Fantasy Football 2015: Sleepers, Positional Rankings and Top Values

Let's talk rankings. And sleepers. And value picks. And let's do it for every position. (Well, except for defense and kicker because, darn it, you should be waiting until the very end of your draft to select both positions.)

Let's talk fantasy, folks. 

Quarterbacks

Rank	Player	Team
1	Andrew Luck	Indianapolis Colts
2	Aaron Rodgers	Green Bay Packers
3	Russell Wilson	Seattle Seahawks
4	Peyton Manning	Denver Broncos
5	Ben Roethlisberger	Pittsburgh Steelers
6	Cam Newton	Carolina Panthers
7	Matt Ryan	Atlanta Falcons
8	Drew Brees	New Orleans Saints
9	Matthew Stafford	Detroit Lions
10	Tom Brady	New England Patriots
11	Tony Romo	Dallas Cowboys
12	Ryan Tannehill	Miami Dolphins
13	Eli Manning	New York Giants
14	Philip Rivers	San Diego Chargers
15	Carson Palmer	Arizona Cardinals
16	Sam Bradford	Philadelphia Eagles
17	Colin Kaepernick	San Francisco 49ers
18	Jay Cutler	Chicago Bears
19	Joe Flacco	Baltimore Ravens
20	Alex Smith	Kansas City Chiefs

• Sleeper Pick: Sam Bradford, Philadelphia Eagles
• Value Pick: Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers

If Sam Bradford stays healthy this year, I think he could easily be a top-10 quarterback. That's a big if, yes, but Philly's explosive spread offense is perfect for Bradford's skill set.

He certainly seems to be enjoying his collection of weapons, as he told Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Daily News:

"

We have playmakers all over the field, and my job as quarterback is simply to distribute and get them the ball and let them make plays in space. It's really comforting as a quarterback when you look out there and all five of your receiving options are really good players and have the ability to turn a 5- or 6-yard completion into a 60-yard touchdown.

"

He was on fire in the team's third preseason game against the Packers, completing all 10 of his passes while throwing for three touchdowns. 

The preseason doesn't mean much, generally, but when you are looking for clues about how an oft-injured player is shaking off the rust or adjusting to his new scheme, it can give you valuable insights about a player's potential. And Bradford flashed big potential against the Packers.

As for Cam Newton, he's currently being selected No. 93 overall in ESPN fantasy drafts, meaning he's available in the ninth round in 10-team leagues. That's a pretty amazing value for a player who was a top-five option at the position three years in a row before a down year last season.

Yes, losing Kelvin Benjamin is a killer. But he didn't have Benjamin before last season and still put up a ton of fantasy points. Waiting on Newton while you stack your roster at the other positions is a very smart play.

Running Backs

Rank	Player	Team
1	Marshawn Lynch	Seattle Seahawks
2	Adrian Peterson	Minnesota Vikings
3	Eddie Lacy	Green Bay Packers
4	Jamaal Charles	Kansas City Chiefs
5	DeMarco Murray	Philadelphia Eagles
6	Le'Veon Bell	Pittsburgh Steelers
7	Matt Forte	Chicago Bears
8	LeSean McCoy	Buffalo Bills
9	C.J. Anderson	Denver Broncos
10	Jeremy Hill	Cincinnati Bengals
11	Alfred Morris	Washington
12	Carlos Hyde	San Francisco 49ers
13	Lamar Miller	Miami Dolphins
14	Mark Ingram	New Orleans Saints
15	Melvin Gordon	San Diego Chargers
16	Frank Gore	Indianapolis Colts
17	Andre Ellington	Arizona Cardinals
18	Justin Forsett	Baltimore Ravens
19	Jonathan Stewart	Carolina Panthers
20	Joique Bell	Detroit Lions
21	Giovani Bernard	Cincinnati Bengals
22	Todd Gurley	St. Louis Rams
23	T.J. Yeldon	Jacksonville Jaguars
24	C.J. Spiller	New Orleans Saints
25	Tevin Coleman	Atlanta Falcons
26	Latavius Murray	Oakland Raiders
27	Rashad Jennings	New York Giants
28	Joseph Randle	Dallas Cowboys
29	Chris Ivory	New York Jets
30	LeGarrette Blount	New England Patriots
31	Alfred Blue	Houston Texans
32	Isaiah Crowell	Cleveland Browns
33	Ryan Mathews	Philadelphia Eagles
34	Doug Martin	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
35	Ameer Abdullah	Detroit Lions

• Sleeper Pick: Ameer Abdullah, Detroit Lions
• Value Pick: Andre Ellington, Arizona Cardinals

I still think Joique Bell is likely to earn a ton of touches with the Detroit Lions—and will likely get all of the touches by the goal line, giving him value for that reason alone—but it sounds as though Abdullah will be a huge part of Detroit's offense this season.

In fact, he may even end up being the starter, per Bleacher Report's Jason Cole:

Abdullah may not be a sleeper for long, so make sure you nab this kid. After an impressive training camp, he could be primed for a huge season. 

As for Andre Ellington, his injury concerns have resulted in his ADP in ESPN leagues falling to 59.3. That's a pretty great value for a lead back who has shown an ability to make big plays in the past. Yes, the Cardinals will likely rotate in other backs to keep Ellington fresh, but he remains the team's most dangerous offensive playmaker in space. 

Expect Arizona to keep him heavily involved in the offense, and expect a resurgent fantasy season from the talented running back. The fact that you can pick him up in the sixth round and that he could end up being a very nice RB2 for your team makes him very valuable.

Wide Receivers

Rank	Player	Team
1	Antonio Brown	Pittsburgh Steelers
2	Demaryius Thomas	Denver Broncos
3	Dez Bryant	Dallas Cowboys
4	Odell Beckham Jr.	New York Giants
5	Julio Jones	Atlanta Falcons
6	A.J. Green	Cincinnati Bengals
7	Calvin Johnson	Detroit Lions
8	Alshon Jeffery	Chicago Bears
9	Randall Cobb	Green Bay Packers
10	Mike Evans	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
11	T.Y. Hilton	Indianapolis Colts
12	Emmanuel Sanders	Denver Broncos
13	DeAndre Hopkins	Houston Texans
14	DeSean Jackson	Washington
15	Jeremy Maclin	Kansas City Chiefs
16	Golden Tate	Detroit Lions
17	Jordan Matthews	Philadelphia Eagles
18	Brandin Cooks	New Orleans Saints
19	Sammy Watkins	Buffalo Bills
20	Brandon Marshall	New York Jets
21	Mike Wallace	Minnesota Vikings
22	Keenan Allen	San Diego Chargers
23	Vincent Jackson	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
24	Jarvis Landry	Miami Dolphins
25	Brandon LaFell	New England Patriots
26	Julian Edelman	New England Patriots
27	Amari Cooper	Oakland Raiders
28	Victor Cruz	New York Giants
29	Steve Smith	Baltimore Ravens
30	Torrey Smith	San Francisco 49ers
31	Andre Johnson	Indianapolis Colts
32	Nelson Agholor	Philadelphia Eagles
33	Davante Adams	Green Bay Packers
34	Roddy White	Atlanta Falcons
35	Anquan Boldin	San Francisco 49ers
36	Eric Decker	New York Jets
37	Michael Floyd	Arizona Cardinals
38	Allen Robinson	Jacksonville Jaguars
39	Martavis Bryant	Pittsburgh Steelers
40	Charles Johnson	Minnesota Vikings

• Sleeper Pick: Victor Cruz, New York Giants
• Value Pick: Jarvis Landry, Miami Dolphins

The fact that you can get Victor Cruz in the 12th round in ESPN leagues (ADP: 117.5) is astonishing to me. Yes, Odell Beckham Jr. is the main target in the passing game now. Yes, injuries are a major concern. But this is still the player who had 3,626 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns from 2011-13 and is just 28 years old.

I'm not willing to give up on Cruz yet, and you shouldn't either. He still has the potential to be a top-25 receiver if he can stay healthy, so nab him in the late rounds.

As for Landry, the fact that he's being picked, on average, 72nd overall makes him a great value selection in the eighth round. He showed a ton of promise as a rookie, and with Mike Wallace now gone, he becomes Ryan Tannehill's top option in the passing game.

Yes, he has even more value in PPR leagues, but Landry is poised to make a big jump in his second season. His 84 receptions for 758 yards and five touchdowns was an impressive debut, but expect the second act to have fantasy owners yelling "encore" each week.  

Tight Ends

Rank	Player	Team
1	Rob Gronkowski	New England Patriots
2	Jimmy Graham	Seattle Seahawks
3	Greg Olsen	Carolina Panthers
4	Martellus Bennett	Chicago Bears
5	Travis Kelce	Kansas City Chiefs
6	Julius Thomas	Jacksonville Jaguars
7	Zach Ertz	Philadelphia Eagles
8	Jason Witten	Dallas Cowboys
9	Dwayne Allen	Indianapolis Colts
10	Jordan Cameron	Miami Dolphins
11	Delanie Walker	Tennessee Titans
12	Owen Daniels	Denver Broncos
13	Coby Fleener	Indianapolis Colts
14	Kyle Randolph	Minnesota Vikings
15	Tyler Eifert	Cincinnati Bengals

• Sleeper Pick: Vernon Davis, San Francisco 49ers
• Value Pick: Jordan Cameron, Miami Dolphins

How do you go from 13 touchdowns in 2013 to just two scores in 2014 while only exceeding five fantasy points once in an entire season?

A bad back, that's how.

Yes, gambling on Vernon Davis after such a poor 2014 isn't for the feint of heart, but you'll be adding him as your TE2 anyway, so it's not as though the risk is great. The reward could be quite substantial, however, if he once again regains his place as Colin Kaepernick's favorite target.  

As for Cameron, his injury history makes him a frightening prospect, but he's a very talented tight end who finally has a good quarterback throwing him the ball. He could be an absolute menace for opposing teams when running down the seam and offers Tannehill another reliable target to go alongside Landry. If you miss out on the early wave of tight ends, Cameron is a nice consolation prize.

Defense/Special Teams

Rank	Team
1	Seattle Seahawks
2	Buffalo Bills
3	New York Jets
4	St. Louis Rams
5	Houston Texans
6	Miami Dolphins
7	Arizona Cardinals
8	Denver Broncos
9	Baltimore Ravens
10	Minnesota Vikings

You really shouldn't be selecting a defense before the last two rounds, so I'm not sure you should be all that worried about sleepers or value selections at this position. Chances are, if you nab one of the top 10 players in my rankings, you'll be fine. 

Kickers

Rank	Player	Team
1	Stephen Gostkowski	New England Patriots
2	Adam Vinatieri	Indianapolis Colts
3	Cody Parkey	Philadelphia Eagles
4	Steven Hauschka	Seattle Seahawks
5	Justin Tucker	Baltimore Ravens
6	Matt Prater	Detroit Lions
7	Brandon McManus	Denver Broncos
8	Matt Bryant	Atlanta Falcons
9	Dan Bailey	Dallas Cowboys
10	Shaun Suisham	Pittsburgh Steelers

Like defenses, kickers shouldn't be prioritized until the final two rounds. Take a consistent kicker on a good offense and you'll be good to go.

All average draft position information via ESPN.