June 22, 2016

Pierre Camus analyzes second year wide receiver (WR) Kevin White as a fantasy football sleeper for the 2016 season.

As the #7 overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft, Kevin White was supposed to be the Bears' replacement for perennial Pro-Bowler Wide Receiver Brandon Marshall.

A stress fracture in his shin changed those plans, as he required surgery in the pre-season and didn't see the field during his rookie season. Chicago is hoping White will finally have a chance to show off his skills on the field and present another threat for Quarterback Jay Cutler.

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Is Kevin White A 2016 Draft Sleeper?

White has been compared physically to Andre Johnson - lofty praise for a player yet to take a snap in an NFL game. The 6'3" receiver from West Virginia posted a 4.35 40-yard-dash time and has the size/speed combo that scouts dream about. This year, Kevin White gets a much-deserved reboot after what was essentially a redshirt season to start his NFL career. This is common for quarterbacks (although less so in recent years), but it can be beneficial for a receiver learning a new system and adjusting to NFL speed. With the opportunity he will be given in 2016, Kevin White has all the makings of a fantasy sleeper about to wake up.

White has long been considered a diamond in the rough. He was a three-star recruit out of Scranton, Pennsylvania, but was forced to play in juco due to insufficient grades. Once eligible to join Division-I, he was modestly recruited and chose West Virginia over the likes of Texas Tech, Hawaii and Bowling Green. After a slow start, Kevin White emerged as a playmaker in his final college season. He made a huge leap from 507 receiving yards as a sophomore to 1,447 yards as a junior, good for sixth in the NCAA. His 109 receptions led the Big 12 and were third in the NCAA. He also doubled his TD output from five to ten as the primary target for the Mountaineers.

Of course, many college stud wide receivers have posted big numbers in college, only to later disappoint in the NFL. White, however, was not part of a prolific passing attack that stockpiled numbers for several receivers, nor was he part of a spread offense that could make him ill-prepared for the NFL. Chicago scouts undoubtedly saw him as a Brandon Marshall clone, but with even better speed. White will be expected to start opposite the 6'4" Alshon Jeffrey. Jeffrey is a Pro-Bowl caliber talent who is the undisputed top receiver in Chicago. His numbers suffered somewhat last season as the Bears severely lacked another receiving threat that could take pressure off of Jeffrey. Marquess Wilson, a seventh-round pick in 2013, was the closest thing the Bears had to another playmaker. In three of the games that Alshon Jeffrey was absent due to injury, Wilson posted 80+ receiving yards one time with a total of 24 targets and 16 receptions. A healthy Jeffrey/White tandem should be able to surpass those numbers on a regular basis.

There is no doubt White should be starting for the Bears week one, if healthy. One positive for the fantasy prospects of Kevin white is, he is not just replacing the rotation of receivers that included Wilson and Eddie Royal. Without Matt Forte or Martellus Bennett in town, there will be more targets heading to the outside receivers. New offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains will implement an offense based around his primary receivers and will be tasked with drawing out White's potential. According to Bears reporter Jeff Dickerson, White has looked great in OTAs so far and has been a stand-out player. White's presence will help the entire Bears offense and should provide a boost to the value of Jeffrey and Jay Cutler as well.

The trick is where to target White for fantasy drafts this season. As a totally unproven commodity, he is nearly as risky as selecting a rookie. The benefit of sitting a year and an age of maturity should give him a leg up though. It is easy to overlook a player that has done nothing noteworthy over the past calendar year. The NFL draft is still fresh in our minds and excitement abounds over the potential of picks like Sterling Shepard, Corey Coleman and Will Fuller. Last year's receivers such as Amari Cooper and Devante Parker look to build on promising first year performances. White has neither going for him and may be a somewhat forgotten commodity. White should available around the 7th or 8th round in standard drafts and is best suited as a WR3 to start the year. Don't be surprised if he finishes as a WR2 worthy of starting in standard leagues, as he has the ability to be a dynamic player and fantasy contributor right away.

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