is just a matter of consistency with Brown and don't be surprised when he becomes Philip Rivers top target this year. Vincent Brown should be around in most fantasy drafts towards the last couple rounds. He is a projected 15th round pick and if you can snag him late, he would be the perfect wide out to have at the bottom of your bench. Brown is only going in seven-and-a-half percent of the drafts so far.



8. WR - DeAndre Hopkins - Houston Texans



Hopkins and Andre Johnson are the making of Roddy White and Julio Jones, okay not quite, but the rookie out of Clemson has a chance to have a breakout season this year. Johnson might of lost a step, but he is still a top-five receiver in the game. He will demand double teams constantly and that should leave the Texan's first-round selection in a lot of one-on-one situations. As a junior at Clemson last year he set an ACC record with 18 touchdowns. He had 82 receptions and a school-record 1,405 yards that helped earn him being the 27th overall selection in the 2013 NFL Draft. This kid is the real deal and in his first preseason game he made an acrobatic grab for a 34-yard touchdown. Right now Hopkins is projected in the 14th-15th round and has only been selected in 19% of the drafts so far. 




7. RB - Ahmad Bradshaw - Indianapolis Colts



Bradshaw is a scary pick because of injury concerns. He was just taken off the physically unable to perform list earlier this week and could see action in the third preseason game next week. He is entering his seventh season as a pro and had his fifth foot surgery last February. Word down in Indy is he is feeling great and 100%, and if this is the case, Bradshaw would be a great pick in the mid-to-late rounds. The Colts don't have an every down back and Bradshaw would immediately have the edge to be the feature back for Andrew Luck. The best part with him is he is a great third down back, if he stays healthy he would stay on the field the majority of the time. He is one of the best blocking running backs in the NFL and has had at least 20 receptions and 200+ yards four-straight seasons. Bradshaw is currently a projected seventh round selection so if you can steal him late in round six, and you need help at running back, he is probably your best value pick. 



6. WR - Tavon Austin - St. Louis Rams

This kid is an absolute playmaker. He reminds me of Percy Harvin, except even more explosive. The eighth overall selection in the 2013 NFL Draft has a chance to be one of the best playmakers in the league this season. During his junior and senior years at West Virginia he posted back-to-back 100+ catch seasons. During his four-year career he accounted for 40 touchdowns and had 28 in his last two seasons. Last year as a senior, Austin had 114 grabs for 1,289 yards and stacked up another 643 yards rushing averaging 8.9 yards a carry. Austin had nearly 3,000 all-purpose yards last season. He was one of two players to have more than 500 yards in three different statistical categories and was one of three players to have at least 110 receptions in the nation. He has a chance to be one of the best playmakers in the NFL next year and should instantly become Sam Bradford's number one target with Danny Amendola signing with New England in the offseason. Expect Austin to line up in the backfield a lot this season and he should see the rock come his way more than any other player on the St. Louis Rams. He is a projected 13th round pick and don't wait too long to snag up Austin. He'll show why he should have been taken in the single-digit rounds once the season starts. This kid is going to be an absolute playmaker for Sam Bradford and the St. Louis Rams offense. 


5. RB - Montee Ball - Denver Broncos

There is one thing for certain when talking about Montee Ball: he is not allergic to the goaline. His 83 career touchdowns and 77 rushing touchdowns are the most in NCAA Division 1 history. The Denver Broncos were lucky to have a back as talented as Ball fall to them in the second round of the NFL draft. Peyton Manning is the king of wizards when it comes to putting his offense in the best position possible. The Broncos lacked a goaline running back last season but things have changed quickly with the addition of Ball. He proved to be one of the best goaline running backs in one of the best conferences in the nation (Big Ten) during his four-year college career at Wisconsin. The Broncos are going to score a ton of points this season and expect Ball to join the party. The Broncos ranked near the top in redzone and goal-to-go rush attempts last year, so expect Ball to get a ton of those carries this season. Denver has three solid running backs in Ball, Knowshon Moreno, and Ronnie Hillman but expect the rookie from Wisconsin to earn the nod this year. He is the most talented running back of the three and he has a knack for crossing pay-dirt. Peyton Manning and the Broncos coaching staff are already ecstatic with the way Ball has performed during training camp and the job is his to lose. He is a projected seventh round pick and is the 25th rated running back in the yahoo rankings.  


4. QB - Josh Freeman - Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

It always seems like athletes in any sport always have their best season when it is a contract year. Tampa Bay elected to not give Freeman a contract extension and he enters his fifth season with a lot of pressure on his shoulders. He has shown glimpses of being a really good quarterback in the NFL but has also had times when he looks completely lost. Last year Freeman threw for over 4,000 yards and 27 touchdowns ranking in the top-ten in both categories. This will be the second year in Greg Schiano's system and he should be way more comfortable. The Buccaneers offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan is one of the best quarterback mentors and Freeman should have a better season this year. Sullivan played a large role in Eli Manning's success when he was an assistant coach with the New York Giants from 2004-2011. Tampa Bay has a ton of weapons on offense and one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. It is up to Freeman to take that next step if he wants to be a top-ten quarterback in the league. Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams make for a nice duo at wide receiver and Doug Martin was one of the best dual threat running backs in the NFL last season as a rookie. Martin should open up the field tremendously this season to make Freeman's job that much easier. Freeman is currently a projected 15th rounder and is the 24th rated quarterback in yahoo. He could be a late steal and is the perfect backup to have for your top quarterback's bye week or for when Freeman has the better matchup that week. 


3. WR - Anquan Boldin - San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers were lucky to have Anquan Boldin handed to them for basically nothing in the offseason, especially with Michael Crabtree rupturing his achillies tendon. Crabtree won't be back until at least November, which instantly makes Boldin the Niners number one receiver. As we saw last year, Kaepernick loves his number one receiver. Crabtree had over 100 yards receiving in five of the last eight games (including playoffs) and had seven touchdowns. When Alex Smith was the quarterback, Crabtree only had four 100 yard games in 38 games when Smith was the starting quarterback. Point is, Kaep loves throwing to his number one target, and this year it's Anquan Boldin. Boldin and Kaepernick have become very comfortable with each other during training camp and expect the three-time Pro Bowler to put up good numbers in his first season in the Bay Area. Boldin is currently projected to go in the 10th round and is the 39th rated wide receiver in yahoo. Boldin would be the perfect wide receiver to have on the bench to put in during favorable matchups and to sub in during bye weeks at WR or at the flex. Boldin is flying under the radar surprisingly, especially with Crabtree out for at least the first half of the season. 


2. RB - Le'Veon Bell - Pittsburgh Steelers

All signs point for a stellar rookie campaign for Le'Veon Bell. The second running back selected in the 2013 NFL Draft is a powerful running back who has a knack for the endzone. His running style fits perfectly in the Steel City and is a hard-nosed back who should get the rock plenty of times in goaline situations. Expect the Steelers to get back to the running game a lot more this year as Ben Roethlisberger is one year older. Big Ben has taken a ton of punishment during his first nine seasons in the NFL. Bell should handle a lot of the load this season for the Steelers offense and expect him to see the majority of touches out of the backfield. As a junior last year at Michigan State he rushed for 1,793 yards and 12 touchdowns. He had 33 rushing touchdowns during his three years at Michigan State and had at least 30 receptions during his last two years in East Lansing. Bell has a good chance to be the "Offensive Rookie of the Year" this season. The rookie running back is a projected eighth round pick and is the 19th rated running back in yahoo. Doug Martin and Alfred Morris were the steals of last years fantasy draft. Expect Bell and Ball to be the two steals of this years rookie running back class. 


1. WR - Randall Cobb - Green Bay Packers

I know he is a projected fourth round pick already and isn't much of a sleeper but he has a chance to put up top-ten numbers this year among all positions. With Greg Jennings gone and Donald Driver retiring, he has a chance to become Aaron Rodgers number one target. One thing we know about the Pack is they love to throw the rock. Rodgers is the best quarterback in the league and Green Bay loves to let him use his "Discount-Double-Check" cannon. Cobb was still getting comfortable in Green Bay's offense last year in his second season and didn't see close as many snaps as he will this year. In 651 snaps last season he was targeted 102 times, which was the eighth highest percentage (15.7) in the NFL. Last year he had 80 receptions for 954 yards and eight touchdowns. Cobb also added another 132 yards rushing on only 10 carries. He will be on the field a lot more this year and will put up big-time numbers. Cobb was the 18th best wide receiver in fantasy points last year while being ranked 58th among receivers in snaps played. Things are going to change tremendously this year and he should rank in the top-ten in snaps this season. Cobb is the ninth rated wide receiver on yahoo and could very well end up being a top-five fantasy receiver this year. If Cobb is available the fourth round when it's your time to pick you should snag up the third-year receiver in a heart beat.