Last June in the midst of a painfully long lockout I devised a sleepers series that was built on the premise of leaving no stone unturned, or in other words, anyone who has yet to make any or has made only a minimal fantasy impact should be considered a sleeper and categorized and kept tabs on accordingly. Every year someone pops up during the season that proves the importance of knowing the names and backgrounds of as many players as possible.

When you don't overlook anyone, it's much easier to see a potential coming out party prior to it occurring. With this series I've again created categories under which to place a large number of names worth watching. More than anything, it is a reference tool to aid in tracking each player's situation during the preseason, determine whether he's worth a draft pick and finally—and most importantly—to come back to during the year so the names are not forgotten and a potential waiver wire hero can be snagged before the rest of the league discovers his upside.

This is not a projection of players I believe will breakout or that I intend to target in drafts. That will come later. Generally speaking, backs, tight ends and receivers that have already established themselves with significant roles on their teams and/or have put themselves in the mid-round draft pick discussion are not names you will find in this series—though there are exceptions to that rule. Also, I did learn that it was a mistake to leave highly drafted rookies out of the discussion last year. Thank you, Cam Newton. So there will be more attention paid to the less obvious rookies that could contribute early.

In all, I compiled seven categories consisting of 57 total players last year. For 2012 there will be more of each. And just like last spring, I'll begin at the top with The Flashers.

But first a quick recap of last year's Flashers with the best and worst from the group:

Best – Jerome Simpson, 725 yards, four scores receiving and the highlight of the year, now with Minnesota and facing a 3-game suspension to start the season.

Worst – tie between Rashad Jennings and Mike Goodson, both of whom sat basically the entire season with injuries. Honorable mention to Tashard Choice for his abysmal 2.7 yards per carry when he actually had a chance to step up for both the Cowboys and Bills.

- Matt Flynn, QB, Seattle Seahawks (6-2, 225 ; age 26)
A brilliant starting debut at New England in 2010 landed Flynn in this category last offseason as someone who could emerge if he were traded or Aaron Rodgers went down. His epic 480-yard, 6-touchdown torching of the Lions in the 2011 regular season finale and the starting job that will surely be his in Seattle easily make him my top sleeper heading into 2012, and I recommend him as one of the top backup quarterback picks in all leagues.

- Donald Brown, RB, Indianapolis Colts (5-10, 210 ; age 25)
Brown has consistently disappointed over his first three years in the league after being a first-round pick in 2009. But after two seasons of complete mediocrity he finally showed flashes of his potential in the second half of the 2011 campaign, rushing for 645 yards and five scores over the final 12 games and averaging 4.8 yards per attempt. With new head coach Chuck Pagano already describing him as an every-down back, it's possible that by the time the season kicks off he'll no longer be just a sleeper, but with Delone Carter and rookie Vick Ballard prepared to fight him for carries in the preseason, it's still too early to look at him as anything but that. With enough size to go between the tackles and good speed around the edge though, Brown could finally display his first-round talent for a full season. If he's still going as a late-middle round guy by the end of August, he's got major steal written all over him.

- Evan Royster, RB, Washington Redskins (6-1, 213 ; age 24)

Mike Shanahan has been known to make some runners from nobodies into major producers and it looks like he may have found another potential gem in Royster. While he's likely to enter the season as no better than the No. 2 back behind fellow second-year man Roy Helu and will also have to fight off Tim Hightower when he recovers from a torn ACL, there's always the possibility that injury could thrust him into a feature role. Judging from the small sample size Royster provided at the end of 2011 (304 total yards in two starts), that could lead to some very big things for the physical young back.

- Jake Locker, QB, Tennessee Titans (6-2, 234 ; age 23)
If Locker wins the starting job in training camp or gets an opportunity to replace Matt Hasselbeck at any point of the season, he could have an immediate and substantial fantasy impact. With just 66 pass attempts last season, Locker averaged 8.2 yards per try, threw four touchdowns versus zero picks and also tacked on 56 yards rushing and a score on just eight carries. Additionally, he was able to post three double-digit scoring games despite not making a single start. With great athleticism to extend plays and break off runs, Locker is a lot like a version of Tim Tebow that can hit his targets. And with a deep and explosive receiving corps in place in Tennessee (with or without Kenny Britt being 100|PERCENT|), Locker could become a major breakout in 2012.

- Jon Baldwin, WR, Kansas City Chiefs (6-4, 230 ; age 22)

With just a measly 21 catches, 254 yards and one score, it's easy to laugh when reading Baldwin's name on list of players who "flashed" last year. But that would also mean you weren't paying enough attention. The behemoth receiver showed his promise in a Monday night win going for 82 of those yards and grabbing a 39-yard score over the top of a Chargers defensive back like the smaller man wasn't even there. He also displayed phenomenal hands on a circus catch against the Broncos that was called back due to penalty, trapping a bomb on the back of Brian Dawkins and pulling it in before going to the ground. An amazing combination of size, athleticism and hands, if Baldwin grasps the offense during his first full offseason, watch out. So spend a flier on this high flyer. It could pay out big time.

- Kyle Rudolph, TE, Minnesota Vikings (6-6, 258 ; age 22)
Rudolph got off to a very slow start as a rookie, but he began developing chemistry with Christian Ponder late in the year and displayed the tools that could eventually make him into a stud tight end. Over the final six games of the year he began to translate his plus speed and tremendous size to the field, snagging three scores over that stretch including a highlight reel 19-yarder that he plucked off the helmet of a Bronco in the end zone. Given the uncertainty of the Vikings receiving corps after Percy Harvin, there should be plenty of opportunity for Rudolph to emerge as one of Ponder's go-to weapons, particularly in the red zone considering the size mismatch he creates.

- Alex Smith, QB, San Francisco 49ers (6-4, 217 ; age 28)

Sometimes it only takes one game to realize the potential of a player. And sometimes that game can come at the end of a player's seventh year in the league. And sometimes it's not those around the player, but the player himself that truly realizes what he is, what he can do. It's possible that one magnificent performance against the Saints (299 yards and three scores passing, one 28-yard rushing TD) to send the Niners to the NFC Championship game was the tipping point for Smith. He should enter his eighth year with high confidence, motivating disappointment, a slew of weapons (Vernon Davis, Randy Moss, Michael Crabtree, Mario Manningham, Frank Gore, etc.) and a coach that is ready to take the training wheels off the passing game. Expect a career year by a wide margin.

- Christian Ponder, QB, Minnesota Vikings (6-2, 229 ; age 24)
With Ponder, it wasn't so much any one single-game performance that stood out or raised eyebrows as much as it was individual plays. When given the chance to start, he exhibited the arm strength, the accuracy and the poise to become a special passer in this league. And on top of that, he showed off his deceptive athleticism to the tune of 219 rushing yards at a whopping 7.8 yards per attempt. With the additions of John Carlson, Jerome Simpson and rookies Jarius Wright and Greg Childs to surround him with promising receiving depth after Harvin and Rudolph, Ponder could take a big next step in Year 2.

- Randall Cobb, WR, Green Bay Packers (5-10, 192 ; age 21)
Cobb burst onto the scene in his first career game only to fizzle out with little glimpses of his explosive playmaking skills over the rest of the season. But the NFL-record-tying 108-yard kickoff return and the 32-yard touchdown catch on just his second career grab in that first game sure made him look like a star in the making. Though the Packers receiving corps is as top heavy (with Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson) as it is deep, Cobb should carve out a larger role for himself in his second year, as his dynamic ability after the catch is too good to not take advantage of it. And an injury or two could vault him to the forefront of a passing attack led by one of the game's best in Rodgers. The combination of talent and system has late flier written all over it.

- Vincent Brown, WR, San Diego Chargers (5-11, 184 ; age 23)

Like Baldwin, Brown's overall numbers don't exactly inspire confidence (19 catches, 329 yards, two scores), but the young receiver fought through early injuries to work his way into the rotation by midseason. In a two game stretch in which he posted nine of his grabs for 176 yards and a score he displayed the type of sure hands, crisp route-running and playmaking skills that will take him far in this league. With Vincent Jackson now out of town and Malcom Floyd being one of the more brittle receivers in the league, the door is open for him to carve out a large role in a passing attack with one of the game's better gunslingers in Philip Rivers.

- Dezmon Briscoe, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-2, 210 ; age 22)
Briscoe took advantage of a struggling Buccaneer receiving corps over the second half of 2011, turning his extra opportunity into six touchdown catches in the final 10 games. While he's not the most dynamic athlete, his size and strong hands make him a promising possession receiver, and with V-Jax and Mike Williams drawing plenty of coverage on the outside, Briscoe could emerge as a potent weapon in the slot.

- Kahlil Bell, RB, Chicago Bears (5-11, 219 ; age 25)

With Matt Forte out and Marion Barber in the doghouse, Bell finally got his chance to show his stuff in the final three games of 2011. Working as the feature back for those three games, Bell piled up 349 total yards and a score, including an impressive 159-yard outing on Christmas Day versus the Packers. Though he's not the fastest back or the strongest, Bell is a tough, smart runner that finds daylight and fights for every yard. With Michael Bush entering the picture in Chicago, he's now behind two tremendous talents and will only see an open window again if injuries arise to Forte and Bush. But if that should happen, he instantly becomes a top-notch free agent.