Can Alfred Morris lead the league in rushing in a contract year?

If you find yourself searching high and low for draft-day bargains, one deal breaker to always keep in mind is if a player is in a contract year. After all, what better motivation is there to produce in the stat sheets than an upcoming payday? Here’s a breakdown of some underrated players at each position who will be out to prove their worth in 2015 and could pay off big time for your fantasy team.

Running Backs

Alfred Morris, Washington Redskins

In his three seasons in the NFL, Morris hasn’t missed a game and has yet to rush for fewer than seven touchdowns or 1,000 yards. Unfortunately since his rookie season in 2012 (335 carries for over 1,600 yards and 13 TDs), his stats have declined each season along with the deterioration of Washington’s offensive line. This is likely to be a major red flag for your league mates, but don’t let it deter you from considering Morris.

The team brought in a new O-line coach in Bill Callahan and used a fifth-overall draft pick on Iowa product Brandon Scherff who will join second-year lineman Spencer Long on the right side. Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com thinks Morris can lead the league in rushing this season with a revamped line under the guidance of Callahan. I won’t go that far, but I do think that the 26-year-old makes for a great value play in a contract year with his mid-third round ADP.

Lamar Miller, Miami Dolphins

Miller was one of the more quietly productive fantasy running backs in 2014 finishing the season with over 1,100 rushing yards, 38 receptions for 262 yards and nine total TDs. It was a career-best season for the 24-year-old ex-Miami Hurricane and good enough to rank him as a top-10 fantasy back.

Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin has already expressed his trust in Miller to lead the way once again despite the fact that the team used a fifth-round pick on RB Jay Ajayi. Miller is currently being drafted as a RB19, which makes him a ludicrous bargain in what is shaping up to be an explosive Miami offense.

Wide Receivers

Rueben Randle, New York Giants

Obviously Odell Beckham Jr. is all the rage when it comes to the G-Men while Victor Cruz’s recovery from a torn patellar tendon is another main storyline this summer. That leaves the 24-year-old Randle—who posted a career-best 71 receptions for 938 yards and scored three TDs last season—as one of the most overlooked wideouts in fantasy.

Randle knows that 2015 is a statement year for his future with Big Blue and has said that he plans on this being his best season yet. With Cruz’s status suspended in uncertainty, Randle brings sky high value to the table with his WR69 ADP. Don’t forget about him during the later rounds on draft day.

Michael Floyd, Arizona Cardinals

Floyd’s owners were let down after an inconsistent and underwhelming 2014 campaign. He still managed to post 48 receptions for 851 yards and six TDs, but his fantasy production was too sporadic to trust—even as a flex play.

To be fair, Floyd’s quarterback situation was less than ideal since the Cardinals had four different signal-callers throughout the season. Now that Carson Palmer is healthy again, things are looking up for Arizona’s receiving corps. With an aging Larry Fitzgerald projected to work mainly in the slot and second-year WR John Brown still learning the ropes, Floyd will be looking to produce in a contract year and possesses loads of value at his current WR33 ADP.

Tight Ends

Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers

Everyone forgot about Gates during the last year’s draft after a 2013 campaign in which he scored a career-low four TDs (although he racked up 77 receptions and 872 yards). But he bounced back in 2014 with 12 scores, another 800+ receiving yards and finished as the third-highest scoring TE in fantasy.

Sure, he’s getting up there in age (Gates will be 35 when the season gets underway) but at least you know what you’re getting if you draft him. He’s a huge target with a proven track record and an unmatchable rapport with his veteran quarterback. His current ADP has him at TE7 which makes him a draft day steal with heaps of upside.

Vernon Davis, San Francisco 49ers

Yes, I am aware that Davis was a complete bust last year. And while it’s doubtful that Davis returns to his 2013 form (13 TDs, 850 yards) this season, he’s being straight-up ignored at his current TE19 ADP.

New 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula spoke highly of the 31-year-old tight end by saying he “is stretching the field” and “looks extremely fast” thus far, even though it’s still early. But the TE position is such a crapshoot after the top tier that Davis is absolutely worth consideration. The veteran may bring value to the table as a late-rounder, especially if he’s looking for a lucrative extension at the end of the season.

Quarterbacks

Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers

Last season Rivers had a stretch where he threw three TD passes in five of the Chargers first eight games and was consistently putting up huge fantasy numbers. His production slowed in the second half, some of which can be attributed to injuries, despite never missing a game.

San Diego ranked 30th in the league last year in rushing yards per game. But with rookie RB Melvin Gordon and the return of PPR monster RB Danny Woodhead, a potentially more balanced offense should be a boon to Rivers’ fantasy output in 2015. If you’re waiting to draft a quarterback, he’s a great bargain in a contract year at his current QB14 ADP.

Eli Manning, New York Giants

What’s not to love about Eli Manning’s fantasy outlook for 2015? He posted career-bests in both completions and completion percentage last season in the first year of a new-look, Ben McAdoo-run offense. Plus, he has arguably the best young wideout in the league to throw to in Odell Beckham. Let’s not forget Manning’s slew of other weapons, including the aforementioned WRs Randle and possibly Cruz, RBs Shane Vereen and Rashad Jennings and TE Larry Donnell.

Manning’s ADP has him at QB12, which means he is not being drafted in 10-team leagues, yet he finished as a top-10 fantasy signal-caller in 2014. With all signs pointing to an even better 2015, wise fantasy owners won’t leave Eli on the board come draft day, especially in a contract year.

Matt Franciscovich is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Matt, check out his archive and follow him on Twitter @m_franciscovich.