Anthony Fusilli

Ten players drafted late or undrafted that I feel will have a Fantasy impact next season.

Some of these guys may go earlier than expected, depends on who you are drafting with and size of league.

If you're in a 14 team league like I was in the year, then some guys may not be there late.

1) Toby Gerhart/ RB Minnesota Vikings - Now this obviously depends on whether or not Adrian Peterson comes back to play next season. Even if Peterson is out for a few weeks (5 or more) I say draft him. He put up pretty solid numbers in Peterson's absence, and showed a good knack for catching the ball out of the backfield. If AP doesn't play try and get Toby around the 12-15 rounds, I feel he should be around by then still.

2) Andre Roberts/ WR Arizona Cardinals- My number one reason for liking this guy is the fact  he plays along side Larry Fitzgerald. Fitz is going to get a ton of attention every week, every snap. So a guy like Roberts can really benefit from this. He showed some signs of that in play this year. He still has to battle Early Doucet for playing time, but I feel Roberts has the better upside of the two. Roberts showed a lot of promise going into the end of the season to really give him the edge as well.

Andre's numbers through 16 weeks- 47 Catches/ 562 RecYds/ 2 Retds/ 90 targets(to show the ball is going his way)

3) Donald Brown/ RB Indianapolis Colts- This can be a tricky pick and is worth paying attention too as the season approaches. With Peyton Manning due to return back next year the Colts are more than likely going to be a passing orientated team again. Also coupled with Joseph Addai still there it could be interesting. I feel the Colts like the younger Brown better, he has strong upside and has youth on his side. Addai had a injury riddled 2011 which opened the door for the inconsistent Brown. But, when given the opportunity, Brown seemed to excel late in the season. Especially in his week 15 game against Titans with 161 yards rushing and 1 TD. Watch this situation because if you can get Brown late, say round 15 he could pay off good dividends in your league. Especially a deep team league.

4) Roy Helu RB/ Washington Redskins- Once again another tricky but watch worthy situation. Due to the fact that Mike Shanahan picks starting Running Backs like Kim Kardashian picks Boyfriends..ahem..Husbands, you need to tread carefully. Roy Helu has the best promise out of the Running Backs in Shanahan's stable. He had speed, acceleration, some power and elusiveness. He showed that late in the season when he got his opportunity to start. Rolling off 3 consecutive 100 yard games before getting hurt ( like every other Washington back this year). He has the ability to make plays catching the ball out of the backfield too. Before drafting him watch the situation with Ryan Torrain, Evan Royster and Tim Hightower. I think Helu may go around round 10, possibly earlier depending on what fool reaches far down to grab him ( theres one in every league )

5) Jerome Simpson/ WR Cincinnati Bengals - He will be most remembered for his amazing summersault touchdown in week 16, but his play should be remembered too. He showed signs of being a #2 receiver throughout the year with 3 100+ yard receiving games and 3 5+ catch games. He should be the clear #2 going into next season along side Rookie senastion A.J Green. While Green will get most of the attention and draw plenty of double teams, Simpson should be left with plethora of opportunities. Him and Jermaine Gresham should be the other beneficiaries with Green getting a lot of attention, and with fellow Rookie Andy Dalton improving even more in the 2012 campaign. Look for Simpson in, I'd say the 13-16th round.

6) Demaryius Thomas/ WR Denver Broncos- The early part of the year Thomas was just a stand by guy, while Eric Decker seemed to get all the attention and touchdowns. Thing is Tim Tebow seemed to find a niche with Thomas late in the year. Thomas seemed to be the go to guy at the end of ball games for Tebow and make a ton of huge plays to help the Broncos win games. He should carry that on to next season. He has the speed to be Tebows's deep threat and hopefully works on his hands in the off-season. If he didn't drop so many balls this year his numbers might be even higher. Expect Thomas to go undrafted, if not I'd say round 16-17 or later depending on league size.

7) Jared Cook/ TE Tennessee Titans- Cook seemed to catch fire the last two weeks, posting 17 catches and 272 rec yards. Where was this all season? Who knows, but thank the injury to Kenny Britt as one possible option. With Britt being the Titans #1 option next season Cook can be a #3 option with the possibility of #2 status, depending on how Nate Washington is next year. Obviously Chris Johnson will get a bulk of the load on offense but right after him Britt and Cook are viable fantasy options on the offensively struggling Titans. Look for Cook to be a late TE draft pick behind players like Aaron Hernandez, Dustin Keller and Brent Celek. Most likely around the 12-15th round.

8) Kyle Rudolph/ TE Minnesota Vikings- The Tight End out of Notre Dame has showed glimpses of promise in the Minnesota offense. He has good blocking skills and shows signs of good hands when he gets his opportunities. Minnesota doesn't have a ton of go to guys on offense other than Percy Harvin, so Rudolph could be the recipient of more targets and chances next year. I wouldn't say draft him but keep an eye on him on the first few weeks on the waiver wire.

9) Giants D/ST- The Giants defense and special teams were ravaged by injuries this season which hampered there fantasy value. So many players were hurt and many more were put on season ending IR. The G-Men should be back at full strength next season, which will bode well for fantasy owners. They don't offer much value in the special teams department but give you a lot of sacks and will get you more turnovers next year with all the starters healthy. I'd say there a late D/ST pickup even a possibility of going undrafted. I think they'll go in round 13-16.

10)  Broncos D/ST- The Broncos D/ST has been good but inconsistent. They have weeks were they get turnovers, hold opponents to low scoring totals and make game changing plays. They also have weeks were they get torched. The last few games were signs of the latTer. Previously though, they were holding teams to around 10-17 points and giving a chance for "Tebow Time" to happen. Next season this group should be a more solid and consistent unit with more playing time under the belts of younger players and the return of vets like Champ Bailey and Brian Dawkins ( Barring any retirements or sudden changes ). I look for the Broncos D/ST being there late. Possibly 15-17th round or undrafted.

These are my top 10 players to watch that could be late round sleepers going into next season. It makes me sad to see the 2011 Fantasy Season end, but I am really looking forward to what the prospects of the 2012 season brings us.

Congratulations to the winners of the 2011 Fantasy Football leagues! For the people who haven't won, start looking toward next year and looking for the players that can help you run your league. Be sure to come back to FFBLife.com for all your Fantasy inquiries, questions and advice as we look to help you dominate your Fantasy leagues.

Happy New Year everyone !!

-Fizzle-

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