Fantasy football: 5 late-round sleepers you’ll want to target in 2018
By Peter Panacy
No. 1: Tight End David Njoku, Cleveland Browns
“Wait, what? Two Browns on this list? I thought you said draft the offense, not the player, Peter.”
In most cases, yes. But you’ll rarely find sleepers among the more high-octane offenses out there.
Cleveland tight end David Njoku is the epitome of a sleeper candidate. The 2017 first-round selection had 384 receiving yards and four touchdowns last season — not bad for a backup TE but not someone you’d likely waste a mid-round pick on.
Yet tight end is more of a market-value selection here. And that market is pretty thin. Aside from the big names — Rob Gronkowski, Travis Kelce, Zach Ertz and Greg Olsen, your fantasy football pickings could be a bit slim, which means you’ll have to reach at some point.
This doesn’t mean you should hinge your hopes on Njoku having a tremendous second year. If anything, he’s a solid fallback option if one of the mid-range TEs gets swiped up before you can lay claim.
Njoku’s 2018 ADP of 14.02 ranks last among all draft-eligible tight ends, per Fantasy Football Calculator. Yet three of his four touchdowns came from outside the red zone, meaning he’s more than just a red-zone threat. That translates to yardage plus TD points, which is a major bonus.
On top of that, the Browns offense lacks a dynamic receiving corps outside of Jarvis Landry. And when life gets tough on a quarterback, he’ll look to his tight end to make plays.
Next: Fantasy football: 5 players you'll want to avoid in 2018
All this means good news for Njoku owners in fantasy. If you’re without a tight end late on draft day or looking for a low-risk, high-reward flier, don’t be afraid to pull the trigger on Njoku.