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Ed Ryan | Fantasy football

Fantasy sleepers for 2014 season

The beginning of the NFL season marks the end of fantasy football draft season, and it won’t be long before panic sets in and rosters get retooled. In just a few days, a handful of undrafted guys will become the darlings of the waiver wire, and then we’ll really be off and running.

Let’s get a headstart on this process. We all know who the studs are, and we all know most of the preseason “breakout” candidates. A running back such as Toby Gerhart, now with the Jaguars, and a receiver such as Michael Floyd, who plays opposite Larry Fitzgerald in Arizona, come to mind.

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Fantasy football is now an industry so there aren’t many secrets if you look around the web for five minutes. But here are a handful of players, likely undrafted or drafted in later rounds, who we think will make an impact, either right away or as the long regular season grinds toward the postseason.

Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay — Evans is a rookie and opens the season as one of the Buccaneers’ starters. He was on the receiving end of Johnny Manziel’s passes at Texas A&M and there may not have been a “Johnny Football” if Manziel didn’t have talented teammates such as Evans. The issue for Evans, and Tampa’s other talented wideout, Vincent Jackson, is whether Josh McCown is the answer at quarterback.

Darren Sproles, RB, Philadelphia — I’m not delivering breaking news by stating that Sproles has fantasy value, but I do think what he’ll be able to accomplish in Philadelphia’s potent offense will be even more impressive than anything he did with the Saints.

Jordan Matthews, WR, Philadelphia — Yes, another Eagle. Matthews is a rookie who had a tremendous college career in the SEC, at Vanderbilt, and like all of the other weapons in Philadelphia’s arsenal, he’s going to get plenty of looks. He may have gone undrafted in your league. Pick him up.

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Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Carolina — The Panthers unloaded all of their receivers from last season and invested a first-round pick in Benjamin, who won a national title with Florida State. Benjamin is a big (6 feet 5 inches) red-zone target and is already quarterback Cam Newton’s go-to guy.

Ryan Tannehill, QB, Miami — Tannehill had more touchdown passes (24) and passing yards (3,913) than Andrew Luck in 2013, yet Tannehill is practically ignored in fantasy drafts. At the very least he’s an outstanding backup, and if the Dolphins offense ever clicks, Tannehill will put up starter numbers.


Ed Ryan can be reached at edward.ryaniii@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @EdzoRyan