X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Four Deeper Sleepers to Target in 2015 Fantasy Football Drafts

I love late round fliers. What’s not to like? They are your last few picks on draft day (besides DEF/K) so there is very little risk involved, and if they hit, you look like a fantasy football genius. If they don’t hit, you just cut them and move on to the hot waiver pickup of the week. You can’t lose with these guys, unless you drop them and they end up becoming relevant. That has definitely happened to me before.

Anyways, in this column about four deeper fantasy football draft sleepers, I’ll look at NFL players being taken in the 14th round or later of 12-man fantasy football drafts (outside the top 156 players). These players are true late-round fliers that I think could provide major value over the course of the season. They are far from a guarantee, but at the end of the draft it’s all about upside, not safety. Let's find some sleepers and dominate those drafts!

Editor's Note: to read about more 2015 fantasy football draft sleepers, be sure to check out our running list of ADP values that can return draft day profits and help you dominate your leagues.

 

Deeper Sleepers for Fantasy Football - Later Round Fliers

RB Matt Jones, Washington Redskins - Fantasy Pros ADP 228 / RB71

Matt Jones wasn’t big on my radar until the Redskins took him in the third round despite the steady production of Alfred Morris. Per Player Profiler, Jones isn’t very athletic (SPARQ-x score in the 48th percentile) and wasn’t very dominant in college (25th percentile College Dominator rating) but he was BIG. AT 6’2” 232 lbs, he was the tallest and heaviest running back drafted this year. His 4.61 40 yard dash wasn’t very impressive, but his Speed Score, a metric that adjusts 40 times for weight, ranked 5th of all backs at the combine. That was ahead of several well regarded prospects including T.J. Yeldon, Duke Johnson and Ameer Abdullah. So while his combine numbers don’t pop out, when adjusted for his size he isn’t a bad prospect at all.

Now that Jones has seen some time on the field in the preseason, he is turning some heads. In two preseason games so far, Jones has put up an extremely impressive 6.3 YPC on 13 carries and had a goal line touchdown as well. Via Pro Football Focus, Jones is 2nd among all RBs with at least 10 carries in yards after contact per attempt. He is also the highest graded of the Redskins backs in the preseason so far.

He isn’t stealing Alfred Morris’ job anytime soon but as far as handcuffs go, Jones looks to be one of the better ones for this season. If you draft Alfred Morris early or you are in a deeper league where some backup running backs are being drafted, put Matt Jones on your radar. Morris has yet to miss a game in his career but that can change quickly in the NFL. Morris’ yards and YPC have declined in each of his seasons as well. If that trend were to continue, it may not even require an injury to put Jones at the top of the depth chart. I’m definitely not counting on it but with Jones looking strong in the preseason I’ll be taking a late flier on him.

 

WR Brandon Coleman, New Orleans Saints - Fantasy Pros ADP 233 / WR74

There has been a lot of buzz on Brandon Coleman over the past couple of weeks so I wouldn’t be surprised if his current ADP is actually quite a bit higher than what is listed. When you are getting praise in such a high volume offense like the Saints, people take notice. Brandon Coleman is a big receiver at 6’6” 225 lbs  with a very solid 4.56 40 yard dash which puts him in the 91st percentile for speed score.

During the offseason, the WR3 role looked to be Nick Toon’s. Toon had already grabbed that role in the final six games of 2014 after Brandin Cooks’ injury. Toon has let the role slip away in the preseason and now it seems all but assured after suffering a high ankle sprain in the second preseason game. Coleman was already receiving praise from HC Sean Payton well before Toon went down with an injury. Unfortunately, despite the praise and his play during practice, Coleman has not done much in the actual preseason games. In fact, he’s caught zero passes on just two targets. That is a serious concern. If Coleman can’t perform in the preseason, how can we expect anything in games that count? I’ll be closely watching Coleman in the final two preseason games to see if he can actually catch a few balls. At his size, he could compete with the tight ends to become the top red zone threat in an offense that lost Jimmy Graham. That is enough of a reason for me to take him at the end of a draft.

 

TE Richard Rodgers, Green Bay Packers - Fantasy Pros ADP 298 / TE29

I was pretty bummed when Jordy Nelson went down with what appears to be a torn ACL. He is a fantastically productive receiver that was Aaron Rodgers favorite red zone target. The injury sucks and is a big blow to the offense for sure. Yet when you have a QB as talented as Rodgers, nearly all of the production is likely to get absorbed by other receivers rather than disappear with the loss of Nelson. Most of the hype is surrounding second year receiver Davante Adams who was drafted in the second round last year. Some hype is also going to Jeff Janis, drafted in the seventh last year. Very little attention is going to another potential benefactor, tight end Richard Rodgers.

Rodgers is yet another second year player in this offense, having been drafted in the third round. Rodgers saw a decent amount of playing time last year as the second tight end behind Andrew Quarless. Rodgers started to get some attention in the offense down the stretch, receiving more targets than Quarless over the final seven games including playoffs. It’s not just that he was seeing more targets, Rodgers was also more efficient, recording a better catch rate and getting two touchdowns to Quarless’ one during that time.

Rodgers is expected to be the top tight end this year, but can he really take some of Jordy’s targets away from Davante Adams? I think so. Adams was incredibly inefficient down the stretch. In the second half of the regular season and during the playoffs, Davante Adams recorded an abysmal 51.2% catch rate. That was lower than any other Packers WR or TE that saw at least 10 targets during that span by 14%.

Meanwhile Richard Rodgers catch rate was 75%. Aaron Rodgers was giving Richard Rodgers high praise for his hands late last season. Even prior to the Jordy injury, Rodgers was being talked up as a potential red zone threat. In one of the best offenses in the game, I’d rather take the bait on this news and spend a late round pick on this guy than watch him score touchdowns for someone else and end up as a TE1 for them. Davante Adams and Jeff Janis may still get most of Jordy’s targets, but in the red zone don’t be shocked if it’s Richard Rodgers grabbing the touchdowns.

 

TE Tyler Eifert, Cincinnati Bengals - Fantasy Pros ADP 178 / TE22

Eifert is a guy I’ve talked about before, but he is worth writing about again. Despite the fact that I have seen some buzz around Eifert in the fantasy community and that his Fantasy Pros consensus rank is TE11, Eifert’s ADP remains surprisingly late. Eifert is extremely athletic, see for yourself on Player Profiler. He was supposed to be a big part of the Bengals offense last season and while injury got in the way, that plan is in place once again for 2015.

Eifert picked up right where he left off last year. Before dislocating his elbow late in the first quarter of the first game in 2014, Eifert already had three catches for 37 yards. In the first preseason game of ‘15, Eifert had two catches for 30 yards on just 15 snaps. It’s obviously a very small sample size but it’s a very promising sign that Eifert is set to deliver on the expectations many have had for him since he was drafted.

As I wrote previously about Eifert, I expect 90+ targets for him. This number was based on the effect that the less talented receiver Jermaine Gresham saw 78 targets last year and Gresham and Eifert combined for 119 in 2013 in a more pass happy offense where the receivers were healthy. With the health of the Bengals receivers back again and Eifert uncontested as the primary tight end, 90 targets seems like a safe bet. That would have put him in the top ten targeted tight ends last season. Given Eifert’s athleticism and the pass catching ability he has flashed in limited action thus far in his career, I’m willing to bet that leads to a breakout season. That makes him a fantastic bargain. If you wait at TE, Eifert should be the number one guy you target.

 

NFL & Fantasy Football Chat Room

 




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Nolan Schanuel39 mins ago

Injury Isn't Serious
Isaiah Stewart2 hours ago

Injured Against Boston
Duncan Robinson2 hours ago

Doesn't Return On Monday
Jackson Chourio2 hours ago

Makes Opening Day Roster
Anthony Davis2 hours ago

Cleared To Meet Atlanta
Blake Snell2 hours ago

Heading To The Giants
Onyeka Okongwu3 hours ago

To Return On Monday
Bryce McGowens3 hours ago

Unavailable For Tuesday
Tyus Jones4 hours ago

Won't Play On Tuesday
Deni Avdija4 hours ago

Unavailable For Tuesday
Nick Martinez4 hours ago

To Open The Year In The Rotation
OG Anunoby4 hours ago

Set For Multi-Game Absence
Kyle Kuzma4 hours ago

Uncertain For Tuesday
Luka Doncic4 hours ago

Considered Probable For Tuesday
Matt McLain4 hours ago

Scratched With Shoulder Soreness
Bilal Coulibaly4 hours ago

Ruled Out For Rest Of Season
Kenley Jansen4 hours ago

Scheduled To Make Four More Spring Appearances
Jackson Chourio4 hours ago

"In The Mix" For Roster Spot
Rudy Gobert4 hours ago

Ruled Out For Monday
Scoot Henderson4 hours ago

Returns To Starting Unit Without Restrictions
Matisse Thybulle4 hours ago

Available Again On Monday
Jerami Grant4 hours ago

Remains Sidelined On Monday
Lauri Markkanen5 hours ago

Returns To Action On Monday
Alex Caruso5 hours ago

Ready To Roll Monday
Coby White5 hours ago

Ruled Out For Monday
Kristaps Porzingis5 hours ago

Returns To Celtics Lineup
Jaylen Brown5 hours ago

Ready To Go On Monday
Jayson Tatum5 hours ago

Won't Play Against Detroit
Teuvo Teravainen5 hours ago

Misses Second Straight Game
Joshua Dobbs5 hours ago

49ers Reach Agreement With Joshua Dobbs
TOR5 hours ago

Mitch Marner To Miss At Least Two More Games
Jacob Markstrom6 hours ago

Could Return This Weekend
Rico Dowdle6 hours ago

Staying With Cowboys
Mikhail Sergachev6 hours ago

Skates On Monday
Dustin Wolf6 hours ago

Between The Pipes Monday
New Orleans Saints6 hours ago

Saints Expected To Sign Chase Young
Alexander Mattison6 hours ago

Signing With Raiders
DJ LeMahieu7 hours ago

In Danger Of Missing Opening Day
Buffalo Bills7 hours ago

Taron Johnson Re-Signs With Bills On Three-Year Deal
José Urquidy7 hours ago

Jose Urquidy Has Forearm Strain, Will Begin On Injured List
Justin Verlander8 hours ago

Expected To Face Hitters "In The Next Day Or Two"
Corey Seager8 hours ago

Takes Batting Practice Monday
Aaron Judge8 hours ago

Likely To Play In Four Of Final Six Spring Games
Garrett Crochet8 hours ago

Named Opening Day Starter
Nolan Schanuel8 hours ago

Scratched With Back Tightness
Dallas Cowboys8 hours ago

Leighton Vander Esch Calling It A Career
DJ LeMahieu9 hours ago

Still Pretty Sore
Aaron Judge9 hours ago

To Return On Wednesday
Jhoan Duran10 hours ago

To Begin Season On Injured List
Bryan Battle10 hours ago

Bout Ends in Controversy
Ange Loosa10 hours ago

Fight Ruled A No-Contest After Accidental Eye Poke
Ovince Saint Preux10 hours ago

Wins Split Decision In A Back-And-Forth Fight
Kennedy Nzechukwu10 hours ago

Suffers Split-Decision Loss To Ovince Saint Preux
Gerald Meerschaert10 hours ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Shohei Ohtani11 hours ago

Cleared To Begin Throwing Program
Bryan Barberena11 hours ago

Submitted In The Second Round
Kyle Manzardo11 hours ago

Sent To Minor-League Camp
Jackson Merrill11 hours ago

Wins Center Field Job
Kenley Jansen11 hours ago

Scratched With Lower-Back Tightness
Denny Hamlin12 hours ago

Emerges Victorious For Second Bristol Win In A Row
Alexander Mattison12 hours ago

Visiting With Raiders
Dak Prescott12 hours ago

Cowboys Restructure Dak Prescott's Contract
Dmitry Orlov13 hours ago

Collects Four Points In Big Win
Tyler Toffoli13 hours ago

Dominates Against Columbus With Three Points
Lucas Raymond13 hours ago

Pots Pair Of Goals Versus Penguins
Kaz Grala13 hours ago

Finishes 19th At Bristol Motor Speedway
Bo Horvat13 hours ago

Scores Twice In Losing Effort
Brad Keselowski13 hours ago

Exceeds Value In DFS At Bristol Motor Speedway
Pavel Buchnevich14 hours ago

Delivers Three Assists In Sunday's Win
Ryan Lindgren14 hours ago

Suffers Leg Injury Versus Islanders
Kyle Larson14 hours ago

After 5th at Bristol: "I Hope I Never Have To Run A Race Like That Again"
Chase Elliott14 hours ago

Earns First Top 10 Finish Of 2024
Justin Haley14 hours ago

Earns Best NextGen Short Track Finish for Rick Ware Racing
Ty Gibbs14 hours ago

Has Dominant Day at Bristol but Fades Late
John Hunter Nemechek19 hours ago

Found Speed At Bristol
Chris Buescher19 hours ago

Secures Top 10 At Bristol
Alex Bowman22 hours ago

Late Charge to Fourth Masks Early Race Struggles
Christopher Bell22 hours ago

Ran Well, But His Teammates Were All Better
Martin Truex Jr1 day ago

. Matches Career-Best Finish At Bristol
Ryan Blaney1 day ago

Fades to 16th at Bristol After Handling Struggles
Russell1 day ago

Wilson Still Considered The Starter
William Byron2 days ago

Is One Of The Top DFS Options For Bristol
Ty Gibbs2 days ago

Starts 19th At Bristol After Damage In Practice
Justin Haley2 days ago

Scores A Starting Position Of 32nd For Bristol
Denny Hamlin2 days ago

Should Compete For The Win At Bristol
Brad Keselowski2 days ago

History Indicates Brad Keselowski Being A Favorable Bristol Play
Joey Logano2 days ago

Should Be Rostered With Caution At Bristol
Tyler Reddick2 days ago

Is Tyler Reddick Worth Rostering At Bristol This Week?
Martin Truex Jr2 days ago

. Could Work As A Tournament Play At Bristol
Alexander Nylander2 days ago

Totals Three Points In Saturday's Win
Sebastian Aho2 days ago

Leads Hurricanes To Victory In Toronto
Owen Tippett2 days ago

Delivers Three Assists In High-Scoring Loss
Steven Stamkos2 days ago

Extends Scoring Streak With Four-Point Performance
Nick Schmaltz2 days ago

Records Three Assists In Win Over New Jersey
Artemi Panarin2 days ago

Racks Up Five Points In Saturday's Win
Brady Tkachuk2 days ago

Sinks Islanders With Third Hat Trick
Pannie Kianzad2 days ago

Drops To .500 In The UFC
Macy Chiasson2 days ago

Gets First-Round Submission Win
Isaac Dulgarian2 days ago

Suffers First Career Loss
Christian Rodriguez2 days ago

Overcomes Early Adversity At UFC Vegas 88
Tai Tuivasa2 days ago

Suffers Fourth Straight Loss
Marcin Tybura2 days ago

Gets First-Round Submission
Justin Fields2 days ago

Traded To The Steelers
NHL2 days ago

Lukas Reichel Will Be In The Lineup Sunday
Cale Makar2 days ago

A Game-Time Decision Saturday
Zach Parise2 days ago

Likely To Return Saturday
Michael Gallup2 days ago

Panthers Bringing In Michael Gallup For A Visit
Mike Williams3 days ago

Panthers To Host Mike Williams On A Visit
New York Jets3 days ago

Jets Expected To Sign Tyron Smith
AJ Dillon3 days ago

Officially Re-Signs With Packers
Van Jefferson3 days ago

Steelers Signing Van Jefferson
Jakobi Meyers3 days ago

Raiders Restructure Jakobi Meyers' Contract
Jimmy Garoppolo3 days ago

Rams Agree With Jimmy Garoppolo On One-Year Deal
Gerald Meerschaert3 days ago

To Fight In Main Event Of UFC Vegas 88
Bryan Barberena3 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Kennedy Nzechukwu3 days ago

Looks To Get Back In Win Column
Ovince Saint Preux3 days ago

Set For 27th UFC Appearance
Bryan Battle3 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Ange Loosa3 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 88
San Francisco 49ers3 days ago

De'Vondre Campbell Heading To San Francisco
Dallas Cowboys3 days ago

Leighton Vander Esch Being Cut By Cowboys
Michael Gallup3 days ago

Cowboys Releasing Michael Gallup
Kenny Pickett3 days ago

Steelers Sending Kenny Pickett To Eagles
Pannie Kianzad5 days ago

Looking For Redemption At UFC Vegas 88
Macy Chiasson5 days ago

Ends Layoff At UFC Vegas 88
Isaac Dulgarian5 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 88
Christiaan Bezuidenhout5 days ago

Looking To Put It All Together At TPC Sawgrass
Eric Cole5 days ago

Rebounding Well In The Sunshine State
Brian Harman5 days ago

Playing The Dark-Horse Role Again At The Players
Matt Fitzpatrick5 days ago

Searching For Answers Thus Far In 2024
Sahith Theegala5 days ago

One Of The Tour's Fastest Risers To Start The New Year
Sam Burns5 days ago

Brings A Stellar Run Of Form Into TPC Sawgrass
PGA5 days ago

Sungjae Im Trending Up After Arnold Palmer Success
Jason Day5 days ago

Facing Iron Hiccup Heading To The Players
Tom Hoge6 days ago

Brings Strong Form And History To Sawgrass
Min Woo Lee6 days ago

Ready For Second Trip To Sawgrass
Will Zalatoris6 days ago

Working Toward A Win
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Russell Wilson - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL Free Agency Tracker - Updates On Every Free Agent Signing (2024)

The legal tampering period for NFL free agency begins on March 11 at noon EST, so news of signings will be flying in all week. Veterans like Russell Wilson and Jonnu Smith were released before their contracts expired, meaning they got a head start on free agency and have already reached agreements with new organizations.... Read More


Rome Odunze - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks

Coach Knows Ball: Rome Odunze NFL Draft Film Breakdown of Washington WR

Welcome to Coach Knows Ball, an NFL Draft series analyzing the top prospects in the 2024 class. I'm a college football coach with nine years of NCAA experience and have been scouting NFL Draft prospects for over 15 years. This series will give a deep dive into the film of some of the top players... Read More


Kirk Cousins - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Winners and Losers of 2024 NFL Free Agency (Teams)

Well, strap in, folks, because the first week of 2024 NFL Free Agency was a rollercoaster ride. Some teams made power moves while others seemingly snoozed at the switch. The Houston Texans, for instance, came out swinging, pulling off some of the savviest deals that could very well tilt the scales in their favor this... Read More


George Pickens - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Next Gen Stats Review: 2023 Wide Receivers and Tight Ends

A while back, we covered the Next Gen Stats for running backs, including rushing yards over expected and the percentage of plays with eight or more defenders in the box. Check out the running back review of the Next Gen Stats, as it adds a layer to player analysis. We love the advanced stats for... Read More


Keenan Allen - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Keenan Allen Traded To Bears: Fantasy Football Impact

Star wide receiver Keenan Allen has been one of the more underrated players in the NFL over the past few years. He spent the first 11 years of his career with the Los Angeles Chargers, playing for the franchise since their days in San Diego. However, the team reportedly asked Allen to take a pay... Read More


Marquise Brown - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Marquise Brown Signs With Chiefs: Fantasy Football Impact

Veteran wide receiver Marquise Brown signed a one-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday. Brown hopes to follow JuJu Smith-Schuster’s footprints by playing on a one-year deal with the Chiefs and earning a multi-year big-money contract the following offseason. The former Oklahoma star spent the first three years of his career with the... Read More


Justin Jefferson - Fantasy Football Rankings, DFS Lineup Picks, NFL Injury News

Will The Vikings Trade Justin Jefferson? 2024 NFL Outlook

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is one of the top players in the NFL. The superstar was part of an impressive 2020 NFL Draft class. Yet, he was the fifth wide receiver off the board. Jefferson has been a superstar since his rookie year, making three consecutive Pro Bowl teams and All-Pro rosters to... Read More


Marquise Brown - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Top Free Agency Fits For Marquise Brown – 2024 Free Agent Outlook

Free agent wide receiver Marquise Brown is one of the more explosive players in the NFL. The veteran wide receiver ran a 4.27 40-yard dash at his Pro Day coming out of Oklahoma. He was a first-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2019 NFL Draft. Brown has spent most of his career as... Read More


Nico Collins - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings For 2024 Best Ball Leagues (Tiers 4-9)

We have now entered the process of free agency, which is providing pathways for some wide receivers to seize significant roles in their new landing spots. The player movement that has ensued will also decrease the stock of other receivers whose roles will decrease within their reshaped depth charts. Participation in the best ball draft... Read More


Cade Otton - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Early 2024 Best Ball Tight End Sleepers

Top tight ends such as Sam LaPorta and Travis Kelce are bound to put up quality fantasy football numbers weekly, but most tight ends are unpredictable. The top tier of tight ends are reliable for fantasy football purposes, but most tight ends are boom-or-bust type of players. Even though it is hard to hit on... Read More


D'Andre Swift - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL DFS Lineup Picks

D'Andre Swift Signs With Bears: Fantasy Football Impact

Newly signed Chicago Bears running back D'Andre Swift has been one of the most promising, but also underperforming running backs across the NFL and the fantasy landscape in recent years. After three injury-riddled seasons in Detroit where he showed flashes of greatness but didn't quite live up to the hype, Swift was traded to the... Read More


J.J. McCarthy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

Top 50 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings After the 2024 NFL Combine

With the NFL Combine in our rearview mirror, now is a logical time to put out an up-to-date rankings for this year’s NFL Draft. Below, you will find my top-50 players who have declared for this NFL Draft. Below those ranks, you will also find several fantasy-relevant notes I have on this class, and on... Read More


Calvin Ridley - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Calvin Ridley Signs With Titans: Fantasy Football Impact

The Tennessee Titans made a huge move once NFL free agency officially opened. They signed wide receiver Calvin Ridley to a four-year, $92 million contract with $50 million fully guaranteed. Ridley was the top receiver on the open market. The Titans swooped in out of left field and signed him to give second-year quarterback Will... Read More