by Mike Harmon

Updated: August 22, 2008, 8:23 PM EST 2 comments

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The early-morning news anchor was rambling on about another highway project that was set to begin in Southern California. Hey, I need more gridlock! How there aren't another five billion billboards along the road to generate revenue is beyond me. I digress.

The point of the tale is that the news channel displayed today's date: August 22, 2008. The date snapped me out of my slow start to the day and got my heart racing. Once you're officially into the 20s, you can feel the start of the football season coming on strong. Think about it. There are college football games next week, and then we'll be just a few days away from the start of NFL 2008. It's a relief, because I've tired of the innumerable injury reports coming out of camps. I know that injuries are part of the game, but doesn't it seem like we've seen more notes this offseason?

In any event, let's turn back to the field and finish the updated "sleeper" pieces. Here are the players at tight end and kicker who may see their fantasy fortunes rise due to shifts in personnel, schemes and, dare I say it, injuries. I'll tack on a couple defenses for good measure. Let's start in Seattle with a rookie tight end.

Tight end

John Carlson, Seattle Seahawks

The John Carlson bandwagon has gotten a lot more crowded since I slapped a coat of paint and some decals on it in May. The loss of Bobby Engram from an already thin line of wide receivers (Deion Branch's return is still up in the air) increases the probability that the 6-foot-5 Carlson will play a large role out of the gate. He demonstrated the ability to split the seam at Notre Dame and should be a factor in red zone. There's still time to jump aboard.

Dustin Keller, New York Jets

Trust me, I'm not reacting to Keller catching his first touchdown pass from Brett Favre last weekend. Keller was on the radar long before that short pass became such a hallmark play. He stands 6-foot-4 and knows how to work the middle of the field. Favre has historically utilized his tight end effectively, so there's definite upside here. Former Packers teammate Bubba Franks is in the mix and should cut into Keller's looks should his knee remain healthy. However, Keller's athleticism and ability to work downfield wins out long-term.

L.J. Smith, Philadelphia Eagles

I don't know that he necessarily qualifies as a sleeper, but I feel compelled to drop a few lines about Smith in this space. Smith was limited by injury for the majority of the 2007 season. He appeared in 10 games and produced just 22 receptions, a significant dropoff from his 2005 and 2006 efforts. Smith is healthy and working the center of the field for Donovan McNabb, who had come to rely on him during the 2005 and 2006 seasons. Given the injuries at wide receiver (Kevin Curtis is out indefinitely and Reggie Brown has been slowed by a hamstring injury), Smith will play a huge role to start the year. Kick him up a couple notches on your tight end list.

Scott Chandler, San Diego Chargers

Gates has returned to the practice field, but there's still some concern that his toe injury will hinder him during the year. As such, I'm putting second-year tight end Chandler from Iowa on the map. He stands a formidable 6-foot-7 and possesses the ability to work downfield. Chandler is a converted wide receiver with good hands. Chandler didn't see the field much as a rookie, but could play a role in the offense for Philip Rivers should Antonio Gates be forced out of the lineup.

Zach Miller, Oakland Raiders

Miller caught three or more passes in 10 different games last season as a rookie for Lane Kiffin's Raiders. As we know, the tight end is the young quarterback's best friend, and Miller will be a key component of JaMarcus Russell's continued development. Miller has looked good in camp, emerging as a go-to receiver this summer (he made a nifty touchdown grab in the second preseason game). He create mismatches downfield in one-on-one coverage and, standing 6-foot-5, can go up and over defenders in the red zone.

Most of Sebastian Janikowski's field goal attempts last year were from long distance. (Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images)

Marcedes Lewis, Jacksonville Jaguars

Lewis stayed healthy for the majority of the season and thrived under David Garrard's direction (37 catches, 391 yards and two touchdowns). I'm expecting Lewis to take another huge step forward in his third season. The team moved aggressively to shore up the receiving corps with the additions of Jerry Porter and Troy Williamson. Their acquisitions should open up the middle of the field for the 6-foot-6 Lewis, and he'll battle Reggie Williams for red zone dominance.

Randy McMichael, St. Louis Rams

McMichael was one of our top sleeper picks for 2007 after joining the passing attack in St. Louis. Unfortunately, a myriad of injuries forced McMichael to spend much of the year as a blocker, thereby limiting his downfield exposure. I'm concerned about the state of the offensive line as camp winds to a close, as they've already lost several key backups for the year. However, should the remaining unit led by Orlando Pace find any semblance of consistency, McMichael could challenge his career mark of 73 catches if the line can stay healthy. With the rest of the receiving corps unsettled behind Torry Holt and Drew Bennett, I suspect that he sees additional opportunities during the regular season.

Kickers

Sebastian Janikowski, Oakland Raiders

Last season, Janikowski booted 13 field goals from distances of at least 40 yards, including six makes from at least 50. His conversion percentage was much lower than most in the game, but 21 of Janikowski's 32 attempts were taken from distances of at least 40 yards. The running game will be strong once again (they were sixth last season), Russell should settle into his role as the starter before long and the improved defense should create additional short fields.

Matt Prater, Denver Broncos

The Broncos turn to former Atlanta kicker Prater to replace longtime hero Jason Elam. Prater converted 1-of-4 attempts for the Falcons and he does have the leg to kick from longer distances. The offense is certainly here for Prater to receive ample opportunities. It will take time for the squad to hit its stride with Brandon Marshall suspended to open the year. However, I'm convinced that Jay Cutler is primed to ascend to the upper level of quarterbacks, and we know that the running game will experience success regardless of the name on the jersey. At worst, Prater serves as a good bye week option. If everything falls into place, he becomes a fantasy starter.

Dan Carpenter, Miami Dolphins

There's been some speculation that Jay Feely's work in the media (merely taking interviews as a kicker seemed to irk someone), rather than Carpenter's leg, got him removed from the role in Miami. To that end, Carpenter has demonstrated a strong leg during camp with good accuracy. I'm certainly not advocating using a draft choice on Carpenter this summer. However, I would be remiss if I failed to at least acknowledge the fact that Carpenter could become an adequate bye week or injury substitute. The offense will be more efficient behind Chad Pennington and the combination of Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown (once he's past his injury issues) in the backfield should yield ample field goal tries.

Neil Rackers, Arizona Cardinals

Rackers offered fantasy owners his third consecutive 100-point season behind the efforts of veteran quarterback Kurt Warner. I dismiss Rackers' disappointing conversion rate, as six of his nine misses came on attempts beyond 50 yards. I take the opposite approach with that number, celebrating the fact that Rackers has attempted seven or more field goals from distances of at least 50 yards in four consecutive years. The Arizona offense should be more consistent for the full 16-game slate, as Matt Leinart has demonstrated great improvement this offseason. The Anquan Boldin situation is a distraction, but I don't anticipate that anything changes between the white lines. An improved defense and the yeoman-like effort of runner Edgerrin James put Rackers on the map. He's all about the distance bonus points, baby!

Martin Gramatica, New Orleans Saints

Gramatica doesn't have the leg to field the kickoff duties, but he's expected to handle field goal and PAT work behind a potent New Orleans offense. The Saints return all of their top skill position players while adding Jeremy Shockey to the mix. As such, I'm expecting Gramatica to play a role in the fantasy realm. Gramatica converted all five of his field goal attempts for the Saints last season with eight PATs.

Defense/Special teams

Oakland Raiders

Oakland brass made a splash by printing money for the secondary, pairing DeAngelo Hall with shutdown corner Nnamdi Asomugha to give the unit playmakers on the edges. Tommy Kelly and Derrick Burgess (35 sacks the past three years) will apply consistent pressure off the edges. Super Bowl champion Gibril Wilson provides a veteran presence in the secondary, and the sizable William Joseph will help stuff the run and force third-and-long conversions. Opportunity knocks!

Buffalo Bills

The Bills represent an intriguing option for fantasy owners who want to prospect for a defense late in the draft. In fact, the Buffalo defense will likely be on waivers to open the year for owners to play the matchup game. Last year's top pick, Paul Posluszny, has been strong in camp and has been projected as a top-20 tackling machine in his first full season. I'm also enamored with the addition of Marcus Stroud, who has not experienced any setbacks from his ankle surgery. He'll team with John McCargo to form a stout duo up front.

Washington Redskins

Again, the term "sleeper" is bandied about so much that perhaps Washington doesn't qualify here. However, the addition of dance machine Jason Taylor certainly elevates their rank. Taylor teams with Andre Carter to form one of the most formidable pass rushing duos in the game. They'll most certainly help this unit to blast past last year's 33 sacks (tied for 16th in the NFL), thereby generating more turnover opportunities. London Fletcher-Baker brings down any runner within reach, and the secondary is more experienced. I expect second-year free safety LaRon Landry to yield more big plays.