The Bargain Hunter

Eric Breeze Posted On May 26, 2015

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It’s nice to have a dynasty roster full of young studs but at the same time it’s nearly impossible to acquire those players. To trade for a player that everyone desires you are going to have to pay up to get a deal done. While everyone is fighting over the Mike Evans’ and Luke Kuechly’s of fantasy football, the savvy owners are going after the players that are overlooked by the majority of owners who will offer you a prime opportunity to get a return on your investment.

Joe Flacco, QB BAL

He may never put up top 5 fantasy Quarterback numbers, but at a DLF May ADP of QB20, he should easily outproduce his price. Last year Flacco was a top 14 fantasy quarterback and everything this off-season points to him being even better. The Ravens lost Torrey Smith in free agency, but gave Flacco two more weapons in this year’s draft (Breshad Perriman and Maxx Williams). Marc Trestman was also hired to be the Offensive Coordinator in Baltimore. Trestman is a pass happy coach, so Flacco should get around a 10% increase in pass attempts from last year that should allow him to squeak into the top 10 Fantasy passers in 2015.

Shane Vereen, RB NYG

[inlinead]If you follow me on twitter (@BreezeIDP) you already know I love this guy in PPR leagues. He broke his wrist in 2013, but was a top 12 running back that year on a points per game basis. In 2014, he was seldom used but still finished as the RB20 in PPR. The Giants actively pursued him in free agency and gave him a nice contract for a running back these days so it looks like they have plans to use him to his strengths. Vereen came in at RB34 in ADP this month and I see no reason why he won’t be a top 18 RB in 2015 in PPR leagues – and if he stays healthy like last year, that is his floor.

George Johnson/Jacquies Smith, DL TB

With more 3-4 defensive schemes in the league every year, the pool of DL eligible players with double digit sack potential is as shallow as it has ever been. Both of these defensive ends played well last year in rotational roles. Johnson netted six sacks on 329 pass rush snaps and Smith had 6.5 on 309 snaps. With Adrian Clayborn now on the Falcons, it’s very possible that both these Bucs log 500 pass rush snaps and hover around the ten sack mark.

Torrey Smith, WR SF

I don’t love Smith, I never have and never will. However, his ADP of WR39 right now is something I cannot overlook. He finished as WR33 last year on only 92 targets. The 49ers did not shell out $22 million of guaranteed money to a player they plan on using that sparingly. Torrey Smith may not be a complete player who does everything well, but he will give you a significant return on investment if you get him as your fourth wide receiver in a startup draft.

Nigel Bradham, ILB BUF

He has gained steam this off-season, but I still think he is being overlooked. Bradham is sometimes inconsistent but when he is “ON,” he is lights out. When he wants to he can dominate in all facets of the game including the ability to blitz and take down the passer. He was a top 30 Linebacker last year and missed some time due to small injuries. If he can stay healthy, there is no reason why he won’t be a top 20 LB in IDP and could flirt with top 10 numbers if the stars align.

Ladarius Green, TE SD

Many dynasty owners have soured on Green because he is still making us all wait to see what he is capable of. The problem is he continues to be stuck behind Antonio Gates who will not go away. I would much rather have a player who hasn’t received a chance because he is blocked by a future Hall of Famer than a player who has gotten year after year of opportunity and done nothing with it (Cough Kyle Rudolph cough). Ladarius is still 6”6’ with blazing speed and crazy balls skills that makes him a mismatch for any defense.

Antoine Bethea, SS SF

Bethea was a top 5 DB last year and nothing happened this off-season to expect a dropoff from those numbers. It’s possible that he could even improve on those numbers with the retirements of Willis and Borland. He is going to be 31 in July so many dynasty owners are overlooking him. You should be taking advantage of that by getting an elite short term DB1 on the cheap.

Eric Decker, WR NYJ

The dynasty community cringed last off-season when Decker signed with New York Jets. His numbers took a plummet from the glory days in Denver, but his 2014 season was much better than people are giving him credit for. Decker missed some time due to a hamstring injury and sometimes even when he was on the field it was obvious that he was limited. With only 113 targets he missed the 1,000 yard mark by 38 yards. A big negative to the move to New York was people believed he could not be a NFL WR1 but I think he proved them wrong. The addition of Brandon Marshall should help Decker get open and he should have no problem making you a profit on his current start ADP of WR45. Also, Darrelle Revis now wears the same uniform as Decker, which means he will not have to take a trip to “Revis Island” twice a year.

Koa Misi, LB MIA

This guy will never put up elite linebacker IDP numbers, but he may be as cheap as a waiver wire add in your league. While Jelani Jenkins is the Dolphins linebacker to own, there was no other competition brought in to threaten Misi for snaps. Also the main focus for Miami this offseason was to improve their interior defensive line with the additions of Ndamukong Suh and Jordan Phillips which should only help Misi more since it will be more difficult for offensive lineman to engage in blocks at the second level. Koa showed he is capable of being an every down player and could flirt with top 40 Linebacker numbers in 2015.

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