Your Week 8 Fantasy Football Sleeper Of The Week

by Christopher Gates on Oct 29, 2011 3:00 PM CDT in Fantasy Football

Titans' wide receiver LaVelle Hawkins is our pick for this week's fantasy football sleeper. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)

SPOILER ALERT: My pick for this week's sleeper for your fantasy football team will probably break a trend. In the three weeks we've been doing this, my picks have gotten progressively better. In the first week, I gave you Vikings' tight end Kyle Rudolph, who pretty much gave you nothing. I followed that up with Raiders' wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, who turned in a decent game. Last week, the pick was Cowboys' running back DeMarco Murray, who didn't do much outside of setting a Cowboys' team record with 253 rushing yards, including a 91-yard touchdown run.

So, since that would be a little tough to top, it looks like the pattern I've established of my picks getting better every week is going to come to an end in this one. But, we're going to give it a try here anyway, and this week's sleeper is a super deep one.

The Indianapolis Colts are coming off of a performance where they allowed 62 points to the New Orleans Saints, including five touchdown passes to Drew Brees. They're not good. Some people think they might not even be trying any more. So, it's natural that we look to the Colts' opponents this week for a selection, and that opponent is the Tennessee Titans. The Titans just came off of a thrashing of their own, but they should still put up some significant points and yardage against the Colts.

The Titans don't have a real number 1 receiver, and are dividing their passes up quite a bit. This week, I think the recipient of that just might be wide receiver LaVelle Hawkins. He's had seven receptions in the last two games, and against the Colts porous secondary, someone is going to get the football from Matt Hasselbeck, and Hawkins has been getting better over the past couple of weeks.

According to the Yahoo! Fantasy Football database, Hawkins is owned in approximately. . .0% of their leagues. Whatever platform you're playing fantasy football on, there's a pretty good chance that he's available. He might put up some decent numbers this week, and if you have a big name guy on a bye in Week 8, he could be a pretty decent option.

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That IS super deep

LaVelle Hawkins numbers will depend on Damien Williams methinks. If Williams is out or limited tomorrow, Hawkins should see his role increase, otherwise he’s the #3 option on the team. This is a hail mary play for sure.

I like these guy’s sleeper potential as well:

RB: Ben Tate. Surely not unknown after filling in for Arian Foster early in the season, but he went wild last week. Andre Johnson is still out, so the Texans will likely feature a run-heavy approach again vs Jacksonville, who is merely average against the run. Arian Foster will still get lead back duties, but they gave him 15 carries last week. Even 8-10 carries could net Tate a decent yardage total as a change of pace option, and he could get some looks in the passing game as well.

WR: Torrey Smith. Lee Evans is still out, and I expect Baltimore to turn it around at home against a terrible Arizona team, after embarrassing themselves last week on the national stage. Torrey Smith has super deep speed, and if he and Flacco can connect once or twice in this game like they did in week 3 against St. Louis, look out.

TE: Daniel Fells. Tebow hooked up with Fells in the red zone last week, and Detroit isn’t very good against opposing TEs. His production has picked up in recent weeks, and he’ll be a nice safety valve for Tebow as well.

SKOL Vikings!

by CCNorsemen on Oct 29, 2011 3:39 PM CDT reply actions

Playing Torrey Smith in my flex this week

Bye weeks and injuries have hurt me badly lately..hope I can get myself a little winning streak started

by PURPpplEATER on Oct 29, 2011 7:04 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions

Lavelle Hawkins is reaching pretty deep.

For WR sleepers I’d be looking at guys like Jabar Gaffney(Santanna Moss out), Torrey Smith against Arizona’s secondary, and both young Steelers Antonio Brown or Emmanuel Sanders with Hines Ward out.

At RB I’m liking Montario Hardesty with Hillis likely to miss another game. Tough matchup but Cleveland often give their RBs 30+ touches a game. Ryan Torain is also a decent bet unless Shanahan starts some dude he met while buying a coffee on the way to the stadium : )

by CanadianViking on Oct 29, 2011 8:05 PM CDT reply actions

I like Helu, RB for Wash.

But as you say, Shanahan is likely to sign a beer vendor on Sun. morn if he makes a quick cut to avoid a hot dog vendor before the game starts. Luckily, I have two stud RB’s and can keep Helu on my bench this week. But next week Adrian is on his bye. :-(

Your fantasy football expert since Jerry Rice's rookie year.

by Odin on Oct 29, 2011 11:28 PM CDT up reply actions

It could be Helu very easily. Luckily enough, I've got an AD and Forte combo in two of my four leagues so Torain, Hardesty, and Wells are just bye week/flex guys for me this year : )

I’m having no problems with RBs, QBs, or TEs in fantasy football this year. The WR position seems to be super-random this year though. Outside of Calvin Johnson, Wes Welker, and Mike Wallace WRs seem to be all over the map this year. There’s only one league out of the four I’m in that I’ve got not WR worries. Ask Grime, in the Canal Street Chronicles league I’ve got a f’n dream team this year : )

by CanadianViking on Oct 30, 2011 2:37 AM CDT up reply actions

Seriously guys?!?

I’ve always been a big Hawkins fan, but I’m going with Ponder for my fantasy sleeper of the week. Going against the Panthers 30th ranked run defense, and AP going against their 28th ranked run defense, Ponder might have a field day. Have him in my starting lineup this week in all my format leagues.

"If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man." - Mark Twain

SKOL VIKINGS!

by Landonio on Oct 30, 2011 2:33 AM CDT reply actions