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| Carson Wentz is one of the fifteen NFL players you should keep your eyes in the late rounds of your fantasy football drat in 2017. Photo credit: CSN Philly |
2017 Fantasy Football - 15 Sleepers
This is a list of my favorite 2017 fantasy football sleepers - underrated players who are going way later than they should. The Average Draft Position (ADP) is found on FantasyFootballCalculator.com.
The past two years of Fantasy Football Sleepers have been a mixed bag. For 2015, three of my top six sleepers were Dion Lewis, Jordan Reed and Cam Newton. On the flip side, however, I was way wrong on Kendall Wright, Stevie Johnson and Breshad Perriman. As for last season, I nailed Michael Thomas, Spencer Ware, Robert Kelley, Kenneth Dixon. Some whiffs, however, were Tajae Sharpe, DeAndre Washington, Devin Funchess and Devontae Booker.
- Joe Williams was a fourth-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, but would've gone earlier had it not been for character concerns. The 49ers love him and think he's a better fit for the offense than Carlos Hyde, so I would definitely target Williams in the middle rounds.
Joe Williams, RB, 49ers. ADP: 12.02. - C.J. Prosise had two explosive performances against the Patriots and Eagles last year before landing on injured reserve. Durability is obviously an issue with Prosise, but he's worth the risk in the 11th round. The Seahawks will definitely give Prosise plenty of touches when he's healthy.
C.J. Prosise, RB, Seahawks. ADP: 11.02. - Zach Ertz has been Carson Wentz's favorite target throughout the offseason, so he should be drafted much higher than the 11th round. He and Wentz developed a great rapport toward the end of this past season, so that should carry over into 2017.
Zach Ertz, TE, Eagles. ADP: 11.04. - Spencer Ware may begin the year as Kansas City's starting running back, but Kareem Hunt will likely finish the season as the primary runner. Hunt is more talented than Ware, who struggled down the stretch last season after a hot start. Unfortunately, Hunt's ADP has risen from the 11th round to the eighth recently.
Kareem Hunt, RB, Chiefs. ADP: 8.05. - Tyler Lockett is 29th in my Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings, so I don't know why he's being chosen so late. Lockett showed great potential as a rookie in 2015, but was banged up last year. He should be able to rebound with a strong season.
Tyler Lockett, WR, Seahawks. ADP: 14.01. - Prior to the Jeremy Maclin release, I was pretty confused about why Taylor Gabriel and Tyreek Hill were being drafted nine rounds apart. I didn't even have them nine spots apart in my Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings! Gabriel and Hill are effectively the same player, and Gabriel is in the better offense. Hill's role will increase with Maclin gone, but the fact remains that Gabriel still provides much more value.
Taylor Gabriel, WR, Falcons. ADP: 11.02. - Carson Wentz is my No. 11 quarterback, yet he's the 19th signal-caller off the board. Wentz has a top-five offensive line and an improved receiving corps to work with. Plus, he has worked very hard on his mechanics this offseason. He seems poised for a great sophomore campaign.
Carson Wentz, QB, Eagles. ADP: 12.08. - Allen Hurns was a major disappointment in 2016, but he was never 100 percent because of a problematic knee. Now healthy, Hurns can go back to collecting lots of yardage in garbage time.
Allen Hurns, WR, Jaguars. ADP: 14.08. - Here's another Seattle running back who is well worth his ADP than Eddie Lacy. Thomas Rawls has worked out extremely hard this offseason to make amends for his disappointing 2016 campaign. That should pay off, so I like taking a chance on him at the end of the ninth round.
Thomas Rawls, RB, Seahawks. ADP: 9.12. - Kenny Golladay has been the star of Lions' training camp. He's only a rookie, but he's a massive receiver who will provide a huge presence in the red zone. He's worth looking into in the final rounds.
Kenny Golladay, WR, Lions. ADP: Undrafted. - I don't understand why Pierre Garcon is the 36th receiver off the board at his 8.02 ADP. Garcon is a great route runner and can thrive in any system. Sure, his quarterback will be Brian Hoyer, but if Cameron Meredith can be productive with Hoyer, Garcon certainly can, too.
Pierre Garcon, WR, 49ers. ADP: 8.02. - I had John Brown listed in the Fantasy Football Busts last year, but I like him to rebound from his dreadful 2016 campaign. Brown dealt with a nasty injury all season, but figures to be healthy now. Carson Palmer's regression is still an issue, but with Michael Floyd gone, Palmer will target Brown more often.
John Brown, WR, Cardinals. ADP: 9.04. - Austin Hooper didn't do much as a rookie, but he's had a great offseason and has earned the praise of Matt Ryan. Hooper is a highly athletic tight end with tremendous upside, so he could post TE1-type numbers this year.
Austin Hooper, TE, Falcons. ADP: 14.02. - Marlon Mack has been getting some positive press recently. Chuck Pagano said Mack has the potential to be a "special player," citing how Mack has performed well in pass-protection drills. That's key for a young running back, so Mack could get some playing time this year with Frank Gore on the decline.
Marlon Mack, RB, Colts. ADP: 12.06. - It feels weird to call a fifth-round pick a sleeper, but I think C.J. Anderson provides a ton of value in the early rounds. Anderson is in great shape this year, so he might be able to avoid injury. He's 14th in my Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings, yet he's the 25th player at his position to come off the board, per the ADP.
C.J. Anderson, RB, Broncos. ADP: 5.05. - The Chargers spent the seventh-overall pick on Mike Williams, but he could miss most of the season with a back injury. Tyrell Williams, as a result, provides quality value at his ninth-round ADP. Williams' ADP has risen recently in the wake of the Williams news, but I liked him beforehand.
Tyrell Williams, WR, Chargers. ADP: 9.05. - I don't think spending a final non-defense, non-kicker pick on J.J. Nelson is the worst idea. Nelson is Arizona's No. 3 receiver, and he could easily become the second option, given John Brown's injury history. There have been positive reports about Carson Palmer this offseason, so that could help Nelson's fantasy outlook.
J.J. Nelson, WR, Cardinals. ADP: 14.11.
