Fantasy Football: One Deep Sleeper Candidate From Every NFL Team

Kenny Golladay, WR, Detroit Lions

Perhaps a sleeper no more, the Kenny Golladay (AKA Babytron) love is perhaps now to a Tajae Sharpe/Kenbrell Thompkins level -- which may not be good for either his value or his future. But it's not hard to see why the 6'4", 218-pound third-round pick was easy to fall for, despite little pre-draft buzz from Draft Twitter.

Golladay is built like a young Brandon Marshall, with outstanding hands and body control, and the Detroit Lions have been signing his praises throughout OTAs, minicamp and now the summer. His two-touchdown debut performance was simply the proof we needed that he could translate offseason hype to on-field performance.

The question is less, "Can he play?" and more, "Can he outperform those in front of him on the depth chart?" With both Golden Tate and Marvin Jones ahead of him, it's worth wondering how Golladay will find enough targets to be relevant in the near future.

In terms of role, the Lions were in 11 personnel (three wide receivers) on 75% of their offensive snaps last season, good for the fifth-most in the NFL. They have also dropped back to pass the seventh-most times in the NFL over the past two seasons, and quarterback Matthew Stafford had his most effective season, per our metrics, in 2016. After a sizzling start to his season, Jones really struggled to produce, topping 80 yards just once in his final 13 games after doing it three times in his first three contests.

Bottom line: if Golladay continues to demonstrate the ability he has shown in his brief NFL career, the Lions will have no issues vaulting him up the depth chart and allowing him to become a primary target. Could he be the most effective rookie wide receiver in the NFL? That outcome is certainly on the table, and Golladay is worth a roster spot in any deep format, dynasty or otherwise.