2014 Fantasy Football Rankings: 15 Underrated Players

Hopkins wasn't "bad" by any means during his rookie year, hauling in 52 balls for 800 yards and two scores. However, he should continue to progress as he enters that magical second year where receivers tend to explode. According to ESPN. when they looked at the all of the wideouts to post 1,200 career fantasy points, they realized that second-year receivers saw a 65% increase in fantasy points. And his 969 offensive snaps were top-10 among WR.

Williams showed flashes as a rookie last year, ranking fifth in yards per catch (16.7). I love him to breakout this season under Scott Linehan, who has helped his offenses rank inside the top-10 in pass attempts in seven of the last eight years. Miles Austin is gone, Dez Bryant is drawing coverage, and Williams should flourish in this offense that will need to pass a ton to stay in ball games. Currently 31 wideouts are being drafted ahead of him.

Ridley had some ball security issues last year, which helped lower his snaps to just 23 per game. However, he could be a great bargain on draft day. LeGarrette Blount is gone, so Ridley should be the goal line back. And, via ESPN, since 2010, no team in football has more rushing scores from inside the the five than the Pats' 56. This team is transitioning to a run-first team, ranking inside the top-10 in attempts since 2011. Don't sleep on him.

With all of the buzz Andre Ellington is receiving, not many are talking about Taylor, his backup. But if the Cardinals are serious in their attempts to feed Ellington religiously, his 5'9", 199-pound frame may not withstand it, whereas Taylor is more of a prototypical back. He could serve as the goal line back, regardless, and there is upside to that. Last year, Rashard Mendenhall ranked 11th in rushing scores (8). He's retired now, folks.

People know about Devonta Freeman, but I think most are thinking of him as more of a dynasty prospect. I think he can make an impact this year, but his value isn't as high for 2014. Steven Jackson dealt with a nagging hamstring last year and is 31-years old. Meanwhile, Dirk Koetter used a two-back system in Jacksonville, starting the year Fred Taylor turned 31. Freeman will immediately overtake Jacquizz Rodgers as the number two, and then some.

If you plan on waiting at the tight end position, Miller should be your guy. Throw last year out the window as Miller rushed himself back to play 14 games after tearing his ACL, MCL and PCL during Week 16 of the 2012 season. And during that year, he was the most targeted tight end in the red zone in football, and Big Ben loves his safety valve. In this new uptempo Pittsburgh offense, Miller could be rejuvenated.

If you combined Cutler and Josh McCown's numbers from 2013, you have the number three scoring quarterback in fantasy football. Cutler just needs to stay healthy and he can be a top-five guy in this offense. Marc Trestman, the quarterback whisperer, perhaps the best pass-catching back in football in Matt Forte and three monstrous targets to throw to, Cutler should have a field day. He's currently being drafted as the number 13 QB.

People keep hoping Jackson fails, but he doesn't. A top-15 fantasy back last year, many think Bryce Brown and C.J. Spiller dominate this offense this year, but neither are great goal line backs. Brown is forced to side too much and Spiller has just two career carries from three yards out. Jackson, meanwhile, is the better goal line back, and considering Buffalo was 29th in goal-to-go efficiency last year, they'll still need their captain a lot.

Where is the love for Baldwin? The guy took massive strides last year, setting career highs in yards per catch (15.6) and touchdowns (5). And with Golden Tate gone, he could essentially be the team's number one wideout, considering Percy Harvin is rarely on the field. If he can flirt with 100 targets this year, he's going to be a great late round pick. Either way, he'll be a return value, as he isn't even going among the top 60 receivers.

Wright had a breakout campaign in 2013, recording 94 catches (7th) for over 1,000 yards. He was very consistent for PPR purposes, and although he only scored twice, I expect him to improve on that number this year under Ken Wisenhunt, who gets the best out of his receivers (Fitzgerald, Boldin, Breaston, Allen, etc.). He's the go-to guy in this offense, and if Jake Locker can finally stay healthy, expect another strong year.

The fact that 14 other tight ends are going ahead of Clay might actually be a crime. He ranked inside the top-10 among tight ends in catches (69), targets (101) and touchdowns (6), and served as a great safety valve for Ryan Tannehill. Under new offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, Clay may get more looks in the uptempo offense, and he may even run a few scores in, too.

One of my favorite players in fantasy, Big Ben was quietly a top-10 fantasy passer last year, thanks to Todd Haley getting out of the way. Last year, when Pittsburgh implemented the no-huddle, Ben was sacked just 11 times and averaged almost 23 fantasy points per game. The weapons are there, the line should be improved and Ben still isn't being drafted inside the top-15 among quarterbacks. Sigh...

New year, same result. Romo gets no fantasy love because of his real life results, but the guy has consistently been a top-10 fantasy passer, a 4,000-yard passer and a 30-touchdown passer. Under Scott Linehan, passes will be thrown at will from this guy, he has some of the best weapons in football and plays in the NFC East, the most fantasy friendly division in football. Chalk it up, Romo will be great again.

He probably shouldn't be, but Gore is becoming very, very overlooked. The fantasy zombie, fantasy owners wait for Gore to be killed, but it doesn't happen. This year, the 49ers brought in Carlos Hyde, and as a result, Gore's ADP has fallen to the late fourth round, coming off the board as RB24. People are scared, but he is still the lead back on the run-heaviest team in football. Almost stealing at that level.

In my opinion, Thomas is the most overlooked player in fantasy football. Even after coming off a 77-catch season that led all running backs, and with Darren Sproles gone, he's underrated, coming off the board at RB31. No team in football has targeted the running back over the last three years more than the Saints, and Drew Brees targeted RB and TE 63% of the time last year. Thomas could lead all pass-catchers in receptions again.