Daily Fantasy Football 2015: 7 Undervalued Sleepers to Target Early This Season

We all know who the superstars in the NFL are, and even the greenest neophyte doesn't need to be told about Aaron Rodgers, Dez Bryant, Rob Gronkowski or Adrian Peterson.

When it comes to winning your fantasy matchups and profiting as a result, the key is staying one step ahead of the competition, finding productive sleepers and inserting them into your lineup.

Your opponent may not have given some of the best sleepers even a second thought, but you have done your homework and come up with exciting players who are going to be successful.

It takes work, insight and courage to put a sleeper in your lineup.

Here's a look at seven undervalued sleepers who can give you the edge in 2015.

Wide Receiver Brandon Coleman, New Orleans Saints

Bill Feig/Associated Press

Drew Brees needs options because he no longer has Jimmy Graham or Kenny Stills on his side. Those two caught 148 passes last year, and the Saints quarterback has a desperate need to throw the football. He has completed at least 422 passes in each of the last five seasons, and he has thrown for more than 5,000 yards in three of them.

Enter Brandon Coleman, the 6'6", 225-pound wide receiver from the Saints. He should be the Saints' No. 3 receiver this year behind Brandin Cooks and Marques Colston, and he could be No. 2 before long, as age is likely to slow down the 32-year-old Colston. 

"

Brandon Coleman is currently owned in 10% of Yahoo leagues. Ownership rate could be north of 70% by about Week 3. (Sorry, #TeamToon.)

— Pat Fitzmaurice (@Fitz_FF) August 26, 2015"

Coleman wasn't active for the Saints until the final game last year. He caught 94 passes during his college career at Rutgers, and he found the end zone 20 times. 

Head coach Sean Payton is usually not one to give anything away to his competition, but he referred to Coleman as the team's most impressive player in camp, per ESPN's Britt McHenry (via Rotoworld), and he'll figure heavily into the Saints' plans this year as long as he stays healthy and does not drop the ball.

Wide Receiver John Brown, Arizona Cardinals

Norm Hall/Getty Images

The Cardinals knew that John Brown had game-breaking (4.34) speed when they drafted him in the third round in 2014.

When he put that speed on display last year, the Cardinals knew they had an impact player. He caught 48-696-5 last year, and he did most of his damage after Carson Palmer was injured and the team's ability to move the ball through the air suffered dramatically.

"

Not a huge believer of the SD secondary but between Carson Palmer's bomb to Nelson & TD to John Brown I think he's a great sleeper.

— Dave Richard (@daverichard) August 23, 2015"

With Palmer back in the lineup and Michael Floyd out with broken fingers, Brown figures to move into a starting role, and he may never give up that position. Brown averaged 14.5 yards per reception last year, and that number should go up dramatically as his confidence increases and Palmer gets used to his ability to sprint by defenders.

Some fantasy players may be hesitant because Brown was targeted 102 times to get to his 48 receptions. He was targeted four times in last Saturday's game against San Diego and caught three of those passes.

The addition of running back Chris Johnson gives the Cardinals explosive speed at the skill positions, and Brown believes that the team will take advantage. "We have speed all over now. Now it's going to be a pick-and-choose game," Johnson told Lia Kamana of the Arizona Republic.

Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, Minnesota Vikings

Hannah Foslien/Getty Images

Is Teddy Bridgewater a top-five fantasy quarterback, or even top-10? The answer is a clear "no" at this point, but the answer may not be so decisive by the end of the season. 

He had a productive rookie year in which he led the Vikings to a 6-6 record in the 12 games he started. The Vikings were limited offensively without Adrian Peterson and a mediocre (to be kind) crew of wide receivers, but Bridgewater kept his head above water by throwing for 2,919 yards and 14 touchdowns.

"

Teddy Bridgewater in the preseason now 22-28 for completion percentage of 78.6.

— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) August 23, 2015"

Peterson's return means much of the spotlight will be off Bridgewater, but he should find better opportunities to throw the ball because opposing defenses will have to focus on the powerful running back. When Bridgewater goes to the air, speedster Mike Wallace will be able to stretch the defense and open up the throwing lanes.

Bridgewater will also make plays with his feet, as he rushed for 4.4 yards per carry last year. That's enough to keep defenses honest, and his 47 rushing attempts indicate that he's not going to get reckless.

NumberFire projects Bridgewater to throw for 240.15 yards and 1.42 TDs in the season opener at San Francisco, but we see much greater production than that for a young quarterback who is heading an improved offense for a team with excellent upside.

Running Back Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Remember the Doug Martin from the 2012 season? The Doug Martin who rushed for 1,454 yards and 11 touchdowns?

That Doug Martin has been missing in action for the last two years, as he failed to reach the 500-yard mark in each of 2013 and 2014. But before you go sweeping him off in the pile of also-rans, has-beens and forget-about-it types, Martin is not the same player he was.

He is leaner and meaner. Martin is playing at a weight of between 205 and 208 pounds, according to Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter. It has helped Martin regain his quickness and his swagger.

"Doug's a powerful guy to begin with, but he got his quickness back. He has unbelievable confidence right now," Koetter told Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com.

Martin showed tremendous strength on a Monday night run versus the Bengals when he bounced out of several tackles. Koetter pointed out that the Bucs have been emphasizing how important it is to finish runs, and no player has backed that up like Martin. 

Martin needs to produce, because his contract is up after this season, so that bodes well for his fantasy numbers. This is the season that the 2012 Martin shows up again. 

"

Bucs OC Dirk Koetter says Doug Martin has benefitted from weight loss and finishing runs. Also, "it's a contract year. We've all been there.

— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) August 26, 2015"

Running Back Latavius Murray, Oakland Raiders

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Injuries have been the problem for Latavius Murray since the Raiders drafted him in the sixth round in 2013. While he has not had a chance to prove his consistency, he has been able to flash his talent.

Last year, Murray had a brief opportunity to introduce himself to the Kansas City Chiefs. He did that in a style that demonstrated he could be a stud running back in 2015 when he rushed for 112 yards and two touchdowns on four memorable carries.

Murray has never been healthy in the offseason before and has had to rehab from injuries. That's not the case this year, and he should be ready to go at the start of the season.

Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie had this to say of Murray, per the Associated Press (h/t the Daily Journal):

"

This is the first offseason that he didn't have to go through rehab. Coming into training camp he was 100 percent. Last year he just didn't get his opportunity until Week 10, 11. That part wasn't his fault. He was ready to play. He was healthy going into the season. Just the offseason leading up to it he was always nicked up. If he can say healthy I don't think anything is holding him back.

"

"

Derek Carr, Amari Cooper and Latavius Murray all show explosion on this drive http://t.co/gBKPkM0CUt

— Bill Williamson (@BWilliamsonESPN) August 23, 2015"

The Raiders are counting on quarterback Derek Carr to continue to improve and for rookie wideout Amari Cooper to be a playmaker. If those two can deliver in Oakland, Murray has a chance to take advantage of his 4.38 speed and strength and become a potential game-changer at running back.

Tight End Josh Hill, New Orleans Saints

Chris Tilley/Associated Press

Jimmy Graham was a bona fide superstar with the New Orleans Saints and a huge big-play maker. However, he is now with the Seattle Seahawks, and that means it is time for another tight end to get a big-time opportunity with the Saints. 

Josh Hill is the man, and he has a quarterback in Drew Brees who loves to throw to the tight end. Graham was targeted at least 125 times in each of the last four seasons. That doesn't mean that Hill will get that many targets this year, but even if he gets half as many throws his way, he could have substantial productivity in 2015.

"

Josh Hill doing Josh Hill things pic.twitter.com/uRzAbiFzho

— dOMe_inate (@WhoDatWarriors) August 20, 2015"

Hill was targeted 20 times last season and caught 14 passes for 176 yards. He also caught five TD passes, and that's what makes this 6'5", 250-pound target such an appealing fantasy player. His ability to make plays in the red zone will allow him to become a top-of-mind player for Brees and head coach Sean Payton.

Hill had a hip issue earlier in camp, but he is reported to be fine now. He is currently listed as the No. 2 tight end behind Ben Watson, but that should not be an issue. Watson is not a playmaker, and Hill will get his opportunities and become a fantasy star this year.

Wide Receiver Jordan Matthews, Philadelphia Eagles

Michael Perez/Associated Press

Many of the fantasy experts are touting the gifts of 2015 first-round draft choice Nelson Agholor as being a potential impact fantasy player, but don't make the mistake of forgetting about Jordan Matthews.

As a rookie last year, he was targeted 103 times in head coach Chip Kelly's offense, and he caught 67-872-8. He is a potential 100-catch guy this year in the Eagles' no-huddle offense, and he is the kind of slot receiver who is going to get open regularly for quarterback Sam Bradford.

Matthews scored six of his touchdowns in the final nine games last year, and that signified how much better he got as the year went along. Matthews is not a sleeper in the traditional sense, but he is a player who may be on the verge of becoming a superstar.

He proved himself as a slot receiver last year, and it's important for the Eagles to keep him in that role. Kelly has not revealed any plans to move him out of that role.

"

#Eagles Notes: Jordan Matthews almost strictly an inside WR at this point. That’s fine, uses body well.

— Andy Benoit (@Andy_Benoit) August 25, 2015"