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
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Deeper PPR Draft Values & Early Waiver Wire Pickups

Tony Peters identifies 2016 fantasy football PPR draft sleepers & Week 1 NFL waiver wire pickups. These PPR RBs, WRs & TEs should be added off the waiver wire as fantasy football sleepers.

Welcome to the 2016 fantasy football season! With Week 1 almost upon us, the wait for the first kickoff is only days away. At this point, you're either getting ready for your final fantasy football drafts, or have already drafted your teams and are now ready to analyze the waiver wire for any overlooked players and make minor roster tweaks. While most fantasy owners are looking to run out the team they drafted during Week 1, not all owners are so lucky. For those looking to plug a roster hole or bulk up their bench, here's some players to keep in mind. These players are all owned in 20% or less of Fleaflicker leagues.

This is definitely not the time to be making wholesale roster changes, but the last few picks in drafts are usually fliers, and adding or dropping those players normally won't make a break your team. That is unless you can identify a high-upside, low-cost player who is being overlooked and can provide sneaky PPR value for your teams. For those who haven't drafted yet, and play in PPR leagues, consider this a list of undervalued running backs, wide receivers and tight ends that can outperform their current ADPs and draft day prices

Editor's Note: Purchase a full season NFL Premium Pass (including Draft Kit + DFS Premium), and also get MLB Premium + DFS for free through the playoffs. Premium DFS lineup picks, expert lineups, tools and more - seven days a week. You can see screenshots of our NFL Premium and MLB Premium and DFS tools. What are you waiting for?

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Undervalued PPR Draft Targets, Waiver Wire Adds & ADP Sleepers

Today I will focus on some PPR draft sleepers and waiver wire targets, or players that may be getting a sneaky amount of pass targets/receptions and fantasy football production. These pass catchers are either being drafted really late in drafts, or not at all, and can be easily plucked off the waiver wire for some PPR upside. Not all of these players may be available on your league's waiver wire, but if they are you should consider adding them.

 

PPR Running Back Draft Sleepers & Waiver Wire Adds

Javorius Allen (RB, BAL) - 11% Owned

After the surprise cutting of starting running back Justin Forsett, it is being reported that Terrance West would be inheriting the starting job. Regardless of the truth in that, West hasn't been a fantasy useful player since his rookie season in 2014 when he was with the Browns. That's where second-year player Javorius "Buck" Allen comes in. As a rookie last year, he rushed for 514 yards and one touchdown on 137 touches over 16 games and six starts as a member of the Ravens. West may open the season as the starter, but he in no way makes it to the bye week before Allen takes that designation from him.

Jordan Howard (RB, CHI) - 10% Owned

A growing deep sleeper in fantasy circles after erupting for 107 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries in the Bears' final preseason game, running back Jordan Howard--a 2016 fifth round pick by the Bears--quickly made a name for himself. Though he remains firmly behind starter Jeremy Langford (a 2016 sleeper in his own right) and backup Ka'Deem Carey (a fantasy snooze), he plays on a team that knows how to work the running back position and should offer plenty of opportunities to Langford's backup. He's too deep a sleeper for most leagues, but he'll eventually make himself one of the more important handcuffs by the season's end at he pairs with Langford to make one of fantasy's best running back units.

More Options: Shaun Draughn (3% owned), Devontae Booker (17% owned), C.J. Spiller (14% owned), C.J. Prosise (6% owned), Shane Vereen (14% owned)

 

PPR Wide Receiver Draft Sleepers & Waiver Wire Adds

Eli Rogers (WR, PIT) - 4% Owned

Wide receiver Eli Rogers may have yet to take a snap in the NFL, but that is all about to change this week as he's been named the first-team slot receiver of the Steelers. This preseason, he led the Steelers in receptions with 10, which he ran for 84 yards and no touchdowns. As a member of a throw-heavy offensive led by one of the game's top quarterbacks in Ben Roethlisberger, he has a chance to really make some noise for fantasy teams. If Rogers can draw attention from defenders by being good enough to distract them from the team's best receivers, "Big Ben" is going to deliver him some thank you gifts that his fantasy owners are sure to love as well.

Victor Cruz (WR, NYG) - 17% Owned

Before going any further, please keep in the mind the following: Victor Cruz hasn't played in the NFL since 2014 after sitting out all of last season. That doesn't bode well for anyone looking to make use of him in fantasy football sooner rather than later, regardless of any comments team and player make on the subject. When Cruz was healthy, he was an Eli Manning catch magnet, pulling down 214 balls for 3,626 yards and 23 touchdowns from 2011-2013. With Manning still at the helm of the Giants Notebook" href="http://www.rotoballer.com/mlb-fantasy-news/?team=SF">Giants, there's a chance that old spark may catch aflame again between the two. At only 29 years old, he's still young enough to put up another decent season or two, health willing.

More Options: Tyler Boyd (18% owned), Jermaine Kearse (6% owned), Terrance Williams (13% owned), Charles Johnson (1% owned), Robert Woods (3% owned)

 

PPR Tight End Draft Sleepers & Waiver Wire Adds

Jesse James (TE, PIT) - 14% Owned

Not a name fantasy players are likely to know, Steelers' tight end Jesse James had a rookie season that was fairly under the radar to just about everyone not a member of his team. While the team liked how he performed when he played (eight receptions for 56 yards and a touchdown in eight games and two starts), they signed Ladarius Green in the off-season to be their starter. But with him out for at least the first six games of the season, all eyes are back on James. So far this preseason, he's caught seven balls for 36 yards and a touchdown. With "Big Ben" as solid a quarterback as the game has, James only needs to do his job and catch the ball to put up decent numbers until Green comes back.

Clive Walford (TE, OAK) - 13% Owned

After pushing incumbent Mychal Rivera to the side during the second half of last season as a rookie, tight end Clive Walford is looking to take the next step in his development as he goes into 2016 as the starter. Though he played in 16 games last year, he only started two of them as he shared the position with Rivera. In that limited time though, he was able to catch 28 balls for 329 yards and 3 touchdowns. With quarterback David Carr turning into a great young quarterback, Walford's future is looking like it'll "come up Milhouse" soon enough.

 

Quarterbacks, Defense & Kicker Options

The following players don't provide extra value for PPR leagues, but are still options to consider:

Sam Bradford (QB, PHI) - 9% Owned

While the internet loses it's collective mind over the haul the Vikings gave up to pick up quarterback Sam Bradford from the Rams, we can take a look at it from a simply fantasy football perspective. With original starter Teddy Bridgewater on the injured reserve, this job is Bradford's alone. After putting up what is arguably his best season as a pro last year with the Eagles (3725 yards, 19 touchdowns, 14 interceptions, 65% completion rate), he joins a Vikings team that lacks weapons and can lean on top running back Adrian Peterson. But it is a team on the rise and Bradford is reunited with his offensive coordinator with the Rams and Eagles, Vikings' tight end coach Pat Shurmur. Most leagues are shallow enough that Bradford may never be owned aside of bye weeks, but deeper leagues--especially two quarterback leagues--could do worse than take a flyer on the new Viking.

Jimmy Garoppolo (QB, NE) - 6% Owned

Maybe this shows my true "noob" colors, but I was surprised to find no love given to Jimmy Garoppolo as he gets ready to start his four-week starting gig with Tom Brady suspended until Week 5. This is the Patriots, a team known to exploit anything and everything to gain the upper-hand in every game they play. Garoppolo may be a lifelong NFL backup with little real game experience, but he easily has the best support system out of all the quarterbacks taking over for someone better. The man has to simply listen to his expert coach Bill Belichick and nail tight end Rob Gronkowski in the red zone to be successful. In a lot of ways, yes, that is an oversimplification of New England football...but it also kind of isn't. Don't forget that.

Matt Prater (K, DET) - 14% Owned

Not many fantasy players are looking for sleeper kicker tips at this point of the season, if at all. But if you were the sorry owner of former Bears kicker Robbie Gloud, you may be in need of someone new. Lions' kicker Matt Prater would make a great replacement. He made up for a disappointing 2014 with a better 2015 in his second season in Detroit, only missing two field goals after missing five the year before. With the Lions set to have a much better offensive season in 2016 as long as quarterback Matthew Stafford avoids last year's early season slump, look for Prater to benefit from that.

New York Giants (DEF, NYG) - 10% Owned

Much like with kickers, most teams are rolling out the defense they drafted this week. But if for some reason that pick didn't pan out, the Giants are a safe bet to not come up empty-handed during Week 1. While facing the Cowboys seems like a bad matchup on paper, no Tony Romo and no lights-out running back isn't going to help a team that gave up the third-most fantasy points to opposing defenses last year get off on the right foot. Sorry Cowboys fans, if the end of last season is any indicator, this is going to be a rough season to sit through.

 

 


Check out RotoBaller's famous fantasy football draft sleepers and waiver wire pickups list, updated regularly!




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Cooper Kupp

Active for Divisional Battle in Week 10
AJ Barner

Active for Week 10 Against Cardinals
Brock Purdy

Remains Inactive for Week 10
Tyler Allgeier

Scores Twice Against Indianapolis
Darius Slayton

Questionable to Return Against Bears
Drake London

Tallies Triple-Digit Yardage Again Sunday
Jonathan Taylor

Carries Colts to Victory in Berlin
D'Andre Swift

Active for Week 10 Against Giants
Harold Fannin Jr.

Active Against Jets
Aaron Jones Sr.

Active for Week 10 Against Ravens
Tetairoa McMillan

Suiting Up Against Saints in Week 10
Garrett Wilson

Officially Active Against Browns
Alvin Kamara

Active for Week 10 Against Panthers
Daniel Jones

Colts Plan to Offer Daniel Jones a Long-Term Extension
Micah Parsons

Prohibited From Being Traded Back to NFC East?
Cooper Kupp

Still Up in the Air for Week 10
Domantas Sabonis

Questionable for Sunday vs. Timberwolves
Jayden Daniels

Will be Re-Evaluated During Bye Week
Stephen Curry

Questionable for Sunday vs. Pacers
Isaiah Stewart

Doubtful with Left Ankle Sprain
Tobias Harris

Ruled Out Sunday with Right Ankle Sprain
Santi Aldama

Questionable Sunday with Shoulder Soreness
Aaron Wiggins

Ruled Out Sunday with Groin Strain
Luguentz Dort

Questionable Sunday with Upper Trap Strain
Taurean Prince

Ruled Out Sunday with Neck Strain
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Probable to Play Through Knee Soreness on Sunday
Jalen Green

Leaves Early with Hamstring Injury Saturday
Scott Laughton

to Miss Sunday's Action
Ryan McDonagh

Exits With Injury Saturday
William Karlsson

Out Day-to-Day
Warren Foegele

Ready to Rejoin Kings Lineup Sunday
Jalen Chatfield

Out Indefinitely
Dougie Hamilton

to Miss at Least One Week
Harold Fannin Jr.

Likely Good to Go Against the Jets
Cedric Tillman

Anticipated to Play on Sunday
Tetairoa McMillan

Likely Playing on Sunday
D'Andre Swift

Anticipated to Play Against the Giants
Luke Kennard

Out On Saturday Night Against Lakers, Will Miss Second Straight Game
Maxi Kleber

Will Make Season Debut Saturday Night Against Hawks
Dean Wade

Questionable For Saturday Night Against Bulls
Larry Nance Jr.

Listed As Questionable For Saturday Night Against Bulls
Jared McCain

Available For Saturday Night Against Raptors
Ryker Evans

Comes Off Injured Reserve
Bilal Coulibaly

Officially Out For Saturday Night Against Mavericks
Joey Daccord

Kraken Place Joey Daccord on Injured Reserve
Jordan Kyrou

Rejoins Blues Lineup Saturday
Anthony Cirelli

Won't Play on Saturday
Casey Mittelstadt

Misses Meeting With Maple Leafs
Charlie McAvoy

Sits Out Saturday's Game
Sean Monahan

a Game-Time Decision Saturday
Jamal Murray

Listed As Questionable For Saturday Night Against Pacers
Aaron Gordon

Questionable For Saturday Night Against Pacers
Norman Powell

Listed As Probable For Saturday Night Against Blazers
Jaime Jaquez Jr.

Listed Questionable For Saturday Night Against Blazers
Bam Adebayo

Ruled Out For Second Straight Game
Artemi Panarin

Ends Dry Spell With Three-Point Outing
Marcus Johansson

Extends Point Streak to Eight Games
Spencer Knight

Posts First Shutout of the Season
Matt Duchene

to Remain Out Saturday
Zayne Parekh

Expected to "Miss a Little Bit of Time"
Frank Nazar

Day-to-Day Following Friday's Early Exit
Aaron Judge

Headlines AL Silver Slugger Award Winners
William Eklund

Moved to Injured Reserve
Gustav Nyquist

Expected to Remain Out Friday
Shohei Ohtani

Headlines List of NL Silver Slugger Winners
MLB

Munetaka Murakami Officially Being Posted on Friday
Randy Brown

Set For UFC Vegas 111 Main Event
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Joseph Morales

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 111
Matt Schnell

Set For UFC Vegas 111 Co-Main Event
Uros Medic

Aims To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Muslim Salikhov

Looks For His Fourth Consecutive Win
Chris Padilla

Looks To Remain Unbeaten In The UFC
Ismael Bonfim

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Marco Tulio

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Christian Leroy Duncan

Set To Open Up UFC Vegas 111 Main Card
Kyle Tucker

Headlines List of 13 Players to Receive Qualifying Offers
Pete Fairbanks

Becomes a Free Agent
CFB

Luke Fickell Will Return as Wisconsin's Head Coach in 2026
Bo Bichette

Blue Jays Extend Qualifying Offer to Bo Bichette
Craig Stammen

Named Padres New Manager
Jorge Polanco

Declines his 2026 Option to Become a Free Agent
Chris Sale

Braves Picking Up Chris Sale's 2026 Option
Michael Thorbjornsen

Poised to Continue Hot Play in Mexico
Davis Riley

Struggling to Find Form Ahead of World Wide Technology Championship
Taylor Montgomery

Leaning on Putter at World Wide Technology Championship
Stephan Jaeger

Offers Strong Value at World Wide Technology Championship
Ben Griffin

Looks to Stay Hot at El Cardonal
Nick Dunlap

Looking to Find His Game at El Cardonal
Wyndham Clark

Searching for Consistency at El Cardonal
Michael Brennan

Aims to Extend Fairytale Start at El Cardonal
Shane Bieber

Staying in Toronto for 2026
Salvador Perez

Agrees to Two-Year Extension With Royals
Trevor Story

Opts in for Remaining Two Years on his Contract
Yu Darvish

to Miss All of 2026 Following Flexor-Tendon Surgery
Shota Imanaga

Becomes a Free Agent
Luis Robert Jr.

White Sox Pick Up 2026 Option on Luis Robert Jr.
CFB

LJ Martin Expected to Play in Top-10 Matchup Against Texas Tech
PGA

LIV Golf Expanding To 72-Hole Format In 2026
Atlanta Braves

Braves Hire Walt Weiss as Their Next Manager
Kris Bubic

Cleared to Begin a Throwing Program
Brandon Woodruff

Declines Mutual Option for 2026
Freddy Peralta

Brewers Exercise 2026 Option on Freddy Peralta
Lucas Giolito

Declines his 2026 Player Option
J.J. Spaun

Finishes Sixth at Procore Championship
PGA

Matti Schmid Finishes Tied for 46th at Baycurrent Classic
Keith Mitchell

Finishes Tied for 10th at Baycurrent Classic
Si Woo Kim

Finishes Tied for 21st at Genesis Championship
Mackenzie Hughes

Misses The Cut at Sanderson Farms Championship
Max Greyserman

Finishes Second at Baycurrent Classic
Austin Eckroat

Finishes Tied for 56th at Baycurrent Classic
Luke Clanton

Finishes Tied for 56th at Bank of Utah Championship
Pete Alonso

Officially Opts Out of his Contract With Mets

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP