5 fantasy options who barely played in 2016 but could have big 2017s
As we wade through the lull in the NFL calendar between free agency and the draft, I thought it would be a good idea to take a look at some existing NFL players who didn’t have much of a 2016 opportunity, but could see an increased role given what we know so far about the 2017 landscape.
I decided to draw the line in the sand at 30 targets or carries (depending on position), and look for players that were hyper-efficient with the few chances they were given and/or should benefit from depth-chart shuffling. These are the type of players you should be stashing in dynasty leagues with hopes for a jump in value.
Andre Holmes, WR, Buffalo Bills
Holmes is a long-time favorite of fantasy football Twitter. On the surface, he seemingly gets a downgrade in situation going from Oakland’s offense to Buffalo’s, but that may not be the case when potential opportunity is considered. Buried behind Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree on a Raiders’ depth chart that only bequeathed him 28 targets last season, Holmes now steps into an offense that has lost Robert Woods (71 targets in 2016) and Marquise Goodwin (63 targets). That opportunity is amplified by that fact that, under Rex Ryan, Buffalo had the fewest pass attempts in the NFL last season, a number that should increase by default under a new coaching staff. The Bills are likely to add pass-catchers in the draft, but Holmes should definitely see more volume than he did in Oakland regardless.
