Arizona Cardinals – Matt Leinart

I’m going to apologize now for going out on such a limb here, but if you’re reading a sleeper guide, you should already know to skip over the Arizona Cardinals section.  That being said, let’s take a look at Kurt Warner.  In 2008, he started sixteen games.  That’s actually pretty remarkable.  While he played fourteen in 2007, looking a bit deeper tells a very different story; seven games in 2006, ten in 2005 and 2004, three in 2003, and seven in 2002.  It took seven seasons from for Kurt to start 16 games again and, let’s face it, he’s 37 years old.  Enter Matt Leinart.  Yes, that guy.  He currently holds an ADP of 211.25, according to MyFantasyLeague.com.  Leinart, according to his coach, Ken Whisenhunt, has matured over the years, and was spotted recently with Tom Brady.  When he chose to stay at USC, he was the likely choice for first overall pick (Alex Smith took his place), and had success in a pro-style offense.  Leinart has always had the tools, and he had the chance to show them in the infamous game against the Bears (who were what he thought they were), where he worked over their vaunted defense until fumbles and kick returns cost them the game.  I’m not saying this is a spectacular pick for anyone, because it does rely on the incumbent’s injury.  But it is, in my opinion, inevitable that Leinart will get some playing time this season.  So if you find yourself with a Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, or Phillip Rivers and have room to maneuver at your backup quarterback position, then this is worth consideration as Leinart will likely be either a strong trade chip, a solid placeholder in multi-QB leagues or a great keeper in dynasty leagues. 

Saint Louis Rams – Steven Jackson

Let’s face it, the Rams were not a good team last year.  They’ve worked on improving their defense and they’ve been scrambling to put together a better offensive line.  Nonetheless, their QB is a year older, and they just lost their top receiver.  This may look good for Avery and Looker, but they’ve lost their tutor and have nobody to truly draw coverage on the field.  So rather than confabulating a sleeper, I will point out value when I see it, and will state for the record that this is going to be a huge year for Steven Jackson.  The new OC, Pat Shurmur, comes from Andy Reid’s coaching tree and will be installing a Philadelphia-like West Coast Offense, offering Jackson more than a few pass-catching opportunities.  Back in 2006, Jackson caught ninety balls and rushed 346 times, showing he can handle a full load both rushing and receiving.  Shurmur, who has been working on Jackson’s route-running, is poised to bring Jackson back to that kind of prominence.  Now, according to MyFantasyLeague.com, Jackson has an ADP of 9.25, behind Adrian Peterson, Maurice Jones-Drew, Matt Forte, Michael Turner, Larry Fitzgerald, and Chris Johnson.  The only one of those players I am convinced will outperform Jackson is Peterson.  Other than Peterson, the only ones that I can see upstaging Jackson are Fitzgerald and Johnson.  Steven Jackson is going to be this year’s Brian Westbrook, and if he is taken outside the top three, he has been undervalued.  Draft him confidently once AP is off the board. 

San Francisco 49ers – Josh Morgan

There is a lot to love about Josh Morgan this season.  He turned lots of heads in last year’s preseason, but his rookie campaign ended up slain by injuries, robbing him of any chance to truly live up to his potential.  He has kicked off 2010 in similar fashion, but remains healthy.  While there are still plenty of rumbles about Morgan, his ADP remains seriously low.  This isn’t particularly surprising, really, as Morgan remains an untested part of a run-first offense that spent the tenth overall pick on Michael Crabtree, who was not drafted 10th overall to be shuffled around.  The current plans on offense, though, have Morgan and Crabtree playing on opposite ends of the field, with free agent acquisition Brandon Jones working the slot.  Morgan is beyond capable, with both the concentration and physical skills to be a top performer, and will frequently see single coverage with Crabtree drawing the secondary’s attention and Frank Gore constantly threatening to run.  While Morgan has the potential to really shine, he’s still a way away from being any sort of guarantee.  Nevertheless, he has the potential to be a quality number three WR on your fantasy team, and has the raw talent to move even higher.

Seattle Seahawks – Julius Jones

I’m tempted to go with Hasselbeck here, as he is consistently one of my favorite value picks.  But who doesn’t?  And how about TJ Houshmandzadeh?  He has successfully muddled the entire Seahawks receiving situation.  Enter Julius Jones.  Julius is looking at an ADP of 135, according to MyFantasyLeague.com, and that probably has a lot to do with his numbers last season (698 yards rushing, 2 TDs).  But keep in mind, he got a career low in touches, and still outperformed his last year in Dallas.  He also had two 100 yard games in 2008, with a career high 4.4 YPC.  In practice, Jones is raving about how well the new one-cut running scheme suits his skills over Holmgren’s pound-the-rock style.  And while it is still early, Jones is currently running with the first team offense.  The detractors are still there, though…particularly TJ Duckett, who has spent his entire career circling the red zone.  Despite this, I’m projecting over 1,000 yards, and around 5-7 TDs for Jones.  Look at Jones as a lower RB2, or a good RB/WR flex option.  A quality mid-round compliment to an AP or Steven Jackson.