4 Players to Stash in Fantasy Football From the AFC West

Chris Conley, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

The Player

When an unheralded player such as Chris Conley lights up the combine with elite level measurables, it often sends personnel departments scrambling to watch the film to see if perhaps they missed something along the way. For Conley, that amounted to being picked in the third round by the Kansas City Chiefs despite a lackluster statistical career for the run-heavy Georgia Bulldogs.

But when it comes to athleticism, there is elite, and then there is Chris Conley elite.

His 45-inch vertical jump was tied with Chris Chambers as the best combine number ever by a receiver (and just one inch under the combine record), and his 11'7" broad jump is the best ever for a wide receiver. He ran a 4.35-second 40-yard dash at 6'2" and 218 pounds and put up 18 bench press repetitions for good measure. In short, he aced the test.

But at Georgia, he was never more than an average player statistically, positing just 45 receptions in his best season (2013). Of course, he did lead the team in receiving in both 2013 and 2014, but the offense was just extremely conservative, choosing to rely on the outstanding rushing ability of Todd Gurley, Nick Chubb, and Keith Marshall (I think they made a wise choice).

Conley is raw but explosive, but his development is worth watching based on his elite athleticism and ability.

The Opportunity

Unfortunately, we know what to expect from an Alex Smith-led offense at this point, and that doesn't look all that appealing when trying to peg a breakout wide receiver. He has hovered around 3,400 yards during his three seasons with the Chiefs, and that seems to be his ceiling as a player due to his conservative nature and aversion to taking risks.

While he has proven efficient enough to support a 1,000-yard receiver, that spot is occupied by Jeremy Maclin, with Travis Kelce and Jamaal Charles sucking up whatever targets are left over. Without a large increase in pass volume for this team, it appears unlikely that a fourth option will be anywhere near fantasy relevant. And do you see Alex Smith becoming a 4.500-yard passer this season? Neither do I.

So where is the optimism? Did I mention what kind of an athlete Conley is?

In the NFL, you simply can't predict what the future will hold when it comes to injuries or opportunity. But you can always identify talented players who, if provided an opportunity, fit the profile of a player who can explode onto the fantasy scene. And for dynasty owners looking to unearth the next Brandon Marshall or Antonio Brown, that's as good a starting point as any.