As the 2009 NFL fantasy football season draws ever closer, every owner is starting to comb the wire looking for those quarterback diamonds in the rough. It is easy enough to know that Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Drew Brees will likely light up the scoreboard. The real way to win your fantasy league, however, is to find those players that are better than they were expected. Filling your fantasy football roster is more than just picking the obvious. You have to be able to find the sleeper picks. With that said, here are five top sleeper picks at the position of quarterback for the coming NFL season:
Matt Cassell, Kansas City Chiefs - Many were shocked when the Patriots let Cassell move over to the AFC rival Chiefs and I was among them. I figured that Cassell would go elsewhere, but I did not expect them to go to an AFC team. Whatever the case, Cassell is a legit quarterback if the pieces are in place around him. The problem in KC is, the pieces are still being built. There are some good things such as Dwayne Bowe, and Larry Johnson if he actually gets his head together. Also, the Chiefs figure to be trailing a large part of the game on Sundays, and should be throwing the ball often. That is good for the fantasy quarterback, but bad for the Chiefs in general. Cassell will likely be undervalued in NFL fantasy football drafts.
Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons - Though the Falcons had the perfect storm of events last season that allowed Ryan to have great success as a rookie, the reason he is likely to be a sleeper pick to grab this season is because of one acquisition - Tony Gonzalez. Gonzalez is going to open up the Atlanta passing game and I can envision many red zone touchdowns going to him from Ryan. Having a hammering running back like Michael Turner is going to make life difficult for opposing safeties and adding Tony to the mix will double that headache. Ryan will prosper this season.
Jake Delhomme, Carolina Panthers - Few people outside of Carolina give the Rajun’ Cajun his due, and this season may be one in which he finally forces them to. Delhomme will be vastly underrated in the 2009 fantasy football season because of the meltdown he had in the NFC championship game against the Cardinals last season. Fantasy owners are fickle that way. One game can make them turn on a quarterback. Take advantage of this and steal Delhomme for a song in the draft this year. He is throwing to the best receiver in the league and also has two of the best running backs behind him in the league. That means lots of playaction passes will find their mark. Just check Delhommes history when he has a good running game and a healthy Smith on the field.
Carson Palmer, Cincinnati Bengals - A few years ago it would have been comical to call Palmer a sleeper. Due to several injury plagued seasons and time, Palmer now is listed among that group. Ironically, Palmer has the talent to find himself at the very top with Brady, Manning, and Brees. If he has recovered as well as training camp suggests, this could be the pick up you need to win your fantasy football season.
Kyle Orton, Denver Broncos - Okay, go ahead and laugh. The Broncos let franchise quarterback Jay Cutler get away, and got Orton in a trade. His primary competition for the position is Chris Simms. Orton has already been named the starter in Denver. The key here is the fact that Orton is a system quarterback. Certainly, Denver is a system type offense. The two are not that bad of a marriage, and I expect that Orton will be much better in Denver than he ever was in Chicago. Do not be surprised if he excels.
