Andy Richardson
I play in a dynasty league with 26-man rosters; basically, almost every skill-position player who might step onto a playing field this season is on a roster. Brett Favre, Michael Vick, even Rex Grossman -- these guys are rostered.
As a result, I know something about looking for deep sleepers. Guys with no chance of getting drafted in most leagues, but guys who are worth a flier if you're in a ridiculously deep league and want to pick up some scrub or failure who odds are will do nothing, ever, in this league or any other -- but then again, you never know.
Here are the ones I'm thinking about this week, a whole lineup of them.
Colt Brennan, Washington. Brennan, who had a nice preseason last year, is battling aging journeyman Todd Collins to be the primary backup to Jason Campbell. The same Jason Campbell who Washington has tried to replace with Jay Cutler, Mark Sanchez, and probably a whole host of other quarterbacks we don't even know about. If you've got the room, now is the time to pick up Brennan, before he starts shining in preseason games and the quarterback controversy starts.
Justin Forsett, Seattle. Nobody has any interest in taking Julius Jones or T.J. Duckett, and it's understandable -- neither player is particularly good. So why not spend a roster spot on Forsett, the likely No. 3 who would then move up if either of the guys ahead of him flops or gets hurt? Forsett's a nobody who's been released a couple of times, but Seattle stands a chance to have a respectable running game, and he's got probably a 1-in-3 chance to be its best player.
Danny Ware, Giants. People are drafting Ahmad Bradshaw and rookie Andre Brown, and that makes sense: we know the Giants will have at least two if not three running backs who will contribute this year. So why not Ware? Ware might well be that No. 3 running back ahead of Brown, this year at least. And guys get hurt. Ware might not do anything this year -- might not even make the team -- or he could be a Brandon Jacobs injury away from being the team's No. 2 running back, and this year's Derrick Ward. You never know.
Laurent Robinson, St. Louis. It's remarkable how thin St. Louis' receiving corps is. I mean, this is a team where it's considered a major problem when Donnie Avery gets hurt. Robinson is a former third-round pick of the Falcons who has the size and receiving ability -- believe it or not, the guy actually caught 37 balls for 437 yards as a rookie with a woeful Falcons passing offense two years ago -- but had a hamstring injury that basically wiped out his second season. Robinson could be this team's leading receiver; somebody has to be.
Chris Davis, Tennessee. Who was that out on the field as Tennessee's third receiver with its starting offense last night? Chris Davis, their fourth-round pick in 2007 who's done nothing in his two years in the league. But this is his third season, when wideouts break out, right? OK, maybe not. But if there's an injury to a starter, either Justin Gage or Nate Washington, there's Davis in the lineup, perhaps making plays like he did last night. (Like I said, we're talking really deep sleepers here.)
Travis Beckum, Giants. OK, this guy actually is owned in my league. But not in very many, and he certainly isn't being drafted. The rookie tight end has only Kevin Boss standing in his way to be the team's starter; even with Boss there, he could be their best pass catcher at the position.
I'm not saying to cut anyone good to sign these players. But if you're in one of those leagues where everyone who's anyone is already owned, one of these nobodies just might turn out to be somebody.
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