Houston Texans - Fantasy News

Top 5 Fantasy Wide Receiver Sleepers for Week 17

by Adam Markowitz

12/28/17

NFL

Houston Texans

Braxton Miller

Week 17 isn't a particularly good one for NFL fans. There are some games that matter, but most of them mean either nothing to teams who are already locked into playoff positions or teams that have been eliminated from the playoffs.

With all those teams that have nothing to play for come opportunities. There are men you've probably never heard of who are going to have huge days at the office in Week 17, and we're unearthing a few of them at the wide receiver position.

Braxton Miller (2.99 Dober Fantasy Points Per Game)
Projected Fantasy Points vs. Colts: 3.0

With DeAndre Hopkins sitting out in Week 17, Braxton Miller figures to play a much bigger role in the Houston offense. T.J. Yates has really only had eyes for Hopkins since becoming Houston's starting quarterback, but he'll have no choice but to look elsewhere.

This game is truly an audition for Miller. He's fighting to be the Texans' primary slot receiver next season, and a good showing in this game could give him the upper hand for that slot. We suspect he'll catch at least four or five passes in Week 17 to crush this low Projected Fantasy Points total.

Pharoh Cooper (0.97 Dober Fantasy Points Per Game)
Projected Fantasy Points vs. 49ers: 3.0

Pharoh Cooper has an immense amount of talent, but he has always been blocked on the Rams' depth chart. With all three of Sammy Watkins, Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods expected to sit in Week 17, Cooper will finally have a clear path to a starting wide receiver position.

Somebody is going to have to step up in the Rams' offense and rack up some yards, even with Sean Mannion throwing the football. Cooper figures to be one of the primary beneficiaries in this game.

Josh Reynolds (1.29 Dober Fantasy Points Per Game)
Projected Fantasy Points vs. 49ers: 3.5

It isn't often that we go after two wide receivers on the same team, but the opportunity is just too good to pass on here. The 49ers are playing great football, but they just allowed 382 passing yards to Blake Bortles. Sean Mannion isn't an elite passer, but he should be getting to at least 200 yards or so in this game. If that's the case, there's plenty of room for Josh Reynolds to have his second huge game of the season.

Reynolds had four catches for 37 yards and a touchdown against New Orleans on November 16, and he's been a bigger part of the Los Angeles offense ever since then. He'll get at least five or six targets from Mannion on Sunday and should turn those opportunities into at least 3.5 Dober Fantasy Points.

Demarcus Robinson (1.77 Dober Fantasy Points Per Game)
Projected Fantasy Points vs. Broncos: 2.5

We haven't heard a lot from Demarcus Robinson in the last month, but Week 17 should be a much different story. The Chiefs are going to sit down Alex Smith for the regular season finale, and there's little reason to believe that Tyreek Hill or Albert Wilson will get all that much work either.

Instead, Robinson and De'Anthony Thomas figure to be the two beneficiaries of the first passing attempts in the career of Patrick Mahomes. It's clear to us that Andy Reid is going to see what he has here with Mahomes and will let him throw the ball against a good Denver defense. It could only take one or two receptions to push Robinson past his Projected Fantasy Points total.

Mack Hollins (2.17 Dober Fantasy Points Per Game)
Projected Fantasy Points vs. Cowboys: 2.0

Doug Pederson hasn't come out and said that he's going to rest all of his starters on Sunday against Dallas, but it certainly sounds like this is going to be a lot like a preseason game where players are going to be shuffled in and out in the first half before all of the starters are wearing baseball caps on the sidelines after halftime.

Even if Mack Hollins only sees 20 or 30 snaps, he's still the best of the second-tier receivers the Eagles have to offer. We would be stunned if he wasn't one of the leading receivers on the day for Philadelphia in a game that means absolutely nothing with the No. 1 seed in the NFC already wrapped up.