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Wide receiver values and draft targets in the later rounds of fantasy football drafts. Taylor Maxston discusses five WRs who have huge upside at their 2017 ADP.
In fantasy football, the wide receiver position has by and far the most depth of any player group. This is not to say that all wide receivers should be passed on in favor of quarterbacks or running backs on draft day, but it does mean that there are plenty of hidden gems lurking in the depths.
The following list contains five such players who are all deep sleeper wide receiver candidates that should be worth a bench spot at a minimum.
If you've already drafted and these players are available on the waiver wire, consider making them one of your first waiver claims once the season is underway. Now, let’s get started.
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Deeper WR Sleepers for 2017
Chris Hogan – New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are heading into 2017 with one of the most complete and lethal passing attacks in the league. They traded for New Orleans Saints’ do-it-all receiver Brandin Cooks and tight end Rob Gronkowski is practicing without limits as he returns from a back injury. As a result of having so many proficient pass catchers, it seems as if 6’1 field-stretcher Chris Hogan is the odd man out who is getting very little respect in fantasy circles.
After establishing himself as the Patriots’ top X receiver, Hogan proved to be one of Tom Brady’s favorite targets on the perimeter in 2016. On throws where Brady threw the football 20 yards or deeper, he led the team with 31.5% of those targets. He has an incredibly unique combination of speed and size that the team desperately lacks at the wide receiver position, meaning I doubt he simply fades away in the offense any time soon. After all, we’re talking about a coaching staff who capitalizes on any type of positional advantage they can.
Hogan will likely be available as the Mr. Irrelevant of most drafts, meaning you have to pay virtually nothing to get him. He’s already been operating in the No. 3 receiver role on the team and could be a massive home run should he manage to hit. Don’t overpay for Cooks, wait on 7-Eleven to be open all day!
Josh Doctson – Washington Redskins
Many fantasy owners will suffer from recency bias with Washington wide receiver Josh Doctson, who was selected in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft and touted as an athletic freak of nature. After suffering a torn Achilles as a rookie, the Washington receiver missed 14 games last season and wasn’t a part of Kirk Cousin’s 4000-plus yard air raid. However, at 6’2 and 202 lbs, the former TCU star has reliable ball skills with a large catch radius combined with all the physical tools to win at the line of scrimmage.
It speaks volumes that the Redskins opted not to resign Pierre Garcon or DeSean Jackson this offseason, with both combining for 135 receptions on 2016 targets last year. Doctson is in a great position to be lined up as the team’s No. 3 wide receiver alongside Terrelle Pryor and Jamison Crowder in an offense that will likely be in the top-10 for passing attempts in 2017.
On the whole, Doctson appears healthy after participating in offseason activities and ready to become a useful fantasy asset for owners who don’t want to pay the hefty draft price of the two going ahead of him. He is currently going undrafted in standard scoring and in the twelfth round as WR-57 in PPR according to fantasyfootballcalculator.com, making for a great bargain. There is no question that he provides a good chance for a significant return on investment, making it an easy pick to justify in my mind.
Ted Ginn Jr. – New Orleans Saints
Ted Ginn just had the two of his best seasons with the Carolina Panthers after turning 30 years old, with stat-lines of 44-739-10 and 54-752-4 in the 2015 and 2016 seasons respectively. The best thing that could have happened to him for building on that success is joining forces with an age-defying quarterback in Drew Brees who just saw his second-most targeted receiver head off to New England.
Do I even need to describe how explosive the Saints’ offense is? They have scored at least 400 points or averaged 25 points per game since 2013 and were tied for tenth in the league in explosive plays (receptions of 20 yards or longer) to their wide receivers in 2016. They additionally ran the sixth most three wide receiver sets last season, meaning Ginn will undoubtedly see the field in some capacity as a potent playmaking threat.
After signing a three-year, $11 million contract with the Saints, he has received nothing but praise from both Brees and head coach Sean Payton. Although he’s been known for being a bit of a hit-or-miss fantasy prospect, Ginn is currently listed as the team’s starter opposite of Michael Thomas on the depth chart and has capitalized on Willie Snead missing practice time. Ginn will be worth a late round flier as an explosive option that can take the top off of defenses and is currently being undervalued on most people’s draft boards. Check out this great article written by Stephen Halupka of Rotoballer.com to get a more detailed sense of how successful Ginn could be in 2017.
Taylor Gabriel – Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons chose to resign Taylor Gabriel this last offseason without much hesitation. The former undrafted player from Abilene Christian, who completed his third NFL season, tied Julio Jones for the team lead in touchdown receptions with six. The 5’8, 167 lb receiver averaged 42.7 yards on his touchdown receptions, the second-highest among receivers with five or more touchdown catches and second only to Brandin Cooks (44.1).
Although the departure of offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan is a concern for the entire offense, it’s highly likely that the team attempts to maintain as much continuity as possible in the transition to 2017. Gabriel’s range of outcomes is what makes him particularly enticing in Atlanta, as he could operate as the No. 3 wide receiver in a similar manner to last season at worst or become a workhorse target hoarder with the duo of Julio Jones and Mohammed Sanu drawing coverage at best.
With the ball, Gabriel is a threat to score at all times. I believe that he will avoid fluctuating levels of production in 2017 and provide immense upside for those who take a chance on him. You’ll definitely have to cough up a bit more in terms of draft capital to get him, as he is currently going in the eleventh round in mock drafts. However, Gabriel should be worth the investment.
Breshad Perriman – Baltimore Ravens
Although the health Joe Flacco is in question and Jeremy Maclin has been thrown into the mix, this wouldn’t be a deep sleeper list without Breshad Perriman. The first round, sophomore wide receiver has spent much of the offseason building rapport with his quarterback and remains one of the best red-zone threats on the roster. Despite a mostly disappointing rookie campaign, he managed to carve out a nice role in an offense that led the NFL in past attempts last season, averaging 15.1 yards per reception and catching three scores.
Unfortunately, Perriman suffered a hamstring injury on August 1 that will likely keep him out for most of the preseason after a strong training camp. It’s important not to write him off completely as a year two breakout candidate, but a lost camp will likely set him significantly behind Mike Wallace and Jeremy Maclin. Still, Perriman is going as WR-69 in PPR formats and has immense upside as a Baltimore receiver, meaning you can get him for virtually nothing in your draft. Should you have room on your bench to let him sit, he could pay you back in dividends.
