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Fantasy football leagues are won in the later rounds.
You can definitely lose your league by messing up the first couple of picks, but it’s finding the sleepers that will take a team from good to championship material. Just ask anyone who landed guys like Odell Beckham Jr., Jeremy Hill and Kelvin Benjamin for steep discounts last year.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at some under-the-radar players who will help you win a championship in 2015.
Note: All average draft rankings are courtesy of Fantasy Football Calculator, and for a player to be considered for this list, he has to be outside the Top 100.
Ryan Tannehill, QB, Miami Dolphins
2014: 4,000+ yards. 27 TDs.
“He can also beat you w/ his legs.”
@ryantannehill1 could be a late-round fantasy steal. http://t.co/8Xq5gxNYgA
Average draft position: 106th overall; 13th among QBs
Ryan Tannehill has three NFL seasons under his belt. He has improved in each of those seasons, consistently increasing his yardage totals, completion percentage, touchdowns, average yards per attempt and QB rating while decreasing his interceptions. That culminated in a breakout 2014 season that saw him complete 66.4 percent of his throws for 4,045 yards, 27 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions. He also rushed for 311 yards and a score.
In a standard ESPN leagues, the former Texas A&M wide receiver finished ninth among quarterbacks in total fantasy points, and the arrow continues to point upwards.
Although a lack of a consistent deep ball puts a bit of a cap on Tannehill’s ceiling, this Dolphins offense helps make up for that. Offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, a disciple of Chip Kelly, runs a fast-paced, spread offense that focuses on slants, screens and running as many plays as possible.
Lazor: “We’re gonna go as fast, really, as Ryan Tannehill and Mike Pouncey can go. The other guys have to keep up.”
Entering his second year in the fantasy-friendly offense, the 27-year-old Tannehill not only has burgeoning stars like Jarvis Landry and Lamar Miller to continue to work with, but the Dolphins have given him new offensive weapons in Kenny Stills, Greg Jennings, Jordan Cameron and explosive rookie DeVante Parker.
The Dolphins made a big investment in Tannehill this offseason, and everything is in place for him to prove them right. Drafted, on average, as a high-end QB2 in 12-team leagues, he has the talent, situation and surrounding weapons to finish as a mid-range QB1.
Charles Sims, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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Average draft position: 128th overall; 48th among RBs
Doug Martin has been confirmed as the starting running back, but as many fantasy owners are now painfully aware of, the Boise State product isn’t exactly the most trustworthy option. After a dominant rookie season, Martin has missed 15 games in the last two years and looked woefully ineffective when he has actually played, averaging 3.6 yards per carry and finding the end zone three times on 261 carries.
Of course, Charles Sims was even worse as a rookie last year (2.8 YPC, two fumbles), but remember he missed half the season with an ankle injury and never really caught up to speed for the tanking Bucs. If he can stay healthy and remind the Bucs why they spent a third-round pick on him, it shouldn’t take much for him to supplant Martin as the starter.
At the very least, Sims is already the passing-down back, so he has solid PPR value. As an 11th-round pick in 12-team leagues, he’s a low-risk selection with a high potential.
Breshad Perriman, WR, Baltimore Ravens
Average draft position: 108th overall; 43rd among WRs
Last season, Torrey Smith and Owen Daniels combined to tally 171 targets, 97 receptions, 1,294 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns. Combine their departures with the addition of offensive coordinator Marc Trestman, who turned the Chicago Bears passing attack into a high-volume machine, and there are going to be a ton of available targets even if Steve Smith remains Joe Flacco’s go-to guy.
The most likely candidate to soak up a majority of those targets is rookie Breshad Perriman.
A 6-foot-2 athletic specimen with unbelievable speed (he ran a 4.24 40 at his Pro Day), Perriman has the wheels to take Torrey Smith’s role as a downfield threat, but he also has the size and physicality that has drawn comparisons to Julio Jones.
“I think he’ll be better than Torrey Smith,” said ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper in May.
There are concerns about Perriman’s route-running ability and inconsistent hands, but he’s incredibly gifted and has an open path to a starting position in a pass-happy offense. He’s being selected as a WR4 but has WR2 upside.
