Fantasy Sleepers to Target in the Later Rounds
Darnell Mooney WR Bears
It seems like Darnell Mooney is everybody's sleeper receiver in this year's draft, but I expect him to be very good. He's the robin to Allen Robinson's batman and if Justin Fields is throwing him the rock, I could expect batman-esque numbers out of Mooney. On top of his speed, what makes Mooney such a phenomenal receiver is his body control. He can cut on a dime and is lethal with the double move. The clip of him running a slant and go against Jalen Ramsey has been going viral all summer long. With the Bears facing off against the Rams in week one, I expect Ramsey to want his revenge. I wouldn't start Mooney in the first week, but after that I expect him to be a high end number three receiver for your fantasy team. 2021 will be a breakout year for the Bears number two receiver.
Zack Moss RB Bills
The Bills were the second least efficient run game in the NFL last year (the Steelers were the worst). This year, I expect a major jump from their running attack. Zack Moss really established himself as the alpha in the running back room last season and if he can stay healthy this year, I expect the Bills to have a much better running game. Moss is an old school, north-south runner. For some reason, the Bills decided to give Devin Singletary all of the goal line carries last season. Hopefully, Brian Daboll has realized that Moss would be a better goal line back. While I don't expect an astronomical amount of rushing yards out of Moss, I do expect a lot of touchdowns. The Bills are a good team who live in the red zone. That is where Moss will shine and I can see him getting eight or more rushing touchdowns this season.
Courtland Sutton WR Broncos
In 2021, people have very short term memory. Last season, Sutton was poised for a breakout year prior to his injury. With Jerry Jeudy showing promise, he is getting all of the hype. It's so fun to watch Jeudy's route running videos where he makes defensive backs look like their feet are glued to the earth. That is how hype is created, but I'm really looking at Sutton to take a big step in his career. The 6'4 receiver is a mismatch nightmare who I thought was going to have a colossal year in 2020. Whether it's Teddy Bridgewater or Drew Lock throwing him the rock, I expect a thousand yard receiving season out of Sutton. The Broncos are going to have to keep up with the Chiefs and Chargers by throwing the football. I don't think a single corner in that division (not on the Broncos) matches well against Sutton. He can quietly be a top ten receiver this year.
Gerald Everett TE Seahawks
Michael Gallup, N'Keal Harry, Allen Robinson, Curtis Samuel, and Gerald Everett are all guys who I wanted to have a change of scenery in 2020. Now that Everett and Samuel are on new teams, I expect them to be much more productive and have greater opportunities as a receiver. Focusing on Everett, I feel as if the Seahawks have been missing that alpha tight end for years. They really haven't had that productive tight end since Jimmy Graham and even then, I felt like they were still missing one. Everett should be the number one tight end in that offense and I felt as if there has always been some untapped potential with him. If neither Sean McVay or Pete Carroll can get the best out of him, I'll call my losses, but I do think he can find himself in a major role for the Seahawks offense. He is going to be a high end number two tight end for your fantasy teams in 2021.
Jaylen Waddle WR Dolphins
Originally I was planning on staying away from all Dolphins receivers this year, but I've convinced myself that Waddle is going to have an electric rookie year with the Dolphins. I've been seeing videos of Tua Tagovailoa absolutely slinging it in training camp and it gets me excited. Some people's fantasy philosophy is to always stay away from rookies, I disagree. I think if you can grab them in the later rounds they will be of value. I could see Waddle exploding on to the scene, similar to how Marquise Brown did a few years ago. While I don't think he will be a receiver one or two for your fantasy teams he's a solid bench player who has potential for a breakout game. I don't expect him to be a consistent guy who gets 10+ fantasy points every week, but if you need a spark and are down by a good amount of points, he is a big play receiver. Why not take a shot on one of the best receivers in this year's draft in the 11th or 12th round?
