{FOOTBALL} 2015 FANTASY FOOTBALL SLEEPERS

Odell Beckham, Jr ~ 197 fantasy points

Fantasy football sleepers come in several different shapes and sizes.  Some are well-known vets or players on the verge of entering the top tier at their position; others, more modestly, may simply trade obscurity for steady production, but that still represents value.

A sleeper this is like finding a Hermes Birkin Bag for $50 in the middle of Barneys when there is no sale going on, it almost feels like you are stealing. 

HERMES Birkin Rose Tyrien ~ $22,000

Last year, the KING of the sleepers was Odell Beckham, Jr from the NY Giants.  He is the epitome of a sleeper: rookie out of LSU, largely undrafted in most fantasy leagues, quiet for the start of the season...then Victor Cruz gets hurt and BOOM he is number one!  

While it is a great to a draft an Odell Beckham (and believe me I wish it was me last year), it is also a good idea to focus on guys that can really help your team in those later rounds so research on sleepers is important!!! 

The best part of a sleeper is that you do not have to use an earlier draft pick (meaning more valuable) to get a player who can get you TONS of points.  So, on that note here are some sleepers that have been identified around the web: 

Ryan Tannehill, QB, Miami Dolphins: I'm not sure if a quarterback can be classified as a sleeper, but the talent has been improved around him. DeVante Parker will increase his completion percentage single-handedly.

Isaiah Crowell, RB, Cleveland Browns: I loved Terrance West last year, but the Crow was better. He opened off-season work as the top back and now his starting center Alex Mack is back!

T.J. Yeldon, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars: Any time you have a chance to get a volume running back like Yeldon, dive in. The Jaguars improved their offensive line during the offseason, too.

Tevin Coleman, RB, Atlanta Falcons: Man, I wanted this to be Devonta Freeman. But Coleman could be the every-down back in Kyle Shanahan's offense. Which is a wonderful spot to be in. Although, Devonta Freeman said he won't go down without a fight. So how about this: the top RB on the Falcons depth chart is the sleeper. For the record, Freeman opened OTAs as the top guy.

Theo Riddick, RB, Detroit Lions: I mean, he has the seal of approval from backup quarterback Dan Orlovsky. So that's good enough for us. But dang, Ameer Abdullah could end up as the No. 2 back in Detroit. Another camp battle to watch.

David Cobb, RB, Tennessee Titans: I know, another rookie running back. But he's going to have a great opportunity behind Bishop Sankey.

Cody Latimer, WR, Denver Broncos: The Broncos want to move Manny Sanders into the slot to make room for Latimer. That's all I needed to hear.

Martavis Bryant, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers: Touchdown machine with huge upside. The Steelers could be forced to throw early in the season.

Charles Johnson, WR, Minnesota Vikings: I should know better than to recommend another Vikings wide receiver. But I feel really good about this one.

Jaelen Strong, WR, Houston Texans: He fell a bit in drafts, which surprised me. But he landed in a great spot in Houston.

Donte Moncrief, WR, Indianapolis Colts: I know people expect a rebirth of Dre Johnson in Indy, but Moncrief will pass him by.

C.J. Fiedorowicz, TE, Houston Texans: So much for those comparisons to Rob Gronkowski. Those might have been premature, but I'm willing to give him another shot this year.

Richard Rodgers, TE, Green Bay Packers: I feel Aaron Rodgers is just narcissistic enough to want to target a guy named Rodgers repeatedly.

So, who do think is a sleeper this year?  Is there an another Birkin Bag Odell Beckham, Jr out there?  Let me know your thoughts! 

-Christi, FFC 

{FOOTBALL} Quarterbacks by the 2014 Numbers

The Quarterback...aka the Prom King, Class President, Valedictorian well unless it's Johnny Manizel you are talking about! He's the leader on and off the field.  Everyone knows their name and number - Peyton - 18, Luck - 12...here is what the QB Class of 2014 accomplished: 

Fourteen

The number of quarterbacks who posted 300-plus Fantasy points over the course of the season, up three from 2013.

22.02

The average Fantasy points per game from quarterbacks who finished in the Top 12, an indicator of what should be considered a "very good" game. That number is up 0.7 points per game from 2013.

83.3 percent

The highest consistency rate (frequency of getting 20-plus Fantasy points per game) among all quarterbacks in 2014. It belonged to Carson Palmer, who had 20-plus in five of six games.

Ten

The number of quarterbacks who had at least 300 Fantasy points and a consistency rate of at least 50 percent. Some of the folks who aren't a part of that list: Ben Roethlisberger, Ryan Tannehill, Matthew Stafford, Cam Newton and Matt Ryan. It confirms that they were the most volatile quarterbacks in 2014, with Ryan the most dangerous of them all with over 320 Fantasy points and just six games with 20-plus points on the year (37.5 percent).

Three

Ryan also tied (with Geno Smith) for the most games with 18 or 19 Fantasy points with three. Had he converted those three games to 20-point games, he would have had nine with such a high mark and a consistency rate similar to Brees, Russell Wilson and Eli Manning. Ryan also had nine games last season with 18-plus Fantasy points.

206

The number of 20-plus-point games by every quarterback in Fantasy last year. The number is actually down three from 2013. 

So, what is your opinion of where to draft a QB?  Do you always pick one in the first round or do you wait to see who drops to you later in the draft?  Is there a certain one you must have even though he's not in the top 10?  Let me know where you think a QB should be drafted? 

-Christi, FFC