Fantasy Football: Late Round Receivers
The first few rounds of your fantasy football draft are always the most exciting. There’s big-name players everywhere, and there’s nothing better than seeing your team through the first five rounds stacked with five elite players. That’s all good and fun, but that’s not necessarily where you win your fantasy leagues; it’s in the later rounds where leagues are won, with deep sleeper picks who turn into weekly contributors. For this segment, I want to look at five receivers whose average draft position (ADP) is in the eighth round or later according to Fantasy Football Calculator (standard scoring, 10-team league).
1. John Brown (Arizona Cardinals)
You can find Brown in the eighth round according to Fantasy Football Calculator, and that’s great value for a guy entering his third year in the league on one of the most explosive offenses in the league. Brown has seen at least 100 targets in both of his seasons in the NFL, and that number should only go up considering the age of Larry Fitzgerald.
Brown made great strides in his second year, and there’s still a ton of room for improvement. He caught 65 passes for over 1,000 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. In an offense with a ton of options, Brown is the Cardinals’ best deep threat. You may be scared about the amount of weapons the Cardinals have on offense, but the fact is that they don’t take their foot off the gas pedal; Bruce Arians’ team will continue to pass no matter what the score is until the game is over.
Brown is a steal in the eighth round, and his floor is relatively high, he’s going to catch 70 passes for at least 1,000 yards if he stays healthy. His ceiling is sky-high, and his deep-threat potential alone makes him a consistent WR2 in any league format. Receivers break out in their third year all the time. Brown is that receiver this year.
Next: Marvin Jones
2. Marvin Jones (Detroit Lions)
Jones found himself a new home this offseason, and he’s in a great spot considering the lack of receiving options the Lions have in 2016. Calvin Johnson is gone, and Golden Tate will move in as the new no. 1 receiver under Jim Bob Cooter’s offense.
Jones has been productive in his first three seasons in the league with the Cincinnati Bengals, but he never truly broke out in an offense that had a ton of options. The Bengals have had too many options for Jones to be a consistent WR2; it’s tough to expect weekly production from a guy who had to share targets with AJ Green, Mohamed Sanu, both running backs Jeremy Hill and Gio Bernard, and tight end Tyler Eifert. He still put up big positive numbers in the last two seasons, and he should put them up more consistently in an offense where he will be the second-best receiving option.
Jones has racked up over 1,500 yards and 14 touchdowns in the past two seasons. Going into his fourth year, he’s in a great spot to make a name for himself as a consistent WR2 in any fantasy format. You can find him in the tenth round, and he’s definitely worth a draft pick there for the potential he has in 2016.
Next: Stefon Diggs
3. Stefon Diggs (Minnesota Vikings)
Diggs came on the scene in a big way during his rookie campaign, and all the noise from Vikings’ camp points to a huge second-year performance in 2016. Diggs can be drafted as late as the tenth round, and he’s certainly worth strong consideration there. The Vikings offense is young and on the rise, and with draftee Laquon Treadwell joining the fun, Diggs should find himself open a lot more.
The Vikings run the football a lot and QB Teddy Bridgewater is still adapting to big-league play, but this guy is projected to go in the TENTH round. That’s a steal when you take into consideration his consistent WR2 potential. Diggs was the Vikings’ leading receiver with 52 receptions, 720 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games last season. His role will expand in 2016, and the Vikings offense will evolve. He’s a good look in the later rounds of your fantasy football league.
Next: Tyler Lockett
4. Tyler Lockett (Seattle Seahawks)
Lockett is another guy going into his second year with a ton of potential. Unlike Diggs, he’ll be in an offense that’s already starting to throw the football a ton. The rookie caught 51 of his 69 targets (73.9 percent) last year for 664 yards and six receiving touchdowns. He also returned a kick and punt for a touchdown each. The kid is explosive and can make plays with the ball in his hands, and he’ll have a ton of more opportunity to do so in 2016.
Marshawn Lynch retired and the Seahawks are basically already transformed to a pass-first team, which fairs well for Lockett. Using NFL Fantasy Football Writer Matt Harmon’s “Reception Perception,” which evaluates receivers over an eight-game sample, you can see how much potential Lockett has as a receiver. He was “open routinely at every level of the field.”
For an explosive playmaker, Lockett’s a very interesting fantasy football case. FFC has him projected in the eighth round, and I definitely see him making a big enough leap in his sophomore season to consider him there.
Next: Sterling Shephard
5. Sterling Shepard (New York Giants)
Shepard is the only rookie on my list, and for good reason. He’s joining an offense that loves to throw the football, and the Giants haven’t been shy about their second-round pick – all noise out of camp says the rookie has been very impressive in camp, and she should play a serious role in 2016 alongside Odell Beckham.
Shepard racked in 1,288 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns in his senior season at Oklahoma, and he’ll fit in nicely with the Giants pass-first offense. You can draft him in the tenth round, and he may end up as your starting WR2.
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Targeting any of these wide receivers late in your fantasy football draft could pay big dividends!