Sunday, September 4, 2016

2016 Sleepers

Mike Wallace, WR, Baltimore Ravens


This sleeper is my favorite of them all.  It reeks of borderline wr1 potential.  Wallace is stepping into the role Torrey Smith held when he was with the Ravens.  Just stick him by the sideline, pull the cord on his back and let him go.  The former Viking/Dolphin/Steeler possesses a skill-set which syncs perfectly with that of Joe Flacco's, who's been waiting for a player like Wallace to come back.  A big arm QB + a fast WR = TDs.


Mohammud Sanu, WR, Atlanta Falcons

Sanu is going to get targeted.  It's a pass-friendly offense in Atlanta and Sanu is the perfect compliment to Julio Jones.  Harry Douglas and Leonard Hankerson feasted in this very role.  Matt Ryan threw the ball 624 times last season and Hankerson got 45 of them in just seven games.  Matty Ice like to generally focus on two or three guys so the volume will be there for Sanu.



Zach Miller,TE, Chicago Bears

We got to see a tiny sample-size of what's to come with the Cutler/Miller connection. After Bennett went down and missed the final month, Miller stepped in and gobbled up about 6.5 targets/game.  It's common knowledge that Jay loves looking to his TEs.  Bennett had the ball attempted to him 80 times last year and the TE position got a total of 127 targets.  It is safe to project Zach Miller to get at least 100 targets this year.


Vance McDonald, TE,San Francisco 49ers

If you hadn't grasped the theme, most of my sleepers are guys stepping into roles where the previous player excelled and they have a similar skill-set.  V-Mac will spend a majority of his snaps in 2 TE sets like the way Chip Kelly did it in Philly.  With Zach Ertz and Brent Celek seeing a combined 146 targets in the same system, expect more of the same in San Fran.



Devontae Booker, RB, Denver Broncos

Ronnie Hillman didn't make the Broncos 53 man roster paving the way for the rookie to absorb the carries left behind.  Didn't seem like it since it was a time-share situation with Anderson but Kubiak's run-heavy scheme provides enough for two rbs to eat well.  Hillman got the ball at an average of 12.9 carries per game, and with that came 35 targets.  Booker has the preferred skill-set of a one-cut ability that Kubes loves in his backs.  I sense a very productive year for Devontae, especially if/when CJ goes down.

Isaiah Crowell, RB, Cleveland Browns

Terrence West is now murking the water in Baltimore and Hue Jackson has two choices at the position.  With Duke Johnson getting the passing down work, the early down carries and goal-line opportunities will be handed to Crow.  With 11.5 attempts given to him while trying to fit in a RBBC,expect that number to go up to 250 if you count Isaiah taking on the carries left by West.  The Browns offense will be much more explosive this season with all the new weapons so the scoring chances will surely rise as well.  I'm foretelling a 1000 yard and 10 TD season for the 3rd year back.