Fantasy Football: Late Round Sleepers
It’s almost that time of year again. If you love fantasy football, you’re going to want to tune in. Here are seven receivers that are flying under the radar on the big boards…
#7: Amon-Ra St. Brown (Detroit Lions)
If you haven’t already heard of him, this is your wake up call. St. Brown finished the 2021 season with double-digit targets in six consecutive games. In five of those games, he recorded a touchdown and averaged over 90 yards total. The Lions haven’t been blessed with any elite receivers since Megatron, but keep an eye out for this man. Who knows, in a couple of years he might be in a Pro Bowl.
Right now, St. Brown is ranked as the 39th best receiver according to Lindy’s Sports Fantasy. But what surprises me most, is that he averaged more receptions and yards than the typical NFL wideout last year. If you ask me, St. Brown is the definition of a sleeper pick.
#6: Tyler Boyd (Cincinnati Bengals)
It’s not easy stealing the spotlight when you have guys like Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins on your team. Nevertheless, Boyd is probably the best WR3 in the NFL. Like Amon-Ra St. Brown, Boyd puts up the league average in receptions and yards. Reeling in five touchdowns last year, it’ll be hard to count on Boyd on a consistent fantasy basis. But like I mentioned earlier, Boyd is a very talented receiver. If he’s available late in your fantasy draft, he’s a safe pick.
#5 Devonta Smith (Philadelphia Eagles)
When you’re winning the Heisman as a receiver, you have the attention of every fantasy owner in the country. With 64 receptions, 916 yards, and 5 touchdown celebrations last season, Smith’s numbers put him in the middle of the pack for NFL wideouts. He’s a great player, and with Aj Brown drawing away all the attention, he’ll have a ton of chances to take advantage of that opportunity. While defensive backs are focused on covering Brown, Smith will have enough time to get open down the field and rack up some major fantasy football points.
#4 Christian Watson (Green Bay Packers)
The only reason Watson isn’t top three on this list is because he’s still a rookie. But in time, I’m confident that he has the potential to be top three in the league. This guy is an absolute gem, and with Davante Adams gone, he’ll be carrying the majority of the workload for Green Bay. He’s a tall receiver that’s dangerous in the open field. Give him an inch, he’ll take a mile. He might’ve been drafted in the second round, but he might just be the steal of this year’s draft.
He’s no Davante Adams to the public eye, but compared to Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb (legend btw), he might just be.
#3 JuJu Smith-Schuster (Kansas City Chiefs)
After an injury ridden 2021 season, JuJu is back and out for blood. Only playing in five games last season, he’ll be ready to go week one. He’s nowhere near as productive as he used to be, but maybe we see him return to his old self with a quarterback like Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs lost a few receivers this offseason, but JuJu is clearly the #1 option in a room with Mecole Hardman and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
#2 Jerry Jeudy (Denver Broncos)
Everyone wants to talk about Russell Wilson coming to Denver, despite showing signs of regression last season. But if Russell Wilson can turn back time and ball out like he used to in Seattle, watch out. Jerry Jeudy has already proved that he can be effective, but if Russell Wilson truly is as good as everyone says he is, Jeudy will flourish. With Noah Fant gone, Jeudy has a wide open path to a Pro Bowl season.
#1 Hunter Renfrow (Las Vegas Raiders)
“Third and Renfrow” is by far the most underrated receiver heading into the 2022 season. After 9 touchdowns and 1000+ receiving yards, you’d think he’d be ranked as a tier two receiver. Despite making a pro bowl, he’s ranked as the #36 receiver in fantasy, behind guys like Elijah Moore and Gabriel Davis. Afterall, the Raiders have priors when it comes to being overlooked by the NFL. I don’t understand how Renfrow doesn’t even crack the top 15 list, let alone the top 25. He hauled in 9 touchdowns. That’s more than players like Amari Cooper, DeAndre Hopkins, Keenan Allen, Ceedee Lamb and Deebo Samuel. He has more receiving yards than guys like Mike Evans, AJ Brown, and Devonta Smith. It literally makes no sense.
The only thing that makes sense is having him on your fantasy football team…
Thanks for reading my article, I appreciate the support! I just started writing for Gridiron Heroics, but if you’re interested in checking out more of my work here’s a link to another article of mine
For More Great Football Content
Follow us on Twitter at @GridironHeroics for more great content. We appreciate you taking time to read our articles. To interact more with our community and keep up to date on the latest in Football news, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE
