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Sleeper is an all around good term to describe the St. Louis Rams this year. Even in an NFC West marked by rebuilding franchises with aging cornerstones, Sam Bradford and the Rams are not a universal favorite to win the division. The sleeper tag also applies to several Rams players from a fantasy football perspective, and several experts at ESPN recently added some of those names to their sleeper list for 2011.
Which Rams players are considered fantasy football sleepers?
Sam Bradford, QB
The only thing surprising about finding Bradford on this sleeper list is that more people aren't picking him as a valuable commodity. No, I probably wouldn't pick him over someone like Brady or Manning or Brees or Rodgers, but you don't have to look very hard to see that he's due for some big numbers this year. Bradford was 12th in league for passing yards last year in a dink and dunk offense whose best receiver was inside man Danny Amendola. His 18 TDs ranked 18th. Bradford is going to pass just as much this year, with a better supporting cast around him. Think about it.
Danario Alexander, WR
Picking the Rams wide receiver who'll benefit the most from McDaniels' offense has become a popular parlor game around these parts. DX could be a reliable deep option in the offense. He possesses a skill set similar to that of Malcom Floyd. It's just a matter of whether or not there will be enough targets to go around with Donnie Avery also in the offense. Health is a risk here.
Lance Kendricks, TE
Technically he's listed as rookie breakout, and given the Rams commitment to the 2-TE offense he will be counted on to make things happen. Comparing what New England did with their 2-TE system, both Hernandez and Gronkowski had about the same stats, except Gronkowski had 10 TDs vs his partner's 6 TDs.
What about other sleepers?
You can probably expect Danny Amendola to catch a fair number of balls this year. With a more offensive players for defenders to key in on, it should be easier for Danny to stretch those catches a little more this year. Like I said above, Donnie Avery could be another beneficiary of McDaniels and Bradford.
Who else from the Rams is a good fantasy pick?