Not bad fantasy team roundup - that comes after you draft.  No, I mean bad NFL team roundup.

There’s no better place to find sleepers than really bad football teams.  Good players get caught up with their less good teammates and slip under the radar, and even the players widely seen as diamonds in the rough are underrated compared to their status if they were on the Colts or Eagles.

So let’s go through the bottom five in ESPN’s preseason power rankings and find some diamonds in the rough…

#32: Detroit Lions

Fantasy options on the Lions begin with Megatron.  Calvin Johnson put up impressive, top WR numbers last year on the worst team in NFL history with a rotation of quarterbacks that included one who ran out the back of his own end zone and another signed off the street.  With a competent GM, a couple solid QBs battling it out and some time to build chemistry he’s got the potential to generate more fantasy points than most RBs.

Behind him?  Well…not so much there.  There’s a reason they didn’t win a game.  RB Kevin Smith may be worth a look as a #2 back but don’t rely too much on him.  And if Matt Stafford wins the starting quarterback job, if you have a Peyton Manning-caliber starter, he has a shot to be a Matt Ryan style sleeper.  Combine a stud WR with a lot of playing catchup and you’ve got a recipie for garbage time yards.

#31: St. Louis Rams

RB Steven Jackson is no sleeper.  He’s a legit first-round pick in any scoring system, especially now that they’re committing to the run.  But aside from him there’s even less here than in Detroit.

Marc Bulger may have been a safe pick at QB under Martz but those days are over.  No quarterback can lose Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt and Orlando Pace and expect to be the same player; things like someone to catch the ball and protection are kinda important to the position.

The only Rams player I would take a risk on is WR Donnie Avery, who’s the top target by default and will get the bulk of whatever passing yards the team posts.  But don’t expect more than #3 or even backup numbers, he’s purely a gamble pick.

#30: Oakland Raiders

I may be the only one, but I expect RB Darren McFadden to have a breakout year.  He has speed, he has moves and I’m assuming they’re actually going to give him the ball this season.  You can probably snag him in the mid-rounds and get good production.  Of course, like the rest of this list, don’t rely on him.

Looking for a last-round pick?  A throw-away who’s the first to get cut when you need to open up a roster spot?  Consider WR Darrius Heyward-Bey.  There’s a one in a million chance he breaks out, and you’ll get laughed at, but combine a strong-armed QB with a fast WR and you never know.

#29: Kansas City Chiefs

New Chiefs head coach Todd Haley has a way with wide receivers.  He’s left a trail of stud WRs in his wake his entire career.  Combine that with QB Matt Cassell looking surprisingly sharp this preseason and that means WR Dwayne Bowe is worth a shot.  He’s a talented receiver who’s been trapped on an untalented team and he’s due to have a breakout season.

Who should you not draft?  RB Larry Johnson.  He’s getting old and he’s been getting less productive, and the Chiefs o-line is not a run-blocking powerhouse.

#28: Cleveland Browns

Since we’ve already ruled out running backs who are getting old RB Jamal Lewis isn’t eligible (though he may be pretty decent) so that leaves us with WR Braylon Edwards.  Sure he’s dropped more passes than Vernon Davis, and sure the Browns quarterback situation is…unsettled to say the least, but he’s talented and the top target in the offense.  That alone is a recipie for fantasy numbers.

Oh, fine.  Jamal Lewis too.  Broke my own rule already…