Fantasy Football Focus – Sleeper Picks

The definition of what constitutes a Sleeper Pick is always a topic of discussion as Draft Day draws closer. In my books, a Sleeper Pick is any player who flies under the radar only to have a break out season.

“My next pick is the biggest sleeper in this years draft” will be mentioned a billion times at draft tables all over the world during 2010 Fantasy Drafts. Sleeper Picks are guarded better than Fort Knox by the owners who covet them.

2009 Fantasy Football Sleeper Of The Year

When a sleeper “wakes up” and starts producing huge fantasy numbers it really is a thing of beauty.

The 2009 fantasy football season provided us with one of the greatest sleeper picks of all time. There should be a picture Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Miles Austin in the dictionary next to the definition of a Fantasy Football Sleeper.

One only has to look at the stat lines to get the whole picture. Austin signed with the Cowboys out of tiny University of Monmouth (NJ) in 2006. He appeared in nine games during his rookie season as a kick returner and scored zero fantasy points. In 2007 Austin played all 16 games and recored five catches for 76 yards and paltry 13 fantasy points.

In 2008 Austin showed a flicker of brilliance when he caught 13 passes for 278 yards and scored three touchdowns which was good for 59 fantasy points. Being a “bit player” Austin was left on the waiver wire in most 2009 fantasy drafts but he didn’t remain there long. He started the season with a pedestrian 19 fantasy points in his first four games before all hell broke loose.

In Week Five against the Chiefs Austin had his coming out party as he racked up ten catches for an astounding 250 yards and two touchdowns. That 47 fantasy point performance sent fantasy owners rushing to the waiver wire and Austin was a sleeper no more. He finished the 2009 season with 279 fantasy points and sixth overall at the WR position.

2009 Fantasy Football Sleepers By The Numbers

Austin wasn’t the only sleeper to wake up during the 2009 fantasy football season as the following list shows. Shrewd fantasy owners who grabbed these players late in their draft looked like a genius when all was said and done.

Like a pig sniffing for an elusive truffle, fantasy owners are busy scouring the preseason game books trying to unearth the 2010 fantasy sleeper pick of the year.

We will post our nominations for the 2010 Sleeper of the Year Award once the Week Three preseason action is in the books. In the meantime, good luck and happy hunting!