Fantasy Football: 5 potential sleeper candidates for the 2018 NFL season

Sleeper: A player who will surpass his average draft position (ADP) in fantasy leagues during the NFL regular season.

The early rounds in a fantasy draft are usually a breeze as we are able to find players who provide value for position quite easily but it is the later rounds where it is usually very tough to find players with value.

Last season, a lot of fantasy managers hit gold when they drafted NFL offensive rookie of the year Alvin Kamara late in the draft. He was a sleeper candidate who turned out to be the deal breaker in many managers' run to the championship.

So, to make sure you don't miss out on this year's Alvin Kamara, here are 5 'Sleeper' candidates for the 2018/19 NFL season:

#5 Nyheim Hines (Indianapolis Colts, Running Back):

Andrew Luck is back from injury and is looking to turn back the clock to the good old days. This news couldn't have come at a much better time for rookie running back Nyheim Hines who is getting ready for his first rodeo.

The 5"8', 195 pound running back out of NC State won't be the lead running back in the squad but he is expected to be given some work in the passing game after impressing the coaching staff in training camp.

Hines ran a 4.38 40-yard dash during the NFL combine, his elite speed will be utilized by head coach Frank Reich who architected Danny Woodhead's 80-catch campaign during the 2015 season.

With only Marlon Mack and Jordan Wilkins above him in the depth chart, Hines does not have a lot of competition to worry about. He can be an every week flex starter and provide solid value for a player currently being drafted in the 10th or 11th round.

#4 Mike Williams (Los Angeles Chargers, Wide Receiver):

Mike Williams

Mike Williams, the 7th overall pick of the 2017 NFL draft, had a disastrous rookie season as he had to sit out most of the time due to a back and knee injury. He finished with 95 yards on 11 catches for the whole of the 2017 season.

Coming into the 2018 season he is fitter than ever and is performing at a high level in the camp. The Chargers, unfortunately, lost TE Hunter Henry to injury and now there are targets to distribute which Williams can benefit from.

Chargers need a No.2 target and 6'4", 220-pound frame Williams can be a major red zone target for Philip Rivers. With Keenan Allen attracting a majority of the coverage on the opposite side he can be in for some easy targets.

Williams can be a solid WR2 option with a production line that might read 80+ catches, 1200+ yards and 8-9 TDs at the end of the season.

#3 Trey Burton (Chicago Bears, Tight End):

Trey Burton

The Chicago Bears are going to be one of the most interesting teams to watch this season as they did a major overhaul of their squad bringing in a number of new recruits, one of them being tight end Trey Burton from the reigning NFL champions Philadelphia Eagles.

Burton was the one who threw the touchdown pass to Nick Foles when the Eagles ran their now-famous 'Philly Philly' play but apart from that he didn't do anything spectacular as he had to settle for the backup TE role behind Zack Ertz.

But, now in a new team under a new coach, Matt Nagy, who while previously working for the Kansas City Chiefs made their tight end Travis Kelce the focal point of his offence, now offers Burton a chance to produce TE1 type production as he goes into his first season as a starter.

Teamed up with a talented quarterback in Mitchell Trubisky and an offence which favours tight ends, Trey Burton can expect up to a 100 targets and about 6-7 trips to the end zone.

#2 Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs, Quarterback):

Patrick Mahomes

A year removed from being selected 10th overall in the 2017 NFL draft, Patrick Mahomes has finally been handed the reins to run the Chiefs' offence. He was mostly a part of the bench last season as he watched and learned from veteran QB Alex Smith who had a career year in 2017.

Now with Alex Smith off to Washington, Patrick Mahomes has his work cut out in one of the most demanding leagues in the world but he should thank his stars as the Chiefs are loaded with playmakers on the offensive side of the ball. They have the second-best tight end in the NFL in Travis Kelce, 2 quality speed demons in Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins at the Wide Receiver position and to top it off they also have 2017 rushing champion Kareem Hunt on their side.

Apart from this Mahomes also has QB kingmaker Andy Reid alongside him who has the innate ability to bring the best out of quarterbacks, his most recent venture was with QB Alex Smith who finished with a career-high 4,397 yards and 27 TDs.

Mahomes has the ability and arm strength to produce QB1 numbers this season, with a strong support cast and coaching staff, he can be backed to hit 4000+ yards with nearly 30 TDs

#1 Rex Burkhead (New England Patriots, Running Back):

Rex Burkhead (34)

Rex Burkhead was offered a 3 year/$10 million contract by the New England Patriots this year, a clear sign of how much the Patriots value him.

Patriots let go of Dion Lewis, their primary ball carrier from last season, to the Tennessee Titans and even though they did draft Sony Michel in the 2018 NFL draft, we have to remember that he's still a rookie. With no clear leader in the backfield, Burkhead should fancy his chances of some extra workload this season.

He definitely will be a red zone threat like last season as Tom Brady and Bill Belichick seem to trust him in the end zone and interestingly the Patriots are tied atop the league with the Saints in giving their running backs the ball when within 5 yards of the goal line.

Burkhead will be a high risk, high reward play going into the season and is best suited for an RB3 or a low-end RB2 role in your fantasy squad.