4 Players to Stash in Fantasy Football From the NFC West

DeAndre Smelter, WR, San Fransisco 49ers

The Player

After a torn ACL late in his college career forced the 49ers to essentially redshirt 2015 fourth round pick DeAndre Smelter by placing him on injured reserve, his name remains relatively obscure. Perhaps reports of him working with the first team during training camp raised a few eyebrows, but "off-the-radar" still seems like an accurate way to describe the former Georgia Tech receiver.

For me, when a former baseball player who is coming off a torn ACL and has only two years of college experience, and who posted limited production in a triple option offense is still drafted in the fourth round, I take notice.

When his baseball career ended due to a shoulder injury, Smelter dedicated his efforts to the football field. Yet in an offense that almost exclusively runs the football, his opportunities were always going to be limited. Of course, that didn't stop former Yellow Jacket receivers like Calvin Johnson, Demaryius Thomas, or Stephen Hill from transitioning well to the NFL. Okay, maybe not Hill, but he's the exception!

In college, Smelter returned to the football field after a four-year absence and promptly led the team in touchdown catches. He followed that up in 2014 by posting 715 yards receiving on a team that didn't even eclipse 2,000 yards passing, by averaging more than 20 yards per reception and by scoring 7 touchdowns. And this was in the Division 1 ACC -- not NAIA level competition.

Smelter is a well-built athlete at 6'2", 226 pounds and possesses the size, strength, and leaping ability that teams covet in a top target. On film, you can see the ease with which he high points the football (often due to the inaccuracy of his quarterback), and it's easy to see how he would translate as a red zone target and a down-field threat.

He also has massive 11-inch hands, which is an inch larger than Odell Beckham Jr.'s and larger than any receiver measured at the NFL Combine in the last decade.

The Opportunity

Yes, the 49ers haven't drafted well at the receiver position over the past few years, investing high picks into unproductive players such as A.J. Jenkins, Quinton Patton, and Bruce Ellington. And yes, they have wasted picks in other "redshirt" players who never developed such as Tank Carradine, Marcus Lattimore, and Brandon Thomas. But I'm ready to say that Smelter could be the exception.

Torrey Smith is the only experienced player at the pass catching position in this new Chip Kelly offense, and while his efficiency numbers are great on a per-target basis (12th in the NFL last year in Reception Net Expected Points (NEP) per target at 0.86), he has yet to translate that into top receiving production. Now heading into his sixth season, Smith continues to profile more as an effective deep threat, not as a number-one option.

With that in mind, the 49ers are a team that is still searching for a dominant player at the position, and Smelter might just be crazy enough to think he can be that guy. No one else on the roster (other than Smith) can make a better case at a starting role.

There are safer options to target in deep leagues and dynasty drafts for sure, but few with a higher ceiling that you can find late or undrafted. For me, Smelter is a guy I'm stashing in deeper dynasty leagues and allowing to develop. Who knows? He could be the next Josh Gordon.