2017 Fantasy Football – 20 Sleepers (Sept. 1):
This is a list of my favorite 2017 fantasy football sleepers – underrated players who are going way later than they should. The Average Draft Position (ADP) is found on FantasyFootballCalculator.com.
The past two years of Fantasy Football Sleepers have been a mixed bag. For 2015, three of my top six sleepers were Dion Lewis, Jordan Reed and Cam Newton. On the flip side, however, I was way wrong on Kendall Wright, Stevie Johnson and Breshad Perriman. As for last season, I nailed Michael Thomas, Spencer Ware, Robert Kelley, Kenneth Dixon. Some whiffs, however, were Tajae Sharpe, DeAndre Washington, Devin Funchess and Devontae Booker.
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Alvin Kamara, RB, Saints. ADP: 13.10.
With no Drew Brees, Adrian Peterson or Mark Ingram, Alvin Kamara had a chance to shine in his first two preseason games, which included a 50-yard touchdown against the Chargers. It’s going to be difficult for Sean Payton to keep him off the field. I wouldn’t be surprised if Kamara leads all the Saints running backs in receptions, meaning I like him a lot more as a major sleeper in PPR formats. That said, Kamara is such a stud that I would love to land him in standard formats as well.
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Wendell Smallwood, RB, Eagles. ADP: 13.10.
The scuttlebutt this week was that second-year running back Wendell Smallwood could overtake LeGarrette Blount as Philadelphia’s starting running back. Blount had an impressive 16-yard run against the Dolphins, but struggled otherwise. Smallwood, meanwhile, was far more impressive. His first preseason carry went for nine yards, and then he ran for six yards, though he could’ve gotten more had he shown good patience. Smallwood’s best burst was for a gain of 10, as he was able to break out of a tackle that would’ve limited him to just one yard. I don’t know if Smallwood (4 carries, 28 yards) is going to start over Blount, but he’s certainly going to be involved.
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Corey Coleman, WR, Browns. ADP: 10.05.
Corey Coleman struggled last year, but dealt with an injury. He seemed unstoppable in the team’s third preseason game. The concern is that Coleman has a rookie quarterback throwing to him, but DeShone Kizer has a big arm and won’t hesitate to launch passes downfield.
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Chris Hogan, WR, Patriots. ADP: 11.09.
Chris Hogan’s ADP is going to skyrocket in the coming days because of Julian Edelman’s torn ACL. In the next couple of days, however, Hogan won’t go as early as he should in some leagues. Hogan saw the most targets from Tom Brady in the third preseason game after Edelman went down. Hogan and Edelman are effectively the same player.
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Jamaal Williams, RB, Packers. ADP: 9.06.
Jamaal Williams’ ADP is likely on the rise after what happened in the first week of the preseason. Ty Montgomery struggled as the starter, while Williams looked so much better. Williams is a real running back, and Montgomery is incapable of carrying a workload, so there will at least be a split.
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Rex Burkhead, RB, Patriots. ADP: 11.02.
It’s kind of crazy that Rex Burkhead’s ADP is 11.02, while Mike Gillislee’s is 4.10. There’s just as good of a chance that Burkhead leads the New England running backs in fantasy points as Gillislee does. Plus, Burkhead is healthy right now. Tom Brady seemed to enjoy throwing to him in the second preseason game.
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C.J. Prosise, RB, Seahawks. ADP: 12.02.
C.J. Prosise had two explosive performances against the Patriots and Eagles last year before landing on injured reserve. Durability is obviously an issue with Prosise, but he’s worth the risk in the 12th round. The Seahawks will definitely give Prosise plenty of touches when he’s healthy.
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Marlon Mack, RB, Colts. ADP: 12.04.
Marlon Mack performed well in his second preseason game after getting positive press in training camp. Chuck Pagano said Mack has the potential to be a “special player,” citing how Mack has performed well in pass-protection drills. Mack looked great against the Cowboys, and he’s worth taking as a late-round flier.
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Cooper Kupp, WR, Rams. ADP: 12.05.
The Rams traded for Sammy Watkins, but Cooper Kupp is Jared Goff’s favorite weapon. Goff, who has made leaps and bounds, thanks to the great coaching of Sean McVay and Greg Olson, has made an effort to target Kupp very often. Kupp is just a rookie, but he should be productive. He’s even better in PPR formats.
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Kenny Golladay, WR, Lions. ADP: 12.01.
Kenny Golladay was the star of Lions’ training camp. He’s only a rookie, but he’s a massive receiver who will provide a huge presence in the red zone. He made some amazing catches in his preseason debut. His first grab was snatched when Jake Ruddock threw a bit behind him for a gain of 15 yards. He followed that up with an even better reception, snaring a 23-yard touchdown while falling down. Golladay wasn’t done; in the middle of the second quarter, Golladay made a great adjustment to a back-shoulder throw to catch his second score. Golladay caught three balls for 53 yards and two scores. Golladay saw coverage from Stephon Gilmore in the third preseason game, meaning the opposition recognizes how talented he is.
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Zach Ertz, TE, Eagles. ADP: 9.03.
Zach Ertz has been Carson Wentz’s favorite target throughout the offseason, so he should be drafted much higher than the ninth round. He and Wentz developed a great rapport toward the end of this past season, so that should carry over into 2017.
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Thomas Rawls, RB, Seahawks. ADP: 8.05.
Here’s another Seattle running back who is well worth his ADP than Eddie Lacy. Thomas Rawls has worked out extremely hard this offseason to make amends for his disappointing 2016 campaign. That should pay off, so I like taking a chance on him at the end of the eighth round, especially after seeing him start the preseason opener.
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Taylor Gabriel, WR, Falcons. ADP: 12.09.
Prior to the Jeremy Maclin release, I was pretty confused about why Taylor Gabriel and Tyreek Hill were being drafted nine rounds apart. I didn’t even have them nine spots apart in my Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings! Gabriel and Hill are effectively the same player, and Gabriel is in the better offense. Hill’s role will increase with Maclin gone, but the fact remains that Gabriel still provides much more value.
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Carson Wentz, QB, Eagles. ADP: 11.12.
Carson Wentz is my No. 11 quarterback, yet he’s the 18th signal-caller off the board. Wentz has a top-five offensive line and an improved receiving corps to work with. Plus, he has worked very hard on his mechanics this offseason. He seems poised for a great sophomore campaign.
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Tarik Cohen, RB, Bears. ADP: 13.11.
I’m usually not a fan of drafting backup/handcuff running backs, but Tarik Cohen is an exception. That’s because he’s extremely talented. If Jordan Howard goes down, you’ll have a possible RB1 on your team with Cohen. His running ability plus Chicago’s great interior blocking will help produce tons of fantasy points for your team.
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Pierre Garcon, WR, 49ers. ADP: 8.06.
I don’t understand why Pierre Garcon is the 37th receiver off the board at his 8.06 ADP. Garcon is a great route runner and can thrive in any system. Sure, his quarterback will be Brian Hoyer, but if Cameron Meredith can be productive with Hoyer, Garcon certainly can, too.
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Austin Hooper, TE, Falcons. ADP: 14.02.
Austin Hooper didn’t do much as a rookie, but he’s had a great offseason and has earned the praise of Matt Ryan. Hooper is a highly athletic tight end with tremendous upside, so he could post TE1-type numbers this year.
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Tyler Lockett, WR, Seahawks. ADP: 14.05.
I liked Tyler Lockett a lot more prior to Kasen Williams’ dominant performance in the second preseason game, but Lockett should still be productive whenever he returns to the field.
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Tyrell Williams, WR, Chargers. ADP: 9.02.
The Chargers spent the seventh-overall pick on Mike Williams, but he could miss most of the season with a back injury. Tyrell Williams, as a result, provides quality value at his ninth-round ADP. Williams’ ADP has risen recently in the wake of the Williams news, but I liked him beforehand.
More 2017 Fantasy Football Articles:
Fantasy Football Rankings
2017 Fantasy Football Rankings:
2017 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterbacks - 9/6 (Walt)
Chet Gresham's Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings - 8/28 (Chet)
2017 Fantasy Football Rankings: Running Backs - 9/6 (Walt)
Chet Gresham's Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings - 8/28 (Chet)
2017 Fantasy Football Rankings: Wide Receivers - 9/6 (Walt)
Chet Gresham's Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings - 8/28 (Chet)
2017 Fantasy Football Rankings: Tight Ends - 9/6 (Walt)
Chet Gresham's Fantasy Football Tight End Rankings - 8/28 (Chet)
2017 Fantasy Football Rankings: Kickers - 8/18 (Walt)
2017 Fantasy Football Rankings: Defenses - 8/18 (Walt)
Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings - 5/12 (Walt)
Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings: Dynasty - 5/12 (Walt)
Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings: Dynasty - 5/12 (Chet)
2017 Fantasy Football Mock Drafts:
2017 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: PPR - 9/1 (Walt)
2017 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Standard - 8/31 (Walt)
2017 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 2-QB, PPR - 8/25 (Chet)
2017 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: PPR - 8/24 (Walt)
2017 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: PPR - 8/17 (Walt)
2017 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Standard - 8/10 (Walt)
2017 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: PPR - 8/3 (Walt)
2017 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Standard - 7/27 (Walt)
2017 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: PPR - 7/26 (Chet)
2017 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: PPR - 7/20 (Walt)
2017 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: PPR - 7/14 (Chet)
2017 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Standard - 7/13 (Walt)
2017 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheets:
2017 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 - 9/6 (Walt)
2017 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 PPR - 9/6 (Walt)
2017 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 2-QB - 9/6 (Walt)
2017 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 Touchdown League - 9/6 (Walt)
2017 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Custom - 9/6 (Walt)
2017 Fantasy Football: Dynasty Rankings - 9/6 (Walt)
2017 Fantasy Football PPR Rankings - 8/16 (Chet)
2017 Fantasy Football Spreadsheets - 9/6 (Walt)
2017 Fantasy Football Articles:
2017 Fantasy Football Stock Report: OTAs, Training Camp - 9/6 (Walt)
2017 Fantasy Football Sleepers - 9/2 (Walt)
2017 Fantasy Football Busts - 9/2 (Walt)
2017 NFL Preseason Game Recaps - 9/1 (Walt)
2017 Fantasy Football Stock Report: Preseason - 9/1 (Walt)
2017 Fantasy Football: Running Backs with the Most Carries - 1/31 (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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