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2016 Fantasy Football Rankings: Top 5 Sleeper Wide Receivers That You Need To Draft

By Phillip Dengler
Published on: 07:06 PST, Aug 31, 2016

With the 2016 NFL season only a week away, now is the perfect time to complete your fantasy football draft. All of the important third preseason games are now complete, and it is unlikely that any players, other than Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, will suffer major injuries before the first game. If you have already drafted, this list could actually still be valuable as a few of the players may have gone undrafted in certain leagues.

Here are the top five sleeper wide receivers that could be available in the 10th round or later. Rankings from Fox Sports and ESPN were used as reference points.

1. Josh Gordon – Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon has had an interesting career. At only 25-years-old, he has been suspended numerous times for drug offenses. While Gordon claims that he is finally clean and back in football shape, there are still doubts regarding how productive he is going to be this year. Regardless, he is one of the most talented wide receivers in the NFL, and he would be a first-round draft pick in just about every single fantasy football league if talent were the only factor.

While he will begin the year with a four-game suspension, he is being undervalued in many leagues. ESPN ranks him as the 96th overall player, and Fox Sports ranks him as the 79th overall player. In some leagues, he is even falling outside of the first 10 rounds. For a player that could be a top wide receiver in the NFL after the fourth week of the season, he could win you your league by taking him over a marginal talent that has a similar ADP. He should still be available in the seventh round, but you may even be able to wait until the 10th round in shallow leagues.

2. Mike Wallace – Baltimore Ravens

After a disappointing season with the Minnesota Vikings, Mike Wallace is hoping to revitalize his career with the Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens. At 30-years-old, Wallace is not exactly a young player anymore, but he could still have more left in the tank. As CBS Sports reports, Flacco targeted Wallace six times in Saturday’s preseason game.

“All six targets came from Joe Flacco, who overthrew an open Wallace on a deep shot on the first snap of the game. The two later displayed better chemistry in the intermediate passing game, though one of the other missed targets was an apparent miscommunication on a fourth-down attempt. With Steve Smith (Achilles) and Breshad Perriman (knee) likely to be absent or limited at the start of the season, Wallace and Kamar Aiken still figure to be Week 1 starters, though they probably won’t have good job security. A fast start could make Wallace the go-to receiver, while a slow start could drop him to third or fourth on the depth chart in a hurry.”

ESPN ranks him as the 161st overall player, and Fox Sports ranks him as the 141st overall player. Wallace should be available in round 14 in most leagues. In some leagues, he may even go undrafted, so there is not a ton of risk in picking him up late.

3. Travis Benjamin – San Diego Chargers

After spending four seasons with the dysfunctional Cleveland Browns, new San Diego Chargers wide receiver Travis Benjamin may finally have stability at the quarterback position with Philip Rivers. Despite poor quarterback play last season, Benjamin caught 68 passes for 966 yards and five touchdowns.

ESPN ranks him as the 113th overall player, and Fox Sports ranks him as the 117th overall player. Even though Keenan Allen will receive more targets, Benjamin should still have plenty of opportunities for big plays. He should still be available in the 10th round of your league, and there is a chance that you could get him as far back as round 13.

4. Markus Wheaton – Pittsburgh Steelers

While Antonio Brown is the No. 1 wide receiver in Pittsburgh, Markus Wheaton is now No. 2 on the depth chart. Martavis Bryant will miss the entire season due to suspension, so there should be many more opportunities this year in Pittsburgh’s pass-heavy offense.

ESPN ranks him as the 116th overall player, and Fox Sports ranks him as the 92nd overall player. He should be available in the 10th round or later.

5. Chris Hogan – New England Patriots

Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman will receive the majority of targets in New England’s offense, but new wide receiver Chris Hogan is an intriguing selection. While he only had 36 receptions last year for 450 yards and two touchdowns with the Buffalo Bills, Hogan already appears to have solid chemistry with Tom Brady. Even though Brady will miss the first four games of the season due to suspension, their connection could deepen towards the end of the year into the fantasy football playoffs.

ESPN ranks him as the 118th overall player, and Fox Sports ranks him as the 167th overall player. He will be available in the 10th round or later in just about every league.

[Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images]

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