Every season there are NFL players who are taken excessively low in fantasy football drafts only because they are not household names.

Each season, the Maniaxs identify a list of 10 players that tend to go a lot lower than their fantasy production warrants.

Being on this list does not mean we think a player is an All-Pro player, it just means we think he is a better fantasy football option than people give him credit for. Many players put up big statistics, but do not help their team win football games. It is possible to be a very good football fantasy player that does not help the team beat anybody. All 2009 fantasy rankings for this article are from www.profootballreference.com.

1) Joseph Addai (Indianapolis Colts) – The view of him has been fantasy disappointment and rightfully so for 2008, as he finished 39^th among fantasy running backs. In 2007 he was the fifth ranked fantasy running back and in 2009 he was ninth, ahead of running backs such as St. Louis Rams Steven Jackson and Atlanta Falcons Michael Turner. Keep in mind that even though he only had 828 yards rushing, he added 51 receptions for 336 yards and scored 13 touchdowns.

He is a No. 2 running back that you will probably be able to find in the fifth round. People are scared to draft him because of second year RB Donald Brown, but even with Brown stealing carries last year, Addai still had good fantasy value and he still should this year, especially if he continues to score touchdowns at the 2009 pace.

2) Matt Schaub (Houston Texans) – Schaub has been one of those guys that people always say: if he could stay healthy, he would be a great fantasy quarterback. In 2009 he delivered, leading the NFL in passing with 4,770 yards passing, which is the sixth highest total in NFL history. Inexperienced Fantasy Owners will flock toward guys like Washington Redskins Donovan McNabb or Cincinnati Bengals Carson Palmer, because they have bigger fan clubs. Schaub still has upside at 28-years old and could dominate fantasy leagues for years to come, even though his Texans have never won more than nine games in a single season.

3) Ahmad Bradshaw (New York Giants) – I am not sure a lot of people realize that Bradshaw was the 28^th ranked fantasy running back and that Brandon Jacobs was the 30^th ranked fantasy running back in 2009. The only difference is that Jacobs probably cost you a first or second round pick as opposed to Bradshaw who was probably an eighth or ninth round pick at the earliest. Bradshaw rushed for 778 yards and scored seven touchdowns. Bradshaw is a little name that puts up some big numbers. I expect him to have a big role with the Giants in 2010 and to continue to be a serviceable flex play or third running back. I think he will outscore Jacobs for a second straight year.

4) Cadillac Williams (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) – People forgot about him because of injuries that limited him to the 73^rd ranked running back in 2007 and the 65^th ranked running back in 2008. Williams rushed for 823 yards and scored four touchdowns, while catching 217 yards worth of passes for three touchdowns. He probably is not going to rush for a 1,000 yards like he did in 2005, but he still ranked higher than Jacobs, Houston Texans Steve Slaton and New Orleans Saints Reggie Bush. Unlike those players, Williams was a guy you probably could have claimed off waivers. He is going to be around in the middle to late rounds and can give you third running back value later in the draft.

5) Steve Smith (New York Giants) – I still had people asking me at the end of the season whether they should start Smith. The guy was the 11^th ranked receiver in fantasy football and the 27^th ranked player overall. While he was a little light on the touchdowns with just seven, he had 107 receptions for 1,220 yards, both of which were in the top 10 in the NFL. He is not going to be the late round pick to early waiver wire pick he was in 2009, but I think he is going to provide great value in the fourth round as bigger names that put up smaller numbers go off the board first. He is the type of player you can find if you pass on Patriots Randy Moss or Saints Marques Colston in the second or third round. Feel very comfortable with him as your No. 2 receiver.

6) Tim Hightower (Arizona Cardinals) – People do not know what to think of Hightower, because Chris Wells may be taking over the starting job and QB Kurt Warner has said goodbye to retirement. Hightower still ranked 22^nd among fantasy running backs, which was comparable to first round picks like Chicago Bears Matt Forte and Dallas Cowboys Marion Barber. I’m not saying use a third or fourth round pick on Hightower, but with his ability to catch the ball (63 receptions) and score touchdowns (eight), Hightower is poor man’s Joseph Addai and another running back that will have third or fourth back value in the later rounds. I think his numbers will drop in 2010, but I also think people will be too scared about the Arizona offense without Warner that they are going to overcompensate and undervalue Hightower. Do not forget about this guy in 2010, he still has a place on your fantasy football team.

7) Heath Miller (Pittsburgh Steelers) – He is one of those guys that sneaks up on you and finishes in the top 10 rankings every year. In 2007 he finished seventh among tight ends, dropped to 15^th in 2008 and rebounded to ninth in 2009. Many people do not realize he set career highs in receptions (76) and yards (789), while still scoring six touchdowns. If you are not going to use the high pick on one of those elite tight ends, he is a great guy that can give you good value in the middle to late rounds, while you bolster your hold on talented running backs and receivers. The only downside is that QB Ben Roethlisberger is going to be suspended for at least the first four games (six games if the Commissioner does not reduce the suspension), which could hurt his value the first month of the season.

8) Alex Smith (San Francisco 49ers) – I wonder how many people realize that if you take Smith’s 16.6 fantasy points per game scored over the final 11 games of the season and average it out over 16 starts that he scored higher than Ravens  Joe Flacco or Bengals Carson Palmer did in 16 starts for the season. Smith was an absolute bust his first four years, but last year he finally showed he could be a good quarterback and the 49ers have shown faith in him by giving him the starting job in 2010. I think he will finish in the top 15 for fantasy quarterbacks and is a viable second quarterback in 10-team leagues. He had 18 touchdown passes and 12 picks in 11 starts last year and threw for 2,350 yards. I expect him to be around 3,500 yards and over 20 touchdowns in 2010. He is going to probably be around draft boards after the 10th round.

9)CJ Spiller (Buffalo Bills) – I keep seeing people writing off this rookie as a guy that is going to be a Reggie Bush or Percy Harvin type (third down and returns). He is going to a small market with a bad team that needs to sell tickets. The Bills have not made the playoffs in more than a decade. They did not take him in the top 10 of the draft to touch the ball 10 times a game. He is going to be heavily involved in the offense. People will point to Fred Jackson being there. Jackson rushed for 1,062 yards and caught 46 passes for 371 yards, while scoring four touchdowns; he was not Jim Brown last year. They will also point to former first round pick Marshawn Lynch, who has not been able to stay out of trouble and out of the doghouse.

Vikings RB Adrian Peterson had no problem finishing eighth in 2007 as a rookie joining established RB Chester Taylor, and Maurice Jones-Drew was a top 10 running back as a rookie joining with Fred Taylor. I expect Spiller to lead all rookie running backs in fantasy points scored and to outscore San Diego Chargers Ryan Matthews, even though Matthews will probably go three rounds higher. Do not be scared of this rookie going to a bad offense, he will still put up respectable fantasy numbers.

10_ Ryan Grant (Green Bay Packers) – People know he is a good running back, but I do not think people realize how dominant he has been since 2007, because of the headlines produced by QBs Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers. Since 2007, Grant has rushed for 3,412 yards and scored 23 rushing touchdowns, resulting in 531 fantasy points. The only running backs with more fantasy points the last three years are: Minnesota Vikings Adrian Peterson (778), San Diego Chargers LaDainian Tomlinson (696), Jacksonville Jaguars Maurice Jones-Drew (668), San Francisco 49ers Frank Gore (610), Carolina Panthers DeAngelo Williams, Tennessee Titans Chris Johnson (556 in two seasons), St Louis Rams Steven Jackson (557), Indianapolis Colts Joseph Addai (552) and Dallas Cowboys Marion Barber (539).

Seeing Grant is the 11^th highest scoring running back the last three years, is only       27-years old with 782 career carries and plays on an offense that has scored the third most points in the NFL the last two seasons; people should consider him worthy of a first round pick. I consistently see him ranked in the teens as a solid second running back. This guy is absolutely a top 10 running back for 2010 and should put up another 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns. Other than an injury, there is no reason he should not be a No. 1 back this year.