Passed Out at Your Desk: Return of Leon

Everyone loves fantasy football sleepers, but they change depending on league size and availability. We're here each and every week to give you a look at good plays for all types of leagues.

We had a couple good calls and a couple bad calls last week, as we usually do. Injury forced Donnie Avery from his game, but not before he caught a TD for your team. Sidney Rice exploded and is now on the verge of becoming an every-week fantasy starter. But the big performance you likely didn't notice came from Leon Washington, who piled up 145 yards against Buffalo while his running mate rushed for over 200 yards.

By the way, the Bills held a QB to two completions and lost that game, and then allowed 350 rushing yards while winning the next game. Very, very odd.

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Power Naps

Leon Washington, RB, NYJ at OAK
That's right, I'm going right back to Washington as a sleeper in Week 7. The Jets are going to limit the number and type of passes quarterback Mark Sanchez has to make, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Washington hit on more short routes in the passing game. The Raiders are allowing close to five yards per carry, another juicy nugget on which Washington owners can feast. With a number of running backs off this week, I don't mind Washington as a RB2 this week, and he's great as your flex.

Carnell Williams, RB, TB vs. NE (London)
While we sit around and wait for Derrick Ward to earn the lion's share of the carries in Tampa Bay, Williams continues to put up respectable numbers. That trend continued in Week 6, where Caddy rushed for 77 yards and a TD on 16 carries. Field conditions tend to be poor in the games hosted in England, which should mean even more rushing than usual for the Buccaneers. I like Caddy to get 20 carries in this game, which should lead to 80+ yards and a score.

Michael Crabtree, WR, SF at HOU
Craziness? The Texans allow 20 points a game to receivers, and while the 49ers are likely to fall short of that mark, there really aren't many weapons at the position to take points away from new starter Michael Crabtree. The team has likely limited his exposure to the playbook and will probably keep the game plan simple for him in his first game. We saw what that did to Braylon Edwards and the Jets. Crabtree won't break out in his first game, but he's a decent WR3 play.

A Good Night's Sleep

Hakeem Nicks, WR, NYG vs. ARI
A question that popped up several times in Tuesday's waiver chat was whether people would be better off picking up Lance Moore or Hakeem Nicks. I leaned toward Moore, but I think I was selling Nicks short -- he's a great player in his own right. In fact, he's a threat to take it deep every time he touches the ball. Both Moore and Nicks make great plug-and-plays this week as you deal with your bye-week players. Hakeem, sorry about the chat; I hope the mention here makes up
for it.

Jamaal Charles, RB, KC vs. SD
Larry Johnson is still the starter here and still getting the bulk of the work, but many people feel it won't be long till Charles is worked into the picture. If that happens against San Diego, Charles' stock could explode. The Chargers have one of the worst rush defenses in the league -- it really wouldn't be surprising to even see Johnson break a few long gains, putting Charles in the lineup more frequently while Johnson catches his breath. Which, you know, Johnson hasn't had to do much.

Colts Defense, DF, IND at STL
The Rams give up the second-most points on average to opposing fantasy defenses (and we'll get to the top team in a second), and if that's not enough incentive for you, consider that the Colts have had two weeks to prepare. Oh, and Indy is likely to be ahead all day, forcing the Rams, a team with few playmakers, to air it out in an attempt to catch up. You should get a few turnovers here and enjoy a stellar day from this waiver wire defense.

Lights Out

Bills Defense, DF, BUF at CAR
Now it gets juicy: the Panthers are doing the most to help fantasy teams of anyone in football, and now they run into a Buffalo defense that has been shockingly good. Seriously, like half of the Bills' starters have been on the sidelines and this team still forces turnovers and stays in most games. Now that Paul Posluszny is back, they just got even better. Add them for this week's game against the Panthers and hopefully the good times will continue.

Laurence Maroney, RB, NE vs. TB (London)
Kevin Faulk, RB, NE vs. TB (London)
Like I mentioned in the Cadillac section (am I in the classifieds?), games in London tend to be run-centric, and scores tend to be low. Expect the Patriots to lean heavily on this pair of backs (and possibly BenJarvus Green-Ellis) in what should be an easy win for the team. Maroney's ownership percentage likely rocketed up today (I haven't checked it out yet), so he's probably deserving of appearing a section or two higher.

Jay Feely, K, NYJ at OAK
With six kickers on a bye, I know many of you are going to cut your kickers and look for some possible replacements. Feely is about as good as I can give you. His team is struggling to score TDs, but the Raiders have allowed more points to kickers than any other team in the NFL. I like Feely for 2-3 FGs and 1-2 XPs this week, numbers that should easily replace the guy you have to cut.

Make sure to join us for our chats Thursday evening and Sunday morning. Also, I'll have my TE sleeper of the week in the 4th and 26 column that runs Sunday morning, so if you need a last-minute fix at the position, check back before game time.