The NFL has been a trigger-happy passing league for quite some time now, and it seems like every receiver is putting up nice numbers on any given Sunday. As such, fantasy football managers will be quick to pick up studs like Antonio Brown, Dez Bryant and Calvin Johnson without batting an eye.
There are still a ton of competent wideouts in the league that are often underrated or are just about to break out this coming season. Join us as we count down the top ten wide receivers that you should definitely catch before the other managers in your league turn your next draft pick into a pick-six.
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[sc:Football ]Top 10 NFL Fantasy Wide Receiver Sleepers for 2015-16
10. Charles Johnson (Minnesota Vikings)
The Minnesota Vikings may have a new go-to receiver after what Charles Johnson showed last season. Although he only played the last seven games of the regular season, Johnson grabbed 25 catches for 415 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Those numbers are good enough for a 60-900-5 line for a full season.
[sc:NFL240banner ]Even better than his projected full season stats is Minnesota’s offensive roster this entering Week 1. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater looks to bust out this season just like Johnson himself, and Adrian Peterson is back to wreak havoc in the running game and open up receivers even more.
Meanwhile, the newly-acquired Mike Wallace continues to be an inconsistent option in the passing game, which makes Johnson a more attractive selection from the Vikings’ receiving squad. Consider the third-year wideout from Grand Valley State as a great WR3 pick, or a feasible late-to-mid WR2 option.
9. Amari Cooper (Oakland Raiders)
Rookie and Alabama standout Amari Cooper is the Raider Nation’s latest beacon of hope in turning Oakland’s (mis)fortunes around. Cooper hauled in a jaw-dropping 124 receptions for 1,727 yards and 16 TDs in his final year with the Crimson Tide.
While Devante Adams of the Packers is another attractive option amongst rookie receivers, he’ll only be third or fourth in Aaron Rodgers’ pecking order of targets down the field. Cooper, meanwhile, will at worst be Derek Carr’s second option in Oakland. Plus, the young 21-year old could easily become the prime target should Michael Crabtree not live up to the Raiders’ expectations.
8. Andre Johnson (Indianapolis Colts)
Don’t count out 34-year old Andre Johnson just yet. Although the seven-time Pro Bowl selection has not had a season with more than five touchdowns since 2010, he could very well have one last hurrah of a fantasy season in him this year. And let’s not forget that the 12-year veteran still posted 936 yards from 85 catches last season.
Now playing for the Indianapolis Colts, Johnson will benefit from having Andrew Luck chucking the ball in his direction. That surely beats having Matt Schaub, David Carr and Ryan Fitzpatrick from Johnson’s days with the Texans. Although, if there’s another downside to Johnson’s value apart from his age, it’s that he’ll have to earn his stats with T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief as parts of the Colts’ deep corps of receivers.
7. Jordan Matthews (Philadelphia Eagles)
Jordan Matthews has got to be ecstatic to be a part of Chip Kelly’s high-octane offensive system. The Philadelphia Eagles even made more room for the second-round pick out of Vanderbilt to develop by shipping their previous No. 1 wideout Jeremy Maclin to Kansas City.
And even if Sam Bradford – Kelly’s newly appointed starting QB – doesn’t have a solid recovery from his injuries, Matthews will be more than happy to still have Mark Sanchez running the offense. Matthews was Sanchez’s favorite target downfield last year, leading to the receiver’s 872 yards and eight touchdowns on 67 catches.
Matthews is a very tempting low WR1 or high WR2 pick considering that the Eagles will always look to put up points in a hurry.
6. Martavis Bryant (Pittsburgh Steelers)
With all the attention locked in on Antonio Brown, Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers continuously found Martavis Bryant in the end zone instead. In just ten games played last season, the then-rookie wideout only pulled in 26 receptions for 549 yards, but saw the end zone ten times.
Expect Bryant to have an increased role in the Steelers offense in his second year with the team, which should make him a solid mid-WR2 pick. And as long as the double-coverage continues to hound Brown this season, Bryant should be ready to make opposing defense pay by forgetting about him on the other end of the play.
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5. Golden Tate (Detroit Lions)
If Bryant at number six on our list is a scoring machine, then Golden Tate of the Detroit Lions is a rumbling factory of yardage. Tate finished fifth in total receiving yards last season with 1,331 on 99 receptions. He did benefit a whole lot from Calvin Johnson’s brief absence, but he’s proven that he can be an every-down wideout for Matt Stafford.
If there’s one complaint about the Pro Bowler from last year, it’s that he reached the end zone very rarely. Tate only hauled in four touchdowns – second fewest ahead of only Vincent Jackson amongst receivers who had a 1,000-yard performances in the 2014 regular season. Those scoring numbers would likely go up this season, and Tate would make a fine mid-to-high WR2 option for your fantasy team.
4. Keenan Allen (San Diego Chargers)
Although San Diego’s Keenan Allen regressed this past season by putting up just 783 yards and four touchdowns, he has recently found more motivation to bounce back from his lethargic play in 2014. Sources have it that Allen lost weight in an effort to increase his speed this offseason.
That’s got to be good news for his quarterback Philip Rivers as well. Rivers might be on his way out of San Diego sooner than later, and will still look to post even greater numbers in the Chargers’ passing game. Allen is certainly capable of replicating his rookie campaign of 1,046 yards and eight TDs, so it’s all a matter of getting his head and heart for the game on the right path once again.
3. Kelvin Benjamin (Carolina Panthers)
Whoever thought that Kelvin Benjamin would hit 1,000 yards before the season started last year, raise your hand.
Benjamin was a welcome surprise for fantasy owners last season by putting up 73 receptions for 1,008 yards and nine touchdowns as a rookie. A lot of people thought that Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton wouldn’t be efficient in the passing game, but he too proved doubters wrong. Together, Newton and Benjamin provided a potent one-two punch en route to a late regular season rally to make the playoffs (even with a losing record).
However, it’s been recently cited that Benjamin is suffering from poor conditioning in training camp. He’s about 10 pounds overweight, and is also dealing with a sore hamstring. If the 6’5” wideout from Florida State can avoid a sophomore slump like what Keenan Allen went through, Benjamin would make for a great low WR1 or high WR2 pick. Consider him as a high-risk, high reward receiver on the draft boards.
2. Sammy Watkins (Buffalo Bills)
Preseason injury? No problem. Bad quarterback? Please.
Sammy Watkins had to deal with these two predicaments and still produced at a high level. Watkins – the second of three rookies from last season that occupy the top three spots on our list – had 65 receptions for 982 yards despite having to deal with bruised ribs that he suffered from last year’s preseason. He also managed to find the end zone six times.
At full-strength, the 2014 Orange Bowl MVP could make huge waves in the fantasy world. Taking away from his value, though, is that either Matt Cassel or EJ Manuel will remain as the Buffalo Bills’ starting quarterback. But as Watkins proved last season, adversity is what makes him strive even harder.
1. Mike Evans (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
No other receiver on this list has the most potential to make the jump from sleeper to stud than Mike Evans. And if it wasn’t for Odell Beckham Jr.’s relatively better rookie season, Evans probably wouldn’t even need to be on our list.
In his inaugural year as a pro playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Evans hauled in 68 catches for 1,051 yards and a staggering 12 touchdowns. Those 12 TDs, by the way, broke Tampa Bay’s single-season franchise record for receiving touchdowns. Again, Evans was just a rookie last year who all the more had Josh McCown and Mike Glennon as his quarterbacks.
Unlike Watkins, Evans will have the benefit of playing with this year’s first overall draft pick in Jameis Winston. While Winston is still unproven, he’s the quarterback that’s most ready for the big leagues in this year’s draft, and is a definite upgrade over McCown and Glennon regardless of all the uncertainty surrounding him.
Evans is even working real hard to perform even better in his sophomore campaign by enlisting the services and counsel of future Hall-of-Fame receiver Randy Moss. With a top-flight quarterback and a determined mindset in the offseason, the former standout from Texas A&M makes for a terrific but easily overlooked low-to-mid WR1 pick across all fantasy football leagues.
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