Finally, our Late Round Sleeper Keepers:
Tank Dell Houston Texans 11 GP | 147.9 TP | 13.45 VpGP | 0.67RelVal | 13.02 LDP | WR22 Here's the case for Nathaniel Dell: He's young, and he's on an explosive offense. Last year, he was C.J. Stroud's favorite target - before he got hurt. Dell was seeing the ball 15% of the time he was lining up. The Texans did add a big WR to their core who will compete (and probably steal targets), but I don't think that will impact Dell's overall value. Stefon Diggs is a home-run guy, while Dell lives in the flats... at least, that's how he played in College. Dell accounted for 530 YAC with the University of Houston in 2022 (Yards After Catch), but only logged 148YAC with the Texans his rookie year... the transition would be welcomed by Dell, which would give Nico Collins a path to the starting offense. All these guys seem to fit together like a puzzle piece... let's see if Stroud can help guide them back to the playoffs. Keep an eye on Dell - he could be a steal.
Matthew Stafford Los Angeles Rams 15 GP | 259.9 TP | 17.33 VpGP | 0.62RelVal | 17.01 LDP | QB17 Matt Stafford is a Super Bowl winning Starting QB who is entering his 16th NFL Season. He's got better numbers than DeShaun Watson - who's probably going to be one of the last QB's off the board this year. Worst case scenario, you have Stafford as QB2 throwing to Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, Blake Corum, and Kyren Williams - loading up your bench points. It's not a bad idea to invest stock into Stafford - especially with how late in the draft he could be kept at. That being said - I wouldn't draft Stafford before the 9th Rd this year.
Tyler Conklin New York Jets 16 GP | 90.0 TP | 5.63 VpGP | 0.36RelVal | 16.09 LDP | TE20 Tyler Conklin has seen quite the rollercoaster for a career. Lots of ups and downs, a new face throwing him the ball what feels like every season... The former CMU Chippewa is lining up with Aaron Rodgers throwing to him this year - and he hopes to see more than one snap with Rodgers under center. Conklin had a career year last year outside of finding the endzone - he hauled in 61 catches (T-Career High) on 87 Targets (T-Career High) for 621RecYds (Career High), but no TD's. I think there's a lot to look for in Conklin - he's a big target with decent hands and a solid blocker. With 2 more games to reach 100 NFL Games Played, he's proven to be durable... and with a QB who likes to check down to his Tight End, I wouldn't mind drafting Conk with a mid-to-late pick.
Romeo Doubs Green Bay Packers 16 GP | 144.9 TP | 9.06 VpGP | 0.45RelVal | 16.08 LDP | WR35 There isn't much left to pick from for "good value/late in the draft", but Romeo Doubs fits that bill. Doubs played as WR1 for the Packers last year due to Christian Watson's injury, and he overperformed expectations... but that was a low bar. Now that Jordan Love got his bag and Christian Watson is returning to the lineup, Doubs is expected to revert back to his WR3 role behind Jayden Reed - but it seems Love has more chemistry with Doubs than anyone else in that huddle. In 2023, Doubs commanded an 11.4% target share... a slight drop compared to his Rookie season in 2022, but he saw a lot more reps in '23. It is half PPR, and Doubs is hauling in over 60% of the passes coming his way. Not earth shattering, but it's worth making note of.
Zack Moss/Chase Brown Cincinnati Bengals 14/12 GP | 153.10/43.0 TP | 11.78/3.91 VpGP | 0.52/0.17RelVal | UDFA/18.02 LDP | RB22/RB69 Cincinnati went full-reset on the backfield this offseason. Joe Mixon was traded away for cap relief, and they're doubling down with returning RB Chase Brown, and newly signed Zack Moss. Moss is much more explosive and has a proven track record of being a reliable passing back - while Chase Brown is working to earn reps with the first team. If you're looking for a short-term placeholder, Zack Moss would be your guy. He's most-likely to get the starting job in Week 1, and Burrow is looking to huck the pigskin again. If you are looking to sneak another long-play keeper, Brown might be your target at the end of the draft. He's shown promise and explosiveness - but his biggest battle will be ball security. I don't see either one of these guys as busted picks though - as long as you don't pick them up too early...
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