Top 5 Late-Round Wide Receiver Sleepers in 2021 Fantasy Football

Top 5 Late-Round Wide Receiver Sleepers in 2021 Fantasy Football

Robby Anderson - Carolina Panthers

Current ADP: WR32 | 72.6

Anderson is probably the single best WR3 you can draft this year. If you're fading DJ Moore at his ate 3rd/early 4th round price, Anderson makes a ton of sense here in the 7th round.

Anderson has a zillion fuckin targets last year. 138 to be exact, but who's counting. He started off scorching and it looked like he was going to not only remain the alpha, but transcend into an alpha fantasy option. He slowed down, but still finished as a WR2, setting career-highs in targets, receptions, and receiving yards.

He was used in a completely different way than we had become accustomed to seeing him in New York. As a deep threat. His YPR and aDOT were both career-lows, which enabled him to be a staple of PPR lineups.

If he scored more than 3 touchdowns, he might've 

He was like the anti-Adam Thielen.

There are two big changes in Carolina. Swapping Teddy out for Sam Darnold, which can go one of two ways. Teddy is more a check down guy, shorter aDOT which probably accounted for Anderson's totals. Darnold is a bit more of a slinger, and already has repour with Robby from his days in green. This'll probably lead to more deep shots for him, which is great, because that's where he's great.

They also drafted Terrace Marshall who I'm assuming Joe Brady will use immediately. He seems like the heir to Robby Anderson who's a free agent after this year. Marshall is a touchdown guy. Anderson is not. He'll develop and move around the field a lot this year, but won't be the started in 2WR sets like Spaghetti and DJ Moore. 

To be honest, we really have no idea what we're going to get from this offense in terms of lining up from WRs. Marshall played outside and the slot in college at LSU. Robby been moved around as you can see.

But what Robby did last year, first year in blue, first year under Brady. I like him to build on that, at worst post similar numbers which gives you a nice floor WR2 and floor WR3 prices.

Antonio Brown - Tampa Bay

Current ADP: WR46 | 103

  • check target share when the 3 played together. brown screen plays/game

if you're going to own pieces of this passing offense, because we don't know how it's going to turn out with so many certified ballers, you want to be grabbing Brady or AB.

Statistically, I'd be a bit surprised if AB finished that far off from Godwin or Evans. Their ADP, however, is. Evans (WR15 | 39), Godwin (WR18 | 44). I don't to own AB over the other two, he's not the player he was, but he'll still have his games like he did last year.

6 TDs in Bucs last 6 games (including playoff run)

He came in halfway through the year. Like for all the nonsense going on, AB was pretty good. 

They were also very very intent on getting AB involved. This wasn't like, let's sign him and hope he shows us something:

I just want pieces of this Tampa Bay offense. 2nd in the league in scoring despite the carousel that was last offseason and this depth chart and this team's roster.

Tom Brady just went 4600-40 and no one seems to care. His most passing TDs since his 50-td season byke in 2007!!!! WHATS WRONG WITH YALL!!! FEEL LIKE IM TAKING CRAZY PILLLS 

 

 

Amon-Ra St. Brown - Detroit Lions

Current ADP:  WR72 | 170

I didn't love Amon-Ra St. Brown as a prospect, and I don't love the 4th round draft capital, but the landing spot is pure perfection, for a few reasons.

Amon-Ra doesn't excel on the outside, he's a really solid slot wide receiver. You see a lot of Tyler Boyd in him when you watch him play. Not necessarily flashy, but good working in and out of zones and if used in that role, he can be Tyler Boyd, and his testing says a more explosive version of him.

The current roster makeup of Detroit is what makes this juicy.

This is a team with no passing game options outside of a TE and a RB.

The two WRs they signed in free agency this year: Breshad Perriman and Tyrell Williams, both purely outside, downfield receivers. Leaving the entire middle of the field open for Amon Ra.

Like there is literally nothing behind these guys at WR.

 

Please do not touch my comment section with the words Quintez Cephus.

Amon Ra has a legit chance to finish top 5 in targets in this rookie class and flirt with 90 of them. I can't emphasize this enough, the Lions are going to be bad. They're a 5 win team per Vegas right now. They're going to throw a ton.

If the Lions throw as many times as they did last year (581 times), he just needs a 15% target share to hit 87 targets. 

Keep an eye on the slot camp battle, but I think he wins it and I think he's an easy PPR play this year that you have to pay literally nothing for.

Really Quick Hella Fast Honorable Mentions

Darnell Mooney - Chicago Bears

Current ADP: WR52 | 119

Mooney was a beast last year. Or at least his stats would have said that had any of the deep balls thrown his way been catchable. 

Mooney burned defenders and made them shrivel like a piece of spinach. He had 23 deep targets last year - caught the FOUR that were catchable. 

With Fields under center, Mooney should thrive in the WR2 role behind A-Rob. This man had the 36th most targets in the NFL last year, and was top-10 in unrealized air yards. Mooney at WR52 is gorgeous.

 

I will be taking shots on:

Michael Pittman 

With Wentz under center I'd imagine this passing game works a little bit more through the receives than the running backs. Hilton is kind of a shell of himself and there's really nothing else on this depth chart.

admittedly i own a decent amount of TY and parris campbel too, just spreading the revenue,

Dez Fitzpatrick (Louisville)

I really like this kid, idk why. 4th rounder just really good YAC - 4th in the NCAA in YAC. think he compliments AJ Brown really well and will surprise a lot of people. Imo he's a really good pick at the end of something like the BestBall Mania on underdog when you want to have a different lineup that everyone else to diversify at the end of the year.

Nelson Agholor - just the only downfield threat on NE, coming off of a career-year - also his replacement, John Brown in Las Vegas - if Ruggs and Bryan Edwards are who they showed us they were last year, then John Brown could have a Nelson Agholor type szn in LV.

Marvin Jones - like AB, i doubt his stats are THAT much worse than DJ Chark or Laviska, but you can get him for rounds and rounds cheaper.

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