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10 Early Post-Hype Sleepers (2020 Fantasy Football)

10 Early Post-Hype Sleepers (2020 Fantasy Football)

Every year there are several players you may end up viewing as potential sleepers or breakout candidates that end up falling flat. They might fail to meet your expectations so heavily that you are wary of selecting them again in the future. That struggling athlete’s draft cost drops in the ensuing year when this happens, enticing some to take the plunge once again in hopes of the same upside they saw previously. It could pay off handsomely for you. Just ask the people who had DeVante Parker and John Brown last year. No one wants to be burned twice though, so our featured experts have gone ahead and shared their opinions on which post-hype sleepers you should consider giving a second chance to.

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Q1. What WR who was overhyped as a sleeper or breakout candidate in past seasons, and has fallen in draft rankings this season, are you targeting the most and why?

Anthony Miller (CHI) 
“Miller is a mid-round wide receiver everyone needs to start paying attention to. Currently being drafted as a WR5 who is now the WR2 on his team, should get improved quarterback play from either Mitchell Trubisky or Nick Foles, and had a five-game stretch in which he caught 33 of 52 targets for 431 yards and both his touchdowns on the season. With no Taylor Gabriel and in what should be an improved offense from one that finished 29th in three-and-out percentage, Miller is a good target as a depth wide receiver.”
– Anthony Staggs (FF Statistics)

“Much like my running back pick below, Anthony Miller could be fantasy gold if the Bears don’t address the wide receiver position in the second round. Allen Robinson is the clear No. 1 option in this offense, but Miller came on strong at the end of last year once the Bears finally wised up and got him back on the field. This third-year wideout is due for a breakout as he has plenty of raw skills and has been extremely impressive when he wasn’t battling shoulder injuries. I expect him to be a reliable WR3 this season in fantasy after he burned everyone last year.”
– Bobby Sylvester (FantasyPros)

John Ross (CIN) 
“It was DeVante Parker last year, and it’s going to be Ross this year. You saw a glimpse of what he could do at the start of last year when Zac Taylor came to town, as he saw at least six targets in each game prior to getting hurt. While health is always an issue, Ross and the offense as a whole are going to get a big boost with Joe Burrow under center. He may not offer weekly consistency, but he should offer week-winning performances as your WR4. If you’d like to stray away from Ross with his health issues, Parris Campbell of the Colts would be my No. 2 choice.”
– Mike Tagliere (FantasyPros)

“The quarterback play should be more stable in Cincinnati and that bodes well for John Ross. He will be the best and ideal deep threat for Joe Burrow or Andy Dalton. Even if A.J. Green stays healthy, Ross will be the pure downfield playmaker for Cincinnati. Let’s not forget he opened last season with two 100-yard games and three touchdowns.”
– Scott Engel (RotoBaller)

Alshon Jeffery (PHI) 
“Right now, Jeffery is going in the 14th round in redraft formats as the WR61. For someone the finished as a top-25 wideout just two seasons ago, that’s a value I’ll be more than happy to take. The issue is that he has only played a 16-game season three times in his eight-year career. The Eagles could add another pass catcher in the first round of this year’s draft, but if Jeffery can stay healthy, I like his chances of finishing this season as a top-36 wide receiver.”
– Chris Kennedy (The Fantasy Headliners)

Breshad Perriman (NYJ) 
“He certainly won’t get the same volume he did in the final weeks of 2019 with Tampa Bay, but Perriman legitimately has a chance to be a featured receiver in the Jets’ offense and possibly even break out at age 26. Robby Anderson and Demaryius Thomas are gone, which leaves Jamison Crowder to work the slot and only Josh Doctson, Vyncint Smith, and possibly Quincy Enunwa to compete for targets. The Jets won’t be a dynamic offense, but if Perriman can replace Anderson’s numbers to the tune of 50+ receptions, 700+ yards, and a handful of touchdowns, that’s not a bad return for a fourth or fifth receiver that can be grabbed past Round 10 in redraft leagues.”
– Pierre Camus (RotoBaller)

Q2. What RB who was overhyped as a sleeper or breakout candidate in past seasons, and has fallen in draft rankings this season, are you targeting the most and why?

Ronald Jones (TB) 
“Without picking a running back in the first four rounds of ADP, Jones seems like the clear answer in Tampa Bay. With noted thorn in my side, Peyton Barber, now in Washington, Jones has a clear path to the starting job for an offense that should remain explosive with their litany of passing game weapons unless Tom Brady’s play falls quickly off a cliff. He is being drafted as the RB33 according to FantasyData despite finishing last year as the RB25 in PPR leagues and gaining a quarterback whose prevalence for taking care of the football may give him more shots at the end zone. RoJo had also looked capable as a receiver last season and an improvement in that area would be a boon for his fantasy prospects.”
– Anthony Staggs (FF Statistics)

Nyheim Hines (IND) 
“Hines is someone that a lot of folks tagged as a “Zero-RB” candidate (myself included) last season. While he did catch 44 balls on 58 targets, he could see more with Philip Rivers under center this year. The Colts will most likely add another weapon on offense via the draft, but all it will take is an injury to a receiver (or the oft-injured Marlon Mack) for Hines to get a bigger workload in the passing game. I’m not saying he will have a 2019 Austin Ekeler type of season, but he certainly should be able to outperform his current ADP.”
– Chris Kennedy (The Fantasy Headliners)

Kerryon Johnson (DET) 
“I’m going to say that Johnson is someone who is being undervalued right now. Many were expecting the Lions to add a running back in free agency, but now that the top ones have signed, it’s clear he has a lock on the lead role. He hasn’t lived up to expectations at this point, but it’s been mostly injury-related. He should be locked into 15-plus touches per game and offer high-end RB2 value.”
– Mike Tagliere (FantasyPros)

Derrius Guice (WAS) 
“I suspect Kerryon Johnson will be the trendy answer here, but the situation in Detroit is going to get worse before it gets better and they are primed to add another running back. In this case, I’m still all about Guice breaking out. The ‘Skins are revamping their offensive line and will focus on the ground game with him getting the first crack. He has explosive ability that has only been held in check by unfortunate injuries. There aren’t many running backs available outside the top 20 at the position and the top-50 overall that possess the ceiling he does.”
– Pierre Camus (RotoBaller)

Justice Hill (BAL) 
“I’m still all-in on Hill unless the Ravens draft a running back in the first three rounds. With Gus Edwards now out, Hill is the direct backup for 30-year-old Mark Ingram. Not only that, but he happens to be an extraordinarily talented three-down back in what was the single-best rushing offense in NFL history last season. If anything were to happen to Ingram, Hill, who will likely be selected outside the top-120 picks, would be an immediate RB1.”
– Bobby Sylvester (FantasyPros)

Darwin Thompson (KC) 
“When we get to the later rounds, I really like taking a flier on Thompson. Damien Williams is a postseason hero, but he has never shown he is capable of carrying a heavy load over a full campaign. Thompson shined during the 2019 preseason. This year he could even be the lead back for the Chiefs if Williams gets hurt again.”
– Scott Engel (RotoBaller)


Thank you to the experts for giving their early post-hype sleepers. For more great fantasy advice, please be sure to follow them on Twitter.


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