RADIO
Wide receivers are the most commonly drafted position in fantasy football, but sometimes the later picks pay off as more than depth. Martin Konstantinov examines five late-round WR fliers who could be breakouts in 2018.
As draft season nears its end, it is important to remember that there is good value late in the drafts. Lottery ticket picks that work out often end up being difference-makers for the fantasy owners that select the aforementioned players.
One position where fantasy owners tend to ignore hidden value, however, is wide receiver. Despite the fact that the difference between top wideouts and complementary options is not incredibly huge, many fantasy owners still try to select running back sleepers late in drafts in the hopes that they end up in workhorse roles at some point during the season.
Let's take a look at some very deep wide receiver sleepers and try to figure out if they are worth a lottery ticket selection in the final rounds of your drafts.
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Five Very Deep Wide Receiver Sleepers
Antonio Callaway, Cleveland Browns
When he was on the field, Antonio Callaway was one of the top wide receivers in college football. However, with numerous suspensions and off-the-field issues, Callaway's draft stock slid to the 4th round of the 2018 NFL Draft, where he was selected by the Cleveland Browns. Callaway is a first round talent who will have to fight with the likes of Jarvis Landry and Josh Gordon for meaningful offensive snaps, as well as tight end David Njoku and the running back room for additional targets. However, with the mystery surrounding Josh Gordon's preseason disappearance and the trade of fellow wide receiver Corey Coleman, Callaway will have a good chance to make an impact early in the season. If his talent lives up to the moment, we could hear about an unlikely star in the Browns offense sooner rather than later, justifying a late round draft pick for the former Gators wide receiver.
Donte Moncrief, Jacksonville Jaguars
While Donte Moncrief has shown that he can be a weapon in the red zone, he has yet to become the complete wide receiver many believed he could be following his 733 yard, six touchdown performance in 2015. In 2016, Moncrief was limited to just nine games, but he still scored seven times in the games that he was available and healthy to play in. However, 2017 saw a regression for the four-year pro, with career lows in yards and touchdowns. Thankfully, Moncrief has been shipped off to the Jaguars this offseason, where he will now fight with Dede Westbrook and Keelan Cole for a starting job. No matter how he plays, Moncrief will likely play a sizable role inside the 20's this year, making him a solid late-round pick that nobody will be seriously considering who could pay off as a touchdown maven.
Christian Kirk, Arizona Cardinals
Extremely high rated coming into college, Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Christian Kirk has been pretty impressive over the last few years. His performances were enough to have him selected in the 2nd round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals, a team which currently features future Hall-of-Famer wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. Despite a mixed preseason showing, Kirk has drawn comparisons to Odell Beckham Jr. Fantasy owners should take notice, as these comparisons do not get tossed around lightly. Kirk will likely start alongside Larry Fitzgerald and start the season off as the team's third option in the passing game (behind Fitzgerald and running back David Johnson). Nevertheless, there is a world where Kirk receives over 100 targets in his rookie year, setting him up for great things once the season begins.
Paul Richardson, Washington Redskins
Prior to 2017, Paul Richardson was buried behind Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse, and Tyler Lockett on the Seahawks depth chart. However, a breakout year saw him accumulate 703 yards and score six touchdowns in a Seahawks offense that was quite erratic throughout the year. Richardson was able to leverage his solid play into a huge free agency deal with the Redskins, where he will be one of the team's starting receivers. With the Redskins losing rookie running back Derrius Guice for the year in preseason, Richardson and wide receiver Josh Doctson will likely soak up a lot of targets as the team becomes more pass-happy with underrated quarterback Alex Smith at the helm. Richardson will have plenty of big games as the team's deep threat, making him a fantastic option as a late-round fantasy flier in 2018.
Tyrell Williams, Los Angeles Chargers
Coming out of nowhere in 2016 following an injury to wide receiver Keenan Allen, Tyrell Williams had a 1,059 yard, seven touchdown season and truly stepped up for the Chargers throughout the year. Once Allen returned, Williams knew that his days as the top wideout were numbered, yet he still had 728 yards and four touchdowns on the year last season. However, with the expected production of rookie Mike Williams, Tyrell may have a lot more competition for targets this year. That being said, Williams was not that impressive in his rookie year despite his first round pedigree, and the team has lost tight end Hunter Henry to a season-ending injury this offseason. Therefore, Williams could repeat or exceed his performance last year behind Keenan Allen, making him a great fantasy option that is not on the radars of most fantasy owners heading into the year.
