Fantasy Football: 9 Sleeper Wide Receivers to Target in 2018

Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks

Christmas Eve 2016 was a potential defining moment in Tyler Lockett's career. On an eventually-overturned touchdown catch, his sophomore season came to an end as he suffered a broken leg.

While Lockett healed in time to suit up for the start of the 2017 season -- he played all 16 games and set a new career high with 71 targets -- he was not playing at full strength, something he mentioned during a press conference in mid-June. Others noticed it, too, including coach Pete Carroll, who quipped that "Last year was a struggle for (Lockett)."

Now over a year and a half removed from his injury, last year's WR55 in standard leagues -- and currently the 56th receiver off the board -- should be 100% healthy and appears ready to live up to the promise he's teased in previous years. Despite his struggles in 2017, Lockett finished 45th in air yards (922), 28th in red zone receptions, and 34th in catch rate.

There is a clear path to more targets this season, as Paul Richardson, Jimmy Graham, and Luke Willson took 196 targets with them when they left this offseason. Lockett's experience in Seattle makes him an early frontrunner for the WR2 role, and his rapport with Russell Wilson is already in mid-season form, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

Over the past six years, Seattle's number-two wideout has averaged 696 yards from scrimmage and 5.2 receiving touchdowns, which would put Lockett right in line with Richardson's 703 yards and 6 scores last year, which was good for a WR35 finish in fantasy.

That type of low-end WR3 or high-end WR4 production represents big value at Lockett's draft cost, and he has the potential for more. If you can get Lockett anywhere close to his current 12th-round draft position, do it. - Ian Goldsmith