Remember that earth-shattering day in third grade when you learned that all squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares? That’s kind of how I view standard and PPR leagues. Even in PPR leagues, yards and touchdowns are king. That means pretty much anyone you like as a late-round pick in standard leagues is also a good pick in PPR leagues.
The converse is not always true. There are players who aren’t viable standard league options that become much more attractive once you tack on a point per reception. In this article, I’m going to highlight a few of those late-round targets that are especially good for PPR leagues.
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(PPR ADP in parentheses)
Running Backs
James White (NE) (115)
Somehow, White is flying under the radar after his 20-touch, 139-yard performance in a game watched by over 110 million people. He’s currently RB38 in PPR leagues. This is insane.
The Patriots’ pass-catching back is a perennial top-24 RB, and while there are challengers, White is the clear frontrunner for this role heading into 2017. We already saw White’s potential last season when he averaged 11.15 points per game and was the RB22 after Tom Brady returned in Week 5. This wasn’t a one-hit wonder either. After Dion Lewis tore his ACL in Week 9 of 2015, White was RB15 the rest of the way.
And most important when talking Patriots running backs: 0 career fumbles.
Alvin Kamara (NO) (147)
Since Sean Payton and Drew Brees united in New Orleans, their top pass-catching running back has averaged 79.9 targets per year. Only three running backs had more last season. The Saints traded up to grab Kamara early in the third round of the draft so that he could fill this role. There’s little ceiling here—Kamara won’t run much, and won’t score many touchdowns—but Reggie Bush, Pierre Thomas, and Darren Sproles all finished as top 24 PPR backs multiple times in this system.
Chris Thompson (WAS) (156)
Thompson is the prototypical high floor, low ceiling pass-catching back that gets overlooked at the end of drafts. Thompson quietly amassed 705 total yards last season, averaging 9.2 points per game and finishing as RB28 in PPR scoring. Regardless of how early-down work shakes out between Rob Kelley and Samaje Perine, Thompson has a clear role as the passing-down back on a team that threw 607 times last season.
Branden Oliver (SD) (302)
Melvin Gordon ended up a bell-cow last season, but Danny Woodhead was actually out-snapping him before tearing his ACL in Week 2. There’s clearly opportunity for a second running back in San Diego, and while Oliver isn’t as good as Woodhead, he’s been solid as a receiver thus far in his career (catching 49 of 60 targets and averaging 7.8 YPR across two seasons). Bonus points for being the backup to a player (Gordon) who’s ended the last two seasons hurt.
Other targets: Darren Sproles (PHI) (booooooring, but he had eight top-24 running back finishes last year, and should remain effective as Carson Wentz’s much-needed security blanket), T.J. Yeldon (JAC) (Leonard Fournette will dominate carries, but he wasn’t much of a receiver in college; Yeldon quietly racked up the seventh-most targets among running backs last season), Shane Vereen (NYG) (RB26 in PPR scoring just two years ago, albeit on just 6.2 points per game; upside as the passing-down back on a team that may approach 700 pass attempts).
Wide Receivers
Kenny Britt (CLE) (117)
Britt managed 68 receptions for 1,002 yards last year despite playing with Case Keenum and Jared Goff on by far the worst passing offense in the league. Unfortunately, Britt’s new team, the Browns, wasn’t much better. Fortunately, Cleveland’s depth chart is wide open after Terrelle Pryor and Gary Barnidge, it’s two most targeted players, were jettisoned this offseason. That means Britt’s primary competition for targets is oft-injured sophomore Corey Coleman…who already suffered multiple injuries in OTAs. Presumptive starter Cody Kessler may also be a bigger QB upgrade for Britt than you think. He finished 11th in completion percentage and 17th in AY/A last year, pretty good numbers for a rookie. Getting a team’s potential No. 1 receiver as the WR51 is nice value in a PPR league where pure volume is valuable.
Rishard Matthews (TEN) (125)
I’m bearish on fellow Titans Eric Decker and Corey Davis for 2017, but it honestly doesn’t matter because you’re buying Matthews around his floor. There’s upside as well if Matthews picks up where he left off in 2016, averaging 16.3 points per game after emerging as the primary option for Marcus Mariota in Week 8.
Marqise Lee (JAC) (185)
There seemingly isn’t much reason to be optimistic about Blake Bortles’ No. 2 receiving option, especially since the Jaguars figure to cut back on passing volume after drafting Leonard Fournette and beefing up the defense. So it’s weird that Allen Robinson is an early third-round pick by ADP…
Dad jokes aside, Lee outperformed Robinson in every efficiency metric last season, and if that trend continues Jacksonville will have no choice but to turn more to Lee. The former second rounder (taken 22 picks ahead of Robinson, mind you) was healthy for the first time in his career in 2016 and really emerged in the second half when he averaged 11.3 points per game and recorded at least four receptions in five of eight games.
Will Fuller (HOU) (175)
How quickly people have moved on from the 21st overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft. As a deep-ball threat, Fuller is not the prototypical PPR receiver, but in case you skipped the intro I’ll say it again: the most important things in PPR leagues are still yards and touchdowns. The receptions might be there anyway. Fuller had 92 targets last season, which is really good volume for a rookie. Before a couple of lower-body injuries slowed him down, we saw flashes of what Fuller can become. Through four weeks, Fuller was on pace for 76 catches, 1,292 yards, and eight touchdowns. The quarterback situation is still a mess, but there’s a lot of upside here.
Other targets: Cole Beasley (DAL) (Mike Tagliere has talked about Bryant’s difficult slate of matchups, which should open up opportunities for Beasley and the other Cowboys pass-catchers. Who are they, again?), Zay Jones (BUF) (not an especially talented prospect, not a great fit with Tyrod Taylor, but not a lot of competition for targets for the all-time FBS receptions leader, either), Robby Anderson (NYJ) (followed up dominant 2016 preseason with 587 receiving yards in limited work; all he’s ever done is produce when given an opportunity).
Tight Ends
Jack Doyle (IND) (127)
Remember the quiet guy from high school? Likeable. Unremarkable. Never thought of him again after graduation. Then 10 years later you look him up on Facebook and find he’s got a great job, a beautiful wife, and an adorable little kid.
That’s Jack Doyle. There’s nothing sexy about the undrafted tight end out of Western Kentucky with a 13th percentile speed score, but after four quiet years, Doyle finds himself in an ideal spot for fantasy. Doyle finished second on the Colts last season with 59 receptions and has room to grow with Dwayne Allen (52 targets) now out of the picture. Doyle’s use primarily as a short-yardage receiver hurts him in standard scoring, but those easy catches are a boon in PPR leagues as he converts a high percentage of his targets into receptions. Add in a TE-friendly quarterback and coach, plus a vote of confidence from the team (i.e., a three-year, $21 million contract), and you get the rare late-round tight end who isn’t just touchdown or bust.
Austin Hooper (ATL) (161)
A popular breakout candidate, we should be careful not to get too excited for a player who had just 36 targets in 19 games his rookie season. Still, with Jacob Tamme gone Hooper figures to play a much bigger role in his sophomore season. At worst, Hooper will be like a dozen other tight ends who are fine when they score a touchdown and irrelevant when they don’t. At best, Hooper could develop into an every-week starter as the No. 2 receiving option for Matt Ryan, where there isn’t much competition for targets behind Julio Jones.
Other targets: Jared Cook (OAK) (went on a minor tear once he got healthy, averaging 8.8 targets, 5.2 receptions, and 67.8 yards over his last six games; Oakland is in desperate need of a third receiving threat behind Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree).
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Scott Cedar is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Scott, check out his archive and follow him @scedar015.
