The combine is complete. Free agency starts this week. The overall landscape of the NFL will change dramatically over the next two months. There is no offseason.
Let’s all be honest, it’s never too early to talk about sleepers. You always want to be the first.
I’m going to take it a step further. I’m not going to give you anyone with an ADP in the top-15 at his position according to Fantasy Football Calculator. Sure, I’d love to rally behind Russell Wilson, and reiterate that he’s destined for a serious bounceback in 2017. But he’s a top-10 quarterback. That’s not interesting.
Instead, here are some diamonds in the rough that you’ll be able to get late and should return massive value. Get ‘em while they’re hot and get ‘em before anyone else.
Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals (Current overall ADP: 130, 16th QB)
Last week, I wrote about how Russell Wilson was hindered by injuries the entire season. Dalton also had bad luck, but he was hindered by everyone else’s injuries. He lost Giovani Bernard, Tyler Eifert and A.J. Green. Jeremy Hill only put up 839 rushing yards on 222 carries, prompting the Bengals offensive coordinator, Ken Zampese, to straight up say, “We have a lot of needs. Running back is one of them.” Despite the numerous team injuries (and losing his former offensive coordinator, Hue Jackson), Dalton threw for 4,206 yards, the second-most in his career. He threw for over 300 yards in four of his 16 games. And here’s something you may or may not know: He can run the ball. Last season he carried the ball 46 times for 184 yards and four touchdowns. Dalton is attached to a lot of “ifs,” but if Green is healthy, he’s a difference maker. If Eifert is healthy, he’s one of the best red-zone threats in the NFL with 18 touchdowns in 21 games over the last two seasons. If Bernard is healthy and the team adds another quality back, the run game can open up the playbook. And if Tyler Boyd can make a sophomore leap and become the slot receiver the team hopes he will be, then Dalton will be set up to succeed in 2017. If not, he proved this year that even in a bad situation he’s still a high-floor streaming option.
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