Drew Loftis
Every fantasy owner is looking for the same thing in the late rounds of the draft — the unsung sleeper, the gem hidden in the outer reaches who can thrust your team to the top of the standings at warp speed. Just as important is dodging the busts lurking in the earlier rounds, the ones who can suck your team into a black hole.
SLEEP TIME
First rule of finding a sleeper: Don't look too early. A sleeper is not someone you pick in the third or fourth round. Much more often, you should be looking in the last three or four rounds, once your primary starters are in place (QB, RB, WR, TE) and you have a strong complement of backups (at least at QB, RB and WR), that' s when to start looking for your sleeper.
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Giovani Bernard
TARGET LOCK
The way Giovani Bernard has moved up draft boards, he is creeping out of sleeper range, but we still include him because of his value — normally taken in Rounds 7-8 in 10-team leagues.
The rookie Bengals runner could supplant BenJarvus Green-Ellis at some point this season, and at the least will be the third-down back beginning Week 1.
Bernard may see action split wide as well. He is even more valuable in points-per-reception leagues.
In the more traditional sleeper section — Round 10 and thereafter — there are some finds. Two Patriots jump out, not because they are such good players, but because you can rely on Tom Brady. Dating back to the Deion Branch/Troy Brown/David Patten days, Brady endlessly has found someone to catch the ball. This year, behind Danny Amendola (for as long as he's healthy) and Rob Gronkowski (once he gets healthy), we like Julian Edelman and Kenbrell Thompkins to provide good numbers.
Other WRs to look for near the end are Brian Hartline, Darrius Heyward-Bey and Vincent Brown.
Steelers RB Le'Veon Bell has plummeted down draft boards upon his foot sprain, which reports indicate is not a severe as originally feared. Considering he now can be had around Round 10 or 11, it is worth the risk. Once healthy, he is Pittsburgh's best backfield option.
As we have said in previous episodes, it is best to address your RBs early. But if you still are looking late, take a flier on Danny Woodhead, or even Zac Stacy, for the truly desperate.
Carson Palmer is our favorite late-round QB. He posted solid numbers in Oakland, where none of his receivers were named Larry Fitzgerald. Many of his stats last season were accumulated in garbage time, which still should be in abundance for Arizona, in the NFL's toughest division.
There are some interesting tight end prospects late, as well. Our favorites are Tyler Eifert and Jordan Cameron.
YOU BUST BE CRAZY
As great as it is to find a monster sleeper, it can be more damaging to run across an early-round bust. Forecasting injury is a futile task — though you can't discount those with a history of ailments, like RB Darren McFadden or WR Danny Amendola. What you want to avoid are players whose production is likely to justify their draft value, assuming they stay healthy — think, Ryan Mathews in the first two rounds a season ago.
Arian Foster is one we are now avoiding. He often is taken with the second- or third-overall pick, and almost always in the first round. But he is a back with a lot of miles in recent years, his average per carry has declined, and backup Ben Tate has proven more than capable. If that isn't enough, Foster has battled calf and back injuries this preseason, making him a nice pick late.
Foster still should do fine, just not worthy of a high first-round pick. Figure he moves to back of pack among top runners, 10th among RBs, behind LeSean McCoy, ahead of Steven Jackson.
We're shy about taking Montee Ball in the fourth, considering he has yet to secure the feature spot in the backfield ahead of Ronnie Hillman, a late-round pick.
Also going too high for our tastes are Wes Welker, who will have to share targets with other strong WRs who already have a season of working with QB Peyton Manning, and Marques Colston, who personifies the feast-or-famine nature of WRs — 120 yards and two scores one week, less than 50 yards and no scores for the next three or four.
Coming up later this season on the Fantasy Tracker: The Tracker moves to Saturday starting this week, where our fantasy hero will battle arch villains the Injury Bug and the Matchup Monster in the weeks to come.
dloftis@nypost.com
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