2014 Version of 2013 Breakouts

As draft season approaches, fantasy pundits hear a lot of the same questions:

“Who are some late-round sleepers I should target?”

“Do you prefer Player X or Player Y?”

“What is the best strategy to follow?”

“People actually pay you for this?”

Today, I’m going to discuss another one of the most-popular inquiries – one that relates to breakout candidates:

“Who is this year’s version of ?”

Note that I’m not selecting players who would most-likely require an injury to emerge into a fantasy star. For example, Ka’Deem Carey might be a better player than Bishop Sankey, but Carey would require a long-term Matt Forte injury in order to break out this season. Sankey, on the other hand, can earn a feature back job simply by outperforming his competition this offseason.

1. Alshon Jeffery
Breakout headline: Following an underwhelming first season, talented sophomore wide receiver emerges into fantasy stud

Jeffery was selected in the second round of the 2012 draft and immediately slotted in as the favorite to start opposite Brandon Marshall in Chicago. He showed some flashes as a rookie, but missed six games due to injury and finished with only 24 receptions. Last season, however, Jeffery exploded into a fantasy star. He racked up 89 receptions, 1,421 yards, and seven scores en route to finishing No. 9 among wide receivers in fantasy points.