If you play fantasy football, you know that finding hidden gems in the later rounds of the draft is essential if you want to win your league. With that mind, here are the unheralded guys that I think have the potential to make a huge splash in 2014.
Quarterback: Josh McCown (Buccaneers) (Average Draft Position: 11th-13th round)
Josh McCown's surprising success with the Chicago Bears filling-in for an injured Jay Cutler made him a great mid-season waiver wire pickup in 2013. McCown may be with a new team in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but should once again be surprisingly productive this season. Just like with the Bears, McCown has two huge targets to throw to in Vincent Jackson and rookie Mike Evans. Jackson and Evans aren't quite as gifted as Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffrey, but have the reliable hands and downfield abilities alongside the size that is needed to cause a whole lot of matchup problems for opposing defenses. With this Evans/Jackson tandem leading the charge, don't be the least bit surprised if McCown is a top 10 fantasy quarterback in 2014.
Other Potential Sleepers: Ryan Tannehill (Dolphins), Carson Palmer (Cardinals), Jake Locker (Titans)
Running Back: DeAngelo Williams (Panthers) (Average Draft Position: 10th-12th round)
DeAngelo Williams have been a solid RB3/4 option for years with the Panthers thanks to his guaranteed 12-15 touches a game and consistent albeit unremarkable numbers. With Cam Newton coming off offseason ankle surgery and a plethora of new wide receivers on the team, Williams has a legitimate chance to be more heavily featured in this offense this year. Williams' familiarity with the offense and abilities as a two-way back make him a valuable asset for an offense that is going through such a major overhaul in its receiving corps. With 2014 being the shakiest year for running backs in recent memory, Williams is a good guy to gamble on.
Other Potential Sleepers: Terrance West (Browns), Lamar Miller (Dolphins), Jeremy Hill (Bengals)
Wide Reciever: Terrance Williams (Cowboys) (Average Draft Position: 7th-9th round)
Terrance Williams may not be as much of a sleeper as the other guys on this list, but that doesn't mean he's not being undervalued going into 2014. Williams is the clear number two wideout in the powerful Cowboys offense and is coming off of a pretty impressive rookie campaign where he picked up 736 yards and 5 TD's. With a notoriously pass-happy offensive coordinator in Scott Linehan now calling the plays in Dallas and a shockingly porous defense will simultaneously allow a lot of points to opponents and a lot of opportunities for this offensive unit to shine, look for Williams to put up potentially eye-popping numbers this year.
Other Potential Sleepers: Jeremy Maclin (Eagles), Robert Woods (Bills), Doug Baldwin (Seahawks)
Tight End: Kyle Rudolph (Vikings) (Average Draft Position: 8th-9th round)
Kyle Rudolph has been a reliable endzone threat for years now, but look for 2014 to be the year where he really flourishes. New Vikings offensive coordinator Norv Turner is essentially the tight end whisperer with his ability to get maximum output out of whatever tight ends he has to work with. Turner's skills were especially on display last year in Cleveland, with the great season he managed to get out of the previously unknown and ineffective Jordan Cameron. Turner should yet again have a field day this year with Rudolph- who is bigger and has better hands than Cameron. Rudolph has the perfect scheme and skill set to be the best tight end in the league this year not named Jimmy Graham, Rob Gronkowski or Vernon Davis.
Other Potential Sleepers: Garrett Graham (Texans), Dwayne Allen (Colts), Tyler Eifert (Bengals)
Defense: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Average Draft Position: 12th-15 round)
Out of all these sleeper picks, there is none I'm more confident in than this one. The Buccaneers had two All-Pro players (Gerald McCoy and LaVonte David) and a defense that ranked in the top half of all fantasy and real-life defenses last year with the cancerous Greg Schiano at the helm. Now that defensive masterminds Lovie Smith and Leslie Frazier are in the respective roles of head coach and defensive coordinator and there's a third perennial All-Pro caliber player in the mix (cornerback Alterraun Verner), this defense is set to be an absolute force to be reckoned with in 2014. The Buccaneers defense is a huge bargain for where they're going in the draft and should handsomely reward anyone that waits till the last few rounds to take a defense.
Other Potential Sleepers: Chicago Bears, Baltimore Ravens, New Orleans Saints
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