2017 Fantasy Football: Sleeper Wide Receivers to Target

Even though the wide receiver position is one of the more consistent positions, there are always wide receiver sleepers worth targeting. Obviously the receiver landscape has changed after the release of Jeremy Maclin and Eric Decker. With Maclin now in Baltimore and Decker in Tennessee, the sleeper landscape has definitely changed. Baltimore used to have multiple receivers that were considered to be sleepers, and now it’s just Mike Wallace in my opinion. Even though these moves are great for their Quarterbacks, this has hurt the fantasy value of these receiving corps.

However, there are still lots of great sleepers at the position that warrant consideration. One of my favorite sleepers I have listed here is Marvin Jones, who is in one of the pass-friendliest offenses and is a 12th round pick. Even though the best teams will have their receivers way before the 12th round, it’s important to know that anything can happen. Injuries in fantasy football can happen in the blink of an eye, and it’s important to have backups that are in good positions to produce. Fantasy football is all about opportunity and situation, so target the receivers who are in the best of both worlds. Below are my favorite Fantasy football wide receiver sleepers here in 2017.

Wide Receiver

Martavis Bryant (pick 73)

Even though a seventh round pick isn’t exactly a sleeper, he should return great value on being drafted here. Last season, all Steelers receivers not named Antonio Brown accounted for 102 catches, 1481 yards, and 11 touchdowns. This is a huge stat for Bryant to eat into, and Antonio Browns’ double teams will help Bryant produce as well. I’d say even though Bryant might have more value in standard leagues, he should still get a ton of targets, as Roethlisberger struggled to trust any pass catchers not named Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell. My biggest concern is actually Roethlisbergers’ struggles on the road last season. However, Bryant should be a great receiver in fantasy, as long as he stays off the drugs.

Mike Wallace (pick 75)

The surprising releases of Eric Decker and Jeremy Maclin have put an asterisk by these wide receiver fantasy sleepers. If Baltimore stays away from both of these talents, Mike Wallace will look to be the biggest sleeper of the season. Baltimore as an offense passed more than any other offense in the league in 2016. The Ravens have also lost Steve Smith Sr. to retirement and Kamar Aiken to free agency. This opens the door for Wallace and Breshad Perriman to run the show, and Wallace clearly has the better track record. Again keep careful track of the current free agent receivers, but Wallace could be the biggest sleeper in fantasy.

Adam Thielen (pick 82)

Breakout receiver Adam Thielen had a very successful year in a subpar passing offense as the WR2. Thielen finished with 69 catches for 967 yards and five touchdowns, and was a main member of the pass catching trio in Minnesota. He clearly has earned the trust of Sam Bradford, who looks like he’ll be the starter for at least the majority of the 2017 season, depending on Teddy Bridgewater’s recovery. This pick all depends in your confidence in Laquon Treadwell’s role this season, but I think Thielen has solidified himself as the WR2 in this offense.

Eric Decker (pick 91)

Even though this move has lowered the fantasy value of other Titans’ receivers, I personally love this move for Decker. Throughout the last few years, Decker has been one of the most efficient red zone targets in the league, and he is pairing with one of the most red zone efficient Quarterbacks in the league. Make no mistake about it, this will still be a run-first offense, but having Decker to pair with tight end Delanie Walker in the red zone will make this offense great. All of this requires Marcus Mariota to heal from his fractured right fibula, and all reports look incredibly promising.

Breshad Perriman (pick 118)

The other Ravens receiver also makes this list easily. Perriman has a lot of fantasy value right now for the same reason as Wallace does: he’s in a pass-heavy offense that has lost three of the top five pass catchers from last season. The former first round pick is due for a breakout season, and he has every opportunity to do it this year.

Zay Jones (pick 120)

The rookie may be also be subject to falling down the depth chart of the bills sign Jeremy Maclin and Eric Decker. However, since buffalo got rid of WRs 2-4 on the roster this year, plus with Sammy Watkins’ injury history, Jones could easily have a big season. Again, we’ll have to track any wide receiver free agency signings before camp, but Jones could be the most valuable rookie wide receiver in fantasy this year.

Marvin Jones (pick 124)

After the first four weeks, Jones was pacing all receivers in fantasy last year. As a Lions fan, I’m still not sure what happened with Jones. I think fantasy owners expected him to continue to be a WR1, but Jim Bob Cooter’s offense works best when the ball is spread to as many players as possible. However, ESPN has him hidden somewhere in the twelfth or thirteen rounds of drafts, way to low for the WR2 in a pass-heavy offense with seemingly always injured running-backs. Marvin Jones will be a great sleeper this season if he remains this low on draft boards.

Kevin White (pick 134)

After starting to make progress in 2016, Kevin White went down with another injury, bringing his year to an ending after four weeks. Even though as a Lions fan this makes me laugh, White will clearly have fantasy value this season. White, Cameron Meredith, and Zach Miller will be the primary targets for both Mike Glennon and Mitchell Trubisky. I know asking for White to stay healthy seems like a longshot, but he could be a very valuable sleeper in the thirteenth or fourteenth round in deeper leagues.

J.J. Nelson (pick 160)

For standard leagues, J.J. Nelson is the ultimate boom or bust sleeper, just because of how he is used. Even though Nelson only had 34 catches and one game with over five catches last season, he exploded for 568 receiving yards and six touchdowns. These bursts can definitely help you win you week, as he looks to be one of the best deep threats in the league. Even with John Brown back, I think Nelson will have a very similar role, and is an intriguing flex in deeper standard leagues.

Jeremy Kerley (pick 191)

Even though the WR2 for a poor San Francisco 49ers team doesn’t excite everyone, I’m certainly interested in him. With Brian Hoyer now at the helm of this offense, the 49ers will have more fantasy value than last year, even without Colin Kaepernick and Torrey Smith. When Hoyer was healthy last season in Chicago, he was a top ten Fantasy quarterback on a week to week basis. Despite catching just three touchdowns last season, Kerley had seven games with over 10 fantasy points in PPR scoring. With a lack of talent behind Kerley, he looks to be a great sleeper pick for deeper fantasy leagues in 2017.

Chris Conley (pick 232)

With Jeremy Maclin now in Baltimore, Conley now looks to be the WR2 in this offense. Even though he’s the third pass catching option in this offense, he still will provide good value in deeper fantasy leagues. As the 4th option in this offense last season, Conley still caught 44 passes. Even though his lack of touchdowns last season is disappointing, fantasy value is all about opportunity, and Conley should be on the field a vast majority of snaps. Look for Conley to be a solid sleeper in deeper leagues this season.