The fantasy football 2014 season is almost here and that means mock drafts all summer and this year experts like Matthew Berry have made their rankings and on ESPN and Yahoo Sports this year owners have a number of sleeper options and picks to make ahead of the big names like Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, AJ Green, Aaron Rodgers and Adrian Peterson, including players like Ben Tate, Ryan Tannehill, Josh McCown, Stevan Ridley and Tre Mason.
The Giants are a team to keep an eye on this year for fantasy football owners as they have a new offense and a new coordinator. David Wilson is now done for his career and while that's a major blow, the Giants prepared for this already, as they knew Wilson was coming off of spinal surgery and could be out for a long period of time this season and now it's come true. Wilson will be out and that could open some things up for other players on the roster.
Players coming back from injuries are also smart draft options, as names like Julio Jones and Rob Gronkowski are expected to be back and they could be big contributors for their teams. The Falcons missed Jones and Roddy White badly last season and that is one of the main reasons they finished with a losing record. Gronk has not been able to stay healthy in recent years and his status could be the difference between a playoffs loss and a Super Bowl run.
The Giants are an interesting fantasy team to watch this season, as they have a number of players coming off of down years and that means some could end up as sleepers in the later rounds. The team has a brand new offense and that could mean more scoring and more points all around for their key players. Eli Manning could be a solid backup option, as he is expected to cut down on his league leading 27 interceptions and because of those stats he should be available in lost leagues later in drafts.
The loss of David Wilson to retirement and Peyton Hillis to an ankle injury could open things up for Andre Williams behind Rashad Jennings. Williams is a sleeper pick as a rookie and anyone that takes Jennings should look at Williams as a legit handcuff option. The Giants are committed to running the ball this season and Jennings could also be used a ton out of the backfield since the new offense uses a lot of screen passes and that's big for PPR leagues.
There are different rules and formats all over fantasy football and obviously that makes some players more valuable than others, but staying smart at the top of the draft is as important as the players picked in the later rounds. PPR leagues should look at running backs with the ability to catch the football out of the backfield and this season there are many teams that will employ that style of offense.
Check here for more on mock drafts this season or info from ESPN Fantasy Football, Matthew Berry's picks or Yahoo Sports and CBS fantasy leagues and advice for 2014.