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Formula:

Rating = Amount of Talent (Individual + Team Support) + Opportunity

Tier I

Larry Fitzgerald 20 (10+10) – I have been harping on this for a few weeks. I discussed the situation extensively in Game Day Companion on Sunday. Get Larry Fitzgerald. Period.

Steven Jackson 18 (9+9) – Can somebody get this guy a touchdown, please? Look the Rams are horrible but Steven Jackson is easily having the best fantasy season in history without getting in the end zone. He will score eventually.

Calvin Johnson 18 (9+9) – This guy is a warrior. I think that him, Andre Johnson, and Larry Fitzgerald should form some crime fighting super hero group. He is going to come back from this injury and be effective. If you have to take chances, take chances on guys with determination and a strong work ethic.

Brandon Jacobs 16 (8+8) – Still not getting in the end zone. Everyone is going from worshiping the Giants to shunning them because they’ve lost two weeks in a row. Sometimes that stuff has a residual effect on players’ fantasy value. In non-PPR especially I’d give him a good look.

Steve Smith (Carolina) 16 (8+8) – I am not the biggest Steve Smith fan in the world. I busted on him a lot early on in the year, saying he was going to be a tremendous bust. Well, he has been so now the inevitable result is he’s become a Sleeper. He is coming off his first solid performance of the season on Sunday. Check with his owner to see if you can steal him; I wouldn’t be willing to pay anything close to his preseason ADP.

Greg Jennings 16 (9+7) – Similar to Steve Smith. I like him as a talent but just don’t see how Rodgers will have enough time to throw him the football. Also the Packers have really difficult playoff matchups so like Smith be cognizant of what you pay for him.

Tier II

Shonn Greene 15 (9+6) – I have had him in several episodes of “Sleeper Math” as Tier III Sleeper. The season (perhaps career) ending injury to Leon Washington obviously changes all that. Expect Greene to get a lot of touches from here on out (I’d expect 15 per week). If you picked him up off waivers you are going to love him as a keeper for next year as Thomas Jones is a free agent.

Jericho Cotchery 15 (8+7) – The “Braylon Edwards Effect” is on like Donkey Kong. The Jets are taking their time and being patient with Cotchery. He should be back this week and I like his chances of performing at a high level if he does.

Marshawn Lynch 15 (8+7) – “Runnin’ for money!!!!!!” Once Fred Jackson was handed over kick return duties it was evident that the Bills were going to ride Lynch from here on out. He has ran extremely well since he’s come back from the suspension and despite the tragedy that is the Bills O-Line I expect him to be productive. It is going to be scary the numbers this guy will put up next season if he is behind a quality offensive line.

Beanie Wells 15 (9+6) – He is starting to get a vast majority of the straightforward carries in Arizona. The one issue I have with him is that Hightower’s still getting the goal line work. As the season goes on there’s always the chance that Beanie could take that but Arizona seems content with what they have going on now.

Correll Buckhalter 15 (8+7) – Came back earlier than expected from injury and looked very, very good out there running the football. This guy isn’t going to rack you up any 25 point performances but he is going to be a great flex option for you; the deeper the league the better he’ll be relative to acquisition cost.

Eli Manning 15 (7+8) – Eli’s had two tough games in a row and doesn’t have the best schedule ahead. But his receivers are infinitely better than we thought they’d be and he has tons of support from the running game and offensive line. In 2 Quarterback Leagues he could be an especially cagey pickup.

Tier III

Jamaal Charles 14 (8+6) – Charles looked really good when he touched the football again on Sunday. Larry Johnson has been subpar this season and was less than impressive again. Then after the game he “Tweeted” about how much of a Nancy Pants he thinks his coach is, calling him out on playing golf instead of football. I wouldn’t be surprised to see some disciplinary action come out of this; that’s what Haley’d do if he had any self-respect. Either way we should start to see a bigger role for Charles develop.

Jerome Harrison 14 (8+6) – Here’s another Sleeper Math veteran.  We saw what he was able to do earlier in the season when Lewis was injured. Hopefully he gets hurt again and Harrison can get the opportunity to start that he deserves.

Malcolm Floyd 14 (8+6) – Norv Turner might’ve actually figured out that Chris Chambers is hot garbage. Floyd has seen his role in the offense expanded over the course of the season. He is a very tall receiver with excellent hands who has taken advantage of every opportunity presented to him. In general that leads to getting more opportunities.

Willie Parker 14 (7+7) – He has obviously sunk pretty low to be down here in Tier III with the other backups.

Alex Smith 13 (6+7) – I’m not going to get all crazy over what he did on Sunday but it looks like he’s going to get another chance at being the starter in San Francisco. Sometimes guys just need to fail and take some time to regroup. There’s a possibility that’s what’s happening with him.

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