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Fantasy football sleeper picks you shouldn’t snooze on in 2020

By Matthew Catalano

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 27: Allen Robinson #12 of the Chicago Bears rects after catching a pass during the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Soldier Field on October 27, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 27: Allen Robinson #12 of the Chicago Bears rects after catching a pass during the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Soldier Field on October 27, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images) /
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CINCINNATI, OH – DECEMBER 29: Joe Mixon #28 of the Cincinnati Bengals celebrates a touchdown during the second half against the Cleveland Browns at Paul Brown Stadium on December 29, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

Joe Mixon – CIN

We all know that Joe Mixon is a very talented running back and he is just as good as others like Alvin Kamara and Dalvin Cook, but it’s the team around him that makes people hesitant to draft him high on their rosters.

Last year, Mixon got off to the worst start of his young career as the Bengals were attempting to tank their season for the number one overall pick in the 2020 draft. The offensive line was porous as a sponge and Mixon had little to no chance at finding any sort of openings to gain yardage.

Then a fire appeared to have been lit under him after the team’s Week 9 bye-week. From Week 10 on, Mixon was RB4 and averaged 4.6 yards per carry. He also had the most rushing attempts in that span (177) and managed to amass 1,137 rushing yards for the year. That total was nearly similar to what he had in 2018 when he was the AFC rushing champion.

His strong finish is a great sign for a much better 2020 campaign. Mixon is in a contract year and will be seeking a big payday with the Bengals by season’s end. He has a lot to play for so his stats are going to be a little higher on his priorities list this year more than ever.

In fact, Mixon and the Bengals have been rumored to working out a potential long-term extension during this offseason. It remains to be seen how the two sides will work something out between now and July. For now, Mixon is hungry for a mega contract and if Cincinnati fails to get anything done in the offseason, he will have that determination to prove he is worth every penny.

Furthermore, the Bengals have some pretty formidable offensive weapons such as Tyler Boyd, A.J. Green (when healthy), and Auden Tate. Should no injuries befall any of these mentioned individuals, the Bengals have pieces that opposing defenses will need to preoccupy themselves with other than Mixon.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor is confident that the men he has deployed on his offensive line will develop into viable starters for the near future. Guys like Jonah Williams (who missed last year with a labrum injury), Michael Jordan, and Trey Hopkins will need to step up in 2020. They showed signs of life towards the end of 2019 which was a major factor for Mixon’s success during the second half of the season.

There is no reason to doubt Mixon in 2020. He has the motivation and pieces around him to be one of the biggest league-winners for this upcoming season. I urge everyone to not sleep on him because my gut is telling me he will have one heck of a memorable year. He’s worth a late first round pick this year.

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