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Andy Richardson

The easiest way to build your team is by going with the players who were strong performers a year ago. BORING! A more difficult – but also potentially more rewarding – way to do it is to go after the unknowns. The Maurice Jones-Drews and Marques Colstons who probably won’t even be drafted in most fantasy leagues … but can end up leading your team to a championship. Here are 10 of those unknowns to consider on draft day.

DeShawn Wynn: Most of the attention in Green Bay is on the battle between second-rounder Brandon Jackson and veteran Vernand Morency for the starting running back job. And that’s as it should be. But with Morency hurt and Jackson struggling to pick up blitzes, another back may come forward. Why not seventh-rounder Wynn out of Florida? (Remember, we’re going after off the radar types here. Anyone can tell you to draft Kolby Smith.)

DeDe Dorsey: Dorsey is Indianapolis’ No. 2 running back right now, and the Colts prefer a two-back system. It’s very possible he’ll end up getting a decent percentage of the carries, and he did average 6.7 yards per carry with Cincinnati last preseason.

Garrett Wolfe: While people are snapping up rookie backs like Kenny Irons and Tony Hunt in fantasy drafts, there’s been little interest in Wolfe, most likely because he’s tiny – 5-foot-7, according to NFL.com. That didn’t hurt Jones-Drew, and it’s not like Wolfe has Hall of Famers in front of him in Chicago. Why not?

James Jones: People in Green Bay went “Who?” when this guy was drafted in the third round. Now they’re comparing him to Sterling Sharpe as he catches everything in his vicinity. He may be a sketchy pick in a redraft league, but in a keeper league, he should be on a roster, stat.

Dwayne Wright: Marshawn Lynch has a bit of an injury history, and the Bills don’t have any other backs worth mentioning, including veteran Anthony Thomas. I haven’t been willing to spend an early third-rounder on Lynch just yet, but I’ll throw an 18th-rounder out there for Wright.

Martrez Milner: Alge Crumpler is hurting, the Falcons have nothing at wide receiver, and their passing game (I can’t believe I’m saying this) should be a little better with Joey Harrington replacing Michael Vick. That makes No. 2 tight end Milner somebody to keep an eye on in the preseason, particularly if Crumpler continues to hobble around.

Ben Patrick: “No chance, Richardson, he’s backing up Leonard Pope.” Risky though it may be to challenge Pope’s 16 career receptions, I’m going to do so with regard to Patrick. Maybe it was his small school status (Delaware) that got him overlooked on draft day.

Cecil Sapp: I know, I know, he has to beat out the immortal Mike Bell. Sadly, even those of us who drafted Travis Henry already know that at some point during the year, another running back will probably come off the bench and put up a 100-yard day for the Broncos. Former fullback Sapp has a 50-50 shot of winning that job out of training camp.

Mike Walker: The Jaguars used high picks on a whole lot of running backs – LaBrandon Toefield, Greg Jones, Alvin Pearman – before finally hitting it big with Jones-Drew. Maybe they’ll have similar success at wide receiver, where neither Reggie Williams nor Matt Jones have worked out too well. Third-rounder Walker doesn’t need to do much to work his way into the starting lineup beyond, well, catching the ball on a regular basis.

Tyler Thigpen: I feel compelled to get a quarterback in here, so how about Thigpen? Unknown? Check. Cool name? Check. Drafted to a team that has virtually nothing at the position? (I’m sorry, Tarvaris Jackson and Brooks Bollinger, but it’s true.) Check. Thigpen may only have a slightly better chance of starting for the Vikings than I do, but he might also only have a slight chance of doing any worse than Jackson or Bollinger. It might take a 20-round draft for me to take him, but hey, you never know.

It’s risky being a Challenger of the Unknown. Let’s face it: There’s a good chance that two-thirds of these guys won’t do a thing all season, and half of those might not even make the final rosters of their respective teams. I’m realistic; all of these guys, some of whom I’ve already drafted or picked up off waivers, might end being wasted roster spots.

But then again, What If? The next Marques Colston, Maurice Jones-Drew, or even Leon Washington is out there, on some NFL team’s roster, trying to make a name for himself in training camp. On your fantasy team, there’s a good chance you’ll end up cutting the guys at the bottom of your roster anyway. So instead of drafting a second defense or marginal veteran wideout, why not use that pick on some virtual nobody … .

… with an outside chance at being a real somebody?

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