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We are kicking off our 2015 Fantasy football content today! The prime objective of this article is to vagary scan the competition and highlight a few potential fantasy sleeper for the upcoming season. Will my opinion change from now and September? Most likely. However I always enjoy comparing notes and thoughts from time frame and another. Who exactly qualify as a sleeper? Good question. In my personal opinion , I believe to qualify as a fantasy sleeper you must meet certain criteria. My definition would one who potentially could out-performance the general public overall expectations or standards. Simple as that! Below I listed 2 player per position to keep an eye on in the upcoming months.
Quarterbacks:
Tony Romo- There probably several experts who have Romo labeled as an top-tier guy, however most of the mock drafts i have done this month have indicated Romo being drafted after the 7th Round. Last season, Romo was one of the better players at his position. He threw for 3705 yards , 34 Touchdowns and 9 Interceptions. Most noticeably, Romo only attempted 435 passes in the 2014 season. For those wondering that the fewest passes attempted in the league among Quarterbacks with least 15 games played. In fact Romo led the league in pass percentage (69%) completed. He also only had 9 interceptions on the season which is tied with Tom Brady for the 3rd fewest in the league. His 34 Touchdowns ranked inside the top 12 at the Quarterback position. All-across the board Romo posted legitimate numbers and should definitely should be considered a useable Quarterback in every format. I say it unrealistic for Romo to repeat his 8.5 yards per throw and impressive 69% completion percentage. However looking back at 2013, he posted pretty similar numbers. In that season, he posted 3800+ yards , 31 Touchdowns and only 10 Interceptions.
Teddy Bridgewater- Not many people are probably eying the 2nd-year player for the Vikings. But I have. I am very high on this young man. He only played 13 games in the 2014 NFL season, but he proven he can be a dangerous asset. After week 11 , Teddy really came into his own. In that span , he completed 69% of his passes and averaged 1.6 Touchdowns , 239 yards/per game and was ranked among the top 12 in that span at his position. Now remember Teddy was only a rookie last season, so he really didn't have much of a chance to understand the offense. After a full-year with this team and the addition of Mike Wallace , Teddy should be primed for a pretty good season. Now I probably wouldn't reach for him or nothing, but there aren't many Quarterbacks with the upside that he potentially have.
Running Backs:
Andre Ellington - Ellington was a pretty hyped up second-year last season after an impressive rookie showing for Arizona. However everything didn't go according to plan. Actually Ellington was pretty banged up in the first game. As the season progressed it just got worsen. In fact, he only played 12 of the possible 16 games. His 3.3 average/Yard per attempt isn't anything to get excited about. But he did add 350+ yards in catches out of the backfield. Ellington actually was ranked around 15th in fantasy points per game in most scoring formats. Which should be a great indication he was a fairly useful option on a weekly basis. He just didn't live up to the high expectations. I would definitely take a shot with him, if he continue to fall down draft boards. In most mock drafts I have done, Ellington have been drafted as an high-end RB3.
Gio Bernard - Gio Bernard heads into the 2015 season as the number 2 running back (as of right), but don't be fooled. Gio role was decreased during the 2014 season, however he still posted top 20 numbers in a season where he was limited due to the emergence of rookie Jeremy Hill and injuries. Gio only played 13 games in the 2014 season, but he did notch 680 yards on the ground and 44 catches for addition 349 yards out of the backfield. Hill was the better overall back , but it wasn't by large amount of production with 1127 yards on the ground and 217 yards on 27 catches out of the backfield.While Hill definitely hurt Gio fantasy value and potential, however it only limit him. He is still very capable of putting up top 20 numbers on a weekly basis. He been going a lot in mock drafts in Rounds 7-10. Pretty underrated in my opinion!
Wide Receiver:
Devante Adams - Adams is my personal favorite fantasy sleeper. The most dangerous part about the Green Bay Packers offense is the Receiving core. Cobb and Nelson get the most credit, but don't overlook the third-option in this offense. Devante Adam the 2nd-year Wide out from Fresno State in the 2nd Round have huge potential. Last season he notched 446 yards and 3 Touchdowns on 38 catches. To be fair Jarrett Boykin was a huge roadblock until about mid-season when he got injured. I like Adams a lot because anyone in the Packers offense will have a chance to produce. Heck Rodgers himself was gushing over him not too long ago. Even as the number 3 wide out. Remember in 2012? James Jones scored 14 times behind Nelson and Cobb. Adams is in my opinion much more talented. The only real question is can Adams get production on a weekly basis? Honestly I don't know, but I am wouldn't mind taking a shot with him.
Brandlin Cooks - No more Jimmy Graham means a lot of targets are unclaimed for the upcoming 2015 season. I am willing to bet majority of them will go to Cooks. Especially since Kenny Stills is now in Miami. Last season the Cooks produced 69 targets for 53 receptions on 550 yards and 3 Touchdowns. Those are solid numbers for a rookie wide receiver. However he is by far the top option in the Saints offense. Let look at the other guys on the depth charts: Marques Colston , Nick Toon, Joe Morgan and Jalen Saunders. Cooks probably isn't gonna be a top 10 fantasy option at this position, but I don't see any reason why he cannot clip 1000 yards and 6 Touchdowns.
Tight Ends:
Larry Donnell - I love what I saw out of Donnell in 2014. He didn't do anything special, but he did produce 623 yards and 6 Touchdowns on 92 targets. What stands out is his 92 targets. He was 9th among Tight Ends in targets. There is nobody else on the Giants depth chart at this position that can take a considerable amount of targets away from him. Donnell is a redzone monster with an 6''6/265 lbs frame. We saw it last season how useful he can be in a tough situation for the Giants. Cruz and Beckham will probably take away most of the production, but the Tight end position is pretty thin. If he can match last season stat line, then he should be very useful fantasy option. Heck even an 60-500-5 line would make him an excellent value for his current ADP. Keep an eye on Donnell this summer.
Zach Ertz - Ertz isn't exactly a sleeper as he was a fairly well-known fantasy option last season. Most experts listed him as a possible sleeper last season. He produced a solid stat line of 58-702-3. His 702 receiving yards ranked as 12th among all Tight Ends. However his 58 receptions and 3 Touchdowns have his fantasy owners scratching their heads last season. On the plus side, Ertz may now be the top option in the Eagles offense with no more Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy. Ertz will definitely see a upstick in production. I say he have potential to have a final stat line of 60-700-6. Those are TE1 numbers in most scoring formats. In most drafts, he will be drafted a low-end starter/high-end backup.
Alright that does it for this edition of early sleepers! I hope everyone enjoyed this small little piece. I am looking forward to the 2015 season.
*All stats are from http://www.fftoday.com
Email- MattAleza@yahoo.com
Twitter - @MattAleza
