2014 Fantasy Football – 15 Sleepers (Aug. 31):
This is a list of my favorite 2014 fantasy football sleepers – underrated players who are going way later than they should. The Average Draft Position (ADP) is found on FantasyFootballCalculator.com. I had Knowshon Moreno and Alshon Jeffery as my top two sleepers in my 2013 sleepers list, so hopefully I can come up with some good ones this year.
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Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Raiders. Bye: 5. ADP: 6.06.
I was very impressed with how Maurice Jones-Drew has looked this preseason. He has played like the MJD of old, and he even broke free for a long touchdown in the third game. The Raiders will run the ball well this year, so I want one of the two Oakland backs on my teams. Jones-Drew wasn’t as successful in the second game, but I still like him a lot this year.
Unfortunately, Jones-Drew isn’t as much of a sleeper anymore because his ADP has risen to the middle of the sixth round. I still consider him to be good value there.
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Marques Colston, WR, Saints. Bye: 6. ADP: 6.09.
Marques Colston is coming off the worst season of his career, thanks to a knee injury that limited him in the first half of the year. He took off in the second half, however, looking like the Colston we’re used to seeing. He should continue to be a WR2. It’s a joke that Brandin Cooks is being drafted before him.
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Dwayne Bowe, WR, Chiefs. Bye: 6. ADP: 10.01.
Dwayne Bowe looked fantastic in OTAs and training camp, thanks to an improved workout regimen this offseason. He carried it over to the preseason; he looked tremendous against the Panthers, as I noted in my preseason recaps. He’s suspended for one game, but I don’t care at all about that. He won’t be drafted as a starter, so what does that matter?
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Aaron Dobson, WR, Patriots. Bye: 10. ADP: Undrafted.
Aaron Dobson has become a forgotten man. I even landed him in the 13th round in a draft this weekend. Dobson missed most of the offseason, but he’s healthy now, and he looked good in the preseason finale. He’s a major steal in Round 12 or later.
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Justin Hunter, WR, Titans. Bye: 9. ADP: 9.07.
Justin Hunter has made a big leap this offseason, shining in OTAs and training camp. He has tons of talent, so he could be a big producer for Tennessee this season. His monstrous outing against the Saints might be an indication of that. Unfortunately, that has prompted his ADP to rise, so he’s not as big of a sleeper anymore.
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Darren McFadden, RB, Raiders. Bye: 5. ADP: 10.12.
We reported a few months ago that McFadden has been enjoying his best offseason workout regimen ever in his career, and it should translate into a healthy campaign. With so many being down on McFadden, take advantage by snagging him later than he should be going. He should be able to post RB2-3 numbers this year, though he will share carries with Maurice Jones-Drew.
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Christine Michael, RB, Seahawks. Bye: 4. ADP: 12.09.
Christine Michael had fumbling problems this preseason, but Pete Carroll has stuck with him. That’s because he knows how talented he is. Michael will have to contend with Robert Turbin once Marshawn Lynch gets hurt, but he’s capable of posting RB2 numbers. Michael has fallen in mocks lately because of his injury, so take advantage of this during your draft.
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Knowshon Moreno, RB, Dolphins. Bye: 5. ADP: 8.01.
As written in my Fantasy Football Stock Report, once expected to have problems making the roster because of a troublesome knee, Knowshon Moreno saw his first action of the preseason. He made his first appearance on the opening drive, gaining 18 yards on a very impressive carry. He then spun around during a 9-yard rush and made a nice cut on a 7-yarder. In total, Moreno tallied 64 yards on 10 carries, and he was so much better than Lamar Miller. Moreno will eat into Miller’s workload; if not commandeer most of it.
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Lance Dunbar, RB, Cowboys. Bye: 11. ADP: 13.09.
Lance Dunbar’s ADP is too low. DeMarco Murray will get injured at some point this year, and Dunbar is clearly valued by the coaching staff because he was held out of the first preseason game. The other running backs have underwhelmed, so Dunbar will be utilized heavily once Murray goes down.
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Mark Ingram, RB, Saints. Bye: 6. ADP: 9.01.
Mark Ingram has looked fantastic in three preseason games. He even made a great blitz pick-up in protection in the third game. He deserves carries over Khiry Robinson, who is being drafted earlier than him. Unfortunately, he’s another player who has seen his ADP rise.
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Jonathan Grimes, RB, Texans. Bye: 10. ADP: Undrafted.
Jonathan Grimes started against the Falcons and actually looked pretty good. He rushed for 42 yards on nine carries and caught three balls for 25 receiving yards. One of his runs was very impressive, as he broke three tackles on a scamper versus Atlanta’s No. 1 defense. Grimes is worth a late-round selection, given Foster’s durability issues.
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Kyle Rudolph, TE, Vikings. Bye: 10. ADP: 7.01.
Kyle Rudolph had a disappointing 2013 campaign, catching 30 balls for 313 yards and three touchdowns in eight games. However, the arrow is pointing up for Rudolph because Norv Turner is his new offensive coordinator. Turner frequently gets the most out of his tight ends, so Rudolph should have his best season yet. He was fantastic against the Cardinals this past weekend.
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Kenny Britt, WR, Rams. Bye: 4. ADP: 12.04.
Kenny Britt has been a huge disappointment the past few seasons because he hasn’t been able to stay healthy. A bad attitude hasn’t helped either. However, he’s reunited with Jeff Fisher in a new home, and has reportedly emerged as a team leader in training camp while looking great in practice, so this will be a bounce-back opportunity for him. Don’t worry about Sam Bradford getting hurt; there’s not much of a drop-off to Shaun Hill.
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Jarrett Boykin, WR, Packers. Bye: 9. ADP: 11.07.
Davante Adams has struggled with drops in OTAs. Richard Rodgers may win the starting tight end job, but he’s a rookie. This is great news for Jarrett Boykin, who played well when given the chance in 2013. Boykin was heavily targeted at St. Louis.
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John Brown, WR, Cardinals. Bye: 4. ADP: Undrafted.
John Brown is just a rookie, but has drawn comparisons to Marvin Harrison. He’s had an outstanding offseason, and he’ll contribute this year. He’s worth a late-round flier.
More 2014 Fantasy Football Articles:
Fantasy Football Rankings
2014 Fantasy Football Rankings:
2014 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterbacks - 8/30 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Rankings: Running Backs - 9/3 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Rankings: Wide Receivers - 9/3 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Rankings: Tight Ends - 8/27 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Rankings: Defenses - 6/4 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Rankings: Kickers - 6/4 (Walt)
Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings - 5/18 (Walt)
Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings: Dynasty - 8/22 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Mock Drafts:
2014 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 2-QB - 8/21 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Standard - 8/14 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: PPR - 8/12 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 3-WR - 8/7 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Standard - 7/31 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 3-WR - 7/24 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: PPR - 7/17 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Standard - 7/10 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheets:
2014 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 - 9/3 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 - PPR - 9/3 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 - 2-QB - 9/3 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 - TD - 9/3 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Custom - 9/3 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Spreadsheets - 8/28 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Articles:
2014 Fantasy Football Stock Report: Training Camp - 9/3 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football: It's All About Value - 9/1 (Kenny)
2014 Fantasy Football Sleepers - 8/31 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Busts - 8/31 (Walt)
2014 NFL Preseason Recap, Fantasy Football Notes - 8/30 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Preseason Stock - 8/30 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Quarterback Targets - 8/30 (Walt)
FanDuel $1 Million Contest - 8/30 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator - 8/30 (Walt)
Fantasy Football Round-by-Round Strategy - 8/17 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Stock Report: Running Backs - 3/28 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football: Overdrafted Players - 2/16 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football: First-Round Bust History - 2/14 (Walt)
Running Backs with Most Carries - 2/14 (Walt)
NFL Picks - Nov. 20
2025 NFL Mock Draft - Nov. 20
NFL Power Rankings - Nov. 19
Fantasy Football Rankings - Sept. 4
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