Welcome to the Fantasy Football Forecast, a fantasy football column I will be doing throughout football season aimed at giving AU students some last minute advice before they set their weekly lineups.
As the preseason comes to a close and the regular season inches closer, fantasy football drafts are kicking off around the country. For the casual football fan, it is easy to spot the top players at each position and target them for your team.
The issue most team owners face is when they get into the later rounds and are drafting guys they’ve never heard of. If this applies to you, here’s a list of a few sleepers that could put your team over the top this season.
Jarvis Landry, WR Browns
Landry doesn’t fit the typical “sleeper” mold; most guys know who he is and have seen him play, but the addition of Odell Beckham Jr. to the Browns offense will take all the attention away from Landry. Their offense is dangerous, this we know. Rookie head coach Freddie Kitchens will want to throw the ball and throw it a lot. Beckham should force defenses to double-team him, making Landry the secondary target for the first time in his NFL career.
Justin Jackson, RB Chargers
I would honestly be surprised if Melvin Gordon ever played in a Chargers uniform again. That being said, the door is wide open for Austin Ekeler and Jackson to carry the running game for a very talented offense. To me, Ekeler is a solid running back but Jackson is the complete package. The seventh-round draft pick from a year ago can catch the ball out of the backfield and make guys miss in the open field. He is a hard-nosed runner that can stretch the defense out or go right between the tackles. Ekeler has had his issues with injuries in the past, which could lead to Jackson getting his chance. If he gets a shot at the starting job, he may never give it back.
Adam Humphries, WR Titans
Humphries broke onto the scene last year with Tampa Bay and signed a lucrative contract with the Titans this offseason, and they will plan on getting their money’s worth. Humphries and Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota took a summer trip to Oregon a few weeks before camp to work on their chemistry and it shows already. Through the first three preseason games Humphries has already established himself as one of Mariota’s favorite targets, catching all four of Mariota’s completions in their first two drives together as teammates. Forget your biases about Titans wide receivers in fantasy football. If the team can figure out their passing game Humphries will be lethal.