So far this year has been a whirlwind, but the uncertainty of the 2020 NFL season hasn’t stopped fantasy fans from practicing their mock strategies. Once again it seems that running backs are heavily favored in the early rounds, which seems to be a good strategy since solid workhorse RBs are betting harder and harder to find.
The nice part about that is that you can go into the draft knowing you want to go RB heavy in the beginning and try and grab a bunch of WRs late in the draft. There are always WRs that will outperform their ADP, and finding the right one could propel your team to victory. Our WR sleepers come from a 12-team PPR mock draft .
Preston Williams – Miami Dolphins
Preston Williams’ rookie season was cut short after injuring his knee, but he put up solid numbers. Williams caught 32 passes for 428 yards and 3 touchdowns and often seemed to be a deep threat.
The good news is the WR should be returning at full health with a somewhat better offense. The Dolphins added some offensive linemen in the draft, as well as college superstar QB Tua Taglovailoa. Now most likely the Dolphins will start the year with Ryan Fitzpatrick behind center, but they could pivot quickly if they keep losing.
Either way, Williams has shown that he has the skill to do great things, and should easily outperform his 12.06 spot (current 11.10 ADP overall). Williams should easily dominate the WR2 spot in the depth chart behind DeVante Parker.
Allen Lazard – Green Bay Packers
Allen Lazard seemed to come out of nowhere for the Packers, only starting in 3 games but managing to catch 35 passes for 477 yards and 3 touchdowns. It feels like the Packers’ experiment with Marquez Valdez-Scantling and Equanimeous St. Brown has finally concluded with awful results, and it may be time to fully unleash Lazard (insert Lizard or Lazar puns here).
Lazard quickly built trust with QB Aaron Rodgers, and that’s one of the biggest things a young WR can do in Green Bay. Lazard has good hands and can make great downfield catches when needed.
The Packers’ front office also seems to be fine with the WR core they have, since they did not use any early draft picks on the many talented receivers in the 2020 draft (much to the chagrin of Packer fans and Aaron Rodgers).
That being said, Lazard at 13.04 (13.12 ADP) seems to be a perfect spot to grab him as a potential sleeper. If Green Bay can get back to their prolific passing offense, Lazard could see upwards of 800 yards.
N’Keal Harry – New England Patriots
So Tom Brady has finally left the Patriots, and it seems like the reign of terror he and Belichik had for years is finally over. But that doesn’t mean that players can’t provide huge fantasy output. Belichik is still the coach, and N’Keal Harry isn’t a rookie anymore, both things that will play to his advantage.
N’Keal Harry made a few highlight-reel catches last season, but as is Patriot tradition, Harry barely saw the field in 2019. Now he has a chance to shine in an offense that has a lot of unknowns coming into the 2020 season. Add in the fact that Julian Edelman is another year older (and injury-prone), and Harry has the making of a breakout season.
In our draft, he went at 15.09 (ADP is 11.10, so this was a steal). Now he is risky, but this could be a case of a WR drafted very late that blossoms into a WR2 or WR3.
Anthony Miller – Chicago Bears
Anthony Miller had a solid rookie year in 2018 but had varying success in his 2nd year. He did increase his yardage, overall catching 52 passes for 656 yards and 2 touchdowns. His touchdowns did regress significantly from 2018 (down from 7), so it isn’t crazy to think he should catch somewhere in the 5-7 range this year.
Miller may be a huge beneficiary to a change behind center, after years of mediocre play from QB Mitch Trubisky. The Bears landed QB MVP Nick Foles, who has not really shown much since his Superbowl victory. However, I personally believe Foles is a more rounded QB and will be able to lead the Bears to a more successful season, granted he is the starter.
Miller has been considered a sleeper for a few years now, and WRs tend to break out in their 3rd year. Miller was drafted at 11.09 (ADP of 12.04 as of now) in this draft, but could easily reach 800-1000 yards and 5 touchdowns with Foles. The Bears are still a dangerous team, and you could easily benefit from a solid WR drafted in the later rounds.
Marvin Jones – Detroit Lions
Marvin Jones has been one of the most disrespected WRs in recent memory when it comes to fantasy drafts, and 2020 seems to be no different. In this draft, Jones went 9.12 (ADP 8.12), even though he had a short season (13 games) and still caught 62 passes for 779 yards and 9 touchdowns. He is only 2 years removed from a 1000 yard season, and QB Matt Stafford is still a solid fantasy QB. He quietly had one of the best fantasy years before the back injury.
The Lions still don’t have a run game or solid defense, so they could continue throwing a ton to try and keep up with opponents. The combination of Stafford and Jones could be huge for fantasy owners, and you don’t have to spend a 3rd round pick on Golladay to get a potential 1000 yard receiver.
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