Back Page: 2003 sleeper wrap-up

By Bob Harris, Special to SI.com

With opening day just a week away, it's time for the second installment of my 2003 sleeper recommendations. The focus this week is on the wide receivers, tight ends and place-kickers.

In order to qualify as a 2003 sleeper, the players featured here had to be drafted in the second half of this year's 16-round SI.com Experts League draft.

Each player is listed with the pick used to select him (in parentheses) in order to give you a better feel of where each might be available in your draft.

Wide Receivers

Travis Taylor, Baltimore Ravens (10.12): Earlier this month, Baltimore Sun staffer Jamison Hensley wrote that Taylor heads into 2003 in the best position of his four-year career, thanks in part to the addition of veteran wideouts Frank Sanders and Marcus Robinson, who should help spread opposing defenses.

The challenge for Taylor is to prove he can avoid his annual disappearing act and deliver some magic on the field. His goal is to reach 80 catches this season and become the go-to receiver the Ravens envisioned when they picked him 10th overall in 2000.

Taylor has played with the confidence of a No. 1 receiver throughout camp. He is attacking passes rather than reacting to them, fighting for the ball through traffic. He is shedding tackles after the catch, turning routine 5-yard receptions into 30-yard highlights.

But consistency has been a problem. "To be a go-to guy, it's not just a matter of making great plays," head coach Brian Billick said. "It's the quarterback knowing that he can go to you at any situation, and more often than not, you're going to deliver."

He hasn't proved it yet, but Taylor certainly appears to be much closer to emerging as that kind of player than he has in past seasons.

Ike Hilliard, New York Giants (11.01): In an article published Tuesday, Associated Press reporter Tom Canavan wrote that all the attention Jeremy Shockey, Amani Toomer and Tiki Barber are likely to attract this season could make it easy for opposing coordinators to overlook Hilliard.

But Hilliard gave an indication of how good he could be when he caught seven passes for 150 yards last Saturday night. "You forget about how good he is," Kerry Collins said of Hilliard.

After a slow start in training camp, Hilliard answered the rest with his play, particularly last Saturday. Five of the six passes Hilliard caught from Collins went for first downs, including an 88-yard catch and run for a touchdown that was the highlight of his night.

"This can be a pretty good year for us as an offense," Hilliard said. "The tough part about the whole thing is we know that." And so do opposing defensive coordinators.

Brian Finneran, Atlanta Falcons (12.06): Finneran comes off a career year after pulling in 56 passes for 838 yards and six touchdowns, but his role will change significantly with Peerless Price taking over as the No. 1 receiver. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Price is a speed merchant; Finneran is a strong, tall receiver with dependable hands. Just as Price benefited from Eric Moulds in Buffalo, Finneran could come out way ahead with Price drawing regular double coverage. It's very likely both men will be major factors in the passing attack.

And don't let Mike Vick's injury scare you away from Finneran -- or any of the team's receivers; Atlanta's offense won't change dramatically with Doug Johnson under center.

Keenan McCardell, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (13.11): A consistent pass-catching veteran signed to boost the Bucs' passing attack, McCardell delivered as expected, making clutch receptions throughout the season, including two touchdown catches in Tampa Bay's 48-21 victory over the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII.

While he's never been known as one of the league's most dangerous scoring threats, he's certainly been consistent, scoring no fewer than five touchdowns in any of the last six seasons. He's also well suited to meeting the demands Jon Gruden's scheme places on wideouts.

Although he missed two games last year with a fractured scapula, McCardell has only missed three starts -- including those two-- in the last five years. As long as the rest of Tampa's passing attack -- meaning Brad Johnson, Keyshawn Johnson and Joe Jurevicius -- remain healthy this fall, McCardell should have little trouble putting up totals similar to those he posted in 2002.

Marc Boerigter, Kansas City Chiefs (14.10): Although he's yet to crack the starting lineup, Boerigter emerged as one of the most dangerous No. 3 men in the league last season.

There's no denying he makes the most of his time on the field. Of his 20 catches last year, eight went for touchdowns. As he demonstrated during the team's Aug. 16 preseason game against the Vikings -- when he caught the ball between three defenders at about the 35 and sped untouched into the end zone, at 6-foot-3, 225, Boerigter isn't an easy man for the average NFL corner to match up with.

Derrius Thompson, Miami Dolphins (15.05): When Thompson was signed as a free agent this spring, head coach Dave Wannstedt thought he had signed a pretty good player. He now thinks he got so much more.

Thompson has had an impressive preseason and just might be the team's best receiver heading into the regular season. With Chris Chambers still slow to bounce back from his sub-par second half last season, Thompson appears to be moving toward that status.

"He's been unbelievable," Wannstedt said. "This guy has come in here and taken over this whole thing."

I'm looking for Thompson, who caught 53 passes while working with three quarterbacks last season in Washington, to easily surpass that total this fall.

Antonio Bryant, Dallas Cowboys (15.09): Although he's currently bothered by a sore quad, Bryant appears to be on the verge of taking over as the Cowboys' top receiver.

Nobody has ever doubted his skills, but there have been questions surrounding his attitude in the past. But Bryant got off to a great start with new head coach Bill Parcells.

Bryant was injured in the first workout of camp and returned to Dallas later that day. The next morning, he had an operation to remove bone spurs from his left pinky finger. The chips came out and the wound was closed with six stitches, with a splint covering the finger.

Bryant then flew back to San Antonio, suited up and rejoined his teammates on the field. Parcells was so impressed by Bryant's speedy return that he praised him in front of the entire team.

Tight Ends

Desmond Clark, Chicago Bears (14.07): According to Pro Football Weekly, the Bears' No. 2 receiver right now is not a wide receiver at all. Tight end Desmond Clark has seemingly swiped the attention as the alternate option to Marty Booker.

Clark has lofty goals as he prepares for his first season as a regular NFL starter. He figures if he can catch 51 passes as a reserve, which he did in Denver two years ago, there's no telling what type of numbers he's capable of posting as an every-down player.

"I'm shooting for the sky," Clark said. "There wasn't a tight end that had 80 catches last year, so I'm trying to be on top of the league. But if it's 40 catches and we win 14 or 15 games, then I'm happy. It's not a personal thing because all the personal accolades come when your team is winning anyway. But I'm shooting for 80."

That might be a bit high, but I'm looking for Clark to at least match the above-mentioned 51-catch effort he delivered back in 2001.

Mikhael Ricks, Detroit Lions (14.09): Ricks was one of Detroit's best receiving threats last year, but as Booth Newspapers staff writer Tom Kowalski suggested, his productivity took a nosedive because opponents didn't fear any other Lions receiver and could concentrate on stopping the athletic veteran.

Ricks originally signed with Detroit last April. He was selected as an alternate for the 2003 Pro Bowl after a 2002 season in which he caught 27 passes for 339 yards and three touchdowns. He led NFL tight ends with a 12.6 yards-per-catch average.

According to Lions executive Tom Lewand, "He's still learning the position. From that standpoint, he's almost a young player at that position. As he continues to learn the offense and the position, he'll only get better."

I agree. Those of you in keeper leagues should pay special attention; I expect big things from Ricks and Joey Harrington down the road.

Stephen Alexander, San Diego Chargers (16.12): Alexander had some injuries and was plagued at times by inconsistency last season -- both long-standing problems for the former Sooner -- but he showed what he's capable of with an eight-catch, 129-yard, one-TD performance in last year's regular season finale.

As long as he stays healthy, there's reason to believe he can build on that performance. Alexander will almost certainly benefit from the presence of a big-time downfield threat like David Boston.

The bottom line here says an improving Charger offense finally helps Alexander realize some of the awesome potential he's always been known for.

Place-kickers

Morten Andersen, Kansas City Chiefs (15.10): The 42-year old Andersen wants to kick until he's 50, and after having knee surgery this past December he feels like that's a realistic possibility.

''Now that I've got a brand-new bionic knee, I'm good to go for another 10 years, or at least another eight years anyway,'' Andersen recently said. ''The knee feels great. It feels like I have a new knee.''

Andersen was enjoying one of the best seasons of his 21-year NFL career before he suffered torn cartilage in his right knee late last year. He has kicked more field goals and scored more points than any player in NFL history except for Gary Anderson and playing alongside what should be one of the NFL's most explosive scoring offenses this fall, I love his fantasy potential.

Jeff Reed, Pittsburgh Steelers (16.07): Reed kicked three field goals in his first game taking over for Todd Peterson last year and converted 17-of-19 in the final six games (89.5 percent).

And he heads into 2003 as one of my favorite late-round picks. Much like Andersen, Reed will reap the benefits of working alongside an offense with tons of scoring potential.

That's all for now. Tune in next week for a rundown of key injury situations heading into Week 1 of the regular season.

Bob Harris is Editor and Webmaster of the TFL Report and Senior Editor for Fantasy Sports Publications.