Early Look: Six-Pack of 2014 Fantasy Football Sleepers

Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Kevin Roberts of Fantasy Football Overdose. You can follow the Fantasy Football Overdose Google+ Page, and for more visit Fantasy Football Overdose, a fantasy football blog.

The fantasy football sleeper is easily one of the most exciting, yet elusive labels in fantasy sports. It’s also one of the most depressing.

Anyone who played fantasy football in 2013 knows what that truly means, as the simple uttering of names like Zach Sudfeld (better known as Dudfeld), David Wilson and Lamar Miller bring up tortured memories of fantasy players that had such great hope and expectations, yet failed fantasy owners who drafted them miserably.

Miller was the best of this particular trio, as he actually offered up some decent games and overall production that doesn’t force one to tears at first glance. Wilson was the second worst of the three but absolutely in contention for the king of failed sleepers in 2013, as he had just one “good” game where he found his way into the end-zone, but was otherwise an epic failure across the board thanks to fumbling woes and an inability to lock down a featured role.

Sudfeld arguably takes the cake, however, as he was supposed to be the fluid pass-catcher that provided fantasy owners a stellar stop-gap option at the tight end spot until Rob Gronkowski could work his way back from a back injury. It wouldn’t come to pass, as Sudfeld caught zero passes with the Pats, contributed to a Tom Brady interception and even muffed and onside kick recovery job. He was subsequently released and spent the remainder of his hellish existence on the waiver wire (we hope) as a member of the New York Jets. Surprisingly fitting.

Still, as horrendous as picking, promoting and drafting fantasy sleepers can sometimes be, it’s something that needs to be done. Assessing sleeper value helps fantasy owners know when and where to draft players and picking the right sleepers can be the difference between winning or losing when the playoffs roll around.

With all of that in mind, let’s take a look at five guys who could actually live up to the sleeper hype in fantasy football this year: