Deep Sleeper Rookies and a Crazy Formula Daniel D'Allesandro, Fantasy Football Guest Writer Aug 6, 2012 | More
More articles from Daniel D'Allesandro

Josh Gordon, WR, Cleveland - A 6-foot-3, 225-pound bundle of talent that had better numbers than Kendall Wright when they were both sophomores at Baylor. He was caught with marijuana three times in college, but the Browns spent their second-rounder on him in supplemental draft, so you know they will give him a chance. He’s the most talented receiver on the Browns' roster and could be the top receiver by midseason. Brandon Weeden can throw deep with fast ball velocity and this guy can go get it.

Bryce Brown, RB, Philadelphia - He was the No. 1 high school recruit heading into college, ahead of Trent Richardson. Big and fast, are the way Eagles' management is describing him at 6-foot, 220-plus pounds. He’s super-talented, but bounced around in college from Tennessee to Kansas State. There’s not much depth behind LeSean McCoy with just scatback Dion Lewis in his way.

Terrance Ganaway RB, New York Jets - He's huge and fast. He’s 240-plus pounds with 4.5 40-yard dash speed. He was over shadowed at Baylor by Robert Griffin III and company. Shonn Greene has never truly emerged, and this guy is better suited for ground-and-pound.

I recently saw a formula used  to project the success of rookie running backs:

Height (in inches) x weight divided by the square root of 40 time.

The translation of this formula is that big and fast equals good.

Ganaway No. 1, Trent Richardson No. 2, Lamar Miller No. 3, Bernard Pierce No. 4.

DeMarco Murray, LaDainian Tomlinson and Chris Johnson were past No. 1s by this formula.