JGalligan
Footballguy
Since there is approximately 528 unofficial definitions for a sleeper, it is often hard to get a grasp or gain any middle ground on exactly what one is. Luckily, there is but one definition for a comatose sleeper. The following, which I made up, is that definition:
Comatose sleeper (noun) - A player so far on under the radar that most fair-weather fans don’t even know they exist. The few that are aware are so because of the projections they have done for the players future, which they have done because of their statistic-addled addiction to fantasy sports.
Did that make you think of dynasty and keeper leagues? Of course it did! That’s what comatose sleepers are for. It would behoove you to have your eye on some of them especially if you finally want to complete your quest for a back-to-back, 10 years in a row, fantasy football dynasty title. Or if for some reason the stars align and they get a chance to start, you’ll be claiming them off waivers the minute something happens to whoever is in front of them.
Now the only difference between plucking random WR6’s from NFL depth charts and a comatose sleeper is research and some good situational perception. Your gonna have to do some research and evaluate a given positions status for each particular team. No one ever said this would be easy. Thankfully for you and your questionable research habits, I’ve done most of the hard work for you. No, no, please.. put that cash away!
Before we look at the list of potential comatose sleeper WR’s, let’s take a look at what type of team one of these gems often find themselves on:
Teams with a young, developing offense: Teams that are young and on the rise often don’t have many super-duper-stars boggarting all of the starting skill positions. See: The Oakland Raiders, Atlanta Falcons, and Tennessee Titans.
Teams with an aging or injury prone player(s) at the particular skill position: It’s always good to place your hopes on a player who will most certainly get their shot at the starting job thanks to the ever-spinning Wheel of Time. See: St. Louis Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Do Not See: Any team with Brett Favre on it (at least if your trying to scope out comatose sleeper QB‘s).
Teams with openings at starting skill positions due to a departure or just a generally poor group of talent at the position: Sometimes, a starter will bolt for another team for whatever reason and in their wake leave a big fat starting position. Then again, other times a team just has a rag-tag, sorry excuse for players at a particular position. See: Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers.
Starting to catch the drift? Wondering why I’m writing this like an instruction manual? That is of no matter, because it's now time to take a look at the potential comatose sleeper WR’s! Key word here is potential. As with normal sleepers, people's opinions will often differ quite vehemently. So just take the following list as a way to jump start your brain. Or get it out of it’s "comatose" state, if you will..
NOTE: A lot of what’s said in the rest of this is very, very optimistic. If you are a pessimist and/or have trouble looking a couple years down the road to see value, I would suggest you turn around and go ogle your Adrian Peterson poster.
Alright, with that necessary disclaimer out of the way -- let’s get started..
Steve Breaston and Early Doucet (ARI) - These two will be doing battle for the WR3 spot for the year. At the moment, Doucet is out with a hamstring injury and Breaston is the favorite to start the season in the slot. Whoever wins has a good shot to do some good things, despite not getting many targets. Former Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin beneficiary Bryant Johnson put up a solid 1268 yards and 6 TD’s his last two years with the team. Score a slight advantage to Doucet in the long run because he’s so frigging fast.
Outlook: Neither one will likely put up decent numbers this year but could next year if Matt Leinart’s progression goes as planned. We should see this year whether Breaston or Doucet is the preferred check down after Fitzgerald and Boldin.
Harry Douglas (ATL) - Thanks to the Joe Horn debacle, Douglas quietly assumed the role of WR4 on the team behind Roddy White, Michael Jenkins and Laurent Robinson. Also, in case you hadn’t noticed, the Falcons tight ends aren’t going to be keeping any defensive coordinators awake any time soon. With the main focus for them being run blocking, Douglas should see some time as the second slot receiver in 4 WR sets. Not a bad way to get used to the game.
Outlook: The current situation is a little bleak for Douglas as to being a starter anytime in the near future. However he would be one injury away from a prominent role in the offense and just in time to go through the growing pains with QB Matt Ryan.
Rashied Davis and Earl Bennett (CHI) - All of the attention in regards to the Bears has gone to their laughable QB situation and with good reason, I for one laugh about it all the time. However, just as bafflingly mediocre is their receiver situation. Devin Hester is a great kick and punt returnee, but so far has left much to be desired in the WR department. Brandon Lloyd is neither here nor there and Marty Booker is far past the prime of his career. Rookie Earl Bennett and Rashied Davis shouldn’t have a problem getting playing time if they can both prove they deserve it.
Outlook: While Rashied Davis' 303 yards and 2 TD’s in 2006 wasn’t impressive by any means, he did show what he could do with limited playing time. He won’t have a breakout season this year but if he can land more time on the field he’s worth keeping an eye on. Earl Bennett is just a rookie so it may take him a while to get acclimated to the league, per usual. Hopefully the Bears QB situation is in better shape in a couple years when these two may be primed to storm the league.
Andre Caldwell and Jerome Simpson (CIN) - Although the Bengals passing attack is just fine the way it is, it could only help things if it had an actual WR3. Both Bengals rookies have their eye on the job this year even though there are two others in the running as well (Marcus Maxwell and Antonio Chapman). If one does end up making it as the WR3 then the other one likely wouldn’t have to wait too long for another shot. There’s no way Chad Johnson is going to remain chummy and polite with everyone should the Bengals continue losing.
Outlook: While Caldwell has the lead in the race for the 3 spot, Simpson is one impressive performance or practice away from being back in it. If everything progresses as the Bengals think it will then Caldwell and Simpson will help fill the void left by Chad Johnson’s eventual departure, and then some.
Eddie Royal (DEN) - With Javon Walker’s departure and Brandon Marshall’s suspension, opportunity knocked on Eddie Royal’s door, dragged him out the house and threw him onto the football field. He couldn’t have asked for a better situation. If he can prove that he’s NFL worthy early on then he could end up one of the few rookie WR’s to get a significant amount of playing time his debut year.
Outlook: Although Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall already have a well-established rapport, Royal would offer Cutler a quick, agile slot option. Unless it takes Royal longer then expected to acclimate to things, he should challenge for a starting spot all year long.
Roy Hall (IND) - There seems to be few people who stand on middle ground when it comes to Marvin Harrison. Either they think he’s going to be fine or that he’s going to barely stay on the field this year. Regardless of whether he’s fine this year or not, he’s nearly 40 years old. He’s not going to be the Marvin Harrison of yore forever. Anthony Gonzalez is poised to take over when Harrison does leave, so Roy Hall could in turn fill in the vacant WR3 spot. Though there’s no telling when that would be.
Outlook: Unless Hall gives the Colts reason to look elsewhere, he has enough talent to stay ahead of everyone else and warrant the organizations confidence. Peyton Manning isn’t likely to be going anywhere for a while so the reward compared to Hall’s risk is definitely worth banking on.
Derek Hagan and Davone Bess (MIA) - Earnest Wilford was originally thought to be a lock for the Dolphins starting receiver. That was until he failed to prove to anyone at all that he deserved a spot on the starting roster. Third year WR Derek Hagan on the other hand, has proved he deserves a shot and has reportedly passed Wilford on the depth chart. Rookie Davone Bess has also been impressing the brass and may play a significant role in the slot position. Unless Wilford can get his act together, we may have two potential breakouts on our hands.
Outlook: It remains to be seen whether Wilford will set things right and perform the way his contract says he should. I find it hard to believe that he’ll just bust the rest of the year and fail to do anything but crazier things have happened. Even if he does end up starting, Hagan and Bess look like they could potentially be a big part of the Dolphins offense in a few years.
Sam Hurd (DAL) - Now that “she’s” gone (with she being Bill Parcell’s poetic nickname for Terry Glenn), Sam Hurd is favored to fill in the WR3 spot. In limited action last year, Hurd looked impressive and would make a suitable third option for Tony Romo after Terrell Owens and Patrick Crayton. Hurd has competition for the spot in Miles Austin, a third year receiver who hasn’t done much in his first two years.
Outlook: Should Hurd beat out Austin for the job (and he should) then he could be one of the rare comatose sleepers to produce some pretty good numbers early on in his career. It won’t be enough to give him a starting spot on your team but he’s definitely someone to remember if your in a deep league.
Chansi Stuckey, David Clowney and Brad Smith (NYJ) - In the wake of Brett Favre’s New York arrival, much of the focus was on Thomas Jones and Jerricho Cotchery as to who would benefit the most. What hasn’t been talked of too much is that whoever ends up being the WR3 for the Jets this year could also benefit greatly. Not just from having an improved QB throwing to them, but also from the likely decline of an aging Laveranues Coles. Stuckey is the front runner in the race with Clowney not far behind. Brad Smith is just now returning from injury and has some catching up to do but did show promise last season.
Outlook: The true winner of the battle will likely be decided sometime early in the regular season. Even then, the odd man out will benefit once Coles declines due to age. There likely isn’t enough room on the roster in the long term for all three prospects so it will likely come down to who wins the WR3 spot this year and whichever of the remaining two can prove they should be kept on the team.
Courtney Taylor, Ben Obomanu and Logan Payne (SEA) - This is a good example of just how a series of events can propel a comatose sleeper to stardom. Although rare, injuries to the Seahawks top two WR’s left for a large portion of the season has opened the door to three promising candidates for the future. Courtney Taylor is said to be locked in as the starter opposite of Nate Burleson while Ben Obomanu and Logan Payne will battle it out for the slot position. All three of them could potentially strike it big, especially in a Seahawks offense that’s sure to pass a lot and is led by Matt Hasselbeck.
Outlook: This is exactly the big break that some players need in order to prove their mettle. Chances are good for all three to make significant impacts this season and the Seahawks should be thankful they had such a deep roster because a situation like this could have derailed some lesser-quality teams. Although it will be crowded when Deion Branch and Bobby Engram return, any of the three can make a statement for the future with the chance they are now getting.
The Football Guys Shark Pool Forum's Collaborative List of Other Comatose Sleeper WR's:
Lavelle Hawkins (TEN)
Josh Morgan (SF)
Maurice Stovall (TB)
Maurice Price and Will Franklin (KC)
Jacoby Jones (HOU)
Marcus Smith (BAL)
Jason Carter (CAR)
Steve Smith and Sinorice Moss (NYG)
Keenan Burton (STL)
Chad Shillens (OAK)
Biren Ealy (TEN)
David Anderson (HOU)
Martin Nance (MIN)
Antonio Bryant (TB)
Jordan Kent (SEA)
Adrian Arrington (NO)
Roscoe Parrish (BUF)
Jordy Nelson (GB)
Comatose sleeper (noun) - A player so far on under the radar that most fair-weather fans don’t even know they exist. The few that are aware are so because of the projections they have done for the players future, which they have done because of their statistic-addled addiction to fantasy sports.
Did that make you think of dynasty and keeper leagues? Of course it did! That’s what comatose sleepers are for. It would behoove you to have your eye on some of them especially if you finally want to complete your quest for a back-to-back, 10 years in a row, fantasy football dynasty title. Or if for some reason the stars align and they get a chance to start, you’ll be claiming them off waivers the minute something happens to whoever is in front of them.
Now the only difference between plucking random WR6’s from NFL depth charts and a comatose sleeper is research and some good situational perception. Your gonna have to do some research and evaluate a given positions status for each particular team. No one ever said this would be easy. Thankfully for you and your questionable research habits, I’ve done most of the hard work for you. No, no, please.. put that cash away!
Before we look at the list of potential comatose sleeper WR’s, let’s take a look at what type of team one of these gems often find themselves on:
Teams with a young, developing offense: Teams that are young and on the rise often don’t have many super-duper-stars boggarting all of the starting skill positions. See: The Oakland Raiders, Atlanta Falcons, and Tennessee Titans.
Teams with an aging or injury prone player(s) at the particular skill position: It’s always good to place your hopes on a player who will most certainly get their shot at the starting job thanks to the ever-spinning Wheel of Time. See: St. Louis Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Do Not See: Any team with Brett Favre on it (at least if your trying to scope out comatose sleeper QB‘s).
Teams with openings at starting skill positions due to a departure or just a generally poor group of talent at the position: Sometimes, a starter will bolt for another team for whatever reason and in their wake leave a big fat starting position. Then again, other times a team just has a rag-tag, sorry excuse for players at a particular position. See: Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers.
Starting to catch the drift? Wondering why I’m writing this like an instruction manual? That is of no matter, because it's now time to take a look at the potential comatose sleeper WR’s! Key word here is potential. As with normal sleepers, people's opinions will often differ quite vehemently. So just take the following list as a way to jump start your brain. Or get it out of it’s "comatose" state, if you will..
NOTE: A lot of what’s said in the rest of this is very, very optimistic. If you are a pessimist and/or have trouble looking a couple years down the road to see value, I would suggest you turn around and go ogle your Adrian Peterson poster.
Alright, with that necessary disclaimer out of the way -- let’s get started..
Steve Breaston and Early Doucet (ARI) - These two will be doing battle for the WR3 spot for the year. At the moment, Doucet is out with a hamstring injury and Breaston is the favorite to start the season in the slot. Whoever wins has a good shot to do some good things, despite not getting many targets. Former Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin beneficiary Bryant Johnson put up a solid 1268 yards and 6 TD’s his last two years with the team. Score a slight advantage to Doucet in the long run because he’s so frigging fast.
Outlook: Neither one will likely put up decent numbers this year but could next year if Matt Leinart’s progression goes as planned. We should see this year whether Breaston or Doucet is the preferred check down after Fitzgerald and Boldin.
Harry Douglas (ATL) - Thanks to the Joe Horn debacle, Douglas quietly assumed the role of WR4 on the team behind Roddy White, Michael Jenkins and Laurent Robinson. Also, in case you hadn’t noticed, the Falcons tight ends aren’t going to be keeping any defensive coordinators awake any time soon. With the main focus for them being run blocking, Douglas should see some time as the second slot receiver in 4 WR sets. Not a bad way to get used to the game.
Outlook: The current situation is a little bleak for Douglas as to being a starter anytime in the near future. However he would be one injury away from a prominent role in the offense and just in time to go through the growing pains with QB Matt Ryan.
Rashied Davis and Earl Bennett (CHI) - All of the attention in regards to the Bears has gone to their laughable QB situation and with good reason, I for one laugh about it all the time. However, just as bafflingly mediocre is their receiver situation. Devin Hester is a great kick and punt returnee, but so far has left much to be desired in the WR department. Brandon Lloyd is neither here nor there and Marty Booker is far past the prime of his career. Rookie Earl Bennett and Rashied Davis shouldn’t have a problem getting playing time if they can both prove they deserve it.
Outlook: While Rashied Davis' 303 yards and 2 TD’s in 2006 wasn’t impressive by any means, he did show what he could do with limited playing time. He won’t have a breakout season this year but if he can land more time on the field he’s worth keeping an eye on. Earl Bennett is just a rookie so it may take him a while to get acclimated to the league, per usual. Hopefully the Bears QB situation is in better shape in a couple years when these two may be primed to storm the league.
Andre Caldwell and Jerome Simpson (CIN) - Although the Bengals passing attack is just fine the way it is, it could only help things if it had an actual WR3. Both Bengals rookies have their eye on the job this year even though there are two others in the running as well (Marcus Maxwell and Antonio Chapman). If one does end up making it as the WR3 then the other one likely wouldn’t have to wait too long for another shot. There’s no way Chad Johnson is going to remain chummy and polite with everyone should the Bengals continue losing.
Outlook: While Caldwell has the lead in the race for the 3 spot, Simpson is one impressive performance or practice away from being back in it. If everything progresses as the Bengals think it will then Caldwell and Simpson will help fill the void left by Chad Johnson’s eventual departure, and then some.
Eddie Royal (DEN) - With Javon Walker’s departure and Brandon Marshall’s suspension, opportunity knocked on Eddie Royal’s door, dragged him out the house and threw him onto the football field. He couldn’t have asked for a better situation. If he can prove that he’s NFL worthy early on then he could end up one of the few rookie WR’s to get a significant amount of playing time his debut year.
Outlook: Although Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall already have a well-established rapport, Royal would offer Cutler a quick, agile slot option. Unless it takes Royal longer then expected to acclimate to things, he should challenge for a starting spot all year long.
Roy Hall (IND) - There seems to be few people who stand on middle ground when it comes to Marvin Harrison. Either they think he’s going to be fine or that he’s going to barely stay on the field this year. Regardless of whether he’s fine this year or not, he’s nearly 40 years old. He’s not going to be the Marvin Harrison of yore forever. Anthony Gonzalez is poised to take over when Harrison does leave, so Roy Hall could in turn fill in the vacant WR3 spot. Though there’s no telling when that would be.
Outlook: Unless Hall gives the Colts reason to look elsewhere, he has enough talent to stay ahead of everyone else and warrant the organizations confidence. Peyton Manning isn’t likely to be going anywhere for a while so the reward compared to Hall’s risk is definitely worth banking on.
Derek Hagan and Davone Bess (MIA) - Earnest Wilford was originally thought to be a lock for the Dolphins starting receiver. That was until he failed to prove to anyone at all that he deserved a spot on the starting roster. Third year WR Derek Hagan on the other hand, has proved he deserves a shot and has reportedly passed Wilford on the depth chart. Rookie Davone Bess has also been impressing the brass and may play a significant role in the slot position. Unless Wilford can get his act together, we may have two potential breakouts on our hands.
Outlook: It remains to be seen whether Wilford will set things right and perform the way his contract says he should. I find it hard to believe that he’ll just bust the rest of the year and fail to do anything but crazier things have happened. Even if he does end up starting, Hagan and Bess look like they could potentially be a big part of the Dolphins offense in a few years.
Sam Hurd (DAL) - Now that “she’s” gone (with she being Bill Parcell’s poetic nickname for Terry Glenn), Sam Hurd is favored to fill in the WR3 spot. In limited action last year, Hurd looked impressive and would make a suitable third option for Tony Romo after Terrell Owens and Patrick Crayton. Hurd has competition for the spot in Miles Austin, a third year receiver who hasn’t done much in his first two years.
Outlook: Should Hurd beat out Austin for the job (and he should) then he could be one of the rare comatose sleepers to produce some pretty good numbers early on in his career. It won’t be enough to give him a starting spot on your team but he’s definitely someone to remember if your in a deep league.
Chansi Stuckey, David Clowney and Brad Smith (NYJ) - In the wake of Brett Favre’s New York arrival, much of the focus was on Thomas Jones and Jerricho Cotchery as to who would benefit the most. What hasn’t been talked of too much is that whoever ends up being the WR3 for the Jets this year could also benefit greatly. Not just from having an improved QB throwing to them, but also from the likely decline of an aging Laveranues Coles. Stuckey is the front runner in the race with Clowney not far behind. Brad Smith is just now returning from injury and has some catching up to do but did show promise last season.
Outlook: The true winner of the battle will likely be decided sometime early in the regular season. Even then, the odd man out will benefit once Coles declines due to age. There likely isn’t enough room on the roster in the long term for all three prospects so it will likely come down to who wins the WR3 spot this year and whichever of the remaining two can prove they should be kept on the team.
Courtney Taylor, Ben Obomanu and Logan Payne (SEA) - This is a good example of just how a series of events can propel a comatose sleeper to stardom. Although rare, injuries to the Seahawks top two WR’s left for a large portion of the season has opened the door to three promising candidates for the future. Courtney Taylor is said to be locked in as the starter opposite of Nate Burleson while Ben Obomanu and Logan Payne will battle it out for the slot position. All three of them could potentially strike it big, especially in a Seahawks offense that’s sure to pass a lot and is led by Matt Hasselbeck.
Outlook: This is exactly the big break that some players need in order to prove their mettle. Chances are good for all three to make significant impacts this season and the Seahawks should be thankful they had such a deep roster because a situation like this could have derailed some lesser-quality teams. Although it will be crowded when Deion Branch and Bobby Engram return, any of the three can make a statement for the future with the chance they are now getting.
The Football Guys Shark Pool Forum's Collaborative List of Other Comatose Sleeper WR's:
Lavelle Hawkins (TEN)
Josh Morgan (SF)
Maurice Stovall (TB)
Maurice Price and Will Franklin (KC)
Jacoby Jones (HOU)
Marcus Smith (BAL)
Jason Carter (CAR)
Steve Smith and Sinorice Moss (NYG)
Keenan Burton (STL)
Chad Shillens (OAK)
Biren Ealy (TEN)
David Anderson (HOU)
Martin Nance (MIN)
Antonio Bryant (TB)
Jordan Kent (SEA)
Adrian Arrington (NO)
Roscoe Parrish (BUF)
Jordy Nelson (GB)
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i was thinking the same thing. it's deja vu 2007/08 
As for the topic, I'm not too sure about Roy Hall. There were good rumblings from camp and he has ideal size, but he's not getting involved in the pre-season at all. I also question whether Manning can really turn marginal talent into a fantasy star. Harrison, Wayne, Clark, James, and Addai were all first round picks. Only Stokley reaped any unexpected success from the "system" and he's easily an outlier when you look at the Colts of the last several years.
Just needs the opportunity, which he seems to be getting. Speaking of Welker v2.0, this guy's exactly like him.I was actually going to post him but didn't because I figured people would think it was homerism or whatever (Colorado State). That being said, I have watched him for a long time and I know he can make it -- just needs the chance.
