Fantasy Football 2015: Players Who Get the Biggest Boost in PPR Leagues

There are purists who believe that playing in points-per-reception leagues rewards a player for the simple act of catching the football regardless of the yardage.

Then, there are people like me who believe that fantasy football should be a lot of fun and more points means more fun.

I’m not here to have that argument. Instead, I'll focus on the players who get a significant boost from the PPR format, as I'll demonstrate with a look at roles and a comparison of average draft positions between PPR leagues and non-PPR leagues.

With so many teams using a version of the West Coast offense, getting the ball out quick and accurately is a necessity, which is why we've seen a rise in pass-catching specialists out of the backfield, like Danny Woodhead in San Diego, and a bigger need for sure-handed slot receivers, like Eddie Royal in Chicago. As a result, more players have fantasy value, especially in PPR formats.

Before we begin, I'll note that players who are likely to be drafted in the first four rounds regardless of the format won’t be included in this list because the PPR boost doesn't significantly change their value. Instead, the focus will be on players you’d be more willing to draft because of their increased role in the passing game.

Shane Vereen

Julie Jacobson/Associated Press

PPR ADP: 75.5

Standard ADP: 110

After four years of being yo-yoed in and out of games at the whim of Bill Belichick, Vereen has a new home in the Giants backfield and is primed for a bigger role than possibly ever before.

In his first two seasons with the Patriots, Vereen had just eight receptions, but he made a huge mark in 2013 with 47 receptions on 69 targets in just eight games. Last season, he followed that up with 52 receptions on 77 targets in 16 games in what was more of an inconsistent and disappointing performance.

With his arrival in New York, Vereen gives the Giants a capable pass-catcher out of the backfield, which takes some of the burden off veteran Rashad Jennings after he was limited to 11 games in 2014 with various injuries. Jennings led the team with 30 receptions on 41 targets, with Andre Williams behind him at 18 receptions on 37 targets.

Vereen is a better receiver than both players, so I expect him to be the team's top pass-catcher out of the backfield. However, unlike his time in New England last season, Vereen is looking like the team's primary passing-down back and should have a more consistent role, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. 

I love the fit of Vereen in the Giants’ version of the West Coast scheme and expect him to be busy this season. In fact, his addition could significantly cut into the targets of Larry Donnell. Vereen is one of my primary targets as a legit RB2 in PPR formats.

Giovani Bernard

Al Behrman/Associated Press

PPR ADP: 58.3

Standard ADP: 76

The Bengals love their backfield, as was apparent last season with both Giovani Bernard and rookie Jeremy Hill finishing among the top 20 at the running back position in average fantasy points per game in PPR leagues. However, it was a tale of two seasons with Hill’s role increasing significantly in the second half of the year. 

What that means for this season is that Bernard is likely to play more of a complementary role to Hill, who will be the lead back. Last season, Bernard had 59 targets (tied for ninth-most) and racked up 43 receptions in 12 games. As a rookie, he had 56 receptions on 71 targets (11th-most) while playing all 16 games.

While Hill is a capable pass-catcher (27 receptions on 32 targets in 2014), he’ll be busy as the lead back in an offense that wants to lean on the ground game and limit how often Andy Dalton has to throw it. The Bengals were 25th in pass attempts and fifth in rushing attempts last year, per NFL.com.

Playing behind Hill may cut down on Bernard’s overall touches, but it could make him a more efficient and fresher player for the duration of the season. With the Bengals lacking a clear-cut second option in the passing attack after A.J. Green, Bernard has a chance to carve out a sizable role as a receiver. He’ll need those targets to justify his fantasy value as a RB2 in PPR leagues.

Danny Woodhead

Tony Avelar/Associated Press

PPR ADP: 112

Standard ADP: 162.8

And now we come to a man who was destined to be a PPR superstar.

Two seasons ago, the Chargers made the decision to sign Danny Woodhead and install him as their pass-catching specialist out of the backfield to take some of the workload off the oft-injured Ryan Mathews. As a result, Mathews played 16 games for the first and only time in his career, and Woodhead wound up with 76 receptions (second-most) on 87 targets (fourth-most).

Last year, Woodhead was ready to replicate that success until he fractured both his ankle and fibula in the third game of the season. With Woodhead out, Mathews ended up missing 10 games, and the Chargers never found consistency out of the backfield when they turned to Branden Oliver and Donald Brown. 

Mathews signed with the Eagles this offseason, and the Chargers drafted Melvin Gordon to replace him. And by replace, I mean play the role Mathews was playing in 2013 with Woodhead returning from his injuries to take back his spot as the primary receiver of the running back stable. 

Because Woodhead is a reliable pass protector and Gordon is still trying to improve in that area, the Chargers should look to Woodhead as a cog on third down and in the passing game, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Woodhead might have one of the biggest gaps in fantasy value depending on the format, yet coming off major injuries, he’s still affordable in PPR leagues to provide more bang for your buck. While he’ll likely be in your lineup as a RB3 or flex player, he has the potential to climb into RB2 territory.

Anquan Boldin

Dave Martin/Associated Press

PPR ADP: 104

Standard ADP: 123.5

In Anquan Boldin’s two seasons with the 49ers, the team had its sights set on ramping up the passing attack with Colin Kaepernick but finished dead last in pass attempts in 2013 and fourth from the bottom last year, according to NFL.com. However, Boldin managed to post 85 receptions on 128 targets in 2013 and 83 receptions on 127 targets in 2014.

He never posted more than 65 receptions or more than 111 targets in three years, including a Super Bowl title, with the Ravens. How does that happen? Well, when you’re the most reliable receiver in the short and intermediate area on a team with a scattershot quarterback, you tend to get the most looks. He ran the ninth-most routes out of the slot last year, according to Pro Football Focus.

It’s hard to see that changing in 2015. The 49ers are replacing Michael Crabtree with Torrey Smith in their starting lineup and are going from one of the team’s best running backs ever in Frank Gore to second-year man Carlos Hyde. They’ve also added Reggie Bush to the mix, but we’ll get to him a little later.

Smith might be a better fit for Kaepernick’s big arm with a 16.9 yards-per-catch average over his four-year career, but we’re talking about a quarterback who has completed just over 60 percent of his passes during his four years in the league. While the 49ers want to get Vernon Davis back involved, we heard the same thing last season from former offensive coordinator Greg Roman.

That brings us back to Boldin. Because he’s entering his 13th season, he’s not commanding a high draft pick, even in PPR formats, although there’s a major difference in his value in standard leagues. The 49ers don’t excite me, but at the right price, Boldin is worth having since he’ll likely be your fourth or fifth wide receiver and is always there to fall back on during a bye week or as an injury replacement.

Eddie Royal

Christian K. Lee/Associated Press

PPR ADP: 145.5

Standard ADP: 177

At first glance, the Bears’ signing of Eddie Royal didn’t make a major impact because they would go on to draft Kevin White in the first round and already have big-time targets in Alshon Jeffery, Martellus Bennett and Matt Forte.

Since the draft, Royal’s stock has steadily risen and shot up when the team announced White would need surgery for a nagging shin injury and could be in danger of missing the entire season.

This puts Royal in a position to play a much bigger role in the offense, and to his credit, Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times has called him the training camp MVP. Royal told the Chicago Tribune, "I’ve been trying to learn the whole system just so if anything happens that I’ll be able to step in and play whatever."

Last season, Royal worked primarily out of the slot for the Chargers (86.2 percent of his routes, per Pro Football Focus), a role he was expected to play before White’s injury. He wound up with 62 receptions for 778 yards and seven touchdowns in what was his best season since his rookie year with Jay Cutler in Denver.

Without any votes of confidence for Cutler from the new regime, it’s hard to imagine the Bears throwing 609 times, as they did last year, but with a defense that still needs a lot of work, this team could be forced to throw while playing from behind. That’s good news for Royal’s target numbers, which is why he could be on his way to a WR3-type season in PPR leagues.

Roy Helu

Eric Risberg/Associated Press

PPR ADP: 147.8

Standard ADP: 203

Unlike the previous names on this list, Roy Helu is trying to have fantasy relevance for the majority of a season for the first time in his career and has a pretty good chance to do so in Oakland.

For the last three seasons in Washington, Helu served as a backup to Alfred Morris but also was the team’s primary pass-catcher out of the backfield. He caught 42 of 47 targets to lead all running backs with an 89.4 percent catch rate, according to Football Outsiders. He had just 102 rushing attempts over the last two years but averaged 4.8 yards per carry, which is impressive, even in a small sample size.

Helu comes to a Raiders backfield that has a clear top back in Latavius Murray, so there’s no reason for competition. The former Redskin shouldn’t have to worry too much about Trent Richardson because he’s still doing things like this.

What role does that leave for Helu?

It hasn’t been openly discussed, but as soon as the signing happened, logic said Helu would fit nicely as a reliable pass-catcher behind Murray as the lead back. Oakland has added some other weapons in Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree, but remember that Derek Carr averaged just 5.46 yards per attempt last season, so he’s more than willing to check it down.

Helu won’t cost you much, and barring a major injury to Murray in the preseason, his draft stock shouldn’t rise significantly. That means you can use a late-round pick on a potential 60-catch running back in the hopes of getting a decent RB3 or flex player in PPR leagues.

Stevie Johnson

Gregory Bull/Associated Press

PPR ADP: 147

Standard ADP: 175.7

If you’re looking for a wide receiver to return to relevance in both fantasy and reality this season, might I suggest checking out Stevie Johnson in San Diego?

Last year, he ended up in the exile that was the 49ers passing game. Other than Anquan Boldin, San Francisco didn’t produce any legit fantasy options out of its receiving corps, and Johnson was limited to just 35 receptions for 435 yards and three touchdowns on 48 targets, which was still good for a nearly 73 percent catch rate. He should play a much more important role, especially early in the season, with the Chargers.

Johnson joins a Chargers offense that needs to replace Eddie Royal's 62 receptions and 90 targets, and he's primed to fill that role, although the team will have to approach things a bit differently in the first month.

With the suspension of Antonio Gates for the first four games of the year, Philip Rivers could look Johnson’s way early and often. Rivers told Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports that he’s connected quickly with Johnson. With Keenan Allen and Johnson both expected to see time in the slot, Rivers called them interchangeable, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Johnson has been a versatile player over his career, going back to his six years in Buffalo, where he was often the top target in the passing game despite being best suited for the slot. With a big need in the receiving corps, Johnson has a chance to bounce back while playing with the best quarterback he’s ever had in Rivers. There’s a lot working in his favor, so you could have a WR3 on your hands.

Reggie Bush

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

PPR ADP: 118.3

Standard ADP: 133.3

Reggie Bush may never put up monster numbers again, but he can still be a reliable contributor in the right spot, and it looks like he may have found just that in San Francisco.

The 49ers targeted their running backs just 64 times last year, according to Evan Silva of Rotoworld. In four seasons playing with Colin Kaepernick, Frank Gore never had more than 28 receptions or 36 targets after averaging 51 receptions and 73 targets per year in the previous five seasons. It may have kept Gore fresher, but the team needs to get more out of the backfield in the passing game.

With Bush joining the fray, he can fill that gaping void in the offense and let second-year back Carlos Hyde focus on being the lead runner on a team that loves to pound the rock.

Bush battled his way through another injury-plagued season in 2014 but still managed to rack up 40 receptions on 56 targets in 11 games. In fact, he has dipped below 40 receptions just twice in his career and has had 50 targets in all but one season.

The 49ers should feature the nine-year veteran as a receiver and nothing more since it’s clear his body can’t hold up with a significant workload on the ground. If the 49ers don’t try to overwork Bush, he can be a valuable commodity in PPR formats on a team that has desperately needed a reliable target out of the backfield.

All rankings and statistics are from Fantasy Pros unless otherwise noted. 

Check out my recent appearance on the Simms and Lefkoe Podcast previewing the 2015 fantasy season. Simms and I bonded over high school football, and by the end of my spot, he’s legitimately thinking about diving into the world of fantasy football.