Now the real question is, who can be those players that come out of nowhere this season to help propel you in your leagues, or who is a smart stash to have on your taxi squad. Let’s take a look at five players who you should be keeping your eye on this pre-season.

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Kene Nwangwu (RB – MIN)

Nwangwu is no stranger to being a long shot. In his senior year of high school, he rushed for over 1,400 yards while averaging 8.2 YPC and scoring 17 TDs in his home state of Texas, where he received no scholarship offers from any school. He ended up choosing Iowa State, and after a promising freshman year, he tore his Achilles in spring practice. He took a year to come back only to be stuck behind All-American running backs David Montgomery (RB – CHI) and Breece Hall (RB – FA). Kene would finish his career at Iowa State with only 143 Att for 744 yards and four touchdowns. 

Even with his injury history and lack of production, the Vikings selected Kene in the fourth round of the NFL draft. He should play a pivotal role on special teams for the Vikings. Nwangwu ranked third in the Big 12 and seventh nationally, with an average of 28.9 yards per kickoff return. His 2,470 career kickoff yards are the most in school history and third all-time in Big 12 history. He has one of the best athletic profiles for RBs in his class, including an unofficial 4.29 40-yard dash time at Iowa State’s Pro Day. He also had a recorded 37-inch vertical jump. As far as his fantasy outlook, he has a chance to take Ameer Abdullah’s (RB – MIN) role within the offense and could be a sneaky PPR option if either Dalvin Cook (RB – MIN) or Alexander Mattison (RB – MIN) go down with an injury. Kene is a deep stash, but with his athletic profile, he’s worth the risk. 

Kenneth Gainwell (RB – PHI)

One of the most significant falls in the NFL draft came at the expense of Kenneth Gainwell. Many analysts had Gainwell pegged as the RB4 in the 2021 class and getting Day 2 draft capital. Yet the Eagles selected Gainwell with the 150th pick in Round 5. Part of the reason he fell in the draft was that Gainwell opted out of the 2020 season due to Covid-19. However, in 2019 he crushed the competition in the American Conference. He had over 2,000 yards from scrimmage and accounted for 16 total TDs. He was so talented that he kept Washington’s Antonio Gibson (RB – WFT) off the field for the majority of Gibson’s senior season. 

Gainwell’s strengths lie in his footwork, short-area lateral quickness, acceleration, and receiving ability as a runner. The skill that makes him fantasy relevant for me is his receiving ability. Gainwell had 51 receptions for 610 yards and three touchdowns in 2019 with only three drops. The way Memphis used him all over the field excites me. They put him wide and in the slot. They designed passing plays to get him the ball, and he showed that he could play multiple positions on the field. While his size may limit him from being a workhorse RB1, he still holds value because of his other skills. He should get reps on passing downs, and I can see his workload increasing as the season goes on. Gainwell is a very cheap dynasty buy right now that’s worth the stash in PPR leagues.

Dazz Newsome (WR – CHI)

Let me start by saying this is a deep stash. With Anthony Miller (WR – HOU) getting traded to the Houston Texans, the door has been flung open for another receiver to take over the slot role within the offense. As of right now, Damiere Byrd (WR – CHI) and Javon Wims (WR – CHI) should get the first crack at the position but don’t sleep on the North Carolina product, Dazz Newsome. The Bears drafted Newsome in the sixth round after catching 188 passes for 2,435 yards and 18 touchdowns in 43 games over four seasons at North Carolina. Unfortunately for Newsome, he suffered a broken collarbone in June and started the pre-season on the pup list. He’s back now and started practicing with the team this week.

As a receiver, Newsome excels as a route runner and has excellent separation ability. He has excellent hands and is a YAC threat whenever he catches the ball. He has the chance to be a very good slot receiver in the NFL. While he may never be a perennial WR2, he does have WR3 ability, and based on his value right now, that’s an outstanding deal. He’ll need some time to learn the offense, and coming off of the injury; we shouldn’t expect too much from him early on. But he is the type of player that could develop a great relationship with Justin Fields (QB – CHI) on the field during the middle of the season. He is worth a late stash in your dynasty leagues. 

Kylen Granson (TE – IND)

Kylen Granson is my favorite sleeper in this year’s deep tight end class. Granson had 78 catches for 1,257 yards with 14 touchdowns in his two seasons at SMU. At SMU, he proved to be a versatile playmaker. The fourth-round prospect is a bit undersized at just 6’2″ but is a mismatch nightmare for defenses. He demonstrates speed, excellent hands, and is a very fluid route runner. When you watch his tape in college, he routinely beat linebackers in man-to-man coverage and showed just enough strength to beat athletic safeties on third down and catch situations. Granson will need to work on his blocking ability if he wants to see the field earlier. He mainly was used in the slot at SMU and the Colts like a more traditional three-point stance Tight End.

Regardless of his blocking issues, out of everyone on this list, Granson could see the earliest production and is by far the best long-term prospect. With Trey Burton (TE – FA) off the roster, he’ll only be competing with Jack Doyle (TE – IND) and Mo Alie-Cox (TE – IND) for snaps. But given his versatility and Colt’s offensive scheme, I expect him to have productive games this year. If you are playing in TE Premium dynasty leagues, he is my biggest buy in the format. Get him on your roster before the season starts. 

Brevin Jordan (TE – HOU)

My last dynasty stash is a player that I just can’t quit on. That’s former Miami Hurricane tight end Brevin Jordan. Jordan was selected with the No. 147th pick in the NFL draft. At Miami, he had a career of 105 receptions for 1,358 receiving yards and thirteen touchdowns. While his fall in the draft was one of the more perplexing things I’ve seen, the news out of the Houston Texans training camp has been nothing but positive. Jordan demonstrates excellent athleticism and, like most tight ends in today’s NFL, versatility. According to Pro-Football Focus, he ranked first in yards after contact and yards per route in 2020. 

The opportunity for early playing time will also be there. He’ll be competing with Jordan Akins (TE – HOU), Kahale Warring (TE – HOU), and Pharaoh Brown (TE – HOU) who caught 54 receptions for 601 yards and three touchdowns combined last season. Not to mention the Texans are going through a new rebuild and may utilize more two-tight end sets within their offense. The targets will be there it will just depend on who earns them. Since his freshman year at Miami, I’ve been a big believer in Jordan’s skill set and still think he can carve out a nice role for himself on an NFL roster. At his price point, which is practically free, he is worth taking a chance on. 

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Whether you’re new to fantasy football or a seasoned pro, our Fantasy Football 101: Strategy Tips & Advice page is for you. You can get started with Starting Your Own Fantasy Football League or head to a more advanced strategy – like What is the Right Amount of Risk to Absorb on Draft Day? – to learn more.

Kevin Coleman is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Kevin, check out his archive and follow him @Daboys_22.