4 Players to Stash in Fantasy Football From the NFC North

Daniel Braverman, WR, Chicago Bears

The Player

Daniel Braverman looks like he is straight out of central casting for a Patriots slot receiver role. The diminutive target is just 5'10" and 177 pounds and does almost all of his work out of the slot where he can maneuver through zones and create mismatches on option routes over the middle.

He is certainly one of the least athletic players we have profiled, which perhaps limits his upside, but he certainly has traits that allow him to make plays on an NFL field.

Over his last two college seasons he posted 86 and 108 catches, respectively, for Western Michigan, totaling 19 touchdowns. While he never averaged more than 12.7 yards per catch and struggled to get downfield, he was so effective over the middle and in the red zone that he still proved to be a major weapon for his offense.

That said, his 4.47-second 40-yard dash proved he is no slouch when it comes to NFL speed, and his 6.86 three-cone drill demonstrated his ability to make explosive cuts on underneath routes. How the Bears use him is limited due to his size and specific traits, but if they maximize what he does well on the field, they can have a very effective and productive slot receiver on their hands.

The Opportunity

In 2014, Jay Cutler and the Bears offense had four players over 100 targets (Alshon Jeffery, Brandon Marshall, Martellus Bennett, and Matt Forte) and over 700 yards, and Jay Cutler only had 3,800 yards that season. Injuries took their toll on the offense in new coach John Fox's first season, but Cutler has been a 4,000-yard passer in his career.

For as much grief as the former Broncos quarterback takes, on a per-play basis, he ranked 11th in the NFL amongst passers with over 500 drop backs in Passing NEP (0.13). It certainly wasn't an overwhelming season, but considering the injuries to Jeffery and first-round pick Kevin White, it could have been a lot worse.

The point is that Cutler can sling it, and outside of Jeffery, there isn't a lot of healthy, proven depth at the receiver position. The team obviously hopes White develops, but that's still in question as he continues to battle health and inconsistency this summer.

Braverman will be battling 30-year-old Eddie Royal for the slot position role, and injuries haven't been kind to the former Charger, who was signed by the Bears last year. He missed seven games in 2015 and is battling a concussion this preseason.

The reward may be minimal, but don't discount Braverman as a Cole Beasley-type of receiver in a more pass-heavy offense.