I have uncovered some deep sleepers that I really like for this season.  Hopefully if you get one of these guys they will help you win a title in 2010.  Here we go:

QUARTERBACKS:  Matt Cassel has some new weapons to play with in 2010 with Dexter McCluster and Thomas Jones on hand.  With Charlie Weis calling the plays I see the Chiefs’ offense improving by leaps and bounds in 2010.  Alex Smith has a lot of good offensive talent around him.  Hopefully he keeps his eyes on the prize and improves in 2010.

RUNNING BACKS:  Tim Hightower might be below Beanie Wells on the depth chart when the season begins, but Wells was brittle in college.  Hightower would be a good pick regardless because he gets a lot of action around the goal line and he catches a lot of passes.  Darren McFadden might finally be ready to show the world that he has something to offer on a NFL field.  Michael Bush broke his thumb last week so McFadden might get a lot of touches early in the year.  Chester Taylor is a pass catching back in a offense that is going to throw the ball 40+ times every single week.

WIDE RECEIVERS:  Here is where the real bargains are.  Legedu Naanee will likely be starting at WR for the Chargers this year due to Vincent Jackson acting like a little kid.  He will get some numbers for you if you pick him.  Laurent Robinson is suddenly the Rams’ #1 WR due to Donnie Avery’s injury last week.  He’s brittle though so be careful not to take him too high.  Louis Murphy is the best receiver the Raiders have.  Don’t laugh because Murphy is very fast and Jason Campbell will be throwing to him this year.  Harry Douglas of the Falcons will be starting early in the year due to a Michael Jenkins injury.  He has a nice upside.

TIGHT ENDS:  The Bengals have not had a quality pass catching TE in ages so it will be interesting to see how many times Carson Palmer looks Jermaine Gresham’s way.  But the Bengals have big plans for Gresham who they picked in the first round last April.  Alge Crumpler hasn’t been a difference maker  since his time in Atlanta with Michael Vick.  Still, Crumpler gets a boost here now that he will be catching passes from Tom Brady.

KICKERS:  Ryan Succop might have been the last pick of the NFL Draft in 2009 but he started every game for the Chiefs.  He could be scoring a lot of points this year due to a improved Chiefs’ offense in 2010.

It’s time to look at sleepers in Fantasy Football as almost every league champion needs a couple of them on his/her roster in order to win it all.  Here we go:

QUARTERBACK:  Kevin Kolb got the keys to the car for the Eagles’ offense after they dealt Donovan McNabb to the Redskins.  Kolb inherits a offense with a lot of playmakers so I think he’s going to put up outstanding numbers in 2010.  Matthew Stafford of the Lions has moments when he reminds me of John Elway.  With new weapons like Jahvid Best, Tony Scheffler and Nate Burleson around I look for him to improve by leaps and bounds in 2010.

RUNNING BACKS:  Arian Foster could put up huge numbers for the Texans as he is now the #1 guy.  He looked good at the end of last year and teams will be ganging up to stop Matt Schaub and the air attack.  Think 1,400 yards + quite a few TDs in 2010 as long as he can stay healthy.  Lesean McCoy will be taking over as the main man in the Eagles running game.  That means he will not only rush for a lot of yards but he will catch quite a few passes.

WIDE RECEIVERS:  With Vincent Jackson acting like a little kid in San Diego someone has to replace him as Philip Rivers’ favorite target.  I’m betting on Malcolm Floyd being that guy as he has the same exact skill set as Jackson has.  Mike Wallace of the Steelers will inherit Santonio Holmes spot in the starting lineup.  He has even more speed than Holmes as long as the QBs can get him the football.  Devin Aromoshodu really clicked late last season with Jay Cutler.  With the mad scientist (Mike Martz) calling the plays I look for Aromoshodu to have a really big year.

TIGHT ENDS:  The Cleveland Browns don’t have much at WR so look for Ben Watson to get a ton of looks in the passing game in 2010.  He has the skills to easily catch 50+ passes with 6 or more TD grabs in 2010.  Tony Scheffler will be working the middle of the field for the Lions and a TE is a young QB’s best friend.

KICKER:  David Buehler doesn’t have much experience but he will be kicking for the high octane offense of the Dallas Cowboys.  Expect him to score points in droves this year.

The NBA season is right around the corner.  With that in mind here’s an early look at how I see the divisions turning out in 2010-11.  Here we go:

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

Atlantic Division:

1. Boston Celtics:  The Celtics are still the team to beat in the Atlantic Division.  Adding Jermaine and Shaquille O’Neal will help the Celtics muscle up in 2010-11 and they are clearly still the class of the division.

2. New York Knicks:  The Knicks have been busy adding a lot of talent to the roster over the summer.  Amare Stoudemire was the big catch but adding guys like Raymond Felton, Kelenna Azubuike, Anthony Randolph, Ronny Turiaf and Roger Mason have the Knicks thinking playoffs.  And if they somehow trade for Carmelo Anthony then the Celtics will be sweating.

3. New Jersey Nets:  The Nets didn’t do as well as they wanted to in free agency but they hit the trade market hard so they will improve.  Troy Murphy, Anthony Morrow and Travis Outlaw will add some zip offensively to the starting linuep.  Rookies Damion James and Derrick Favors will give the Nets a pair of solid rookies coming off the bench in 2010-11.  The Nets also added Jordan Farmar, Quinton Ross, Johan Petro and Sean May to help out the bench.  Look for the Nets to finished 3rd in the Atlantic  Division in 2010-11.

4. Philadelphia 76ers: Yeah, it’s great that they signed Doug Collins to take over as the head coach but the Sixers didn’t bring in enough new blood for a big turnaround in 2010-11.  First round pick Evan Turner was the biggest player the 76ers brought in and he will likely start at shooting guard right from Day #1.  Spencer Hawes, Tony Battie and Andres Nocioni were the only other players the Sixers brought in over the summer.  4th place is about the best the Sixers can do in 2010-11.

5. Toronto Raptors:  I don’t see anyway that the Raptors finish out of the cellar in the Atlantic Division.  Losing Chris Bosh is going to devastate this team this year.  Bringing in guys like Linas Kleiza, Julian Wright and Leandro Barbosa is not going to get the Raptors to the next level.  I do however like what they did in the draft bringing in a couple of big men (PF-Ed Davis & C-Solomon Alabi).

CENTRAL DIVISION:

1. Chicago Bulls:  The Bulls wanted to snag one of the three big free agents that signed with the Heat but they got shut out.  Don’t shed any tears for the Bulls though as they still added Carlos Boozer, Ronnie Brewer, Kyle Korver, C.J. Watson, Kurt Thomas and Keith Bogans to an already strong team.  I like them to dethtrone the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2010-11 as the Central Division Champs.

2. Milwaukee Bucks:  The Bucks have really added a lot of talent to an already solid team over the summer.  Corey Maggette and Drew Gooden will likely move right into the starting lineup for the Bucks giving them even more firepower on offense in 2010-11.  Chris Douglas-Roberts, Keyon Dooling, Earl Boykins and Jon Brockman were brought in to help off the bench this year.  Rookie forwards Larry Sanders, Tiny Gallon and Darington Hobson will provide some rebounding and D off the bench.  I picked the Bulls to win the division but I don’t see the Bucks finishing more than 3 games behind them this year.

3. Cleveland Cavaliers:  It would be really easy to dismiss the Cavs this season but I’m not ready to do that quite yet.  This is a team that won 61 games last season.  Still they did lose Prince James to South Beach.  But I think the Cavaliers are going to be better than most “experts” expect them to be in 2010-11.  The core of the team is still there and those guys are used to winning.  Ramon Sessions, Ryan Hollins and Joey Graham have been brought in to help the bench.

4. Indiana Pacers:  I was tempted to pick the Pacers a little higher as I love the trade that brought Darren Collison to them.  James Posey also came in that deal and he should provide them with some long distance shooting off the bench.  Rookies Paul George, Lance Stephenson (if he can stay out of jail) and Magnum Rolle should really infuse some talented young blood onto the Pacers’ roster this year. 

5. Detroit Pistons:  Look how far the once mighty Pistons have fallen.  Re-signing Will Bynum and bringing in Tracy McGrady is not going to get the Pistons anywhere near the playoffs any time soon.  I still like what they did in the draft though as Greg Monroe and Terrico White will infuse some talent to the roster.

Southeast:

1. Miami Heat:  The Heat have the new big three of the NBA in D-Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh.  They also signed decent players around them like Mike Miller, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Juwan Howard and Eddie House.  Only a lack of a good center could keep the Heat from winning the Eastern Conference.

2. Orlando Magic:  The Magic didn’t do much to improve over the summer.  Quentin Richardson and Chris Duhon were added and while they are both decent players, neither of them is a game changer.  Still, the Magic have one of the most talent rosters in the East and Dwight Howard will give the Heat fits every time they play them.

3. Atlanta Hawks:  The Hawks showed Joe Johnson the money but they couldn’t add much else to the solid roster.  Josh Powell was the only free agent they added and rookies Jordan Crawford and Pape Sy won’t make much of an impact.  The Hawks still have a solid team that will be in the playoffs once again in 2010-11.

4. Charlotte Bobcats:  The Bobcats finally found a taker for Tyson Chandler (Mavericks) and they re-signed Tyrus Thomas which was a outstanding move.  Still, adding Shaun Livingston, Erick Dampier, Kwame Brown, Dominic McGuire, Eduardo Najera and Matt Carroll probably doesn’t instill fear in the rest of the division.  Despite being picked fourth in this division the Bobcats are a virtual lock to return to the playoffs.

5. Washington Wizards:  The record might not reflect it but the Wizards will be a much better team in 2010-11.  Getting Kirk Hinrich and Yi Jianlian for pennies on a dollar were outstanding moves for the Wizards.  The rookie class looks impressive with John Wall, Kevin Seraphin, Trevor Booker and Hamady Ndiaye now in the fold.  Remember too, Gilbert Arenas will be with the Wizards’ from Day #1 this year.

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

Northwest Division:

1. Portland Trailblazers:  The Blazers have the most talented roster top to bottom in this division.  Taking Wes Matthews away from the Jazz makes the Blazers better while hurting a division rival which is always a positive.  I also like what they did in the draft bringing in Luke Babbitt, Armon Johnson and Elliot Williams.  Finally, a division title in Portland.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder:  The Thunder needed to make a bold move to add to the impressive trio of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Jeff Green.  Instead they signed Royal Ivey and traded for Morris Peterson and Daequan Cook.  Getting center Cole Aldrich could help the team big time if he’s really to contribute early in his career.

3. Utah Jazz:  The Jazz roster got picked almost clean over the summer as the Bulls (Boozer and Korver) and the Blazers (Matthews) were stealing players away from them.  Still, any lineup that has Deron Williams, Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson in it is going to be pretty good. 

4. Denver Nuggets:  I have a feeling that some heads are going to roll before the 2010-11 NBA season starts.  Carmelo Anthony wants out of town right now and the Nuggets should oblige so he doesn’t mope.  J.R. Smith could also be dealt before the season starts in October.  Kenyon Martin and Chris Andersen likely won’t be ready for the season to start due to injury.  That means that newcomers Al Harrington and Shelden Williams better be ready to go in October.

5. Minnesota Timberwolves:  The Timberwolves never really have a plan.  They signed Luke Ridnour and Anthony Tolliver as free agents and I like both of those signings for them.  They also added Martell Webster, Michael Beasley, Kosta Koufos and Sebastian Telfair in traded over the summer.  Wesley Johnson was the headliner of the draft and he has a nice upside.  I think the T-Wolves could be better than they were last season but not enough to get them out of the cellar in the division.

Pacific:

1. Los Angeles Lakers:  The Lakers made some nice little moves that will keep them among the elite teams of the Western Conference.  They re-signed Derek Fisher and Shannon Brown which were both solid moves for the team.  They also signed Matt Barnes, Steve Blake and Theo Ratliff as free agents to add punch to the bench.  Rookies Devin Ebanks and Derrick Caracter will likely be sitting at the end of the bench but they both have nice upsides.

2. Golden State Warriors:  The Warriors got new ownership and a improved roster for this year.  Getting power forward David Lee from the Knicks was a master stroke for the Warriors as he is a double-double machine.  The Warriors also inked Dorell Wright and Jannero Pargo to help out off the bench.  They will have to wait for rookie Ekpe Udoh due to surgery but he has a high upside.

3. Phoenix Suns:  The Suns could fall all the way to the bottom of this division without Amare Stoudemire.  They added Josh Childress, Hedo Turkoglu and Hakim Warrick in trades over the off-season but it just won’t be enough.  The Suns are going to get pushed around badly in the paint this year.

4. Los Angeles Clippers:  The Clippers tried their best to chase the major free agents in the market but none of them wanted to sign up.  So the Clippers spread the money around to Randy Foye, Ryan Gomes and Brian Cook while re-signing Rasual Butler and Craig Smith.  This is not the kind of splash that owner Donald Sterling wanted to make.  Still, with Blake Griffin and rookies Al-Farouq Aminu, Eric Bledsoe and Willie Warren around from Day #1 I think the Clippers could be better than most people think they will.

5. Sacramento Kings:  The Kings only added Antoine Wright and Darnell Jackson in free agency.  But they added center Samuel Dalembert in a trade with the Sixers and they drafted DeMarcus Cousins and Hassan Whiteside which will make them bigger and tougher around the basket.  Improvement will be seen on the court in 2010-11.

Southwest Division:

1. Dallas Mavericks:  The Dallas Mavericks had a quiet but effective off-season.  They added Tyson Chandler and Alex Ajinca in a deal with the Bobcats.  They re-signed Dirk Nowitzki, Brendan Haywood and made a trade for Dominique Jones on draft day.  I just think the Mavericks have the best roster in the division so I think they’ll win it in 2010-11.

2. Houston Rockets:  The Houston Rockets are going to be vastly improved in 2010-11.  First off, Yao Ming will be back this year.  He will be backed up by Brad Miller who was brought in as a free agent but the Rockets.  The Rockets also re-signed Luis Scola and Kyle Lowry which were both good moves.  The Rockets also added Courtney Lee in a trade and Patrick Patterson in the draft.  Look out for the Rockets in 2010-11.

3. San Antonio Spurs:  The Spurs still have a great team as Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili will all be back in 2010-11.  George Hill and DaJuan Blair are both up and coming players while first round pick James Anderson was a steal for them.  The Spurs also re-signed Matt Bonner and Richard Jefferson while inking Tiago Splitter.  Don’t count them out quite yet.

4. Memphis Grizzlies:  To me, the Grizzlies have one of the best starting units in the NBA with Mike Conley, O.J. Mayo, Rudy Gay, Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol leading the way.  They signed Tony Allen and Acie Law in free agency while drafting Greivis Vasquez and Xavier Henry.  Hopefully those four guys will help the bench out in 2010-11.  Don’t be surprised if the Grizzlies make the playoffs this season.

5. New Orleans Hornets:  The Hornets will have a solid basketball team in 2010-11.  Chris Paul will direct an attack with a lot of weapons.  The Hornets added Trevor Ariza and Marco Belinelli to help boost the offense.  And they also did solid in the draft by adding forward Craig Brackins and Quincy Pondexter.  If the Hornets were in any other division I think they would be a playoff team.

29-year old OF/3B Jose Bautista is on fire with the bat for the Toronto Blue Jays this year.  Bautista has played in 129 games for the Blue Jays this year and he is 121 of 455 (.266 avg, 1.002 OPS) with 88 runs scored, 42 homers, 99 RBIs and 6 stolen bases.  He has whiffed 97 times this season but pitchers are starting to get more careful when he bats as they have walked him 82 times.  Bautista is a true late bloomer as coming into this year he had career highs of 75 runs scored, 16 homers, 63 RBIs and 6 stolen bases.  He was always a very highly thought of “prospect” as he was traded quite a few times early in his career.  It seems as if it’s all coming together for Bautista and it will be interesting to see if he can parlay that success into a long term deal with the Jays.

In 2001, Michael Jordan was a executive with the Washington Wizards.  His first move was picking 18-year old PF/C Kwame Brown with the #1 overall pick of the draft.  In four years with the Wizards, Brown played in 253 games (94 starts) in which he averaged 22.7 minutes, 7.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.0 assist and 0.7 blocked shots per game.  Michael Jordan doesn’t like to admit when he makes mistakes so he has signed Brown to a 1-year, $1.3 million dollar deal to play for his Bobcats this year.  Didn’t he watch any of the Pistons games last year?  Brown played in 48 games (1 start) for the Pistons last year and he averaged 13.8 minutes, 3.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game.  Brown has now played in 510 games (217 starts) in his nine years in the NBA and he has averaged 22.0 minutes, 6.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game.  Michael Jordan should have just said “No” to Kwame Brown who I guarantee won’t help the Bobcats during the 2010-11 season.  This just proves that M.J. makes mistakes just like the rest of us do.