Kamar Aiken is poised to be the best receiving option in Baltimore’s pass-heavy offense
Matthew Hill provides wide receivers to target in the later rounds of fantasy football drafts.
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For the record, I am obsessed with wide receivers. Call it what you want — Zero Running Back, Upside Down Drafting, Waiting on a Running Back — if it means loading up on stud wide receivers in the early rounds, then I’m for it. Unfortunately for those of us who have long shared a love of targeting wide receivers early, the philosophy has become so trendy that there is a good chance it will be the strategy of choice for your league come Draft Day.
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What will the emphasis on going wide receiver early mean for this season’s drafts? It means that no one will have a monopoly on high-volume pass catchers. It means that everyone, from the Zero Running Back truthers to those who reside in the “gotta have your stud running backs” camp, will be searching for mid to late-round gems to fill out their wide receiver corps.
It means knowing when to target undervalued options. The following four players each possess an ADP (MyFantasyLeague.com) that makes them worth targeting once the top receivers are off the board. Each player has an ADP outside the top 25, and all are excellent options in best-ball leagues where their potential week-to-week volatility is largely negated.
Marvin Jones (DET) – ADP 72 (WR38)
Generally regarded as the top receiver in this year’s free agent class, Marvin Jones couldn’t have landed in a much better location for his fantasy value. Coming off of a year where he set career highs in receptions (65) and yards (816), Jones joins a Lions team desperate for playmakers.
Over the past two seasons, the Lions threw 604 and 632 passes, compared to the Bengals’ 503 and 504 attempts during the same period. That means that Jones will be leaving a run-heavy offense where he was in the shadow of A.J. Green, for one that put it up 228 additional times in 2014/2015.
Yes, he will have to battle Golden Tate for targets, but as much as I also like Tate in 2016, he is nowhere near the level of A.J. Green…nor is Eric Ebron in the same class as Tyler Eifert. Look for Jones to be targeted heavily, especially in the red zone, placing him firmly on the low-end WR2 radar.
Kamar Aiken (BAL) – ADP 104 (WR49)
No team comes into the 2016 season with more intrigue than the Baltimore Ravens. With the exception of Joe Flacco at quarterback, it appears to be anyone’s guess as to how the Week 1 depth chart will look at the different offensive skill positions.
Running back and tight end is deep with sure-handed playmakers. Both positions feature multiple guys capable of leading a committee.
At first glance, one could say the same about wide receiver. However, upon further review, there is one player who stands out.
It is not the 37-year-old former star, attempting to return from a torn Achilles. Nor is it the second-year man who missed all of his rookie season due to multiple PCL surgeries and has struggled this offseason with his health.
No, it’s not their big offseason signing…the one who posted a line of 39/473/2 last season and hasn’t topped 1,000 yards since 2011. The Ravens’ receiver to target in 2016 is the same one who led the team in every receiving category in 2015.
From Weeks 10-16, after Steve Smith’s season-ending injury, Aiken was PPR’s No. 15 wide receiver, catching five or more balls in each of those seven contests. Even before Smith went down, Aiken posted double-digit fantasy weeks in five of the first eight games.
Seemingly forgotten in early MFL10s, Aiken’s ADP has steadily increased in recent weeks with the growing uncertainty surrounding the Ravens’ wide receiver corps. However, as someone I see as being the top option in an offense that promises to be extremely pass-heavy, Aiken is still a bargain at the end of the ninth round.
Mohamed Sanu (ATL) – ADP 128 (WR56)
Sanu, the same receiver who has never posted more than 59 receptions in any of his four seasons, represents one of the best late-round values at wide receiver. As Matt Ryan’s clear No. 2 wideout, Sanu combines a fairly high floor with significant upside as the potential focal point of Atlanta’s passing game if Julio Jones were to miss time. Remember, pedestrian receiver Leonard Hankerson, posted a line of 17/241/2 through the first four games of 2015 as Atlanta’s No. 2 before injuries derailed his season.
As the No. 3 receiver on a run-heavy team, Sanu never had the opportunity to show what he can do when trusted with a heavy dose of targets. Expect that to change in 2016, making Sanu one of this season’s top values, especially in best-ball.
Robert Woods (BUF) – ADP 192 (WR73)
After a sophomore season where he made a significant improvement over his first year in catches (from 40 to 56), yards (587 to 699) and touchdowns (three to five), Woods entered 2016 as a trendy late-round sleeper.
Unfortunately for Woods, he was plagued by nagging injuries throughout the season which resulted in him posting a mediocre line of 47/552/3. It also resulted in Woods undergoing offseason groin surgery.
Updates regarding Woods’ recovery has have been glowings, as he is looked strong, explosive, and fully-recovered during voluntary workouts. Firmly entrenched as Buffalo’s No. 2 receiver, and with the regular season status of Sammy Watkins very much in the air, Woods is an absolute steal in the late rounds of early drafts and a valuable “stack” for those targeting Watkins in best-ball leagues.
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