Fantasy Football's Lottery Tickets

Miles Austin was one. So was Brett Favre. And Jamaal Charles.

When looking for potential lottery tickets, you want to find players that will only cost you late-round fantasy picks but have the potential to be among the year's breakout sensations.

That's what happened with Favre, who put off retirement (but not the attention surrounding his decision) another year to have a dominant fantasy campaign with the Vikings in 2009. And with Charles, who put up insane Chris Johnson-type numbers at end of last season, proving to the Chiefs that maybe Larry Johnson was the problem. And who could forget Austin, the little-known second banana that filled the No. 1 WR role sorely needed by the Cowboys while establishing himself as a top-five fantasy receiver.

Hitting on that type of late-round pick certainly feels like winning the lottery, and if you can couple a few of those diamonds in the rough with an already solid team, you should have the inside track for a fantasy championship. Below are 10 lottery tickets you may be able to cash in at season's end.

Bernard Scott, RB, CIN. The second-year back out of Abilene Christian certainly plays like a franchise back, but he's stuck behind Cedric Benson on the Bengals' depth chart. Benson rejuvenated his career with a 1,251-yard season in 2009, but he was largely ineffective before his breakout. If he disappears again this season, whether due to struggles or injury, Scott could take the feature role and run with it.

Derrick Ward, RB, TB. Ward has a 1,000-yard season to his credit, which is presumably the reason Tampa Bay signed him to a large deal after the 2008 season. The coaches went in a different direction, featuring Cadillac Williams last season when a three-headed attack didn't work. Williams could suffer another injury at any time, which would give Ward the opportunity to earn his paycheck.

Javon Ringer, RB, TEN. God forbid something happens to Chris Johnson, but if it does, Ringer would become the focal point of an elite rushing offense. He's shown massive strides this offseason and could even earn a complementary role to Johnson if the coaching staff wants to save their bell-cow back some wear and tear.

Marshawn Lynch, RB, BUF. While he's battling Fred Jackson to be the lead back in rotation with C.J. Spiller, Lynch is also auditioning for a feature role on another team. Still only 24, a team like Seattle or Washington could come calling, as could a team with championship hopes that suffers an injury to a starting running back. Lynch has performed well in the past, and he'll eventually get the chance to do so again.

Jacoby Jones, WR, HOU. Jones is battling Kevin Walter to be the No. 2 receiver in a good Houston passing offense, and while Walter has the early edge due to his incumbency, Jones has serious breakout potential if he wins the role. He could have a Mike Wallace-type season even as the No. 3 in this offense. Of his 27 catches last season, six went for TDs. Yeah, he has upside.

Mike Williams, WR, TB. Someone is going to have to step up in Tampa, and Williams has shown more than his rookie counterpart Arrelious Benn thus far. A steal on the third day of the draft, Williams should get a crack at early playing time, giving him a chance to earn Josh Freeman's trust and become his go-to option in the offense.

Brian Hartline, WR, MIA. The Dolphins now have a strong-armed quarterback and a legitimate No. 1 receiver, and when teams try to account for Brandon Marshall and an elite running game, the offense's No. 2 receiver will have plenty of room to work. Hartline is in line to start opposite Marshall and offers quite a bit more upside this year than any Miami receiver had last year.

Matt Hasselbeck, QB, SEA. His best years may be behind him, but Hasselbeck has been a starting fantasy quarterback in the past and could become one again. None of his pass-catching options (T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Deion Branch, John Carlson, Golden Tate) stand out as great, but all should make healthy contributions to the passing game. Without a solid running game, Hasselbeck could have fantasy relevance this season.

Matt Moore, QB, CAR. Jake Delhomme is gone, and while the Panthers drafted Jimmy Clausen in this year's draft, Moore has a shot this season to establish himself as the long-term solution at quarterback. The running game will take pressure off Moore and his receivers, and the new starting QB will hook up with Steve Smith often. Even with no-name WRs aside from Smith in 2009, Moore completed 61.6 percent of his passes while throwing eight TDs and just two interceptions.

Tony Scheffler, TE, DET. Scheffler is no stranger to the fantasy scene, as he's been a startable commodity in Denver over the last few years. He now finds his way onto the Lions, and while the team has 2009 first-rounder Brandon Pettigrew at the tight end position, Scheffler brings a much better set of pass-catching skills to the equation, something the Lions offense needs. He has top-10 potential in a developing offense.