FanHouse Marcedes Lewis

Everyone loves fantasy football sleepers, but they change depending on league size and availability. We're here each and every week to give you a look at good plays for all types of leagues.

We're shortening up the sleeper column a bit this week. Fear not, because the benefit to the shorter column is ... more sleepers! First we'll take a look at players available in most shallow leagues and some normal-sized leagues. Next, we'll move on to players available in many normal-sized leagues and a few deep leagues. Lastly, we'll throw out some sleepers for your deep league owners.

With Chris Cooley reportedly out for a while, many fantasy football owners will have to sort through waiver-wire detritus this week to find a replacement. While we all know you can't snap your fingers and replace a top tight end like Cooley, especially with how volatile the position has been, there are fill-ins that could help mitigate the tough loss.

Fantasy FanHouse's "Bust a Move" segment provides quick-hitting insight on the most popular adds and drops across Fleaflicker fantasy leagues between Tuesday and Wednesday of each week. Knowing who is on the move during this 24-hour period often provides a valuable edge with regard to outperforming or underperforming players, injuries and depth chart shifts. So do as the man says, "Don't just stand there..."

The Adds

Laurence Maroney (RB, Patriots, 2,615 adds) - Proving yet again that fantasy football players are gluttons for punishment, Laurence Maroney leads the way as the most transacted player of the week. We already witnessed how this story goes with Fred Taylor and then Sammy Morris, so expect more of the same with Maroney. This backfield is just not reliable from a single-player perspective. On the positive side, both of those two previously mentioned runners suffered injuries, making Maroney's carries likely more consistent, but the Patriots also scored 59 points last week. Tom Brady threw five touchdown passes in a single quarter. Call it Seahawks vs. Jaguars 2.0 and look how the Seahawks followed that up this week. Anyway, Maroney's 123 yards and a touchdown effort may well have been a fluke. We can count on continued performance from Tom Brady, but if Maroney has showed us anything in the past three seasons, it's inconsistency.

---

---

Every Tuesday night, we'll give you an update on our FanHouse fantasy football league. Who hit on their sleepers? Who made the shrewd pickups? Who's practicing what they preach? In 'House Check, you'll find out.

Ryan Dembinsky made the absolute pickup of the year this week, claiming the 49ers defense off waivers in preparation for their Week 4 game against St. Louis. I was lucky enough to make the same add just minutes before game time in another of my leagues, and I can attest to the sheer dominance of the San Francisco D this week.

With Fantasy Football season ready to kick in high gear, FanHouse is here to preview each and every team -- one per day until we've done them all.

Meet The ...
New wide receiver corps! Jacksonville rightly saw a huge amount of turnover at wide receiver this year, jettisoning off-the-field scoundrel Matt Jones, draft bust Reggie Williams, free-agent bust Jerry Porter, and slot receiver Dennis Northcutt. To replace that group, the team drafted three wideouts and brought in veteran Torry Holt to lead this new-look attack. Of the rookies, Jarett Dillard looks like a good bet to eventually start, while Mike Thomas should see plenty of time in the slot. Holt makes for a nice fantasy value pick, and Mike Walker could be a great end-of-the-draft flier that pans out in a big way.

---

---

Best headline of the day: 'Jones' Approach Disturbs Del Rio.' Apparently, head coach Jack Del Rio, when he's not modeling his snazzy Reebok suit for friends and family, actually thinks about Jaguars-related stuff. And today, it was third-year wide receiver Matt Jones:

"I'm not comfortable with some of the body language he's exhibiting," Del Rio said while reviewing the team's 13-7 victory over the Atlanta Falcons Sunday.

After making no catches in the opener against Tennessee, Jones had three catches against the Falcons but continued his practice of sometimes loping down the field, especially when he's not the main receiver.

Hey, it's just like Randy Moss, but with none of the ability. Maybe that's overstating it a bit -- Jones isn't even the biggest first-round wide receiver bust on the roster. That distinction goes to Reggie Williams, taken ninth-overall in 2004.

Still, it's nothing to brag about -- neither player is exactly lighting it on fire through two weeks: Jones is tied for fourth on the team in receptions, and Williams is tied for fifth, behind career slot receiver Dennis Northcutt, tight end Marcedes Lewis, and running back Maurice Jones-Drew. Which explains Del Rio's concern about Jones and Williams not even dressing for the Week 1 game.

Hat tip: Flapjacks!

When Marcedes Lewis was picked in the first round and the UCLA Bruins' got a new Olson to quarterback their team, most experts figured that the tight end position would play a less important role in the UCLA offense.

But as the Bruins prepare to face Rice on Saturday, it is becoming clear that Ben, like Drew before him, likes his tight ends. With five catches for 91 yards and a touchdown, Logan Paulsen was the Bruins' leading receiver against Utah, leading his quarterback to comment, ""I just try to throw to the open guy and take what the defense gives me. That's just the approach I've tried to take. If you key on the tight ends, we have our receivers."

Then again, it just sounds like Olson is trying to penetrate whatever hole the opposing defense gives him.