The NFL season is about to begin and that means Fantasy Football draft time for experts like Matthew Berry at ESPN and he has put together a great list of rankings, mock draft picks, sleepers and player rankings on his annual cheat sheet as drafts start to happen and many players rely on him during the season for advice and he has made a pretty solid career out of working in the fantasy football field.
There are a ton of interesting sleepers and draft options this year around the league and some names that Berry has mentioned include Andrew Hawkins, Andre Ellington, Cordarrelle Patterson, Kendall Wright, Jordan Reed, Jay Cutler, Montee Ball, Dennis Pitta, Greg Jennings and Donald Brown. Andrew Hawkins could be a solid sleeper at the wideout position, as the Browns will need someone to step up for Josh Gordon.
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Last season Hawkins played in eight games and had 12 receptions for 199 yards with the Bengals, but the season before he showed some potential with 51 catches in 14 games. Hawkins could be a deep threat and a great pick in PPR leagues if Gordon is out for four to eight games this year with his drug suspension. This year he has been the standout player in the preseason and he caught all five of his targets in the last preseason game or the team, including a touchdown.
Green is a tight end sleeper to watch, as he has overtaken Antonio Gates and with Philip Rivers back at his Pro Bowl level, he could put up some numbers. Green has not played much this preseason, but he could be a breakout option after playing well at times last season, although the stats were not there yet. Green averaged 22 yards per catch and had 17 catches for 376 yards last year and he could be a major starter if Gates gets injured again this season.
Kendall Wright has been mentioned by many as a breakout player this season and it comes after he had a very good 2013 campaign. Last year Wright had 94 catches for 1,079 yards and two touchdowns, showing he can put up good numbers despite not having a great QB. The team also has Justin Hunter and Nate Washington, but Wright could be the best of the bunch. Hunter is another player to watch, as he is expected to take a big step. Last season he had 18 catches for 354 yards and he could double those numbers and likely add more this season.
Jordan Reed comes into the season as a great sleeper option, as he had 45 catches for 499 yards last season in just nine games. If Reed plays more this year he could be the top tight end in the NFC East apart from Jason Witten and as long as he doesn't get injured again, he could be a breakout player. Andre Ellington is one of the players that Berry is very high on, as he should be the starter in Arizona. Ellington has great speed and he also made 39 catches out of the backfield last season and that should make him a top pick.
Check here for the Matthew Berry ESPN player rankings and mock draft options. Check here for ESPN player rankings and for fantasy football cheat sheets and expert mock drafts.