Fantasy Football: One sleeper to target from each team
By Zach Cohen
AFC South Fantasy Football sleepers
Indianapolis Colts: Michael Pittman Jr., WR
Fellow rookie running back Jonathan Taylor is another name to watch, and while his ceiling is higher, he’s too high on draft boards to really be considered a sleeper. The Colts have been struggling to find a WR2 alongside T.Y. Hilton for years, so spending the 34th pick on Pittman is a reasonable move.
The biggest reason for Pittman’s potential fantasy stardom? He’s big. And who loves chucking the ball to big receivers? Philip Rivers. With Eric Ebron gone, Pittman could see valuable work in the red zone as well. Pittman’s fantasy ceiling is too high to only be WR58. Confidence Meter: Medium
Jacksonville Jaguars: Gardner Minshew, QB
Until Jacksonville sorts through their hodgepodge of young receivers, Minshew seems like a better sleeper. It’s pretty simple, really. The Jaguars will probably not be good this season. And bad teams throw the ball a lot. The volume could launch Minshew into the top half of fantasy quarterbacks, though his current ADP is QB28. While Jacksonville’s run-first offense could cap Minshew’s upside a bit, Minshew’s scrambling ability may even out the deficit.
He had the 6th-most rushing attempts in 2019, and the five guys ahead of him were all top-ten fantasy quarterbacks. Arguably the biggest indicator of Minshew’s fantasy relevance, though, is that Minshew averaged 16.4 fantasy points per game last season. That’s just 1.4 fewer points than Kyler Murray’s average, and he’s QB4. It wouldn’t shock me if Minshew is a top-12 fantasy QB. Confidence Meter: High
Houston Texans: Isaiah Coulter, WR
Houston, we have a problem. With DeAndre Hopkins’ departure, the Texans have a boatload of vacated targets. Someone has to earn a big role in the offense, and it’s hard to bet on oft-injured players like Will Fuller or Randall Cobb. Fuller has never played a full season, while Cobb has played two of nine. While newcomer Brandin Cooks has only failed to finish a season twice, concussion issues have hampered his ability to stay on the field.
That’s why I’m choosing the ultimate dart throw: fifth-round rookie Isaiah Coulter. The Rhode Island product never missed a game in his four collegiate seasons. On top of that, he showed incredible ball skills and body control. The kid’s got talent, and his vertical prowess is an excellent fit in Bill O’Brien’s offense. Confidence Meter: Low
Tennessee Titans: Ryan Tannehill, QB
Jonnu Smith has some potential, but nothing confuses me more than Tannehill’s ADP. There are not 20 quarterbacks who are better for fantasy football than him. The Titans may be a run-focused team, but that didn’t stop Tannehill from averaging 23.98 fantasy points in his10 starts last season. When transcribed to a whole season, only Lamar Jackson averaged more points on a weekly basis.
And it’s not like anything’s changed in Tennessee, either. Tannehill is still the guy. He can still make plays with his feet — a huge bonus in fantasy football. Most importantly, though: He’s still underrated as a passer, as I explained earlier this summer. As QB21, Tannehill is a downright steal. Confidence Meter: High