Storm Johnson has touched the ball 4 times this year. That could change in a big way this Sunday.
With byes in full swing and injuries piling up, there’s a chance you’ll have to dig a little deeper to fill out your starting lineups this week. Whatever your situation, sometimes you need to roll the dice with a plug and play to get a big payoff.
Our Featured Pros are here to help by identifying the best deep sleepers that can give your lineup a boost this week. For good measure, they also share their picks for the players they think are on bust alert.
If you need additional help, be sure to import your team into My Playbook for recommendations specific to your team and check out our Who Should I Start? tool.
Q1: Give us a player outside of our top 110 Flex that represents a Deep Sleeper start?
STORM JOHNSON, RB (JAC at TEN)
“It’s gotta be Johnson. Everything the Jags have said this week suggests he’ll be the primary ballcarrier. Yes, their O-line isn’t good, but neither is their Week 6 opponent (Titans). He’s flex-worthy in some circumstances, and I can’t believe he’s not among the top 110 flex candidates.”
ERIC EBRON, TE (DET at MIN)
“This would be an ideal week for the Lions to get Ebron involved. With Calvin Johnson banged up, the Lions frankly need to get their most talented players on the field. The Vikings have been dealing with injuries to Chad Greenway and Harrison Smith, and Ebron had several opportunities to make big plays last week. He’s still young and learning, but I suspect he’ll be targeted a bit in this one.”
DEVIN HESTER, WR (ATL vs. CHI)
“It’s a revenge game for Hester and the Bears can certainly give up the big play. Atlanta is finding creative ways to get the ball into his hands on offense. I know he is not quite outside the Top 110 (108) but I feel very strongly here. Gotta break the rule! ”
BRANDON TATE, WR (CIN vs. CAR)
“Tate has everything you are looking for in a deep sleeper this week. First, he has big-play ability. He only needs to make 3-5 catches to have a significant fantasy impact. Second, he has an opportunity to be on the field every play; A. J. Green and Marvin Jones are not expected to play. Finally, he has a great matchup. The Panthers are 21st against fantasy receivers. The Bengals are at home and if Andy Dalton can find Tate deep, he could be a deep sleeper in Week 6.”
TAYLOR GABRIEL, WR (CLE vs. PIT)
“Has anyone noticed Gabriel has averaged 88 receiving yards per game in his last two games (81 and 95 yards)? The undrafted rookie speedster out of Abilene Christian is playing about 10 snaps per game less than the frontline starters Hawkins and Austin of late. Last week, Gabriel had a career/season high six targets and 95 yards receiving…including a sensational diving catch on a deep ball. He also had a near-miss TD. Additionally, he has taken three carries this season. The Browns are putting Gabriel to work all year. I just didn’t realize the depth of it until last week. He has to be on the radar as a deep sleeper at WR this week. ”
Q2: On the flip side, what player inside the top 50 Flex is likely to disappoint fantasy owners this week?
BRANDEN OLIVER, RB (SD at OAK)
“I realize Oliver was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last week, but let’s hold our horses a little here. Oliver is a ‘tweener’ sized RB (210 pounds) with mediocre speed (4.6+ at his Pro Day) and moderate agility. He is a high effort, bowling ball runner, and had one big run last week, sprung off by an uncalled holding penalty by a WR. Most every carry Oliver took last week was for 1-4 yards straight up the middle. He is not special, he’s just useful. I get that the Oakland matchup is beyond juicy, but Oliver is not a mortal ‘lock’ talent and if Donald Brown is cleared (albeit unlikely), then that’s a big issue for his touch count. ”
STEVEN JACKSON, RB (ATL vs. CHI)
“I don’t think there are any ridiculous people among the top 50 flex, but Jackson is the most likely to disappoint. I get that he has a great matchup, but this is a guy who hasn’t carried more than 14 times or rushed for more than 54 yards in his first five games. Maybe he’s just not that good anymore?”
“I cannot recommend Steven Jackson with any confidence. Heck, I might rather take the crack on Devin Hester instead. ”
MATT ASIATA, RB (MIN vs. DET)
“I’m not feeling it for Asiata this week. If he has a big game, he’ll almost certainly need a short TD or a bunch of catches. The Lions are stout up the middle, but can be exploited in coverage at linebacker, which is why I think this could be a better week for Jerick McKinnon than Asiata.”
CHRIS IVORY, RB (NYJ vs. DEN)
“Ivory offers a real dilemma for for fantasy owners this week. On the one hand, the Broncos rank 26th against fantasy running backs so it looks like a fantastic matchup to have a big game. On the other hand, the Jets secondary ranks 27th against fantasy receivers and 25th against fantasy tight ends. This game could become one-sided by the beginning of the second quarter. The Jets are a mess right now. The score and game situation will likely prevent Ivory from being more than a weak flex play in a matchup that looks much better than that.”
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Thanks to this week’s Featured Experts for sharing their thoughts with us. To get more advice from the experts, please visit their sites (click their names below) and follow them on Twitter.
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