DLF’s 2017 Predictions: Fantasy Sleeper of the Year

Ken Kelly Posted On September 5, 2017

Most rookie drafts are in the rearview mirror and the NFL Preseason is winding down. We’re all busy combing the news sites trying to keep abreast of all the important developments as we prepare for the best time of the year, the NFL season. That can only mean one thing – it’s time for us to put a bow on those reams of off-season content with DLF’s 2017 Fantasy Predictions. As we do every year, we have several different prediction articles for you in the following categories:

Fantasy MVP
Fantasy Rookie of the Year
Sleeper Rookie of the Year (outside our top 24)
Bust of the Year
Fantasy Sleeper
Best Dynasty Buy
Best Dynasty Sell
Fantasy Comeback Player of the Year

We continue the series with our choices for the candidates for dynasty sleeper.

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Eric Decker, WR TEN

Some people don’t like the landing spot in TEN but I think Decker is a perfect match with Marcus Mariota. Corey Davis isn’t quite ready to handle the full load. Decker will thrive in the red zone and finish with double digit touchdowns. – Anthony Santigate

C.J. Prosise, RB SEA

Seattle currently has a very muddy backfield situation, but I can see C.J. Prosise eventually emerging. Seattle’s offense looked much more dynamic while he was on the field last season. He looks to have the passing down role locked down and I believe he will continue to earn more carries as the season progresses and Seattle realizes they cannot afford to take him off the field. – Kyle Holden

Eric Ebron, TE DET

Ebron has been a disappointing player so far in his career, but all signs point to an impending breakout. He’s just 24 years old, and he was the TE14 last year in PPR formats despite scoring only one touchdown. Anquan Boldin garnered a 26.19 percent market share in the red zone last year, and his departure opens up some all-important scoring opportunities for everyone in Detroit, including Ebron. Ranked as our TE8, Ebron has the upside to finish near the top of the position in 2017. – Austan Kas

Kenny Britt, WR CLE

The Browns aren’t typically the place you look for sleepers, but Britt was a high-end WR3 last season despite catching passes from Jared Goff. Britt should have no problem matching that output again with plenty of targets available and arguably a better QB situation. If he matches last year’s output he will net a big profit at his draft cost. – Nick Canzanese

Jonathan Stewart, RB CAR

Running in a power offense behind a decent line, the Panthers will rely on Jonathan Stewart to keep that defense fresh. The Super Bowl hangover has dissipated, and J Stew finds himself in a primo situation versus a soft schedule. – Bob Brannon

Kenny Britt, WR CLE

Here we have a player who has gone over 1,000 yards in his career just once, has never eclipsed 70 catches, and only surpassed eight touchdowns once. To top off his lack of on field success, he is now on the Browns and people may look to avoid that mess. This is a mistake in my eyes. Though it may feel like Britt has been around forever, he is only 28 years old and signed a four-year, 32.5 million dollar contract with the Browns which means they are committed to him. He is in a situation where his competition for targets is very slim, especially early on, and last year the Browns top receiver Pryor had 140 total targets. Britt will likely see a similar number and his numbers should skyrocket. He has only ever had over 100 targets once in his career and that was last year with the Rams and he finished with over 1,000 yards on the season. – Eliot Crist

Tyrell Williams, WR LAC

Williams showed the league what he was capable of in 2016, posting a 69-1,059-7 stat line — good for WR13. Mike Williams — whose selection is part of the reason Tyrell’s ADP slid to WR49, (101 overall,) — looks like he’ll be touch-and-go this season. Tyrell built a strong enough rapport with Philip Rivers last season to endure the return of Keenan Allen and remain near the top of the QB’s pecking order. – Mo Brewington

Doug Martin, RB TB

Martin’s current ninth round ADP is far too low given his role and potential in the Buc’s offense. He’ll be sitting for the first three games of the 2017 campaign but, when he returns, I expect him to far outplay his ninth round value. Current value pegs him as a borderline RB4 making for a tremendous upside value selection. – Jeff Haverlack

Tyler Lockett, WR SEA

He’s had physical issues, but take five minutes to go back and watch his NFL highlights so far. He is electric and I think we’ve all forgotten that a bit. Russell Wilson has thrown for more yards every single season he’s been in the NFL and I think Lockett could easily end up as the best receiver on the Seahawks. He’s currently going as the 61st WR off the board in startups, just behind Breshad Perriman, Quincy Enunwa, Laquon Treadwell and Curtis Samuel. – Tom Kislingbury

JJ Nelson, WR ARI

I have been plugging him on twitter a lot (@RFLRedZone – shameless plug), and that is J.J. Nelson. He has some climbing to do, but John and Jaron Brown are far from sure things. He exploded on scene late last season with 75 yards or a touchdown in the final five weeks. He did struggle with drops, but his route running has gotten better. This is his third season, the year of the wide receiver breakout if you believe in such a thing. – Mike Valverde

Tyrell Williams, WR, LAC

Situation and volume are key to fantasy points, but change and unpredictability are the NFL’s calling card (mixed clichés are fun!) Projections rightly hold Tyrell Williams to a WR3 floor. The team wants to run the ball more. Travis Benjamin, while forgotten by some, is still a good player and having a great preseason. There are a lot of things stacked against Williams but he’s proven he can translate his talent to the NFL. If targets free up or the volume increases somehow, he will finish in the top 24 again. – Peter Howard

Laquon Treadwell, WR MIN

I’m not sure if it’s fair to call Treadwell a sleeper just a year after being drafted in the first round by the Vikings. He struggled to get on the field last season, but the dramatic drop in ADP has went too far. At his price outside the top 120 he could provide real value to patient dynasty owners. – Eric Dickens

Robby Anderson, WR NYJ

Anderson will enter the 2017 season as the Jets leading wide receiver with Quincy Enunwa out for the year. There are 234 targets from 2016 left behind between Enunwa and Brandon Marshall. Anderson should be in line to improve upon his 78 target 2016, and get up over 100 for 2017. – Kevin O’Brien

Austin Carr, WR NO

I really like Carr’s potential. Last year, he finished the season leading the Big 10 with 1,247 yards receiving while owning a 39.14 percent market share of Northwestern’s passing offense. He’s very efficient at running routes and catching the football which leads me to believe that he can carve out a role with the team. Don’t be surprised if he breaks out later in the season. – Bruce Matson

Corey Coleman, WR CLE

Coleman looked dominant in limited action as a rookie and his off-season is looking like more of the same. The Browns have upgraded on offense around him and he has more experience now. I don’t fully get why he is dropping so far in value, but I’m trying to gobble him up where I can because he could have a monster year. – Trevor Bucher

Paul Richardson, WR SEA

Full disclosure: I originally picked Dallas tight end Rico Gathers for this category, but with the recent news of possible long term I.R. for Rico (concussion), I decided to go in another direction with my selection. For me, this category is all about price point and value on return and I think Paul Richardson fits that description pretty well. Sure, Richardson is a slender 6’0’ wide out with a history of health issues and by “issues” I mean to say he’s been about as durable as rice paper in a hail storm up to this point. The thing is though, he also possesses a unique combination of speed, tracking ability and a ferocious “my ball” mentality. In fact, he attacks every pass thrown his way like a drowning man being thrown a life preserver. There’s really no such thing as a “50/50” ball with Richardson….if a pass is coming his way, he’s going to out leap, out maneuver, out reach any corner trying to make a play on it.

Richardson spent the preseason playing with the first team offense opposite Doug Baldwin in two receiver sets and with the recent trade of Jermaine Kearse, the release of Kasen Williams and the slow start by rookie Amara Darboh, it would seem the stars have aligned for Richardson. The only roadblocks this season appear to be the play of Tyler Lockett and Richardson’s own durability question marks. Finally, when you factor in the talent and ability of the man under center tossing lasers downfield (Russell Wilson), Richardson is an inexpensive option poised to be a solid contributor on your fantasy teams and my choice for “Sleeper of the Year”. – Leo Paciga

Mohamed Sanu, WR ATL

He’s come prepared since OTAs as he’s entering his second season with the Falcons. After posting 54 receptions 653 yards and four touchdowns last season, I see him surpassing this stat-line as well as his WR56 finish last year. He’s more comfortable with Matt Ryan now, and with an ADP of WR83 I would gladly roll the dice with him as my WR4 – where he can finish as a WR3 (Top 45). – Bee Salamat

Mike Wallace, WR BAL

He is a bit of a short term sleeper, but I think he’s pretty undervalued right now. He was successful last year, and the situation has only improved for him. He should be the focus of the passing game this year, which should help him be a little more consistent. I’m expecting him to be a WR2, which is great value given his price. – Jacob Feldman

Eric Ebron, TE DET

Because he hasn’t burst onto the scene promptly, the dynasty community has largely written Ebron off as a mediocre talent whose best asset is youth. However, he’s well on track to be one of the next best at the position. When adjusting for his age and how long it takes almost every tight end to take off (significantly longer than RB and WR), the Lion looks great. He can be acquired pretty cheaply if not already owned by a savvy manager, and with such great pedigree, he’s definitely worth a shot for the price in what figures to be his breakout season. – Steve Gill

DeVante Parker, WR MIA

Jay Cutler targeted him heavily in their first preseason game together. He had plenty of talent coming out of Louisville and if he gets the targets and his quarterback shows confidence in him, Parker could take off. – Doug Green

DeVante Parker, WR MIA

Right now DeVante Parker has an ADP of 48.33 as the WR26, right between volatile guys like Tyreek Hill and Donte Moncrief. While I’ve never been in love with Parker in Miami, it all changed when Jay Cutler took over for Ryan Tannehill for the year. Cutler has already called Parker “a faster Alshon Jeffery”. That’s all I needed to hear. Cutler has the reputation of force feeding one receiver and if that’s going to be Parker, sign me up. He could flirt with low WR1/high WR2 numbers this year. – Eric Olinger

Jaron Brown, WR ARI

In the wake of John Brown’s continued issues with a quad injury, the other Brown has emerged as the WR2 for the Cardinals according to Head Coach Bruce Arians. I have been a fan of John’s since he entered the league but after the sickle-cell issues last season and his inability to get on the field this off-season, it’s possible it just isn’t going to happen for him. Meanwhile, Jaron has recovered from a torn ACL and is ready to jump into the starting lineup for an Arizona offense I expect to bounce back in a big way. – Matt Price

D’Onta Foreman, RB HOU/Jamaal Williams, RB GB

It’s not often that a running back class comes along with this much talent and depth, and I don’t think it will take long for the youngsters to make an impact. Behind Lamar Miller, Foreman’s size, speed and strength combination might start with a goal-line gig, but could ease out the veteran sooner rather than later. Although Ty Montgomery has overgone an “off-season revamp” into a running back, I’m not sure he’s shown enough to be a workhorse in this league. Instead, a rotation will allow Williams onto the field, and he’ll prove his worth. – James Simpson

Kasen Williams, WR SEA

An incredible preseason has raised his profile and I am making him one of my last round picks as drafts roll on this off-season. A very good player at Washington whose career was derailed by injuries, Williams looks healthy and he is the only big body Seattle has out wide outside of the inefficient Jermaine Kearse. With Paul Richardson and Tyler Lockett anything but models of health, there’s an outside shot Kasen Williams sees some time as Seattle’s second receiver. – Rob Willette

Duke Johnson, RB CLE

I’m going to go ahead and take one more chance that my Dreams of Duke come true. At this point I’m largely on an island, but I still believe there is more there. Also, remember who is ahead of him – Isaiah Crowell ain’t exactly the most entrenched starter around. I love Duke’s versatility and I could see him surprise and get much more of the work this year. – Ryan Finley

Paul Richardson, WR SEA

All he does is make amazing plays. We saw in the Super Bowl that the talent possessed indicates an extremely high ceiling and an ability to draw targets away from his running mate Doug Baldwin. He should have no problem overtaking any competition for the WR2 role in Seattle. – Dwayne Brown

Orleans Darkwa, RB NYG

I have no problem shooting for the moon here, so Darkwa is my guy. I’m just not convinced the Giants are sold on Paul Perkins and Darkwa has done nothing but impress whenever he’s had a chance to. It’s possible Darkwa never makes an impact but he also has a chance to be a solid contributor for a team who gets him for free off the waiver wire – to me, that’s the epitome of a sleeper. – Ken Kelly

Shane Vereen, RB NYG

Vereen isn’t the most exciting pick, but it is pretty rare you can get a 10 PPG running back for free in dynasty. Sure, the ceiling isn’t exactly high, but Vereen has a locked in role in an offense loaded with weapons but lacking much in the way of an offensive line. That combination should get the pass catching back plenty of targets. Vereen used to be a dynasty darling, but injuries have tarnished his image. Still, the player we loved back then still exists, is healthy, and is about to be a major part of the Giants’ offense. – Jeff Miller

Zay Jones, WR BUF

I’m not sure of his sleeper status currently, but he’s someone that many may not know in your fantasy drafts this year. He’s extremely talented as a route runner and by all accounts is the number one receiver for the Bills. – Adam Tzikas

Robby Anderson, WR NYJ

Robby Anderson is still a good talent, and the Jets will be bad enough to have to throw a ton this year. They have few other options in the passing game (project wide receivers and the busted Austin Seferian-Jenkins don’t count as options), so Anderson should earn a ton of looks, if not quality ones. – Joe Redemann

Chris Thompson, RB WAS

I may be taking this a different direction than most of my colleagues, but Thompson is a player I’d like at the end of my bench for reliable flex production this year. With all of the discussion surrounding Perine’s potential to underwhelm, and Kelley’s proven ability to underwhelm, take a look at the guy who will at least be on the field in third down situations anyway. He’s not a between-the-tackles runner, but could find himself involved as a pass-catching option out of the backfield frequently. – Jaron Foster

Final Vote Count

Eric Ebron, Kenny Britt, Tyrell Williams, Robby Anderson, Paul Richardson, DeVante Parker – 2 votes
Eric Decker, C.J. Prosise, Jonathan Stewart, Doug Martin, Tyler Lockett, JJ Nelson, Laquon Treadwell, Corey Coleman, Mohamed Sanu, Mike Wallace, Jaron Brown, D’Onta Foreman, Jamaal Williams, Kasen Williams, Duke Johnson, Orleans Darkwa, Shane Vereen, Zay Jones, Chris Thompson – 1

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Ken Kelly

Co-Founder at DynastyLeagueFootball

Ken is a corporate trainer by day an a tireless editor of dynasty content by night. His passion for the World Champion Seattle Seahawks is second only to his love of fantasy football and the dynasty format.

Ken is on Twitter at DLF_KenK