Fantasy Football: 8 Sleeper Wide Receivers to Target in 2017
Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks
Although Tyler Lockett is recovering nicely from a broken leg that ended his 2016 season in Week 16, concerns about the injury and a murky pecking order in the Seahawks receiving corps, he's going at the end of the 13th round in drafts. Despite the uncertainty, there's no denying that Lockett remains a tantalizing talent.
From an efficiency standpoint, Lockett hung in there with star teammates Doug Baldwin and Jimmy Graham last season. According to our metrics, Lockett finished with a mark of 0.71 Reception NEP per target, right behind Baldwin's 0.75 and Graham's 0.74. You know who else had a 0.71 Reception NEP per target last year? Some guy named Antonio Brown.
Of course, Lockett saw only 66 targets, but there's room for volume optimism as well. Prior to his season-ending injury, Lockett had at least 6 targets in 5 out of his last 6 games -- including a 7-catch, 130-yard explosion in Week 15 -- suggesting his role was on the upswing. Furthermore, his minimal early-season usage could be explained by a sprained knee he suffered in Week 2, and he may have even played through a torn PCL.
That said, between Baldwin, Graham, C.J. Prosise, Paul Richardson and Jermaine Kearse, there are a lot of mouths to feed in Seattle's passing game, so Lockett has his work cut out for him. But don't forget that this is the same guy who was going in the seventh round of PPR leagues a year ago. If you believe that talent always wins out, Lockett should be on your late-round radar. —Kenyatta Storin
