Don't Snooze on Sleepers

Any good fantasy football enthusiast will tell you the key to winning on the fantasy level is a successful draft. And to pull off a successful draft, you must be a bit of a prognosticator when it comes to evaluating talent. In other words, you must have a certain "feel" for which players are on the rise and which are on the decline.

Certainly age is a key factor in making these determinations, but there are many other signs to look for that may indicate an upswing or downswing as compared to prior year's performances. Something as simple as being put into a new system, whether it be by switching teams or a change in coaching staff, can do wonders for a player's career.

With that in mind, here are a handful of players that I believe are on the upswing and could turn out to be productive fantasy players in 2004. Read more...

Important Reminder
Just a quick reminder to all you fantasy fanatics out there... keep your players' bye weeks in mind when drafting backup players. After all, what good is a backup if he's off the same week as your starter?

Here's a quick-reference chart of bye weeks for the 2004 NFL season.