Fantasy Football 2014 Doubletake: Two Writers Talk Skill Position Sleepers

WIDE RECEIVERS

Joe: Ben Roethlisberger is still firing on all cylinders, and the WR2 gig on the Steelers is a pretty lucrative mine that will most likely go to second-year pro Markus Wheaton.

Seen as the best vertical threat in the class when he came out of Oregon State last year, Wheaton has the ability to be a big-time playmaker next to Brown, who will take some pressure off of Wheaton. Roethlisberger definitely has the arm to hit up the young playmaker downfield, and he should have plenty of opportunities. Despite catching less than 60% of all passes thrown at him and averaging a meager 6.5 yards per target, Emmanuel Sanders still hauled in a solid 67 receptions for 732 yards and six touchdowns. Sanders isn’t a bad player, but Wheaton is far more dynamic and will almost certainly average more than 10.9 yards per reception (Sanders’s total).

The critical caveat here is that Wheaton could lose out on the Steelers “X” receiver gig to Clemson rookie Martavis Bryant, who also brings some amazing playmaking ability to the table with his vertical speed. Like Wheaton last year, Bryant is seen as the best deep threat among incoming WRs, and his blend of size, speed, and athleticism make up for his raw route-running and terrible hands. I think Wheaton is the superior player and like his experience, so I’ll give him the nod for now. But be prepared to go with Bryant, and I would make the call on Bryant or Wheaton as close to the regular season as possible. Both guys are definitely worth keeping an eye on due to their skill-sets, as well as the opportunities they should have in the Steelers offense.

J.P.: I’ll likely get blasted for this by readers and friends alike, but I think the fantasy football world has given up on Danny Amendola a little too early. He’s had a bunch of injuries, but they were all legit. Contrary to popular belief, he isn’t spraining ankles getting out of bed. The clavicle injury he suffered as a Ram was inches from literally killing him via a puncture to his aorta.

The fact is, when he is on the field and playing in an offense he is familiar with, he’s one of the more unappreciated receivers per target in recent history. Over the past two seasons, Amendola averaged over 11 yards per catch. That number is on par with what Emmanuel Sanders, Larry Fitzgerald and Roddy White did in 2013. He has also successfully caught 66 percent of the passes thrown his way throughout his career. By comparison, the big-bodied dependable and elite Calvin Johnson has caught 55 percent of his targets during his career.

I understand that history shows there is some risk in drafting Amendola, but if he stays healthy, he’s going to put up big numbers in New England’s offense. He’ll be around late in tradtional snake drafts and be available at near rock-bottom prices in auctions.