2015 Fantasy Football: Wide Receiver Sleepers
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Eddie Royal, Bears (129) – The last time Royal caught passes from Jay Cutler was his rookie season in 2008 and he caught 91 of them for 981 yards and 5 TDs. Royal hasn’t matched that production since but is coming off his 2nd best season in 2014 with 62 catches and 7 TDs. During his time with the Bears, Jay Cutler has never had a reliable underneath receiver until now. Royal should be Cutler’s safety valve receiver which could result in huge catch numbers with enough TDs to make him a solid WR3 / Flex option.
John Brown, Cardinals (123) – The little known 3rd round pick out of Pittsburgh St started last season with 5 TDs through the first 9 games before disappearing down the stretch. The loss of Carson Palmer had a lot to do with Brown’s lack of production in the 2nd half, but even Brown admitted that he hit the rookie wall. He came back this year with some added strength and endurance which should help avoid another 2nd half collapse. WR Michael Floyd suffered an injury that may keep him off the field though the first few weeks of the season which could mean more targets for Brown. If Carson Palmer can stay healthy, Brown could be his primary deep threat and has a legit shot for double-digit TDs.
Michael Crabtree, Raiders (125) – Anyone who read my fantasy articles last year knows that I’m not a Crabtree fan, but I’m hearing good things out of Raiders training camp. The former 1st round pick had trouble finding a job this offseason which is how he ended up in Oakland on just a one-year, $3M deal. Crabtree seems motivated to rebuild his value and he’s finally playing with a decent QB in Derek Carr. Rookie Amari Cooper should draw most of the attention, which could lead to plenty of single coverage for a Crabtree and a return to his 2012 form (85/1105/9).
Terrance Williams, Cowboys (126) – Another high efficiency receiver who could see a boost in targets with the loss of DaMarco Murray. He’ll compete for targets with Dez Bryant and Cole Beasley (who almost made this list as well), but Romo is coming off one of the best seasons of his career and should throw more this season. With Bryant drawing most of the attention, Williams should be able to capitalize on 1-1 coverage and possibly have a breakout season.