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
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
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?

 

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
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jayden Higgins

Impresses During Minicamp
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

on the Move to Memphis
Cole Anthony

Dealt to the Grizzlies
Seattle Seahawks

DeMarcus Lawrence Making an Impression With his New Team
Isaiah Simmons

Being Used Exclusively as a Linebacker
Tyler Mahle

Placed on 15-Day Injured List
Travis Etienne Jr.

the Jaguars Lead Back?
Luis Robert Jr.

Scratched with Thumb Soreness
Desmond Bane

Traded to Orlando
Byron Buxton

Scratched from Sunday's Lineup
Daniel Jones

the Favorite in Colts QB Competition?
Brendan Donovan

Returns to the Lineup
Steven Adams

Rockets Agree to Three-Year Contract Extension
Royce Lewis

Hits 10-Day Injured List
Ty Dillon

Is a Respectable Cap Flexiblity-Focused DFS Option For Mexico City
Corey Perry

Produces 10th Postseason Goal
Connor McDavid

Scores First Finals Goal
John Hunter Nemechek

Is John Hunter Nemechek Worth Rostering In Mexico City DFS Lineups?
Shohei Ohtani

Blasts Two Homers in Win
Sam Bennett

Nets Another Road Goal in Game 5 Win
Eetu Luostarinen

Earns Two Points Saturday
Michael King

Not Making Progress
Brad Marchand

Pots Two Goals in Game 5 Victory
Jackson Merrill

Removed Early on Saturday
Sergei Bobrovsky

Ties NHL Record with 10th Road Win
Ross Chastain

Trackhouse Racing's Mexico Focus Makes Ross Chastain a Leading Contender for the Win
Kyle Busch

One of Two Past Mexico City Winners in the Field
Ryan Preece

Earns Surprising Front-Row Start
Austin Cindric

Not as Strong of a Road Racer as People Think
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Stronger on Infield Road Courses Than Purpose-Built Ones
Joey Logano

Seemingly Alternating Between Good and Mediocre Races
Brad Keselowski

One of the Few Drivers with Mexico City Experience
Denny Hamlin

Ryan Truex Makes First Cup Series Start Since 2014
Erik Jones

Mexico City Will Likely be a Struggle for Erik Jones
Noah Gragson

Front Row Motorsports' Speed May Make Noah Gragson a Decent DFS Option
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Road Courses Are Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s Worst Track Type
Riley Herbst

Surprisingly Outqualifies 23XI Racing Teammates at Mexico City
Cody Ware

a Very Experienced Road Racer but Still a Long Shot
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen the Heavy Favorite to Win in Mexico City
Christopher Bell

the Chalk DFS Play in Mexico City
Tyler Reddick

Has a Lot of Work To Do To Be Competitive in Mexico
AJ Allmendinger

Struggling to Find Speed in Mexico City
Chris Buescher

Says Car is "Bad Fast" Heading into Mexico City Race
Michael McDowell

Confident Heading into Viva Mexico 250
Giancarlo Stanton

Likely Returning Early Next Week
Spencer Strider

Registers 13 Strikeouts
Hunter Brown

s Records 12 Strikeouts
Emeka Egbuka

"the Talk" of Bucs Minicamp
Royce Lewis

to be Placed on Injured List
Byron Buxton

Exits Early on Saturday
Evander Kane

Drops to Fourth Line Saturday
Kasperi Kapanen

Won't Play on Saturday
Calvin Pickard

Starts Game 5 for Oilers
Jaxson Dart

Working as No. 2 QB During Offseason Workouts
Xavier Gipson

Roster Spot Could be in Jeopardy
Josh Reynolds

the Front-Runner for WR2 Duties
Garrett Wilson

Stock Up This Offseason
Breece Hall

Motivated Going into 2025 Season
Brandon Aiyuk

Making Good Progress From Knee Injury
Keon Coleman

Inconsistent at Minicamp
Mitchell Trubisky

Not a Lock for Backup Job
Dalton Kincaid

Adds Strength and Bulk
James Cook

a Full Participant in Mandatory Minicamp
Tyrese Haliburton

Struggles in Friday's Loss to OKC
Jacob Misiorowski

Expected to Make Next Start
Chet Holmgren

Dominates the Glass in Game 4
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Leads the Way in Game 4
Jalen Williams

Has a Quality Showing on Friday Night
Charlie Morton

Continues Good Work With 10 Strikeouts
James Wood

Homers, Drives in Four
Agustín Ramírez

Agustin Ramirez Homers Twice to Snap Skid
Isaac Paredes

Astros Hopeful Isaac Paredes Can Avoid the Injured List
Royce Lewis

Dealing With Hamstring Strain
Kodai Senga

Diagnosed With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain
Gleyber Torres

Goes Deep Twice on Friday
Anthony Richardson

Should be Fine for Training Camp
Russell Westbrook

to Decline Player Option
Kevin Durant

Trade Could Happen in the "Next Few Days"
Cam Akers

Joining Saints
Michael Mayer

to Get More Involved
Aaron Rodgers

DK Metcalf Building Chemistry with Aaron Rodgers
Colston Loveland

Likely to be Primary Tight End
Joaquin Buckley

Set For Main Event
Kamaru Usman

An Underdog At UFC Atlanta
Miranda Maverick

Set For Co-Main Event
Rose Namajunas

Looks To Bounce Back
Andre Petroski

Looks To Extend His Win Streak To Four
Edmen Shahbazyan

A Favorite At UFC Atlanta
Raoni Barcelos

Set To Take On Former Champion
Cody Garbrandt

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Mansur Abdul-Malik

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Cody Brundage

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Alonzo Menifield

Opens Up UFC Atlanta Main Card
Oumar Sy

Looks To Remain Undefeated
Connor Hellebuyck

Wins Vezina And Hart Trophies
Aleksander Barkov

Records Two Power-Play Assists Thursday
Sam Reinhart

Collects Three Points in Thursday's Loss
Matthew Tkachuk

Notches Three Points in Losing Effort
Calvin Pickard

Joins Exclusive List with Thursday's Win
Mattias Ekholm

Logs Two Assists in Comeback Victory
Leon Draisaitl

Delivers Victory in Overtime Thursday
Myles Turner

Playing Through Illness
Reed Sheppard

Will Play in the NBA Summer League
Kevin Durant

Deal Could Come Sooner Rather Than Later
Dorian Finney-Smith

Undergoes Ankle Surgery
Anze Kopitar

Wins Third Lady Byng Trophy
Sergei Bobrovsky

Heading Out for Win No. 15
John Klingberg

Won't Play in Game 4 Against Panthers
Viktor Arvidsson

Sits Out Game 4 Against Panthers
Stuart Skinner

Remains in Oilers Crease Thursday
Jalen Williams

Leads Thunder in Scoring Wednesday
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Settles for 24 Points in Game 3 Loss
Pascal Siakam

Does Everything for Pacers Wednesday Night
Tyrese Haliburton

Gets Close to Triple-Double in Game 3 Win
Bennedict Mathurin

Leads All Scorers with 27 Points Wednesday
Brandin Podziemski

Has Second Offseason Surgery
Jaylen Brown

Undergoes Successful Knee Procedure
Matt McCarty

Comes Off Season-Best Showing at RBC Canadian Open
Justin Thomas

Desperate to Continue Good 2025 Season
Jon Rahm

Seeks Revenge at U.S. Open
Tom Kim

Aiming for Improvement in U.S. Open
PGA

Sungjae Im Expects Solid Performance at Oakmont
Brian Harman

Aims to Rebound From the Memorial
Tony Finau

has Been Up and Down at U.S. Open
Patrick Cantlay

Hoping This is the Year at Oakmont
Akshay Bhatia

Improving in Time for U.S. Open
Xander Schauffele

Primed for Another Major Championship Run
Cameron Young

May Struggle at U.S. Open
Collin Morikawa

Eyeing Third Major Championship Title
Matt Fitzpatrick

Seeks to Avenge Oakmont Collapse
Jordan Spieth

Can Contend at Oakmont
Shane Lowry

a Strong Value Play at U.S. Open
Brooks Koepka

Seeks Another Major Win at Oakmont
Viktor Hovland

Still Can Improve at U.S. Open
Michael Kim

a Boom-or-Bust Value Play at U.S. Open
Russell Henley

Looking to Play the Weekend at Oakmont
Tyrrell Hatton

a Safe Option at U.S. Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Eyeing Third U.S. Open Title
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF