Boy, someone likes to write. Thousands of words into this thing and Chris Kreider hasn’t even been mentioned until now. The Boston College standout possesses the highly-coveted and rare NHL blend of size, speed and skill. He got his feet wet in the playoffs for the Rangers this past spring and didn’t look out of place at all. As ready as he appears to be for the NHL though, his role may well lend itself more to deeper fantasy leagues initially. Unlike someone like Granlund, who will all but certainly remain in a prominent offensive role all season, John Tortorella won’t necessarily ‘need’ as much from Kreider this season. It’s not meant as a knock on Kreider in the least. I just get the sense the excitement over his on-ice abilities is exceeding what will be in store for his fantasy owners in ’12-13.

When the rubber hits the road, how quickly will Justin Schultz be able to put up points for the Edmonton Oilers? The college standout will be in a position to succeed immediately, assuming he’s manning the point on the first power play unit with an embarrassment of forward riches on this young team. Schultz is likely to be available quite late in your draft given his newb NHL status, which could make his poolie payoff immense. Not for nothing, but what if Ryan Whitney can actually stay healthy too? He and Schultz could then each put up 35-plus points without much of a problem at all. Considering the likelihood you can grab either or both guys in the dying rounds of most drafts, that’s a nice return on a minimal investment.

May as well mention what you know already too: Nail Yakupov seems likely to be a top six regular right away and with Edmonton’s burgeoning young stars on the first few lines, he should be one of the rookies in a position to produce.

In a really deep league where EVERYTHING matters? I tweeted this recently, but Chris wasn’t the only Stewart working hard over the summer. Older brother Anthony, who is Canes property, shed 10 pounds over the summer and trimmed body fat from 17 percent to 11 percent. Sounds like he is determined to be more than a bubble player this season.

Wings coach Mike Babcock intimated over the summer that 26-year-old Swiss foward Damien Brunner would be given a chance to skate one one of the top two lines at the start of the season. The bench boss saw Brunner play at the World Championships and said, “…he’s high, high paced, he scored, looks like he has tons of skill..” In most situations, Brunner may translate better as an early-season free agent pick-up – rather than a late draft pick – if he produces right out of the gate.

In terms of guys who couldn’t possibly do anything BUT improve this season, Colorado Avalanche centre Matt Duchene had just 28 points in an injury-shortened 58-game campaign. He trained with Sidney Crosby over the summer and said he was ‘learning to get better bio-mechanics with my body’ and that he feels great. Duchene should be in store for a solid campaign.

If you’re in a league with penalty minutes and especially one with wing/ centre designations, Brandon Dubinsky should see his stock rise. He’ll become one of the more important forwards for his new Columbus Blue Jackets and with something in the range of 45-50 points with yet another 100-PIM effort, he’ll be even more valuable if tagged as both a pivot and a winger in your league. Either way, his contributions will mean fewer games wasted on fighters in an effort to rack up more PIM.

Why not include guys like Pittsburgh’s Eric Tangradi or Tampa Bay’s Brett Connolly today? Tangradi, could, yet again (how many years in a row has this been?), be in line for a top-six wing slot with the Pens. Connolly skated with Vincent Lecavalier and Teddy Purcell at the Lightning’s first scrimmage before the lockout. As much as each guy has worked hard to get himself into what might be an enviable position, in most fantasy leagues they’ll more likely be better in-season additions if they get the gig and begin to produce. As mentioned off the top though: the deeper your league, the more pressing your need for guys like this to fill those final slots as you round out your roster.

While many fantasy previews will focus on the top picks, we’ll get right to the point with a focus on sleepers.

After all, just about everyone is in agreement about who should get picked in the first round but it’s the later rounds where the fantasy champions are made as the rest of the league goes on autopilot.

Shallow:

Quarterback: Jay Cutler, Bears
You would never believe it because of the jeers he heard in the postseason but Jay Cutler is fresh off one of the greatest seasons by a Bears quarterback. In addition to his 23 touchdowns, Cutler threw for 3,274 yards and rushed for a career-high 232 yards.

The Bears have since brought in Roy Williams as their lead receiver making Cutler even more dangerous this season. Fantasy managers should be quicker to forgive the Vanderbilt alumnus than Bears fans.

Running Back: Steven Jackson, Rams
Steven Jackson may not be classified as a sleeper by many fantasy football experts since he is often ranked within the top 15, nonetheless, I’m adding Jackson to this list because I believe he is still undervalued.

Just a few seasons ago Jackson was a certain top-five pick. However, the Rams lack of star power on the offensive side decreased his fantasy value due to a cut in touchdowns. The good news is that the Rams offence should be back now that Sam Bradford has proven to be a rising star and there’s healthy young talent on the wings.

Jackson, meanwhile, is coming off 1600-plus yards and should offer around 10 scores this season. If you are able to draft him as late as the 10th pick overall, I’d argue that you have a steal on your hands.

Wide Receiver: Lee Evans, Ravens
Lee Evans has frustrated fantasy managers over the years because of his inconsistent play. What we are going to find out this season is whether the lack of consistency was a result of Evans or the fact that his quarterbacks over the years have included JP Losman, Trent Edwards and Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Furthermore, Evans was often a one-man show as far as the Bills receivers went. Imagine the space he’s about to find with Anquan Boldin lining up parallel to him. The combination of Evans and the strong arm of Joe Flacco should equal career seasons for all involved.

Deep:

Quarterback: Matt Cassel, Chiefs
The Chiefs surprising entrance into the postseason last season was as much a result of the fine quarterback play of Matt Cassel, as the rushing attack featuring Jamaal Charles. Cassel’s final numbers included 27 touchdowns and just seven interceptions.

Even more impressive are the 3,116 passing yards despite the lack of a second target behind Dwayne Bowe. The addition of veteran wingman Steve Breaston should provide the Chiefs offense with a boost, particularly impacting the play of Cassel.

Running Back: Michael Bush, Raiders
While all the focus is on Darren McFadden following a breakout season in Oakland, fantasy managers might find the better bargain in Michael Bush. After all, it was Bush’s 158 carries that lessoned the load on McFadden keeping him fresh to compete for most of the season.

Similar to the Chiefs backfield last season, the Raiders are likely to deploy a split running game this season. Even though McFadden may get the majority of the carries, it was Bush who was often used on the goal line last season, scoring eight touchdowns with a respectable 655 yards.

Tight End: Jared Cook, Titans
Looking at the season totals from a year ago, the 361 receiving yards and one touchdown aren’t all that impressive, but if you take a closer look you’ll realize that Cook posted the majority of those numbers over the final three games of the season.

Behind the recently acquired veteran Matt Hasselbeck, the Titans are expected to be a more traditional passing offense this season. Expect Cook to be heavily targeted each game, taking advantage of his 6’5, 248 lbs. frame and athleticism that made him a third round pick back in 2009.

Very Deep:

Quarterback: Carson Palmer, Bengals
I’m not saying that he’s worth wasting a draft pick on, I’m just asking for you to keep an eye on longtime Bengals signal-caller Carson Palmer. The former franchise quarterback is in a standoff with Bengals ownership and his request for a trade has not materialized.

Nonetheless, I believe it’s worth keeping an eye on the veteran quarterback because if a contender loses a franchise quarterback to injury mid-season, you can expect the first call to be made to the Bengals, perhaps offering a second-round pick to get their hands on the battle-tested Palmer. That may be an offer that the Bengals will not be able to turn down, even with grudges going to the wayside.

Running Back: James Starks, Packers
Packers veteran running back Ryan Grant is often drafted early in fantasy leagues by managers who assume that he will pick up from where he left off before the knee injury took place last season.

Unfortunately, knee injuries are very tough for running backs to recover from, as they depend on their maximum speed for a living. On that note, the next in line to receive carries is second-year running back Jason Starks.

The Buffalo alumnus racked up 315 rushing yards in the post-season and will likely be counted upon for plenty of reps in the Packers offense this season. Starks is a fine mid-round pick who could end up with greater fantasy value than Grant.

Wide Receiver: Jerome Simpson, Bengals
You may recall that over the final two weeks of last season, the best wide receiver in the Bengals offense was not Chad Ochocinco, but instead Jerome Simpson. The 2008 second-round pick out of Coastal Carolina is a bit of a late bloomer, as he racked up 18 receptions and 247 yards over the final two weeks of last season.

There are some concerns for the Bengals offence, most notably the absence of Carson Palmer and an eroding offensive line. Nonetheless, Simpson’s promise shined through last year and provides a foundation for the upcoming season.