Everyone gets excited for their rookie draft picks, hoping to find the next superstar. It can change your team’s trajectory if you hit on your picks, but it can also destroy your squad if you do a poor job drafting. So, in this article, I am going to look at wide receivers who are sleepers drafted outside the top 100. The guys that should be picked in Rounds 3 or 4 of rookie drafts. If you hit on one of these prospects, they can help make you a contender year in and year out and provide valuable targets for Canadian sports betting. Most third and fourth round picks are busts in rookie drafts, so hitting on one of these gives you a big edge on your league mates.
First, let us look at how many wide receivers got drafted since 2010 in Rounds 4 and 5. There have been 120 guys drafted in Rounds 4 and 5 since 2010. Next, I looked at guys who scored fantasy points in college because we want guys who are going to score fantasy points. I looked at guys who scored 15 or more points because there seemed to be a big drop-off after that. After that, I looked at guys who broke out early in college. I picked 20 years old as my cut-off age, again, that seemed like a big drop off for the guys who broke out later than that. Lastly, I looked at their height, and the guys who were 71 inches tall or shorter were not doing well in the NFL, so I went with greater than 71 inches tall and narrowed down my list to something I am happy with.
| 2010 – 2024 | Total | Top 12 | Top 24 | Top 36 |
| All Round 4-5 | 120 | 6 | 9 | 18 |
| > 15 PPR/game | 42 | 3 | 4 | 11 |
| BOA 20 years old | 29 | 3 | 4 | 10 |
| > 71 inches | 19 | 3 | 4 | 9 |
Let’s examine the 19 individuals from 2010 to 2024 who achieved these three goals:
- Mike Williams (2010)
- Cecil Shorts and Tandon Doss (2011)
- Juron Criner (2012)
- Kenny Stills (2013)
- No one (2014)
- Stefon Diggs (2015)
- Rashard Higgins and Tajae Sharpe (2016)
- Josh Reynolds (2017)
- Jordan Lasley (2018)
- No one (2019)
- Gabriel Davis, Antonio Gandy-Golden, and Tyler Johnson (2020)
- Amon-Ra St. Brown (2021)
- Romeo Doubs and Khalil Shakir (2022)
- Puka Nacua and Dontayvion Wicks (2023)
- Troy Franklin (2024)
- Elic Ayomanor, Tory Horton, and Jalen Royals (2025) (not included in the data yet, will be included next year)
Now, let us look at this year’s class, who are projected to be drafted in Rounds 4 or 5.
- Deion Burks
- Kevin Coleman
- Brenan Thompson
- Bryce Lance
- Josh Cameron
- CJ Daniels
- Reggie Virgil
- Eric McAlister
- De’Zhaun Stribling
- Lewis Bond
We have 10 guys as of right now who are projected in Rounds 4 and 5, and some are getting hyped up already, but let us take a closer look at them.
Who scored more than 15 fantasy points per reception a game? Only 2 guys…
- Bryce Lance and Eric McAlister
Now, who had a breakout age of 20 years or younger? Just 1…
- Eric McAlister
Is he taller than 71 inches?
Yes, he is.
Summary
Not saying this is perfect or that he is. McAlister quit on his team while at Boise State and has gotten in trouble with the law, but when taken as a flier in the third or fourth round as a wide receiver for this draft class, he is the guy I am targeting. Do not get caught up in the hype from the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine. Do not chase these other wide receivers with red flags, especially not in the first two rounds of rookie drafts.
Thank you for checking out my article. You can reach me on Twitter/X via @joshreedy5. And for those interested in an annual membership, visit us here for the next steps! #DFFArmy #FantasyFootball #AlwaysBeBuilding #NFL #NFLTransactions #NFLTrades #NFLDraft #DynastyFantasyFootball
