Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

- Written By Rich Arleo
- Edited By Marc Caviglia

Everybody knows who the top 10 or even 15 players are at each fantasy relevant position and that why it’s a no-brainer to target guys who consistently produce monster fantasy football numbers such as Aaron Rodgers, Adrian Peterson, Andre Johnson, and Antonio Gates. Often times what separates a good fantasy team from a great one is the owner who finds value in the second half of his or her fantasy draft. These later-round difference makers are referred to as fantasy football sleepers or undervalued players.

Sleepers are typically lesser known players or those with one or two NFL seasons under their belts, while undervalued players tend to be overlooked veterans, or guys who let down fantasy owners for one reason or another the previous season. Sometimes a player’s situation gives owners pause and his draft position takes a hit. Whether a player is a true sleeper or simply undervalued, he must meet the following criteria: (1) he’s likely to outperform his preseason ranking and projections; (2) he’ll deliver a much higher return on your investment (i.e., draft pick or auction price); and (3) he isn’t a rookie.

Now that you know how we determine who made the cut, check out our 2011 Fantasy Football Sleeper Running Backs.

Looking for a free, and easy place to join a fantasy football league? If so, try out Fleaflicker.com for all your league management needs.

Beanie Wells, RB, Arizona Cardinals
2010 Stats: 116 carries, 397 rushing yards, 5 receptions, 74 receiving yards, 2 total touchdowns

There wasn’t much to like about Wells’ 2010 season. Fantasy football owners were drinking the preseason kool-aid and investing a late second or early third round pick on Beanie as their high end RB2.  397 rushing yards, two touchdowns and a series of knee injuries later and Wells’ owners were pounding their head in disappointment by mid season.
After the Cardinals amassed the lowest amount of rushing yards in the league in 2010 with just 1,388 yards, they drafted Ryan Williams out of Virginia Tech with their pick at No. 38 overall in the 2011 draft. With the addition of Williams and Tim Hightower also in the mix, it looked like Wells had stiff competition to be fantasy relevant again, however in a matter of weeks the Cardinals traded Hightower to the Washington Redskins and declared Beanie their starter entering the season.

Despite a rough showing last year, there is a lot to like when breaking down Wells’ talents. Two years removed from being the Cardinals’ top draft pick, the talented running back averaged 4.5 yards per carry as a rookie in 2009 and broke off runs of 15 yards or more in 11 different games. Plus, he combines good game speed with enough size and power to break tackles and if healthy, Beanie should posts stats more in line with his rookie season than what we saw last year.

The addition of signal caller Kevin Kolb and tight end Todd Heap help shore up the offense in Arizona and is an encouraging sign for those targeting Wells as their RB3. Consider Beanie great draft day value if you pull the trigger in the middle rounds of your upcoming draft.

Looking for a free, and easy place to join a fantasy football league? If so, try out Fleaflicker.com for all your league management needs.