Fantasy: WR sleepers to target late in your draft
Fantasy Sleepers
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Wide Receivers
If you plan on drafting a quarterback or tight end early, or if you want to lock up a pair of running backs in the first two rounds, you will need to fill out your fantasy receiving corps later in the draft.
Receiver has turned into a very deep position in fantasy, but after the more well-known names have been selected by the sixth or seventh round, the landscape becomes a little less certain.
With that in mind, we have scoured the position to find under-the-radar players, including three super deep sleepers, who may be poised for big seasons.
(Note: all average draft position (ADP) data in this article is courtesy of FantasyFootballCalculator.com and based on 12-team leagues with standard scoring.)
Priority Sleepers
Kendall Wright, Titans
ADP: 8th round
Wright hasn't received the kind of acclaim a receiver normally gets when he posts over 90 receptions and more than 1,000 yards, which is evidenced by his current ADP in the middle of the eighth round.
Wright has seen more than 100 targets in each of his first two NFL seasons and should continue to be a big part of the Titans' passing attack under Ken Whisenhunt's new system. After finishing as a top-30 fantasy receiver in 2013, Wright is being drafted at least two rounds later than he should be entering his third year in the league.
Playing for the Titans doesn't exactly thrust you onto the national stage, but Wright's lack of touchdowns is the bigger reason why the spotlight has yet to find him. The 5-foot-10, 191-pound pass catcher found the end zone just twice last season. Smaller receivers typically struggle to score on a consistent basis, but if he can get that number up he could move all the way into the WR2 conversation.
Kelvin Benjamin, Panthers
ADP: 9th round
Despite being the fifth player taken at his position in the 2014 NFL Draft, Benjamin may emerge as the top rookie fantasy receiver by season's end. That isn't a knock on Sammy Watkins or Mike Evans, simply an acknowledgement of his skills and the excellent situation he finds himself in.
The 6-foot-5, 240-pound Benjamin became Cam Newton's best option the moment he stepped on the Panthers' practice field. Jerricho Cotchery, Jason Avant and tight end Greg Olsen make up an uninspiring supporting cast, helping pave the way for the rookie to be a potential star.
The only worry about Benjamin is that his sleeper status isn't going to last long. All the reports out of camp have him impressing everyone in attendance and in his first preseason game, he hauled in a highlight reel 29-yard touchdown. If you are drafting later in the month, you may need to strike sooner than the ninth round.
Deep Sleepers
Cecil Shorts, Jaguars
ADP: 11th round
it's tough to get a proper read on Shorts, who has dealt with injuries for a big portion of his three-year professional career. The 26-year-old isn't starting this season off any better, sitting out since July 25 with a Grade 2 hamstring strain.
Shorts is expected to be back and healthy for Week 1 and hopefully he can stay that way. Last year, he played through a sports hernia, catching 66 passes for 777 yards and three touchdowns over 13 games. Over the first five games, he averaged six receptions and 82 yards per outing. In 2012, he was healthier and more dangerous, posting a line of 55-979-7.
It's understandable for owners to be reluctant to buy-in on a player with so much injury risk. However, with great risk comes great value in your draft and Shorts definitely has the skill to produce WR3 numbers (or possibly better) if he can play a full slate of games.
Kenny Britt, Rams
ADP: 11th round
For a player with so much raw talent, it's surprising Britt has never had more than 775 yards in a season. Some of that has to do with health, since he hasn't played a 16-game season since his rookie year in 2009. He started the 2011 campaign looking like a a fantasy WR1 with 14 catches, 271 yards and three touchdowns in the first two weeks, before MCL and ACL injuries cost him the rest of the year.
Rams head coach Jeff Fisher knows Britt well from their time together in the Titans organization and gave him a one-year "prove yourself" deal. The early returns have been very positive, as the receiver who had dealt with off-field issues his whole career is being called a "leader" in training camp.
At just 25 years old, Britt still has plenty of time to revive his career. If he can avoid injury, the potential is still there for him to become a go-to receiver in an offense that desperately needs a playmaker in the passing game.
Jordan Matthews, Eagles
ADP: 12th round
Matthews flashed throughout OTAs and training camp. With fantasy owners looking to buy shares in Chip Kelly's offense, the hype was growing at a rapid pace. Unfortunately, a couple of drops in his preseason debut has brought everyone back to reality.
Playing in an up-tempo offense that lacks a true star in the receiving corps, Matthews could quickly carve out a significant role. The worry with him is the same worry with all the Eagles players not named LeSean McCoy, and that's the consistency of their targets from week to week.
If an injury were to sideline Jeremy Maclin or Riley Cooper, Matthews would become one of the most sought after players out there.
Markus Wheaton, Steelers
ADP: 12th round
With Emmanuel Sanders now in Denver, there is an opening in the Steelers offense for a receiver who can complement Antonio Brown. Wheaton is pencilled in as the starter from Day 1 and is doing his best to prove he deserves the job.
After a quiet rookie season, where he caught just six passes for 64 yards, Wheaton is still looking for his first NFL touchdown. In this year's preseason opener, his skills were on display as he caught a 28-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger and was also used on an end around, which gained 10 yards.
Wheaton's fantasy value is a case of talent meeting opportunity. If the Steelers can find ways to effectively use his speed, he could be a sneaky WR3 in fantasy.
Justin Hunter, Titans
ADP: 12th round
Hunter's teammate Kendall Wright may be a safer option this season, but Hunter has a much higher upside.
The second-year receiver set his own goal of 60 receptions in 2014, a much more realistic mark than most NFL players shoot for. If he is able to maintain the 19.7 yards per catch he averaged last year, a 60-catch season would translate to 1,182 receiving yards.
Hunter also showed a knack for finding the end zone during his 2013 rookie campaign. Of the 18 passes he hauled in, four of them finished with six points being put on the board.
Super Deep Sleepers
Doug Baldwin, Seahawks
ADP: Undrafted
Baldwin is another player who will benefit from increased playing time, now that Golden Tate is with the Lions and Sidney Rice is retired. Baldwin has played well when given the chance, he just hasn't seen the field enough to be a consistent fantasy player.
During the Seahawks' Super Bowl run, Baldwin caught 13 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown over three games. The team followed that up by signing him to a three-year, $13-million deal in the offseason. The Seahawks are confident in Baldwin's ability and fantasy owners should be as well.
Malcom Floyd, Chargers
ADP: Undrafted
Floyd appeared in only two games last season before a neck injury cost him the rest of the year. When he went down, Keenan Allen emerged as the Chargers' top receiver and went on to have a great season. Now Floyd is back and by all accounts is healthy and ready to pick up where he left off.
He hasn't received the praise he deserved over the last few years because of injury-shortened seasons, but he has averaged 3.6 receptions, 65.0 yards and 0.4 touchdowns per game since 2010. Over a full 16-game season that would equate to 58 receptions, 1,040 yards and six touchdowns. Not bad for a player currently going undrafted.
Andrew Hawkins, Browns
ADP: Undrafted
Hawkins has dynamic talent, but has never been used as a full-time receiver in an NFL offense. He has relocated within the AFC North, leaving Cincinnati for a Cleveland team in search of pass catchers to replace Josh Gordon during his likely suspension.
Hawkins should be the top receiver on the Browns, with his main competition coming from tight end Jordan Cameron. Regardless of whether Johnny Manziel or Brian Hoyer starts for Cleveland, someone is going to get the targets and Hawkins could be a more exciting talent than most people realize.