Will Kenny Stills be a breakout star in his third NFL season?
2014 was the year of the rookie WRs rather than the typical 3rd year breakout WRs, but this season there are some great candidates (emphasis on candidates) for a 3rd year breakout. Not only are these guys primed for a breakout season, but most of them will be available in the mid to late rounds of fantasy drafts. There is no better feeling than picking up a starting player for your fantasy team in the later rounds of the draft. Here are the 3rd year WRs that have breakout potential and offer great value in your fantasy leagues.
Kenny Stills (Miami Dolphins) – Rank 97 WR 40
Stills is the only third year breakout candidate that is part of a new team. Stills was traded from the New Orleans Saints to the Miami Dolphins early in this year’s free agency chaos. Stills is a speedy receiver that has a knack for getting behind defenses, but he leaves the trustworthy arm of Drew Brees for Ryan Tannehill. However, if Stills can establish himself as the big play maker in Miami, he will see his numbers increase.
Robert Woods (Buffalo Bills) – Rank 171 WR 67
Woods is in an interesting situation. He finds himself among one of the better WR groups in the leagues. The Bills offense includes Sammy Watkins, Percy Harvin, TE Charles Clay, and RB LeSean McCoy. That is a serious amount of star power. That is a lot of mouths to feed, and it is still unclear who will be throwing this group the ball. Woods has the potential to be a sneaky sleeper this season with Watkins, Harvin, and Clay drawing the attention of opposing DSTs. The real question for Woods is: can he use the star power around him to achieve star status, or will he fall to the bottom of the depth chart?
DeAndre Hopkins (Houston Texans) – Rank 28 WR12
Hopkins emerged as the number 1 receiver in Houston even with Andre Johnson still in town. Johnson moved on and left the door wide open for Hopkins. He is known as a deep threat rather than the volume threat of most number 1 wide outs. Look for his receptions to go up, and for more big downfield plays to come his way. Hopkins is the highest ranked receiver in this group by far, and has the most proven track record of a reliable fantasy option.
Cordarrelle Patterson (Minnesota Vikings) – Rank 183 WR72
In his rookie season Patterson proved to be a threat to score from anywhere on the field. He racked up 9 total touchdowns; 4 receiving, 2 kickoff returns, and 3 rushing. However, last season he struggled to catch on with Norv Turner’s offense. Don’t give up on Patterson’s big play ability. He has Randal Cobb potential and with 2nd year Teddy Bridgewater throwing him the ball he should have a better 2015 season.
Keenan Allen (San Diego Chargers) – Rank 56 WR 23
Allen had an impressive rookie campaign, but saw his numbers slip last season. Compared to where he was drafted last season he disappointed many fantasy owners. He is still Phillip Rivers’s big time target and with the addition of Stevie Johnson things should open up for him. However, his red zone presence will always be in question as long as TE Antonio Gates is still around. Don’t reach for Allen, but if he falls you should not be afraid to take him.
Honorable Mention: Terrance Williams (Dallas Cowboys) – Rank 118 WR 49; Markus Wheaton (Pittsburg Steelers) – Rank 166 WR 65
Matthew Ishmael is a correspondent for FantasyPros. You can read more from him at his archive.
