RADIO
Striking gold on those late-round WR picks can win you a fantasy football title. Ben Rolfe takes a look at four wide receivers who could outperform their ADP in 2018.
This season, the running back position is back in vogue. The year of the Zero RB strategy has come and gone and now running backs are the toast of the town once again. Part of the reason for that is the depth of the wide receiver position relative to the running back position. Naturally, receiver is always going to be deeper, since teams regularly feature three receivers compared to just one or two running backs. However, this season it feels much much deeper. The trouble is that if you are going to chase RB early you need to know which receivers you are going to fall back on in the middle or later rounds to give you the depth to challenge for a fantasy title down the stretch.
That all means that you need to know which receivers you are targeting in those double-digit rounds. The great news is that if you miss on one of those guys it probably is not going to cost you, but if you hit on one then that could be the reason you are winning it all come December and January. Therefore, I have identified four wide receivers going after round-10 in either 10- or 12-team leagues who could outperform their average draft position and catapult you to a fantasy championship.
All ADP information is from Fantasypros.com with PPR ADP based on a full one point per reception.
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Worth the Dice Roll
Mike Williams, LAC (STD: 131, PPR: 127)
Williams had a rookie year from Hell in 2017. After being drafted seventh overall, Williams was placed on the physically unable to perform list in July. That led to an on-off season for Williams, which saw him active for 10 games but used in a very limited fashion, with just 23 targets. As his draft position shows Williams came into the league with a ton of pedigree, across four years at Clemson he had 2727 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns. His final year in college saw him with 98 receptions, for 1,361 yards with 11 touchdowns. If Williams can get healthy he is going to be a major asset for the Chargers this season.
There is very little real competition for the number two spot in Los Angeles, and Williams will benefit massively from having a veteran quarterback throwing him the ball as well as having a number one receiver in Keenan Allen to take away the best cover corner of the opponents. If Williams can get on the same page as Philip Rivers to open the season, then he could be an absolute steal outside the top-10 rounds in all 10- and 12-team fantasy leagues.
DeSean Jackson, TB (STD: 170, PPR: 167)
The drop in production we saw from DeSean Jackson last season was huge. In just 10 fewer targets and six fewer receptions, Jackson had 337 fewer yards and averaged a career-low in yards per reception. Some of that is likely due to Jackson losing a step as he moves into his age-32 season. His poor performance last season has seen him slip behind Chris Godwin on the Buccaneers depth chart. However, that could prove to be somewhat of a blessing.
Being the third receiver on the depth chart can have its benefits. Jackson is no longer going to be expected to be the burner down the field. Now he is more likely to take up a role in the slot where his speed can really benefit him. If the Buccaneers can utilize Jackson properly and put him in position to run after the catch, then he could become a dangerous weapon, especially in PPR leagues.
Dede Westbrook, JAX (STD: 177, PPR: 175)
Westbrook made the most of his limited opportunities last season. With no Allen Hurns or Allen Robinson on the field, Westbrook stepped up and became one of Bortles' go-to guys. With Hurns and Robinson gone and the injury to Marqise Lee, Westbrook now has the chance to shine all over again. Who emerges from the Jaguars wide receiver group is going to be interesting to see, but Westbrook has the chemistry with Bortles from last season. If he is to become a valuable fantasy weapon he will need to up his catch rate from 52.9%, although some of that may be on Bortles and his accuracy. Prior to the injury to Lee, there was not much interest in Westbrook, but this injury opens up a real opportunity for him to shine in 2018.
Quincy Enunwa, NYJ (STD: 275, PPR: 248)
Prior to his injury last season, Enunwa was the toast of the fantasy community. Coming off a 58-catch, 857-yard performance with four touchdowns, people thought he was ready to take the next step. Unfortunately, injury prevented us from ever seeing if that could be the case. Enunwa looks likely to enter the season as the Jets number four wide receiver, but I do not see him staying there long. Robby Anderson had a good 2017, but Jermaine Kearse is not amazing and Terrelle Pryor showed how much he can struggle last year in Washington. Ardarius Stewart could be a threat for playing time when he returns from suspension, but Enunwa should be able to beat them out to claim the number two spot as the season progresses.
If he does, the rewards will be massive. Regardless of whether Sam Darnold or Josh McCown is under center, this will be the best QB that Enunwa has gotten the opportunity to play with. Considering the numbers he put up in 2016 with Ryan Fitzpatrick under center, that is no small thing to be excited about. Enunwa's ADP means he is strictly a late-round flier in shallow leagues but in deeper leagues, he becomes an interesting upside gamble as the rounds go on. If he can win this job there is a real chance he could be a top-20 wide receiver by the end of the year.
