Sometimes Fantasy Football Championships aren’t won by the “can’t miss” stars taken in the early rounds of your Draft, but rather by the late round gems you take a chance on. So to aid those looking for late round game changers for the upcoming 2012 Fantasy season, here are 10 sleeper picks to take a chance on this year.
Demaryius Thomas (Denver Broncos) WR
Injuries have certainly slowed down the progress of Denver’s first round Draft pick in 2010. Still, Thomas has shown flashes of brilliance including a pair of 100 yard games in December last season and a 204 game in the first round of the playoffs. That aside, he now has Peyton Manning as his quarterback and that alone should make him a value late round sleeper in most leagues.
Toby Gerhart (Minnesota Vikings) RB
Whether or not Adrian Peterson can bounce back strong from a knee injury or not will not deter from the fact that Gerhart should get a fair share of carries this season, especially early on in the season. A 230 lbs runner with enough speed to have had runs of over 10 yards in 8 games last season (including a 67 yard run), Gerhart averaged 4.9 yards per carry in 2011. The former Stanford back has also shown an affinity for catching a pass or two which can’t hurt his total Fantasy Football output.
Roy Helu (Washington Redskins) RB
Helu certainly did not have a quiet rookie season last year, but given the upgrade that the Redskins have made to their offense this year should be enough reason to include in any sleeper list. Given enough touches this year, Helu should easily amass over 1,250 total yards for owners this season. That should be enough to make him a good fit as a second back on most Fantasy teams.
DeMarco Murray (Dallas Cowboys) RB
After exploding 253 yards rushing in an October outing against the Rams, it’s hard to call DeMarco a sleeper. Nevertheless, late season injuries kept Murray under the 1,000 yard barrier which may make a few owners pass on him early in this year’s Draft. However Murray is on the cusp of having a breakout year this season and expecting 1,300 yard rushing from him in 2012 is not out of the question.
C.J. Spiller (Buffalo Bills) RB
Anyone who followed the Bills last season certainly knows that Fred Jackson was having a monstrous year before getting hurt. That said, Spiller did a fantastic job filling in for his teammate and ended up totaling over 100 yards from scrimmage in four out of the last five games of the season. Taken by Buffalo with the overall 9th pick of the first round in 2010, Spiller is ready to deliver on his tremendous potential.
Andrew Luck (Indianapolis Colts) QB
As a general rule most rookie quarterbacks should be avoided in a Fantasy Football Draft, but Luck is about as NFL ready as a rookie QB can be and the Colts will certainly have to pass often in 2012. Add to that the fact that he has 4.59 speed and you get a player capable of being a solid number 2 for any Fantasy owner this season. While he may not put up Cam Newton-like numbers this season, he should certainly throw for over 3,500 yards and 20 touchdowns for the Colts. Let someone else take a chance on RG3 and go with Luck in the late rounds.
Eric Decker (Denver Broncos) WR
Decker was enjoying a good 2011 season when Orton was quarterbacking the Broncos, but didn’t enjoy the same kind of chemistry with Tebow. However, Manning is not Tebow, and Decker should benefit greatly from the quarterback upgrade the Broncos are making this season. Given his size (6-3, 218), Decker may yet become Manning’s favorite red zone option and a plus 10 touchdown season is not out of the question.
Mark Ingram (New Orleans Saints) RB
Most owners who took a chance on Ingram in 2011 will probably shy away from him in 2012. Still, if he can avoid injuries and become more involved in the passing game, Ingram should make a solid comeback in 2012. Given the Saints offense, Ingram will certainly get a good amount of touches this year and may deliver around the goal line.
Martellus Bennett (New York Giants) TE
Given that he had to work behind Jason Witten in Dallas, Bennett has yet to enjoy a breakout season in the NFL. However, this season Bennett will be starting for the Giants which will give him ample opportunities to become a red zone target. Since tight end is increasingly becoming a premier position in Fantasy Football, taking a flyer on Bennett may not be a bad idea this year.
Evan Royster (Washington Redskins) RB
Will Royster start in 2012? Probably not, however the former Penn State great did end the 2011 season on a very high note rushing for over 100 yards in the last two games of the year. It was the only game he got more than 10 touches. So as far as deep sleepers go for this season, most owners should keep Royster in mind.
