Fantasy Football 2015: Bargain-Bin Options to Help Win Your League

If you draft well early and avoid the injury bug, there’s a good chance you’ll find your way into the fantasy playoffs. The best teams will work the waiver wire diligently along the way, but what if you get ahead of the game and nab those key players late in your drafts?

In 2013, Julius Thomas went undrafted in many fantasy leagues but was the top free agent after posting five receptions for 110 yards and two TDs in the Week 1 beatdown of the defending-champion Baltimore Ravens. He finished as a top-three fantasy TE after registering just one catch in his two previous seasons.

In 2014, Travis Kelce had an ADP around 146, according to Fantasy Football Calculator, after missing nearly his entire rookie season due to microfracture surgery on his knee. He wound up as a top-10 fantasy TE despite never catching a pass before last season.

I drafted both players before they hit it big and had a lot of success as a result. Can Sam Bradford be that bargain-bin superstar this year?

Let’s take a look at some names to keep in mind when your draft is coming to a close.

Danny Woodhead

David Kohl/Associated Press

Current ADP: 101 (Rounds 9-10)

Two seasons ago, Danny Woodhead racked up 76 receptions, 605 yards and six TDs on 87 carries in his first year with the Chargers. That was easily his best fantasy performance, but he wasn’t able to replicate it last year after fracturing his ankle and fibula in Week 3. With those issues behind him, Woodhead is in line to assume a similar role in a much different San Diego backfield.

With Ryan Mathews joining the Eagles, the Chargers used a first-round pick in this year’s draft to select Melvin Gordon. While Gordon is expected to take over Mathews’ role as the lead back, it doesn’t mean he’ll be on the field for three downs. Pass protection is usually a concern for any rookie RB, and that’s no different for Gordon.

Early in training camp, Union-Tribune San Diego’s Kevin Acee tweeted about Gordon’s blocking concerns. Michael Gehlken, also of Union-Tribune San Diego, made similar comments, noting Gordon will likely play a similar role to that of Mathews. Woodhead is a capable pass-blocker, which is even more important behind a shaky Chargers offensive line.

Woodhead enters his sixth season with three seasons of at least 34 receptions and 44 targets. In addition to taking some responsibility off Gordon’s plate, Woodhead could have a bigger role in the first month of the season with Antonio Gates serving a four-game suspension.

If you’re looking for a reliable plug-and-play RB who gets a boost from playing in PPR formats, Woodhead should be a late-round target.

Anquan Boldin

Scott Kane/Associated Press

Current ADP: 101.5 (Rounds 9-10)

Amazingly, Anquan Boldin has been more productive in two years with Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers than he was in three years with Joe Flacco and the Ravens. That’s not a knock on Flacco, but more praise of Boldin to put up such strong numbers with an unrefined, inconsistent passer like Kaepernick.

Last season, Boldin had an ADP of 115, according to Fantasy Football Calculator, which made him a 10th-round pick in 12-team leagues. Not only did he outplay his draft position, but he did so in a big way. Boldin finished as the 18th-best fantasy WR thanks to 83 receptions for 1,062 yards and five TDs on 127 targets. That came a year after he posted 85 receptions, 1,179 yards and seven TDs on 128 targets.

Boldin never had more than 65 receptions, 921 yards or 111 targets in Baltimore, despite a lack of depth in their receiving corps. He’ll be reunited with Torrey Smith, giving the 49ers a much-needed threat down the field, but Boldin looks like a much more reliable option as a possession receiver in the short and intermediate areas.

Trusting the 49ers passing attack hasn’t been easy with Kaepernick under center, but Boldin has been able to get it done for fantasy over the last two years, yet he’s still available at a low cost in this year’s drafts. Entering his 13th season, Boldin still has legit fantasy value and, at worst, should be a solid WR3.

Sam Bradford

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

Current ADP: 135.5 (Rounds 12-13)

Before you immediately dismiss Sam Bradford because of his injury history, understand that he’s already received full clearance coming off last year’s torn ACL and the chances of that happening again are about 10-to-12 percent, according to head coach Chip Kelly.

Why should you even consider Bradford as a late-round selection? Well, consider what Kelly has done over the last two seasons with Michael Vick, Nick Foles and Mark Sanchez as his primary starters.

Did you know that the Eagles produced eight 300-yard passing games last year? That’s more than all but five teams and the same amount as Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers.

In nine games with the Eagles, Sanchez averaged nearly 269 passing yards and completed 64.1 percent of his passes. Over four seasons with the Jets, Sanchez averaged about 195 passing yards per game and never completed more than 56.7 percent of his passes in a season.

Before going down with a broken collarbone, Foles had thrown for 13 TDs, 10 INTs, and 2,163 yards in eight games, which was good for 270.4 passing yards per game. In half those games, he threw for at least 300 yards. 

Neither Foles nor Sanchez are anything more than average QBs, which is why expectations should be even higher for a more talented player like Bradford.

Bradford’s career hasn’t been what you’d expect from a former No. 1 overall pick, but he’s had a lot go wrong. He went through three different offensive coordinators during his tenure with the Rams. He never had high-end talent in the receiving corps and his offensive line was never a strength of the team.

Tearing ACLs in back-to-back seasons is terrible luck and is now the first thing that’s mentioned when discussing Bradford’s career both in the past and present. It’s also a big reason why you’ll be able to get him for cheap in your fantasy drafts.

As this article details, Bradford’s strength is his accuracy, and that’s a big key in Kelly’s offense. The Eagles certainly believe in Bradford’s ability to excel in this year and beyond, as evidenced by them trying to work out a short-term extension, according to Ed Werder of ESPN.

Considering Kelly has turned Vick, Foles, and Sanchez into legitimate fantasy starters, why wouldn’t he be able to do the same with a better player in Bradford? He’s my favorite low-risk, high-reward player for fantasy this year and can be paired with another late-round QB, like Eli Manning, without requiring a big investment.

David Johnson

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Current ADP: 109.5 (Rounds 9-10)

Last year, Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians talked about getting RB Andre Ellington the ball 30 times a game. Ellington lasted just 12 games before landing on the IR with a sports hernia and foot injuries.

The 5’9’’, 199-pound Ellington doesn’t look like a typical feature back, which might be why Arians said back in March that he was looking for a bigger back, per Josh Weinfuss of ESPN. Two months later, they drafted David Johnson in the third round.

Johnson gives the team more size at 6’1’’, 224 pounds, but the team sees him as another version of Ellington, according to Darren Urban of the team’s official site. Johnson was called a “natural” receiver by Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic during OTAs, so there may be something to the comparison to Ellington.

Since training camp began, Arians told reporters he envisions Ellington getting 20 touches per game, as a runner and a receiver. It’s nice that he has confidence in his starting RB, but it doesn’t mean Ellington will be able to hold up, and that’s why Johnson is looking like a player to monitor.

Ellington is coming off the board around pick 40.5 in PPR formats, yet you can have Johnson almost 70 picks without a big investment. Even if Ellington stays healthy, Johnson may be the better fit to lead the rushing attack based on his size. He’s a prime candidate to be a steal in your fantasy drafts.

Eli Manning

Tom Gannam/Associated Press

Current ADP: 109 (Rounds 9-10)

After two down years, Manning bounced back to finish last season as a top-10 fantasy QB yet still isn’t getting a lot of love in early fantasy drafts.

Remember, Manning didn’t have breakout star, Odell Beckham Jr., until the fifth game of the season and had to play without Victor Cruz for all but six games. Plus, he was working in a brand-new offense that featured first-time starter Larry Donnell at TE. Oh, and starting RB Rashad Jennings missed six games with various injuries.

Manning finished sixth in passing yards (4,410) and ninth in TDs (30) while dropping his INTs from 27 in 2013 to 14 in 2014, his lowest number since 2009. Plus, he had his best completion percentage ever at 63.1. For Manning to pick up the offense quickly with major changes at WR during the season, he had a fantastic year and should be even better in 2015.

Cruz was able to avoid the PUP and has looked solid coming off his major knee injury, but not as shifty or explosive in the early parts of training camp, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. Having Cruz back, even if it's not at top form, along with Beckham and Rueben Randle, plus the additions of pass-catching specialist RB Shane Vereen and WR James Jones, gives Manning an array of weapons.

Manning’s had solid fantasy seasons in the past, but he arguably has more talent in his receiving corps than ever before and will likely be throwing a lot if the Giants defense has another rough year. If you’re waiting on a QB, Manning is the guy to get.

Eric Ebron

Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Current ADP: 170 (Rounds 14-15)

If you’re the No. 10 overall pick, expectations will be high, regardless of position. Unfortunately, Ebron became yet another TE to struggle as a rookie, but there’s plenty of room for improvement in his second season.

Drops plagued Ebron last season, as evidenced by his poor catch rate, which checked it at about 54 percent. He was able to haul in just 25 of 47 targets for 248 yards and one TD in 13 games. He missed time due to hamstring issues that plagued him throughout the season.

In an effort to improve, Ebron traveled to Atlanta during the offseason to workout with QB Matthew Stafford, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Stafford has already given Ebron praise during training camp, specifically for his athleticism and work ethic.

The Lions already know they have a reliable one-two punch in WRs Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate, but they want Ebron to be that consistent, third option. Stafford still has room to improve, but it’s really up to Ebron to take the next step in what could possibly be an explosive offense.

Ebron’s performance as a rookie has scared off a lot of fantasy owners in early drafts, so he can be yours for a very cheap price and you can still get an established TE, like Jason Witten, a little earlier to have as a safety net. Ebron is definitely worth the gamble.

Michael Crabtree

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Current ADP: 170 (Rounds 14-15)

Remember when Michael Crabtree was lighting up the fantasy world with Colin Kaepernick back in 2012 on the way to a Super Bowl appearance? Feels like ancient history, doesn’t it?

Crabtree hasn’t been the same player since that season thanks to a torn Achilles’ that cost him all but five games in 2013 and seemed to slow him down last year. While he still managed to catch 68 of 108 targets (63 percent catch rate), he had just 698 yards and four TDs. His 10.3 YPC was the lowest of his career and came at a bad time with Crabtree in a contract year.

He joined the Raiders on a one-year deal worth $3 million to provide the team a veteran WR to pair with rookie Amari Cooper. While Cooper has gotten all of the attention throughout the offseason, Crabtree seemed to be the forgotten man. That is, until training camp got underway and he got a chance to impress.

According to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle, Crabtree has been a star in the early going for Oakland, and they certainly need reliable options in their passing game for second-year QB Derek Carr. As Ian Rapport of NFL Network reports, the Raiders think Crabtree is going to play himself into a big contract based on his performance this year. 

Other than Cooper and Crabtree, the Raiders are short on talent just about everywhere in their offense and hope third-year RB Latavius Murray is ready to handle the starting job after flashing last year.

Crabtree might not blow anyone away with his speed, but he’s a reliable pass-catcher on a team that will likely be playing from behind more often than not, which means Crabtree has a good chance to rack up some garbage-time production. He’ll be an intriguing, late-round option for those in PPR leagues.

Maxx Williams

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

Current ADP: 181 (Rounds 15-16)

If you’re not using one of your final picks on a kicker or defense, might I suggest taking a flier on Maxx Williams?

Rookie TEs have not fared well, especially for fantasy, as we’ve seen in recent years with Eric Ebron, Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Tyler Eifert, so if you’re already dismissing Williams, I totally understand. But I’m also not suggesting you draft him as your TE1 or before the final three rounds. This is a low-risk, high-reward selection because he’s coming into a pretty good situation right off the bat.

The Ravens are very short on established talent in their receiving corps and will likely start rookie WR Breshad Perriman opposite Steve Smith, if Perriman can get past the knee issue that’s kept him out longer than the team expected, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.

Williams’ top competition is second-year TE Crockett Gillmore, who was far from impressive with just 10 receptions for 121 yards and a TD on 15 targets as a rookie. Veteran Dennis Pitta is already on the PUP list and is likely to remain there when the season begins, as he continues to recover from another major hip injury, according to the Baltimore Sun.

Williams may not make an immediate impact, especially if Gillmore wins the starting job out of camp, yet I can’t overlook the potential for him in this offense. New offensive coordinator Marc Trestman didn’t fare too well in Chicago in terms of wins and losses, but he was a fantasy-friendly coach.

Bears TE Martellus Bennett had his best two seasons under Trestman, including 90 receptions (most at TE) for 916 yards (third at TE) and six TDs on 125 targets (second at TE) in 2014. Between Trestman’s use of the TE and a lack of options in the passing game, there are points to be had if Williams picks things up quickly.

If you like shooting for upside late in your draft, Williams is worth a shot. And if he’s not getting the job done and you need the roster spot for someone else, it won’t hurt to cut him loose.

All rankings, ADP information and statistics are from FantasyPros.com unless otherwise noted.