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The NFL season is rapidly approaching, meaning fantasy football will soon get underway.
Every year there are under-the-radar players who catapult clever fantasy owners into the position to win the championship. Last season, players like James Robinson, Chase Claypool, Cam Akers, Robert Tonyan and Antonio Gibson all flew under the radar, acting as sleeper picks selected in the latter portion of numerous drafts.
Here's a look at five players who could keep those pleasant surprises coming this merry fantasy football season.
#1 - Curtis Samuel, WR
Newly signed receiver of the Washington Football Team, Curtis Samuel came off a season with the Carolina Panthers which saw him rack up 77 receptions along with 851 yards and three trips into the endzone.
What makes drafting the four-year pro in fantasy football so appealing this season is that he'll now line up with a quarterback who isn't afraid to air the ball out deep and take chances down the field: Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Teddy Bridgwater took a more conservative approach in terms of his range of passing. That's without mentioning Carolina had All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey in the backfield.
In Washington, Samuel will be paired with Terry McLaurin, forming a dynamic duo at the receiver position and easing the coverage for himself. I fully expect a 1,000 yard-season and for his touchdown numbers to more than double in Washington's pass-happy attack.
However, I do have reservations about the 15-year journeyman's ability to consistently perform on a weekly basis, seeing as he has a tendency to fall off at some point every season.
Nonetheless, the four-year pro's numbers will increase drastically, especially in fantasy football, with his new gunslinging QB.
#2 - Evan Engram
Evan Engram will enter his fifth season with the New York Giants and, for the most part, his career (even in fantasy) has been severely underwhelming. Fortunately, he'll have all the tools at his disposal this season to reach greater heights and become a valuable fantasy tight end.
He recorded one touchdown last season, but the entire Giants offense was more than underwhelming. Saquon Barkley tearing his ACL had a ripple effect throughout the roster. His injury resulted in Daniel Jones taking a step back, causing the New York pass catchers to suffer as well.
Saquon Barkley will return this year in a pivotal season, with general manager David Gettleman also bringing in Kenny Golladay to strengthen their offensive unit. Engram has enough talent surrounding him to force consistent one-on-one matchups.
Take a look.
If that's the case, and health plays in their favor, then the 6'3", 240-pound athlete will dominate in 2021. He's far too talented not to be a dependable top ten-fantasy tight end each year.
#3 - Tua Tagovailoa
The first-round pick didn't make his first start until Week 8 last season. The Miami Dolphins took a very precautious approach with Tua in his rookie season as a result of his injury-riddled college career.
In 2020, the left-handed quarterback threw for 1,814 yards and 11 touchdowns in nine starts. They're definitely eye-popping numbers, but his first year was viewed as a litmus test for his health.
In year two, we'll see Tua hone his talents and improve exponentially, considering the fact Miami also selected Alabama's star receiver Jaylen Waddle in the first round, giving the young QB a true number one receiver. Miami has been devoid of true pass-catching talent since Jarvis Landry's departure.
With more control of the offense, a full season looming, and one of the best receivers in the draft, we could see Tua Tagovailoa's star potential come out to play on the field and in fantasy football.
If you fail to select a top tier quarterback in your fantasy draft, keep an eye out for Tua in the later rounds.
#4 - Miles Sanders
Miles Sanders is an incredible talent at the running back position. Last season, many owners - including myself - selected him to at RB2. After a disappointing season, most of us ended up regretting that selection.
With only 164 carries, Sanders racked up 867 yards on the ground, averaging an astounding 5.3 yards per carry. Against three of the top rush defenses in the league, the product out of Penn State had his best performances of the season.
Against Pittsburgh, he had 11 rushes for 80 yards and two touchdowns.Then, facing Baltimore, he had 118 yards on nine carries. Lastly, on the road in New Orleans, he rushed 14 times for 115 yards and two TD's.
It wasn't his play that let us owners down, it was his usage. Comparatively, the leading rusher in the NFL, Derrick Henry, had 303 carries with a YPC of 5.4 -- slightly above Miles Sander's average.
If the third-year running back is handed a heavier workload, there's little doubt that he'll help fantasy owners win their league this upcoming season. No need to stress out if you miss out on a Nick Chubb-type of RB, fantasy owners.
#5 - Diontae Johnson
This will be a significant year for the third-year pro as long-term contract talks begin to ensue. Diontae Johnson had a great year two for fantasy owners, however, it could have been much better.
Johnson struggled mightily with drops a season ago. He had anywhere from 10-16 drops as his catch rate was 61.1% -- a decrease from his 2019 rookie season. That being said, he still reeled in 89 catches, good for 923 yards and seven touchdowns.
He's a gold mine in PPR (point per reception) leagues considering the fact that he's been the most targeted receiver for Pittsburgh the last two seasons. With 144 targets, it's been proven that he has the ability to get open with his shifty, switchy route running, and has become a favorite of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
With all the attention on receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Chase Claypool, Johnson will flourish again this fantasy football season. If he fixes his issues with dropping the ball, he can provide tremendous value as a late-round receiver in fantasy drafts.
