Niner Noise
FanSided

Fantasy football: 5 late-round sleepers you’ll want to target in 2018

By Peter Panacy

CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 10: David Njoku #85 of the Cleveland Browns runs the ball in the second quarter against the Green Bay Packers at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 10, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 10: David Njoku #85 of the Cleveland Browns runs the ball in the second quarter against the Green Bay Packers at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 10, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 6
Next
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – DECEMBER 31: Mitchell Trubisky #10 of the Chicago Bears drops back to pass the ball in the third quarter of the game against the Minnesota Vikings on December 31, 2017 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – DECEMBER 31: Mitchell Trubisky #10 of the Chicago Bears drops back to pass the ball in the third quarter of the game against the Minnesota Vikings on December 31, 2017 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images) /

No. 4: Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago Bears

Kudos if you subscribe to the fantasy football idea of finding a good quarterback later on in the draft.

It shouldn’t be your top priority (those are reserved for your stud wide receivers, tight ends and running backs). But the strategy can come back to bite you if there’s a run on signal-callers and you’re left towards the tail end of the run.

Targeting a quarterback between Rounds 5 and 10 is a solid strategy. And that’s where you’d likely land Kirk Cousins (7.04 ADP).

But if you want to get a bit more bold, look at Chicago Bears second-year QB Mitchell Trubisky.

Trubisky’s rookie campaign wasn’t particularly impressive. Yet he was somewhat handicapped by now-gone head coach John Fox’s run-first offense and an overwhelming lack of reliable receiving targets.

The Bears addressed both, bringing aboard offensive-minded Matt Nagy as head coach and adding wide receivers Allen Robinson and Taylor Gabriel to the mix.

It’s not uncommon for players to make huge strides in their second seasons at the NFL level. Combine this with Trubisky’s 14.04 ADP, and you have a perfect sleeper to take a risk on. Especially if you’ve filled your starting quarterback slot and are looking for a reserve, trade commodity or bye-week option.