Every year we see a litany of NFL players miss chunks of the season due to injury. Last season was no different, though it did seem that an unusual number of elite fantasy options had their seasons cut short. Guys like Aaron Rodgers, Odell Beckham Jr., and David Johnson are all expected to return to fantasy relevance this season.
The real question is who are some of the late round gems that can be had at a discount this offseason after injuries derailed their 2017 seasons? In this article I look at five players who missed most or all of 2017 that I think will out-perform their current fantasy draft positions.
Try the only fantasy football tool that syncs with your draft 
Injury: ACL Tear, Missed all of 2017 Season
Current ADP: #211 Overall, 28th QB
This is much more applicable to leagues in which you are required to start two quarterbacks as I don’t think Tannehill cracks the top 12 this season. That being said, his current ADP of QB28 is a bargain for someone who has never finished lower than QB27 when healthy. Let’s look at Tannehill’s career fantasy finishes from 2012-2016: QB24, QB16, QB8, QB17, QB27 (13 games), respectively.
Those aren’t exactly numbers that jump off the page, but it still averages out to QB18. Tannehill also only missed three games before his 2017 season, which was due to the same ACL tear he eventually had reconstructed.
I don’t see a scenario where Tannehill plays all 16 games and doesn’t finish as a top 24 QB for fantasy. Without target monster Jarvis Landry in the middle, I expect Tannehill to be airing the ball out to the variety of new offensive weapons. The Dolphins also have the seventh easiest strength of schedule for QBs this season. If Tannehill can return to form, which I believe he will, he could be a solid second quarterback next season.
Injury: ACL Tear, Missed all of 2017 Season
Current ADP: #67 Overall, 27th WR
How easy is it to forget that Julian Edelman missed all of last season? The Patriots chugged right along and made it back to the Super Bowl without one of Tom Brady’s favorite targets. In the four seasons before his ACL tear, Edelman averaged 133 targets, 89 receptions, 957 yards, and five touchdowns. Outside of low touchdown numbers, it is fair to say that Edelman was a productive wide receiver.
In those four seasons, Edelman was on average the 21st ranked WR in PPR formats. If you take out 2015, which Edelman only played nine games, he would be 15th overall. I don’t expect the Patriots offense to take any steps back this season, which could mean Edelman becomes fantasy gold in the middle rounds of drafts.
Injury: ACL Tear, Missed all of 2017 Season
Current ADP: #118 Overall, 47th WR
I usually tend to shy away from WRs switching teams, but Meredith is a rare exception. He’s moving to one of the best passing offenses in the league in New Orleans. Coming off a breakout season in 2016 in which he collected 66 receptions, 888 yards, and four touchdowns, many had penciled in Meredith as the Bears number one pass catcher in 2017. Sadly an ACL tear in the preseason ended Meredith’s chances to realize that potential.
Now he’s heading to New Orleans and is expected to compete for the second wide receiver position with 33-year-old Ted Ginn. If Meredith wins that battle, he could be looking at a role that produced 70 targets and 700+ yards last season — good enough for WR34. If something were to happen to Michael Thomas, we could be looking at the number one passing option on a Drew Brees-led offense. Count me in.
Injury: Lumbar Disc Herniation/Knee Bruise, Missed six games in 2017
Current ADP: #171 Overall, 61st WR
Williams played in 10 games last season. If that surprises you know that you aren’t alone. Williams only managed eleven catches in those ten games, good for eighth on the team. Not exactly what the Chargers were hoping for after taking Williams with the seventh pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.
So how can Williams make this sleeper list? It comes down to a few things: opportunity, potential, and draft position.
Philip Rivers threw almost 600 passes last season and had already lost his largest red-zone target in Hunter Henry to an ACL tear this season. Add in Antonio Gates‘ retirement, and suddenly 75 targets and seven touchdowns have opened up in the offense. Some of those targets are going to funnel into Keenan Allen, but if Williams can beat out Tyrell Williams for the second WR role, he could see a heavy workload.
Based on the investment that the Chargers made in Williams it is clear they intend to give him every chance to do so. Williams also missed the entirety of last year’s preseason, a crucial time in creating chemistry with Rivers. I believe Williams returns this season to production well exceeding his 61st WR ADP and is an excellent stash in fantasy.
Injury: Cervical Disc Herniation and Surgery, Missed all of 2017 Season
Current ADP: #277 Overall, 95th WR
Enunwa is deepest of sleepers on this list. He likely won’t be drafted in a majority of re-draft leagues this season, but he could find fantasy value in deeper leagues that start multiple wide receivers. Coming off a 2016 season breakout of 58 receptions, 857 yards, and four touchdowns many expected Enunwa to assume the number one WR role for the lowly Jets. A preseason neck surgery ruined that expectation, but there is hope he can return to fantasy relevance in 2018.
The Jets drafted their QB of the future in Sam Darnold. The pass-catching corps also hasn’t improved much with only Robby Anderson, Jermaine Kearse, and oft-injured Terrelle Pryor standing between Enunwa and the WR1 role. Even though all three have shown flashes, there isn’t much standing in the way of Enunwa becoming a starter in NY. If he can find the field, he may find some WR3 fantasy production in 2017.
Subscribe: iTunes | Stitcher | SoundCloud | Google Play | TuneIn | RSS
Ethan Turner is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Ethan, check out his archive and follow him @TheFantasyDPT.
