Fantasy football is often about nailing mid to late round picks that produce at higher value. Of course drafting LeSean McCoy early on and having him play well is ideal, but sometimes you whiff or injury strikes. That's when your later picks come into play.
Or sometimes, you draft right early on and then your later picks transform you into a dominant wrecking machine. Either way, grabbing undervalued assets is a plus. Here are five wide receivers that are going a little too late in PPR formats. That's point per reception for newbies, and it's self-explanatory. For every catch, it's a point. Even if your guy catches a screen pass and gets knocked back five yards it equals a point.
With that said these aren't pure "sleeper" rankings. Rather, they're just players who are getting drafted underneath where they could produce in PPR.
Top 5 Sleeper QBs Outside Top 12
Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons (ADP: 39)
White may have disappointed his owners last season, but it was pretty much the first time he'd ever done so. White was slowed by injuries for most of the season, limiting him to 63 catches for 711 yards. But in the three prior campaigns he'd caught no fewer than 92 passes, including a 115-catch 2010 season.
Yes, Roddy is 32 years old but wide receivers don't age as quickly as running backs do. Need proof? Once he healed up White reeled in 33 catches for 359 yards and two scores. That's Roddy for you-and one of those games was a 12-catch, 141-yard day vs. the 49ers.
Percy Harvin, Seattle Seahawks (ADP: 50)
Harvin is never healthy, I know. But take a look at the last healthy season for him-2011 in Minnesota. That year Harvin had 87 receptions, 967 yards and six touchdowns for a team that was based on Adrian Peterson running the ball, and Christian Ponder chucking the passes.
While Harvin's definitely an injury risk, fantasy football is supposed to be fun. Few things in life are more fun than kicking back on a Sunday and watching Harvin highlights on NFL Red Zone. As of now, he's healthy so why go into a draft assuming anything else? He's currently the 22nd wide receiver off the board, which places him as a No. 3 wide receiver. That's too low. Harvin has absolute WR1 upside and if he is your No. 3 you, sir or madam, have a real shot at a fantasy title.
Eric Decker, New York Jets (ADP: 88)
Decker goes from Peyton Manning placing passes perfectly in his hands to going through camp wondering whether Geno Smith or Michael Vick will be the QB Week 1. That certainly merits a drop from last year's rankings, but for him to be the 37th wide receiver off the board is crazy.
Decker is hands down the top pass-catcher on the Jets, and although their receptions leader last season was Jeremy Kerley (43), the talent gap between Decker and Kerley is vast. Decker's a big target, built like a true No. 1 wide receiver, and with another year under his belt Smith should throw a bit more. If it's not him, there shouldn't be hesitation letting Vick rip. Maybe his numbers will drop, but even with Tim Tebow throwing the majority of the passes in Denver in 2011 he caught 44 balls for over 600 yards with eight touchdowns.
Cecil Shorts III, Jacksonville Jaguars (ADP: 121)
Fantasy owners might not want to invest heavily in the Jaguars' passing game, but it's hard to ignore a wide receiver barely cracking the Top 50 at his position that got close to 10 targets per game in 2013.
Last year Shorts caught 77 passes while dealing with Blaine Gabbert for a while, and the season before he averaged 17.8 yards per catch while hitting paydirt seven times. There's no Justin Blackmon in Jacksonville this season so Shorts is the clear No. 1, and while they added two promising rookies neither are going to be superstars from the get-go.
Finally, rookie QB Blake Bortles is going to sit in Year 1, so Shorts gets Chad Henne to start the season; Henne won't make anyone forget Mark Brunell in his prime, but he's a capable vet with whom Shorts has a rapport.
Kenny Britt, St. Louis Rams (ADP: 133)
Britt's burned so many owners so many times, it's a wonder he's getting drafted at all. However, Sam Bradford's healthy in St. Louis, and there isn't much in Britt's way for the No. 1 WR spot. Rookie Tavon Austin wasn't what the Rams had hoped in Year 1, and Britt is a big, physical pass-catcher with a big-play reputation.
In Britt's first three NFL seasons he averaged 17.5 yards per reception, caught 101 passes and scored 15 touchdowns. If he can remain upright, it's hard to imagine he can't beat out some of the similar-looking Rams receivers that are failing to separate themselves. Even though his last two years have been washouts, Britt is still only 25 years old.
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