Recently, Scott Crosby published an informative, thought-provoking, and biased blog, in which he described why he thinks the following six players are sleepers for fantasy football this season: Allen Robinson, Patrick Mahomes, Donte Moncrief, Marqise Lee, Malcolm Mitchell, and of course––Mr. Freak-of-Nature himself––Josh Gordon. While this won’t be a blog that refutes Scott’s potential sleepers, here are six additional players that could bring you success this upcoming fantasy football season.
Joe Mixon (RB, Cincinnati Bengals)
CURRENT ESPN ADP: 17th RB, 38th overall
On the field, this kid is a stud. He’s a hard-nosed, downhill runner and has a terrific sense for the timing of holes. In combination with that is his compact, but strong frame and above-average motor. His rookie campaign was marred by his domestic violence incident and by being low on the depth chart to begin the season, but he showed several flashes of brilliance during the second half of the season. I expect a monster season from him in 2018, especially considering that he should be involved in a more efficient Bengals offense.
Mike Williams (WR, Los Angeles Chargers)
CURRENT ESPN ADP: 65th WR, 144th overall
Look, this guy is coming off a slightly underwhelming rookie season as well, but he has a great deal of promise in both talent and situationally; he was the 7th overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft and is primed to be second in line for targets behind Keenan Allen this season. With the unfortunate loss of Hunter Henry this time around (torn ACL), Williams will––in theory––receive an uptick in red zone targets. In an offensive friendly system and with another year under his belt, this Mike is worthy of a late-round flier.
Mike Evans (WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
CURRENT ESPN ADP: 9th WR, 23rd overall
Ah yes, this Mike is my favorite Mike in the NFL (sorry, Mike from Los Angeles). As I wrote about in a blog about a month ago, Evans is due to have another incredible year when looking at his numbers by season: He scored 12 touchdowns in his rookie and third NFL season but only put up a combined 8 TD’s in those other two years. Plus, he signed an extension this offseason after a season in which he probably fell short of his own expectations, so chances are he will want nothing more than to make the Bucs’ front office and fans feel good about giving him that money.
Alex Collins
CURRENT ESPN ADP: 23rd (RB), 65th (overall)
Collins really turned it up as the season progressed last year and became one of the more feared runners in the NFL. He had the propensity to utilize his muscular body and large frame to slam defenders off of him and lunge forward for extra yards. In that breakout season, he averaged 4.6 YPC with 6 TD’s and 36 targets to intrigue the PPR owners. With the offseason addition of wideout Michael Crabtree, the Ravens’ offense looks to become more versatile, which will only boost Collins’ value.
Isaiah Crowell (RB, New York Jets)
CURRENT ESPN ADP: 33rd RB, 100th overall
Fantasy football players know that volume trumps talent in most scenarios; a guy who gets more carries is usually the better week-to-week option than the guy who may be more talented but doesn't have quite the same role. Crowell, who is coming off of a lackluster season in Cleveland, should be the clear-cut starter in New York come Week 1. Furthermore, HC Todd Bowles appreciates hard-nosed runners like Crowell, and tends to ride with them as long as they can produce.
Mitchell Trubisky
CURRENT ESPN ADP: 25th (QB), 133 (overall)
The quarterback position is very deep this year, and though you might not consider a guy like Trubisky in a one-QB league, he is certainly worth a look as a last-round guy on draft day. The weapons that now surround him are a vast improvement from last year, and he now has a full NFL season under his belt. Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel, and Trey Burton are a few headline names that the youngster from UNC will have at his disposal in his sophomore season, making him a deep sleeper with solid upside.
(Stats via ESPN and Football-Reference, ADP stats via ESPN ADP)
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