We’re going to give you six very good passing teams that have non-committal wide receiver positions. And we’re going to tell you which guys to look out for in your Fantasy drafts that can potentially help you win your league.
Everyone loves wide receiver Fantasy steals!
This will also make the receiver depth for each of these teams much more clear. You win your Fantasy Leagues by grabbing steals, just like these players late in drafts.
If you agree or disagree with our wide receiver Fantasy steals, please comment — I’d love to hear from other Fantasy aficionados on these wide receiver battles.
6 Wide Receiver Fantasy Steals
1. New England Patriots
There has to be a steal on this team simply due to all the weapons they lost this offseason and how good of a quarterback Tom Brady is.
Wes Welker signed with Denver, Aaron Hernandez is executing people, Brandon Lloyd is unemployed, and Rob Gronkowski can’t move without getting surgery.
Obviously, Danny Amendola is primed to have a big year, but the dark horse I look to have a big year as well is Michael Jenkins. In OTAs, Brady was quoted saying he had great chemistry with Jenkins. With Welker, Hernandez, Lloyd, and likely Gronk all missing week 1, Brady is missing well over 300 receptions and 3,000 yards receiving from last season. If Jenkins gets a third of that missing production you have yourself a potential Pro Bowler. While I don’t expect that, 80 catches and 800 yards is not farfetched, and that’s a complete steal for where he will be going in drafts.
Also, keep an eye on Julian Edelman — he could be a very solid play in PPR leagues. I expect Jenkins to be lined up opposite Amendola, and for Edelmen to play from the slot. There’s production to be had here – it’s inevitable.
2. Detroit Lions
Matthew Stafford approached 5,000 yards last season and it’s hard not to see that happening again — unless he gets injured. We also can’t expect Calvin Johnson to get more than 2,000 yards no matter how amazing he is.
Lions WR Nate Burleson is coming off a serious knee injury, which makes him an intriguing sleeper pick. Photo Credit: 4Screens
Burleson is coming off a torn ACL from last season, but he is always productive when healthy, and a good bet to get 80 catches in this pass-happy offense.
3. Green Bay Packers
There are so many weapons in this offense, I can’t imagine the Packers not still being around in late January. With Greg Jennings signing with the division rival Vikings, I expect Randall Cobb, Jordy Nelson, and James Jones to be just as productive as last season, if not more.
Nelson and Jones will be taking the flanks while Cobb will prominently be in the slot. Cobb became Rodgers’ favorite target last season and I would look for that trend to continue. If any of these guys fall in your draft, you’d be silly not to grab him.
This offense reminds me of the Peyton Manning Colts with Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, and Brandon Stokley. Look for the Packers to possibly become only the sixth team ever to have three 1,000 yard receivers. Expect Nelson to have a bounce-back year as he was injured much of last season.
4. New York Giants
The Giants will be as good as any team in the NFL. Eli Manning is too good of a quarterback to play the way he did at times last season. With Hakeem Nicks never staying healthy, the steal in this offense is Ruben Randle.
With Victor Cruz and Nicks missing OTAs and minicamp, Randle and Manning have become fast friends. Manning was said to have built some great chemistry with Randle at minicamp. The offensive coordinator was impressed as well, saying, “Oh, he’ll play. He’s going to play a whole lot.” These are very encouraging words from the quarterback and his coach, so I expect Randle to be an asset in this offense.
With Ahmad Bradshaw signing with Indianapolis, I look for the Giants to throw the ball a bit more making Randle even more of a commodity. He is your clear No. 3 wideout for New York, and likely won’t see much time taken from the well-traveled WR4 Louis Murphy. The Giants haven’t had a legitimate WR3 in years, so head coach Tom Coughlin will be happy to feed this kid the ball.
5. New Orleans Saints
This offense is always a tricky one to figure out. Every year we have wanted to trust Devery Henderson or Robert Meachem, but it has been tough to count on. There are a few guys vying for the third spot in this dynamic offense. The lead horse in this race is Josh Morgan.
The other three guys competing for that spot are Chris Givens, Courtney Roby, and Nick Toon. Out of these players, I would have to assume Toon will be the man getting playing time, which makes him a good candidate to be among the wide receiver Fantasy steals.
Lance Moore and Marques Colston should be as productive as usual, but look for Morgan to be the downfield threat. In those high scoring NFC south games, I would look for Morgan to score a few touchdowns throughout the season.
Drew Brees will be his usual self and spread the ball around, so expect solid production from this third-year player receiving a gem of an opportunity. Analyze a week or two and then evaluate who would be the best guy from this New Orleans offense and I think you’ll find a steal in the free agent pool.
6. Dallas Cowboys
While everybody hates Tony Romo, he is one of the most productive Fantasy quarterbacks over the past five seasons. Dez Bryant is a beast, but between him and Miles Austin, they are almost guaranteed to get injured. These two have had numerous injury riddled seasons in their short careers.
I look for Dwayne Harris and Cole Beasley to emerge as solid wide receivers. I can’t quite put my finger on who the guy will be, but if I had to guess I’d say Beasley. Beasley is much more used to playing out of the slot and that’s the type of wide receiver they will be looking for. Beasley and Romo reportedly have great chemistry as well, so I look for Romo to feed Beasley as often as the coaches will allow.
While none of these battles are set into stone, I hope this makes it a bit clearer. There are other potent offenses that I failed to mention, but that’s simply due to the production being more definitive. I want to help Fantasy owners find wide receiver Fantasy steals in drafts that they don’t have to spend high picks on, as well as possibly get a guy to help them win some jellybeans.
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