Wide Receiver Sleepers

Paul Perdichizzi

 twilliams

Editor’s Note: This article is submitted by a new Member Corner writer, Paul Perdichizzi, who recently penned a similar article with a look at his tight end sleepers.  We look forward to seeing much more of Paul’s work in the future.

Like tight end, the wide receiver position has evolved over time in the NFL. With so many different offensive schemes now, the responsibilities of a wide receiver have changed. They are now asked to understand more route concepts and need to be versatile enough to play both inside in the slot or on the outside as well. With so many teams employing four and five wide sets now on offense, they are being asked to move all over the field to try and create mismatches that can be exploited on the offensive side of the ball. By lining wide receivers up all over the field, it keeps the defenses guessing as what to expect and how to defend it best.

With so many teams now utilizing the spread offense, quarterbacks are putting up record breaking passing statistics over the last decade. This increase in passing numbers has led directly to an increase in touchdowns and yardage not only for the quarterbacks, but for wide receivers as well. In terms of fantasy, it used to be that you really only needed to know the top two wide receivers on any team, but no longer is that the case. With the increase in slot receivers and overall volume of passing numbers, fantasy owners now need to know the full wide receiver depth chart of most NFL teams. Dynasty leaguers need to closely monitor all offseason activity to try and identify players that may be on the verge of getting their opportunity for a breakthrough. Below is a list of five potential sleeper wide receivers heading into this off-season who could see their dynasty value significantly increase in the near future. While many of these names will be on dynasty rosters already, the key is to try and target them now before their value rises.

Markus Wheaton, WR PIT

Wheaton is a prime example of a player about to move up the depth chart and get his big chance to make a name for himself. Last year, Wheaton was drafted out of Oregon State by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the NFL Draft. He is 5’11” and 182 pounds. Coming out of college, he was highly regarded for his excellent speed and quickness. He was expected to get drafted in the second round, but fell to middle of the third round. The comparison I felt was most apt for him when he was drafted was actually his current teammate, Antonio Brown. Unfortunately, Wheaton’s rookie year did not go as expected. He started off behind Brown, Emmanuel Sanders and Jerricho Cotchery on the depth chart. Then in week four he broke his pinkie finger which kept him out of action until week ten. Once he got back, he struggled to get any significant playing time and finished the season with a total of just six receptions for 64 yards. With Sanders a pending free agent and not expected back and Cotchery, a 31 year old free agent whose status is unknown as of now, Wheaton has moved to number two on the current depth chart. With both free agents questionable to return, there is a lot of production that needs to be made up for as Sanders finished with 67 receptions, 740 yards and six touchdowns, while Cotchery had 46 receptions, 602 yards and ten touchdowns. There have been reports this offseason that Wheaton has already been working out with Ben Roethlisberger to try and get some positive chemistry going. Wheaton will be a target of mine in all off=season trades as I believe he has the potential this season to catch 65 to 75 passes for 900 to 1,000 yards.

Justin Hunter, WR TEN

One year after drafting Kendall Wright in the first round of the 2012 draft, the Tennessee Titans moved up to the second pick of the second round of the 2013 draft to select him. Hunter, who played collegiately at Tennessee, was a player they clearly targeted, possibly had graded as a first round talent and felt they needed to move up six slots to ensure they landed him. Hunter is 6’4”, 202 pounds and has elite athleticism and upside. Multiple scouts compared his physical attributes similarly to A.J. Green, but cautioned that Hunter, unlike Green, had weaknesses in terms of drops and inconsistency. In addition, he had some durability concerns because he tore his ACL in 2011. Hunter’s rookie year was a bit of a disappointment as he was inactive some weeks, struggled to earn playing time and was inconsistent throughout the year. He never emerged higher than third on the depth chart and that was only when the Titans got completely fed up with Kenny Britt. Hunter finished his rookie year with 18 receptions, 354 yards and four touchdowns. His 19.7 average per reception and his games versus Oakland, when he had six catches for 109 yards and a touchdown and versus Denver, when he had 8 catches for 114 yards and a touchdown, show what type of potential he has. With Britt a free agent and not expected back, current number two starter Nate Washington entering his last year of his contract and turning 31 before the start of the season, Hunter is going to get his chance to become their big play receiver and earn a starting role. With a good passing mind like Ken Whisenhunt as their new head coach, the only thing that may hold him back this year is the inconsistent play of his quarterback, Jake Locker. I believe Wright and Hunter have the potential to be one of the more explosive wide receiver tandems in the league in a few years. 

Jerrel Jernigan, WR NYG

With someone always pushing to take your job on an NFL roster, time is precious. Teams are only willing to wait so long for a prospect to develop into the player they thought they were getting when drafted before they look to replace them. Late in the 2013 season, Jernigan was on the verge of running out of time. Since being drafted in the third round of the 2011 draft, he had showed the Giants very little. He was not the explosive return man they had expected and struggled to earn playing time at wide receiver. In his first two seasons in the league, Jernigan had a combined total of three receptions for 22 yards. Jernigan who is 5’8”, 189 pounds, was expected to become an electric playmaker for the Giants. Coming out of Troy University, he was regarded as a terrific slot receiver who could create separation off the breaks and be explosive when he got the ball in his hands in the open field. None of this was seen until the final three weeks of this past season. When Victor Cruz went down with an injury, Jernigan got his chance to step up and finally live up to that potential before his time ran out. In those last few weeks of the season, he totaled 19 receptions, 237 receiving yards, scored two touchdowns and had two runs for 57 yards and an additional touchdown on the ground. Now with Hakeem Nicks expected to leave via free agency, Jernigan is third on the depth chart behind Cruz and Rueben Randle. With a West Coast offense implemented by new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo, formerly of the Green Bay Packers, Jernigan has a chance this season to be used similarly to how Green Bay uses Randall Cobb and how they used Jarrett Boykin once Cobb got hurt last season.

Aaron Dobson, WR NE

The New England Patriots wide receiver position was a revolving door last season. The season started with Danny Amendola and rookie Kenbrell Thompkins as the starters, followed by Julian Edelman and rookies Josh Boyce and Dobson. All of them had their opportunities throughout the year, but only one, Edelman, provided Tom Brady a consistent reliable option throughout most of the year. Dobson, who was drafted out of Marshall in the second round of the 2013 draft was supposed to provide Brady with a big time playmaker on the outside and in the red zone. At 6’3”, 200 pounds, he came out of college as a player with great hands, who ran good routes and displayed excellent concentration. All of those characteristics actually came into question during his rookie year. He battled inconsistency, drops and poor route running early in the season. As the year went on, like with many rookies, he started to become more comfortable in the offense and was becoming the weapon the Patriots had hoped for. Unfortunately in week 12, he suffered a foot sprain that caused him to miss weeks 13 through 15. After playing in week 16, he aggravated the foot sprain in week 17, which cost him to miss the divisional round game of the playoffs as well. Dobson finished the year with 37 receptions, 519 yards and four touchdowns. He returned to play in the AFC Championship game and secured two catches for 33 yards. Entering the off-season, Dobson currently projects as a starter next season for New England and is being looked upon to become a major difference maker. With Amendola having such a poor first season in New England, he is a possible salary cap casualty, even though he is just entering the second year of his five year deal he signed last offseason. Edelman is entering free agency and following his breakout season of a 105 receptions, will be in high demand around the league, so his status for next year is unknown at this time. Thompkins and Boyce, also entering their second year like Dobson, will most likely return, but sit behind Dobson in the pecking order. If he can continue to build on what he showed at times last season, he has a chance to develop into New England’s number one wide receiver on the outside this season. I believe this off-season will be the last chance to buy low on Dobson for quite some time.

Terrance Williams, WR DAL

When being a member of the Dallas Cowboys, it is impossible to truly ever be considered a sleeper or under the radar. Williams, though does possess sleeper potential because he is on the verge of a breakthrough year that could vault him into WR2 status, but I am not sure that is where his current owners value him. Williams, who is 6’2”, 200 pounds, was drafted out of Baylor in the third round of the 2013 draft by the Cowboys. Many scouts said Williams reminded them of Baltimore Ravens Wide Receiver Torrey Smith. While Williams did not possess the same type of elite top end speed of Smith, he was a true outside vertical receiver, with a limited route tree from Baylor’s offense who was big, fast, possessed good body control and tremendous upside. In his rookie year, Williams did not disappoint. He displayed that upside and potential as he finished with 44 receptions, 736 yards and five touchdowns. Due to Miles Austin battling injuries throughout the year, Williams saw significant snaps all season long. Entering next season, there are two factors that could lead to a major breakout campaign for Williams in only his second season. The first is that Scott Linehan has been hired as the passing game coordinator from the Detroit Lions to be the offensive play caller for the Cowboys. Linehan will bring with him, his pass first approach, which was seen from his time in Detroit and when he was head coach of the Saint Louis Rams. The second factor is that Austin, who has battled injuries throughout his career, may become a salary cap cut to help Dallas save over five million dollars against the cap. If Austin is cut, Williams will permanently step into the starting role besides superstar wide receiver Dez Bryant. With Bryant drawing consistent double teams on one side, and star tight end Jason Witten drawing a lot of attention over the middle, Williams will see single coverage all year. With Austin still on the roster, and Witten getting up there in age, make your offer now to the owner of Williams and try to get him while he is still being looked upon as the third or fourth option in Dallas.

While these were just five names at wide receiver I can see breaking through this year, there are many others containing sleeper appeal such as Kenny Stills of the New Orleans Saints, Jermaine Kearse of the Seattle Seahawks, Stedman Bailey of the Saint Louis Rams, Robert Woods of the Buffalo Bills and Da’Rick Rogers of the Indianapolis Colts.

For any further questions, use the comments below or contact me on twitter at @paulie23ny