Football Thoughts

Here are some players to take very late in your fantasy football draft, with a chance to breakout and have a solid 2008 season.

Pierre Thomas- RB New Orleans Saints
- The running game in New Orleans last year was very below average, and one of the players on the squad, Pierre Thomas, can really contribute in a big way. Saints legend Deuce McAllister is coming off two torn ACL’s so you must think he will not be 100%, and number two pick in the 2006 draft Reggie has continually showed he has a difficult time running between the offensive line. Pierre, and fellow runner Aaron Stecker, should get a whole lot more carries in 2008, only increasing their fantasy football value by great measures. Be sure to keep an eye on Pierre in the later portion of your draft. His risk is very high, but so can his reward.

Courtney Taylor- WR Seattle Seahawks
- Who is going to occupy the third wide receiver spot in Seattle? It won’t be D.J Hackett, he‘s off to Carolina. How about Deion Branch? Nope, he’s still recovering from an injury from the Packers playoff game. Well that only leaves the young Courtney Taylor to take some heat off quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. However, you must keep an eye on the battle between him Logan Payne, Ben Obamanu, and Jordan Kent for the third receiver spot. Even though it is a large competition, Taylor appears to have the edge as of now, but that can certainly change during pre-season.

Ben Utech- TE Cincinnati Bengals
- Ever since his first start as a Bengal, quarterback Carson Palmer has not had a legitimate tight end to throw too. That can very well come to a change with the arrival of Ben Utech. Overshadowed by Dallas Clark in Indianapolis, he has never really been able to show his stuff, but in a high powered offense in Cincinnati, and with him being the main guy, he can really become a very intriguing fantasy option.

Randy McMichael- TE St. Louis Rams
- Sure, he was a huge disappointment last season in St. Louis, but who wasn’t? Well clearly that isn’t my point. The reason I list him a sleeper is due to the arrival of offensive coordinator Al Saunders to the offense. With him running the show, he has led tight ends Tony Gonzalez and Chris Cooley to great seasons. In St. Louis, McMichael can greatly benefit to his scheme. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him surpass the 1000 yard mark in 2008.

Kellen Clemens- QB New York Jets
- Huh? The backup to Brett Favre a sleeper? Well, did people forget that Brett Favre is on the cover of Madden 2009? Just ask Eddie George, Daunte Culpepper, Marshall Faulk, Mike Vick, Ray Lewis, Donovan McNabb, Shaun Alexander, and Vince Young what they of being on the cover. I guarantee Favre get’s injured this season, and who will take his spot? That’s right, the future of the franchise Kellen Clemens. Make sure you have him on your team if you have Favre, or just screw the person over more and select him for some trade bait.

Early Doucet- WR Arizona Cardinals
- Being a rookie, it would be no surprise to see no real value coming from Doucet this season, but he defiantly has the potential to light it up in a top ten Cardinals offense. Receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin have struggled to stay healthy as of late, and the Cardinals had barely any depth at receiver to take their spots. Now with Doucet, they have a chance not to miss a beat with all of his talents. A huge risk for sure, but why not with your last pick?

Chad Jackson- WR New England Patriots
- With Donte’ Stallworth out of the picture, someone must step into the slot and become a main target for Brady. Chad Jackson has been haunted by injuries the past two seasons, and this might finally be the year he emerges as that second round pick he was selected as in the 2006 Draft. He will also have to beat out Jabar Gaffney, who was a pleasant surprise for Patriot fans last season. However, he still remains as an interesting pick late in your draft.

Muhsin Muhammad- WR Carolina Panthers
- I know what you’re thinking, he’s washed up right? Well, I believe so too, but there is a chance for one more glorious season in his NFL career. With Steve Smith out for two games for being an idiot, and the often injured D.J Hackett suffering guess what, injuries, this training camp, Muhammad has a chance to get a special connection with quarterback Jake Delhomme. They already have considering Muhammad led the NFC in yards in 2004 with Smith out of the picture. There is the chance he’s just too old now, but I think you can take that risk that late in your draft.

Antonio Pittman- RB St. Louis Rams
- Steven Jackson continues his holdout this off-season, and that can only mean one thing, more carries for Pittman. The Rams obviously don’t have a lot of depth if Pittman is the starter, but that doesn’t take anything away from the fact that Antonio will have a chance to see the end-zone a lot more this year if Jackson continues his holdout. If they don’t reach an agreement, don’t be scared to snatch the sleeper. In a very talented Rams offense, he’ll have many chances to prove himself.

Kyle Boller- QB Baltimore Ravens
- Everyone knows Boller has been quite the bust ever since his first start in Baltimore, but everyone also knows this will be his last few days as a Raven. Will he make it special? It will take some time for rookie first round quarterback Joe Flacco to start, so in the mean time Boller will take some of the snaps. This late in the draft, you should hope to take a player such as Boller, so angry he is getting replaced, that he may pull a Drew Brees and actually become good. The risk is extremely high, but once again, why would it hurt? If not, just dump him week one and sign another backup. There is also the chance he gets cut, or get’s his quarterback job taken away by Troy Smith, so in that case Smith becomes the man to consider.