2017 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Wide Receivers
Hitting on the right fantasy football sleepers is a difficult task regardless of the position, but wide receiver can be especially daunting on draft day because of all the options. Unlike running back, where you know you're drafting backups, WRs can trick you because many of the players are technically starters. You can talk yourself into putting almost anyone on your cheat sheet, and your draft strategy can be altered because of this.
Running back is notorious for having players come out of nowhere to be highly ranked guys by the end of the year, and while receiver is a little more predictable at the top, it's not shocking to see the biggest sleepers be total surprises. Last year, Terrelle Pryor, Tyrell Williams, Rishard Matthews, and Tyreek Hill had pretty low visibility on draft day. Owners were checking for Saints rookie Michael Thomas and maybe Davante Adams, but it's unlikely anyone was expecting top-10 finishes. All told, those six guys finished among the top-18 receivers in standard leagues.
Trying to predict those types of meteoric rises is more trouble than it's worth, but finding undervalued guys who could go from fringe WR3 to a solid WR2 or from barely draftable to legit WR3 is certainly possible. The list below contains a few different types of potential WR sleepers, and you can bet more will come into focus as the preseason wears on.
2017 RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide Receiver | Tight End | D/ST | Kicker
2017 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Wide Receivers
DeVante Parker, Dolphins. Parker had some sleeper buzz heading into last season, but he ultimately disappointed, posting two or fewer catches five times. He managed two 100-yard games and four TDs, but consistency was an elusive ghost for him. With Jay Ajayi breaking out and target-hog Jarvis Landry still in tow, there's no singular reason to expect things to change this year, but Parker clearly improved from Year 1 to Year 2 (30 more catches, 250 more yards) and he seemed to be more trusted by Dolphins' coaches as the season went on. The "Year 3 Breakout" is a popular fantasy theory, and while there's not hard evidence to support it, Parker is the type of athletically gifted, big-play receiver who seems poised for better things. If he can eat into Kenny Stills' production from last year (726 yards, nine TDs), which he should, his numbers could really jump. (Update: The change from Ryan Tannehill to Jay Cutler isn't necessarily a plus for Parker, but we know Cutler looks to throw deep and let his big receivers go up and make plays. As long as Cutler isn't totally washed up, Parker's upside remains the same.)
Martavis Bryant, Steelers. Bryant is the type of guy who could actually get overvalued once drafts start, but we put him on this list to remind you that after a one-year ban for violating the league's substance-abuse policy, the troubled Steelers' receiver has been reinstated and is expected to start opposite Antonio Brown. Bryant posted 15 total TDs in just 21 games in 2014 and '15, averaging 17.3 yards per catch along the way. He reportedly put on 10 pounds of muscle to his 6-4 frame, making him even more imposing in the red zone. There's obvious risk here, both in the form of Bryant getting suspended for the season at any point and the uncertainty involved with a player who's sat out a year, but the upside is obvious in Pittsburgh's high-powered passing attack. Bryant has a real chance to finish the year as a top-10 wideout.
Corey Coleman, Browns. Coleman didn't exactly have a sterling offseason, narrowly avoiding assault charges and missing offseason training programs because of a hamstring injury. After sitting out six games last year because of a hand injury, there might be more red flags than positives. Still, Coleman's explosiveness can't be denied, and with Terrelle Pryor (and his 140 targets) in Washington and Gary Barnidge (and his 82 targets) on the free agent market, Coleman is the longest tenured of the Browns' receiving corps. Inconsistency could still be an issue, but a healthy Coleman should see a big improvement from Year 1.
MORE: FREE Fantasy Football Draft Guide from Fantasy Alarm
Jamison Crowder, Redskins. Crowder finished last season with a whimper, catching just nine passes for 80 yards over the final four games, but prior to that, he was one of the most consistent receivers in the NFL. In each of the eight games leading up to that late-season slide, Crowder had at least 8.8 fantasy points, scoring a touchdown in all but two games. The addition of Pryor might have some overlooking Crowder, but with DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon out of town, the door is open for Crowder to be a major contributor in both PPR and standard leagues.
Rishard Matthews, Titans. It might seem weird to call a guy who had 945 yards and nine TDs last year a "sleeper," but Matthews is being underrated heading into 2017 after Tennessee added Eric Decker and No. 5 overall pick Corey Davis in the offseason. And while it stands to reason he could lose some targets, it would be silly to dismiss his '16 performance, too. Matthews clearly has a rapport with Marcus Mariota, and Decker (injury worries) and Davis (inexperience) are far from sure things. Don't let Matthews fall too far in your draft.
Taylor Gabriel, Falcons. Gabriel was basically a non-factor for the first seven weeks of last season, but starting in Week 8, he scored in six of the next seven games. The speedy receiver only once had more than four catches in a game, so you could put the "boom-or-bust" label on him, but Gabriel obviously boomed more than busted once he became a key part of Atlanta's offense.
Adam Thielen, Vikings. There's no use pretending that Thielen's final line of 69-967-5 wasn't heavily inflated by his 202-yard, two-TD performance in Week 16, and without that, there was really nothing special about his season. But that game did happen, and Thielen showed enough throughout the entire year to encourage fantasy owners. If Stefon Diggs is fully healthy, Thielen could lose targets, but it's just as likely Kyle Rudolph and his 132 looks from last season will take a step back. Thielen's size (6-2, 200 pounds) and hands are legit, so don't dismiss him as a one-game/one-year wonder.
MORE SLEEPERS:
Quarterback | Running back | Tight End | D/ST
Will Fuller, Texans. Fuller was looking great through Week 4 last year, posting 323 yards and four TDs, but he hit a wall after that. From Week 5 on, he failed to get in the end zone and top 60 yards receiving in a game. He also struggled with drops, so the Texans' putrid QB situation wasn't entirely to blame. Regardless, we know Fuller has explosive talent, and even moderately better QB play could lead to a good season. It doesn't hurt that the coverage will always be favorable with DeAndre Hopkins on the other side of the field. (Update: Fuller broke his collarbone on Aug. 2 and is expected to miss 2-3 months. Braxton Miller will likely get the first chance to take his starting spot.)
J.J. Nelson, Cardinals. Last year, John Brown was the Cardinals' receiver everyone wanted, but he flopped hard, scoring just two touchdowns. Brown is still a candidate to break out this year, but the even more diminutive Nelson also has plenty of appeal. He finished last season with a touchdown in four of the final five weeks and totaled 30 targets in the final three games. To be fair, he had exactly one catch twice during the span, so the "boom-or-bust" label applies here, too, but Arizona seemed to find something they like with the 5-10, 160-pound speedster.
Marqise Lee, Jaguars. Like Nelson, Lee is being elevated because fantasy owners are casting aside a guy who was a total bust last year (Allen Hurns). It's usually a mistake to completely write off someone after one bad year, but "on to the next one" is generally how fantasy works. Lee had a decent 2016, catching 63 of 105 targets for 851 yards and three scores. Hurns' five missed games certainly helped Lee's numbers, but considering his various ailments, Hurns can't be counted on to stay healthy. The Jaguars threw the ball just over 39 times per game last year (fourth most), so there will be targets to get around even if the Jags receiving corps stays healthy.
MORE:
2017 Fantasy Football Sleepers: 32 teams, 32 sleepers
Zay Jones, Bills. Jones set the career FBS receptions record while at ECU (399), topping it off with a ridiculous 158-catch senior season. The 6-2, 201-pound rookie should start in Week 1 and he'll be battling for the No. 1 spot with recently aquired Jordan Matthews and Anquan Boldin after the Bills traded away Sammy Watkins. Jones should see a lot of targets, and as long as he's up for the challenge, he has a legit chance of being this year's top rookie receiver.
Cooper Kupp, Rams. Are we trying too hard to find a sleepers by listing an FCS rookie who plays for the Rams? Yeah, probably, but Watkins still has a lot to prove in L.A., and Kupp was legit in college, posting at least 93 receptions, 1,431 yards, and 16 TDs in all four seasons. Even if you acknowledge those numbers are inflated by Eastern Washington's pass-happy offense and defensively challenged opponents, all you have to do is watch a little film to see Kupp looks the part (assuming EWU's red turf doesn't burn your retinas). At 6-2, 198 pounds, Kupp isn't your stereotypical "speedy white slot receiver," so if Jared Goff can get him the ball, Kupp can make plays.