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So close. So very, very close.
The 2017 NFL season is almost upon us, which means we're oh so close to everybody's favorite hobby, fantasy football, renewing for another season. So to usher in a new season, let's break down a few sleepers to target in your fantasy drafts and a few funny team names humbly submitted for your consideration
Sleepers
Below, I'll choose one sleeper from each offensive position.
Derek Carr, QB, Oakland Raiders
I understand why you may not be inclined to consider Derek Carr a sleeper. After all, he was an MVP candidate last season and signed a five-year, $125 million contract extension this offseason. Sleepers don't typically have that resume.
But Carr is being drafted, on average, in the 11th round of Yahoo standard drafts and is the 13th quarterback coming off the board. For a player with top-seven upside at the position, that makes him a legitimate sleeper.
Why does he have top-seven upside?
Carr was on pace to set his career high in passing yardage last season before he was hurt and was close to equaling his career high of 32 touchdowns. Coming into his fourth season, it isn't a stretch to believe that Carr will continue to improve.
He also has dynamic wide receivers in Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper, and while the team may run a bit more with Marshawn Lynch in the fold, this offense should still be built around the passing game.
Carr, at the very least, represents little risk. Since you can draft him in the later rounds as your QB2, the chance that his performance from the last two years is his ceiling is mitigated. But if you believe Carr will continue to improve, you can wait on quarterbacks until the later rounds, load up at your other positions and draft Carr and another high-risk, high-reward player to pair with him like Jameis Winston or Kirk Cousins.
Dion Lewis, RB, New England Patriots
The New England Patriots' backfield is a logjam. But within that logjam, Dion Lewis just may have the most upside.
Yes, James White is the best receiving back. Lewis is no slouch in that area, however—remember, in his last 14 regular season games, White has 53 receptions for 482 yards and two scores. Yes, Mike Gillislee is widely expected to be the team's primary early-downs and short-yardage option. But in his last 14 games, Lewis has rushed for 517 yards and two scores.
In total, that's 999 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns, or 123.9 fantasy points. Broken down even further, that's 8.8 fantasy points per game. That may not sound like much, but consider the context.
In 2015, Lewis was well on his way to being one of fantasy's biggest breakout stars, as he averaged 12.3 fantasy points per contest before tearing his ACL. By the time he returned last November, LeGarrette Blount and White had formed a dynamic duo at the position and Lewis earned a major role in the offense.
But with Blount gone this year, Lewis could see himself reinserted into the game plan in a big way. Even his teammates know how dangerous he can be.
"He is an exciting football player," White told the Ordway, Merloni & Fauria show, per Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com. "Every time the ball is in his hands, it's an opportunity for a big play. I know defenses must hold their breath every time he touches the rock. He can make an explosive play at any time. That's my guy right there."
Trying to pick which New England running back to trust, even on a weekly basis, is often near-impossible. But Lewis is a gamble worth taking in the late rounds.
Pierre Garcon, WR, San Francisco 49ers
Somebody has to catch passes in San Francisco, right? Why not Pierre Garcon?
Look, we all know he's not a sexy pick for your fantasy team. And maybe he doesn't have that pure boom-or-bust potential you seek in a sleeper. But Garcon has registered at least 750 or more receiving yards in four straight seasons and seven times in his career. He had 79 receptions for 1,041 yards and three touchdowns last season in Washington.
And he had his best year in 2013, catching 113 passes for 1,346 yards and five touchdowns. His offensive coordinator that year was Kyle Shanahan, who is now his head coach. And unlike in Washington over the past several years, he'll be the clear top option in the passing game.
So no, he isn't the sexiest sleeper pick out there among wide receivers. But he may just be the smartest one.
Cameron Brate, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
You would think after a season in which he posted 57 receptions for 660 yards and eight touchdowns, Cameron Brate would get a bit more respect from fantasy owners.
Alas, thus far that has not been the case.
Not only is Brate coming off the board, on average, in the 14th round in Yahoo standard leagues, he's also being drafted after his teammate, rookie O.J. Howard. Those numbers are a bit misleading, as Howard is being drafted in fewer leagues overall, but it's still a reminder that Brate is sliding under the radar again.
Yes, the Bucs have more weapons in the passing game with Howard and DeSean Jackson in Tampa. But rookie tight ends rarely make a huge impact for teams immediately, especially from a fantasy perspective, while the type of targets Jackson receives will obviously differ from the usage Brate receives.
And Brate has room to grow entering his fourth season. He improved in each of his first three seasons and has shown solid chemistry with Winston. Plus, Mike Evans and Jackson are going to require plenty of attention, so Brate could see favorable matchups to exploit.
Don't discard Brate just yet. He still has legitimate TE1 upside at a bargain cost.
Team Names
Two things about name suggestions. One, most of the good names with established stars have already been made, so we'll focus on rookies or breakout players from last season. Two, these will still probably be really corny.
With those caveats in mind, here are a few suggestions:
- Trubisky Business
- Live McCaffrey or Die
- Mahomes Alone
- Finding Adoree
- Exotic Engram (That's for my Destiny peeps.)
- Snead for Speed
- Brate Expectations
Hey, you were warned.
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
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