Fantasy Football Draft: 2019 studs, sleepers and busts
Wide Receiver – Sleepers
Dante Pettis, San Francisco 49ers – ADP of 79th overall, WR32
I’m a big Pettis fan for a multitude of reasons this year. One of the main reasons is he personally is talking about not being stressed out like he was as a rookie, as chronicled at nbcsports.com. The comfort level started to show at the end of last season when he came on with three games over 80 yards in his last five.
The fact he racked up over 460 yards receiving on just 27 receptions speaks to the big play ability Pettis has in this offense. He averaged 17.3 yards per reception, around names such as Mike Evans, Tyreek Hill and T.Y. Hilton. When we’re searching for receivers later in drafts, this is the type of upside I’m looking for.
It also helps that coach Kyle Shanahan and company welcome back quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo into the fold off an ACL injury. Due respect to the duo of quarterbacks San Francisco played last year, but C.J. Beathard and Nick Mullens aren’t Jimmy G.
I wouldn’t expect tight end George Kittle to be anything but the center piece he was last season, but Pettis could seize the number one receiver role in this offense this year. Given the flashes he’s shown, I want to be on board if he does.
James Washington, Pittsburgh Steelers – ADP of 118th overall, WR44
Call me a homer if you want, but there was a steady drumbeat last season of how well Washington was playing in practice. It never really materialized on the field as Washington produced a disappointing 38 targets, 16 receptions, 217 yards and 1 touchdown.
When three players take up roughly 400 targets in Antonio Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Conner, it’s hard for a rookie to get much going. Washington also admitted he wore down last year but has lost weight coming into the season this year.
In case you live in a cave during the off-season, Brown is in Oakland, freeing up a ton of targets right there. The Steelers brought in Donte Moncrief which is a nice veteran signing. Still, Moncrief has never been over 733 yards, 64 receptions or seven touchdowns.
He’s also on his third team by his age-26 season, which says something since he worked with Andrew Luck in Indy. Pittsburgh has a long history of plucking receivers in the draft, and Washington has all the opportunity to walk through that door. If he flops, you lose nothing based on draft capital spent.
Other Fantasy Football Draft Targets – Keke Coutee, Houston Texans – Christian Kirk, Arizona Cardinals – Devin Funchess, Indianapolis Colts – Michael Gallup, Dallas Cowboys