2011 Fantasy Football: Top Ten Sleepers

The start of the 2011 Fantasy Football season is right around the corner and owners are beginning to narrow down their draft strategy. One of the critical parts is identifying the sleepers who will have breakout seasons this year. These are ten players you should keep an eye on when your fantasy football draft takes place.

Mario Manningham - WR (New York Giants)

In 2010, Manningham finished the season with a respectable 60 receptions for 944 yards and 9 touchdowns. While the numbers are nice, the real attention needs to be on how he closed out the last 4 games of the season with 17 receptions for 347 yards and 4 touchdowns. He is going to continue improve in his fourth year and will end the season as the Giants top receiver.

Colt McCoy - QB (Cleveland Browns)

The second year quarterback turned some heads last season with his performance on the field. He finished with a 74.5 QB rating while completing over 60% of his passes for 1,576 yards with 6 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. While he may not end the season as one of the top ten in the league, he is a nice backup to have on your team who will give you solid production when needed.

Fred Jackson - RB (Buffalo Bills)

The Bills made the smart move last season when they shipped out Lynch and gave the top spot to Jackson in Week 5. Once he took over as the lead back, Jackson ran for 927 yards with 5 touchdowns. Not only did he have 3 games over 100 yards, but he averaged 4.2 per carry. Jackson has the potential for more in 2011 and will make the nice fit as a second back on your team.

Nate Burleson - WR (Detroit Lions)

Fantasy football owners are so focused on the top wide receiver spot in Detroit that they have forgotten about Burelson and what he will bring to the team. In 2010, he recorded 55 receptions for 624 yards with 6 touchdowns. You should expect to see an increase in these numbers in 2011 with a healthy Matt Stafford to Calvin Johnson. Burleson is an optimal number 2 receiver that could be found in the later rounds.

Knowshon Moreno - RB (Denver Broncos)

The focus of the Denver Broncos off-season has centered on the quarterback position, which is good news for Moreno. A healthy Moreno is going to benefit from John Fox, who likes to run the ball, and Kyle Orton's ability to throw. We can expect to see Moreno break the 1,000 yard mark in 2011 and help fantasy football owners as their second best running back.

Percy Harvin - WR (Minnesota Vikings)

During his second year in the league, Harvin hauled in 71 receptions for 868 yards while scoring five touchdowns. While this may not make him a Pro Bowl receiver, it is impressive that he was able to do this with the quarterback issues in Minnesota. Donovan McNabb is going to like finding Harvin as his target and we should see him set career records in 2011.

Owen Daniels - TE (Houston Texans)

If you are looking for the forgotten man on offense, look no further. Daniels has been suffering from injuries that have set him back since 2009 when he was on pace to be ranked at the top of the tight end list. Daniels is healed now and is poised to return to the top five at his position in an offense that is about scoring.

Daniel Thomas - RB (Miami Dolphins)

Yes, fantasy football owners are going to be wary of selecting rookie running backs, especially after all the hype Ryan Matthews received last season and how he failed to deliver. The appearance of Reggie Bush is going to do little to affect Thomas who will be the workhorse of the running game. Thomas' style of running fits and should put him in the top ten in back by the end of the season.

Anquan Boldin - WR (Baltimore Ravens)

Last year, Boldin saw his number drop across the board when his talent was shipped out to Baltimore. Fantasy football owners should no fret because with his second year in the offensive scheme, they are going to see Boldin re-emerge and become the Ravens number one receiver since Derrick Mason is gone. Boldin will push past the 1,000 yard mark and has the chance to score double digits in touchdowns.

Emmanuel Sanders - WR (Pittsburgh Steelers)

When you look at his numbers from his rookie season, they are average but there is something to say for his speed and how he performed towards the end of the season. Owners need to face it, while we like Hines Ward, he has lost a step on the field. Sanders is going to fit the role as the teams burner. Pick him up in the later rounds and he will end the season as your best selections.