2014 Fantasy Football: Top 15 Sleepers Before Training Camp

Very few people probably even know who Charles Johnson is, but he will start to become more relevant in fantasy circles soon enough. After sitting out as a rookie for the Packers with ACL and MCL injuries, the Browns picked him up off waivers at the end of 2013. With Josh Gordon's suspension looming, it's possible Johnson could start for the Browns this season. He has a ton of upside at 6-foot-2, 215 pounds with a 4.39 40-yard dash time.

Tyler Eifert is a player who has a lot of upside, but he has always been overshadowed by A.J. Green, Marvin Jones and Jermaine Gresham so far in his career. The difference this year could be the presence of Hue Jackson as offensive coordinator. Jackson has stated that he wants to frequently utilize two tight end sets for the Bengals this season. There should be plenty of room for Eifert to shine, making him an intriguing 2014 sleeper.

There really isn't much to say about Nicks that hasn't already been said. He was awful statistically last season. The question is, how much of that was really his fault? In reality, maybe not that much. The whole Giants offense struggled last year. They couldn't run the ball at all, and most importantly, Eli Manning led the league in turnovers. In Indy, Nicks is a sleeper with Andrew Luck throwing him the ball and Reggie Wayne opposite him.

Justin Jones is in the perfect situation with the Patriots. He has Tom Brady throwing to him, the TE position is up in the air and he will be coached by Bill Belichick. If Rob Gronkowski comes back healthy, Jones should still compete for the No. 2 TE job in New England. Michael Hoomanawanui is signed for two years but he's a blocker. Jones, on the other hand, can catch and is huge at 6-foot-8, making him a sleeper in an already prolific offense.

Mark Harrison is another player NFL fans may not know. He sat out for the Patriots in 2013 with a foot issue. Now healthy and with the Chiefs, he has a chance to carve a nice role for himself there. With question marks at WR beyond Dwayne Bowe, A.J Jenkins and Donnie Avery, the Chiefs' WR corps is wide open. Harrison is an athletic freak at 6-foot-3, 230 pounds with a 4.46 40-time and is another nice fantasy sleeper.

Bernard Pierce was a fantasy disappointment for owners last season. He rushed for 436 yards on 152 carries, a mere 2.9 YPC. The problem was that a hamstring injury limited him all year. Now that he is healthy and with Ray Rice's inevitable multi-game suspension for assaulting his wife, Pierce can show that he still has something to offer the Ravens. He is another fantasy sleeper at a position that is very thin in 2014.

Khiry Robinson is a player who benefited greatly from this offseason. Now that Darren Sproles is with the Eagles, the only obstacles Robinson must overcome are Mark Ingram and Pierre Thomas. Ingram has been a bust so far for the Saints, and Thomas' rushing totals have declined the past few years. Robinson rushed for 102 yards on 21 carries with one TD in the playoffs last year and should see a big workload increase in 2014.

Murray is in a place where he may not start right away, thereby limiting his fantasy value for the first few weeks of the season. However, Darren McFadden is the starter in Oakland, which means it's only a matter of time until he gets injured. Also, the Raiders picked up Maurice Jones-Drew in free agency, whose durability is also spotty at best. Murray is the No. 3 RB behind two injury-prone backs, making him worth a fantasy stash.

Kyle Rudolph disappointed fantasy owners last season with just 30 receptions for 313 yards and three TDs. However, he was in an offense that ran a lot and did not feature him enough. That is bound to change in 2014 with Teddy Bridgewater under center and Norv Turner as offensive coordinator. He has made stars out of tight ends Vernon Davis, Antonio Gates and most recently Jordan Cameron. There is no reason he can't do the same for Rudolph.

Terrance West is in the perfect place if he wants an opportunity for playing time. Ben Tate is the starter in Cleveland, but he has never played 16 games in a season. He's played in only 25 games the past two years combined. Factoring in the mediocre options behind Tate and West, they will be the main backs in the offense. If and when Tate gets hurt, West would presumably take over as lead back. His size-speed combo should help owners as well.

Cordarrelle Patterson enjoyed some success as a kick returner last season as a rookie with the Vikings. However, he did not come on as a receiver until late in the year. With another offseason under his belt and a much better quarterback throwing him the football this year, look for Patterson to increase his numbers by a large margin. He is a very intriguing sleeper for 2014.

Justin Hunter has ridiculous upside. At 6-foot-4, 201 pounds with a 39.5-inch vertical and 4.44 40-yard dash time, he is an athletic freak. Even better, he's a cemented starter thanks to the departure of Kenny Britt. The only real reason keeping him from being No. 1 on this list is the QB situation in Tennessee. If Jake Locker gets hurt, rookie Zach Mettenberger would be the QB. As a result, Hunter's value is tied to his QB's health.

Andre Ellington would be a fantasy stud if he was given a full workload. Unfortunately for fantasy owners, he has yet to receive that kind of workload. However, he will see an increase in touches this season, reportedly seeing roughly 25 touches per game. While it may not sound like a lot between receiving and rushing, with his home run ability, all he needs is a few touches to do serious damage to opponents. He is a mega sleeper for that reason.

Colt Lyerla is perhaps the most dangerous rookie TE, both on and off the field, since Aaron Hernandez. There are many red flags with Lyerla, but there is massive talent as well. He has the added benefit of being on the Packers, a team that has issues at TE. If he can stay out of trouble and the Packers don't re-sign Jermichael Finley, he could be arguably the best TE in football not named Rob Gronkowski, Jordan Cameron or Jimmy Graham.

Teddy Bridgewater tops the list for two reasons. First of all, he is ridiculously talented. He's tough, accurate, makes great decisions, has good arm strength and can run when necessary. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, he has a very good supporting cast around him. He can hand off to Adrian Peterson or throw to either Kyle Rudolph, Cordarrelle Patterson, Greg Jennings, Jerome Simpson or Jarius Wright. He has tons of fantasy upside.