👉 TAP TO SAVE 30% WITH CODE NEW
X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

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
Compare Any Players
24x7 News and Alerts

Five Wide Receiver Sleepers - 2017 Fantasy Football ADP Values

Legend has it that only true love's kiss can wake a sleeping beauty. I present to you five wide receivers that are in a deep comatose state buried on your draft board. Whether it was because of injuries, lack-luster offenses, or incapable quarterbacks, these five players are presenting you with the opportunity to be the hero of your league.

Don't be afraid of the dragon in the shape of a bogus "Pre-Rank" next to their names on the screen. Scroll down that list and take these studs with confidence because when awaken, they will be beautiful.

Okay Prince Charming, do your thing.

Featured Promo: Looking for some more fantasy football action? Adopt a dynasty orphan team over at FFPC. Sign up today and get $25 off any FFPC league. Sign Up Now!

 

2017 Wide Receiver Sleepers

Pierre Garcon, SF (ADP: WR36 Standard, WR34 PPR)

In 2013, Garcon played his first full season in Kyle Shanahan's offense with the Redskins. He finished that year with a career high 113 Receptions and 1,346 Yards. Fast forward to 2017 and the two are reunited out in the Bay. Still 31 years young, Garcon is coming off his only other career 1,000 yard season, but was only able to score three TD in the crowded Redskins aerial attack. In fact, he only caught five passes in the red zone all year.

But I don't see this being an issue in 2017, as the 49ers don't have another viable threat to compete with Garcon for those red zone targets, especially after trading TE Vance McDonald to the Steelers this week. Marquise Goodwin is a fantastic vertical threat, and Jeremy Kerley was just released. Brian Hoyer will lock on to Garcon with all his might from the get-go, and Kyle Shanahan is capable of making sure his #1 WR doesn't get negated by the defense. Remember the 2015 campaign DeAndre Hopkins had himself with Brian Hoyer targeting him a hundred times a game? Okay, not really 100, but he did get 22 in one game and 192 on the season.

I don't understand what is keeping Garcon on the board so long on draft day. In PPR leagues especially, with the target share that he is going to be fed, he could easily be sitting in the top 20 WR range by season's end. If its the 49ers projected record that is scaring you, then I will tell you that in 2013 when Garcon had his most successful season, the Redskins went 3-13. Bottom line: Kyle Shanahan + Brian Hoyer + terrible WR depth = all the Garcon shares I can handle.

 

John Brown, ARI (ADP: WR45 Standard, WR50 PPR)

Before he went out and lit up the Falcons for two touchdowns last week, John "Smokey" Brown was flying WAY under the radar in 2017.  Due to difficulty recovering from injuries due to the sickle-cell trait, Brown missed most of 2016. But if you think back to 2015, Smokey hauled in seven TD along with over 1,000 yards as he proved to be just too fast for defenses to cover when healthy. He claims to be at "90 percent" right now, which for Smokey is plenty healthy enough to duplicate those 2015 numbers again this season, especially with Michael Floyd no longer posing a threat to his deep-zone air space. The 207 FP (PPR) he earned in 2015 would have ranked inside the top 25 WR last year, and that's the kind of ceiling you should be targeting with your WR3/4 spot. The floor is a bit Smokey, but the sky is the limit in that Bruce Arians offense.

 

Adam Thielen, MIN (ADP: WR46 Standard, WR41 PPR)

Every day this guy's ADP is slowly creeping up. This is mostly due to the fact that he has now taken over the slot position for the Vikings, as Stefon Diggs moves to the outside, and people are realizing what this could mean in terms of PPR points. But Adam Thielen is still ripe with value even at his present ADP. Fantasy football doesn't always portray just how good some guys are at this game, and Thielen is one of the cases. Only five WR in the entire league ranked in the top 10 of both DYAR (Defense Adjusted- Yards Above Replacement) and DVOA (Defense-Adjusted Value over Average) during the 2016 season. Yes, these are just Football Outsiders attempt at making a WAR-like statistic for football, but back to the point. Adam Thielen was one of the heralded five. He boasted a 75% catch rate, which was only bested by four other wide-outs, one of which being his teammate Diggs.

Fantasy-wise, Thielen was the sneakiest top 30 WR of the year in 2016. He became Sam Bradford's go-to man to move the sticks, and the connection-and targets grew with every month. Now add a full off-season into the chemistry maker, and we'll get even more volume. 62% of Bradford's passes last year were of the "short" variety, which is why Thielen will at least repeat his 2016 Top 30 WR performance again in PPR leagues in 2017.

 

Jordan Matthews, BUF (ADP: WR50 Standard, WR47 PPR)

With the departures of Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods, and Marquise Goodwin, there are currently around 250 targets up for grabs in the Bills passing game. As of right now, based on the fantasy football community and social media, one would be led to believe rookie Zay Jones is going to fill every bit of that void by himself. But let's pump the breaks. Yes Zay Jones was amazing at East Carolina, but we all remember how dominant Jordan Matthews was at Vandy, right? Matthews scored eight TD in both of his first two seasons in the NFL, and has reached 800 Rec Yds in all three seasons. So we have two rare specimen of human beings fighting for targets and you expect me to believe the one with zero NFL experience is going to box out the guy with three seasons under his belt because of some success in preseason? Get out of here.

Tyrod Taylor was fantastic in the red zone last season, boasting a 11:0 TD:INT ratio. But... only four of those TD were to a player still on the roster. Enter Matthews, who has hauled in 14 red zone TD already in his short career. Just two years ago, he owned the sixth highest target percentage among WR inside the 10 yard line. This is where Matthews will make his mark. Matthews will be all healed up from his chest injury by week 1, and if Tyrod stays healthy, the often-trailing Bills should be able to force feed Matthews enough volume to finish as a top 35 WR. I have been landing Matthews in the tenth round in my 2017 drafts, and I feel like a thief looking at him in my WR4 slot. The fact that the new #1 on the team is being drafted behind the likes of Donte Moncrief, Randall Cobb, and Corey Coleman is just absurd.

 

Robby Anderson, NYJ (ADP: WR56 Standard, WR56 PPR)

Plain and simple, I don't care how ugly the team is, or who is throwing the ball. The clear #1 WR on any offense, especially one that will be playing from behind so much, has to be drafted before this! Kenny Britt and Corey Coleman are being drafted 4-5 rounds prior to Robby and they're playing in Cleveland with a rookie QB, while stealing targets from each other. Stop the hate people. Yes, the butt fumble will always be funny, but good fantasy numbers can come out of awful football. Anderson was targeted over 10 times just twice last season. He scored 33 FP (PPR) between the two, and that's what we have to look forward to when the Jets are losing by 30 and the garbage-time force feeding begins.

As I am writing this of course, the Jets trade for Jermaine Kearse. The addition of Jermaine Kearse doesn't scare me away from Robby Anderson, it actually makes me feel safer about drafting him. Now the Jets have a competent WR that can provide some respite for Robby from the defenses' focus. Neither of the two will be anything close to studs this year, but things would have to go historically bad for Robby to not provide value at his current ADP.

 

More Sleepers & Draft Values




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Compare Any Players
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jonathan Taylor

Back to High-End RB1 Tier with QB Returning?
Jahmyr Gibbs

a Real Threat to Bounce Back as the RB1?
Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Is Jaxon Smith-Njigba the WR1 in Dynasty Fantasy Football?
Keon Coleman

Can Keon Coleman be Dropped in Dynasty Fantasy Football?
Chris Rodriguez Jr.

Does Chris Rodriguez Jr. Fill a Need for Jacksonville?
Darnell Washington

Lacks Ties to New Coaching Staff
Mickey Moniak

has Multi-Homer Game in San Diego
Jeremy Peña

Jeremy Pena Leaves Early on Saturday With Knee Tightness
Jake Oettinger

Shuts Out the Rangers
Steven Stamkos

Scores his 40th Goal of the Year
Noah Schultz

White Sox to Promote Top Pitching Prospect Noah Schultz
Tyler Soderstrom

Slugs Two Home Runs in Win Over Mets
Adley Rutschman

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Ankle Inflammation
George Springer

Suffers Fractured Toe on Saturday
Gabriel Moreno

Likely Headed to Injured List
Kevin Lankinen

Will Play Saturday Night
Blake Coleman

Available Against Kraken
Niklas Kokko

Makes First Career Start Saturday
Anthony Stolarz

Unavailable for Final Three Games
Roope Hintz

Not Expected to Return During Regular Season
Jacob Markstrom

Done for the Season
Markquese Bell

Facing Felony, Misdemeanor Drug Charges
Juan Soto

Could Return for Next Homestand
Corbin Carroll

Officially Back in Saturday's Lineup
Max Muncy

Hits Three Homers, Including Walk-Off Blast
Adonai Mitchell

Can Adonai Mitchell Become the Jets' WR2?
Saquon Barkley

Is Saquon Barkley Still a Safe Bet to Perform Despite His Falling Dynasty Ranking?
Michael Wilson

Varied Opinions on Michael Wilson Could Create Unique Trade Opportunities
Jake Ferguson

Accurately Priced as a Low-End TE1
Tyreek Hill

Faces Uncertain Future
Brock Bowers

Still a Top-15 Player in Dynasty Leagues Despite Injury-Plagued Season
Gavin Sheets

Goes Yard Twice, Including Walk-Off Round-Tripper
Washington Commanders

Commanders Host Omar Cooper Jr. for a Pre-Draft Visit
NFL

Makai Lemon to be a Top-20 Draft Pick This Year?
Corbin Carroll

Expected to Start on Saturday
Wyatt Langford

Forced From Friday's Game With Quad Tightness
Bijan Robinson

Falcons Pick Up Bijan Robinson's Fifth-Year Option
Kris Bubic

Dominates White Sox With 11 Strikeouts on Friday
Royce Lewis

Headed for Injured List
Mack Hollins

Can Mack Hollins Maintain a Starting Role in New England in 2026?
Clay Holmes

Removed With Hamstring Tightness
Malik Washington

Has Breakout Potential After Offseason Movement in Miami
Mike Gesicki

Is Mike Gesicki a Buy-Low Candidate After Down 2025?
Cristian Javier

Placed on 15-Day Injured List
Jayden Reed

Poised for Larger Role in Green Bay Following Offseason Movement
Matthew Golden

Does Matthew Golden Have a Clear Path to a Starting Role in His Sophomore Season?
Jaylon Tyson

Rejoins Cavaliers Lineup as Starter
Klay Thompson

Misses Friday's Game Due to Illness
Kevin Huerter

Back in Action Friday
Sam Hauser

Cleared to Play Friday
Neemias Queta

Ready to Take on Pelicans
Derrick White

Good to Go Friday
Jaylen Brown

Active on Friday
Josh Giddey

Still Out Friday
Miles McBride

Exits Knicks Lineup Friday
Mitchell Robinson

Sidelined on Friday
Norman Powell

Won't Play Against Wizards
Tyler Herro

Out on Friday
Saddiq Bey

Herbert Jones Resting Friday
Immanuel Quickley

Unavailable Friday
Julius Randle

Misses Second Straight Game
Jayson Tatum

Won't Play Friday
Jackson Chourio

Still Not Cleared to Hit
Brent Rooker

A's Place Brent Rooker on 10-Day Injured List With Oblique Strain
J.T. Realmuto

Back in Friday's Lineup
Parker Meadows

Goes on 10-Day Injured List With Broken Arm, Concussion
Carlos Ulberg

A Slight Underdog
Jiří Procházka

Jiri Prochazka Can Become UFC Champion Again
Paulo Costa

Makes his Light-Heavyweight Debut
Azamat Murzakanov

Looks To Remain Unbeaten
Josh Hokit

Looks To Remain Undefeated
Curtis Blaydes

A Favorite At UFC 327
Sam Carrick

to Miss Start of Playoffs
Alex Lyon

Questionable for Start of Postseason
Dakota Joshua

Unlikely to Return This Season
John Gibson

Exits Thursday's Game Due to Neck Problem
Miro Heiskanen

Uncertain for Playoffs
Brandon Hagel

Expected to Return Before End of Regular Season
Roman Josi

Nursing Upper-Body Injury
Trey Murphy III

Unavailable Against Celtics
Dejounte Murray

Remains Out Friday
Zion Williamson

Won't Suit Up Friday
Jalen Williams

Out on Friday
Jarrett Allen

Won't Play Against Hawks
Moritz Seider

has Five-Point Game on Thursday
Cole Caufield

Reaches 50 Goals
Blake Coleman

Unavailable Thursday
Quinton Byfield

Cleared to Play Thursday
Thomas Chabot

Makes Surprise Return Thursday
Luke Hughes

to Miss Rest of Season
Tyrrell Hatton

a Steady Option at The Masters
Justin Thomas

a High-Risk, High-Reward Option at The Masters
PGA

Sungjae Im a Volatile Option at the Masters
Nicolai Hojgaard

Carrying Momentum Into The Masters
Si Woo Kim

in Strong Form Heading to The Masters
Chris Gotterup

Ready to Make His Masters Debut
Patrick Reed

Brings Momentum to The Masters
Jon Rahm

Looks Poised for His Second Green Jacket
Adam Scott

Form Points to Him Competing at Masters
Jordan Spieth

Finding Consistency Heading to Masters
Hideki Matsuyama

Trending In Right Direction For Masters
Tommy Fleetwood

a Contender if his Putter Cooperates at The Masters
Collin Morikawa

Vegas has Lost Confidence in Collin Morikawa Ahead of Masters Tournament
Ludvig Aberg

One of the Top Plays For This Week's Masters Tournament
Rory McIlroy

Set to Defend his Long-Awaited Masters Victory
Bryson DeChambeau

Looks to Finally Claim a Green Jacket
Patrick Cantlay

Needs Plenty to Go Right at Augusta
Harris English

Playing Solid Golf Heading to Masters
Sam Burns

Bouncing Back Nicely After Slow Start to 2026 Season
Corey Conners

Quietly Putting Together A Strong 2026 Season
Russell Henley

Looks to Bounce Back At Masters
Chris Duncan

Suffers Second-Round Submission Loss
Renato Moicano

Gets Back In The Win Column
Tabatha Ricci

Gets Outgrappled
Virna Jandiroba

Bounces Back
Brendson Ribeiro

Suffers First-Round Submission Loss
Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev

Earns First-Round Submission Win
Rafael Estevam

Suffers His First Loss
Ethyn Ewing

Dominates At UFC Vegas 115
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF