Preseason is finally in full swing and the regular season is just weeks away. Fantasy football managers are always looking for an edge when it comes to draft day. Whether it’s positive training camp reports, a preseason hero, or a potential breakout, being ahead of the curve on a sleeper or a late round flier can vastly boost your fantasy football team. This article will dive into possible late round flier candidate, and second year wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones.
The Measurements
Standing at 6’2” and weighing 212 lbs., Peoples-Jones has the ideal frame for an NFL wide receiver. To add to his size, Peoples-Jones falls in the 90th percentile when it comes to arm length. Pair this with his 2020 combine leading vertical jump of 44.5” and we have a player who can go up and snatch the football out of the air.
A legitimate red zone threat, Peoples-Jones also has the ability to beat his defender with this speed. Clocking in at a 4.48 40-yard dash time, he also falls into the 86th percentile for his speed score of 106.7. While these numbers do not paint the whole picture, they do boost some confidence in Peoples-Jones having success at the next level.
The Numbers
Being a sixth-round pick in the 2020 draft, one may be thinking, how can this guy get selected so late, yet be a fantasy producer worth a roster spot? Well, lucky for you, I have the answer.
Peoples-Jones did not exactly go off in college. Having a college dominator of 25.1% (36th percentile) and a college target share of just 16.7% (36th percentile), there were just simply players with more production and better numbers in the draft class.
In his three years at Michigan, Peoples-Jones never topped 612 yards. However, this is not due to lack of talent. This can be attributed to Jim Harbaugh’s offense and below average quarterback play.
Let’s fast forward to his first year in the NFL. On 20 targets, Peoples-Jones caught 14 balls for 304 yards and two touchdowns. These are not eye-popping stats, however, for a rookie sixth round pick, it’ll do. He had an aDOT of 16.6 yards. Although a small sample size, it shows he can get down the field and come down with the ball for a big chunk yards at any given time.
The Situation
Peoples-Jones finds himself in an interesting situation. On a run-heavy team, it appears the third wide receiver job is up for grabs. After star wide receivers in Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry, the Cleveland browns are looking at Peoples-Jones, Rashard Higgins, KhaDarel Hodge and Anthony Schwartz.
Not only can a player produce fantasy-relevant numbers as a team’s third receiver, but if anything were to happen to Beckham Jr. or Landy, this wide receiver would default to a much bigger role. On a team where the wide receivers were targeted over 230 times, this could be a very productive position.
There have been reports out of the Browns camp stating DPJ is having a strong showing. With Beckham Jr. and Landry being eased back into practice, Peoples-Jones has been taking full advantage. Constantly making plays, he is making a case to be the wide receiver three on this team.
This is Donovan Peoples-Jones' camp. #Browns pic.twitter.com/CdSSGNJ6WD
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) August 19, 2021
Conclusion
Donovan Peoples-Jones is the perfect late round flier in fantasy football this year. You can essentially wait until the very end of the draft to take him (as he’s going at WR80+). It will cost nothing, so in the chance he doesn’t pan out, you can just easily cut him for someone else.
Built like an alpha with speed, an insane vertical jump, and having a strong camp to lobby for the third receiver role, I am looking to draft Donovan Peoples-Jones in the last few rounds in the hopes he can be that deep sleeper that boosts a fantasy team every year.
