Fanspeak Fantasy Football: Late Round Wide Receiver Sleepers

By Staff Writer Ryan Gerrity @RyanGerrity:

This group of wide receivers has the potential to put up some good numbers this year as they are flying under the radar during draft day.  After round 12 these players should still be on the board, and at that point drafting any of these players should add great value to your team.

1.  Michael Floyd, WR, Arizona Cardinals

Floyd finished off last season on a high note against the Bears and 49ers by gaining 213 yards and a touchdown.  Before those final games though, it was a rough year.  The additions of new Head Coach Bruce Arians and quarterback Carson Palmer should improve the passing game alone.  This offseason Floyd worked out with fellow Cardinal Larry Fitzgerald so there should be an improvement from last year.  Fitzgerald will get a lot of the attention from defense’s that they face which gives Floyd the opportunity for one-on-one coverage.

2.  Alshon Jeffery, WR, Chicago Bears

Jeffery as a rookie missed 6 games due to a knee injury last year, however he did show signs of being a consistent target for Jay Cutler in Chicago.  Brandon Marshall got over 55% of the targets on passing plays last year for Chicago but that number should drop this year because defense’s will shift their coverage to him, leaving Jeffery in single coverage.  During the last preseason game against the Raiders Jeffery caught 7 passes for 77 yards with the first team offense.  If he can consistently get open and gain the trust of Cutler, he could have a surprising year.

3. Jacoby Jones, WR, Baltimore Ravens    

During the regular season last year Jones did not impress his fantasy owners with 30 catches, 406 yards, and 1 touchdown catch.  He is a threat in the return game, which is an advantage to have in a fantasy player, if your league gives points for special teams’ plays.  Everyone remembers the big plays Jones made in the Super Bowl against the 49ers and he looks like the clear favorite to take over the role of the departed Anquan Boldin.  Expect Jones to get a lot more targets this year as the #2 wide receiver on the depth chart for Baltimore.

4. Mohamed Sanu, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

Sanu is a product of Rutgers where he set records for receptions and he has the body of a starting wide receiver in the NFL.  He is a deep sleeper for fantasy owners because last season he only the ball 16 times, but he caught 4 touchdowns.  A negative is that he has to line up across from A.J. Green who will get a lot of targets and attention from defenses.  Sanu has the potential to be a critical red zone target for Andy Dalton.  There are hesitations around Sanu because the Bengals have so many weapons with Green, Marvin Jones, and tight end Tyler Eiffert, but look for him to have targets in the red zone.