Andrew Weber – USA TODAY Sports
WR Miles Austin, newly-acquired by the Cleveland Browns, is a known name in the fantasy world, but not for good reasons as of late. As is the case with any sleeper candidate, there is risk involved, but I’d take one with Austin this year. Right now you can draft him most likely the last round of your draft. It’s a minuscule risk for a guy who can potentially be a solid flex play for your team when you need him. Due to Josh Gordon and his looming suspension, Austin certainly has the ability to emerge as the man of the Cleveland Browns’ wide receiver core.
When Austin plays, he has produced. In the three seasons he played in majority of the 16 games of the season with the Dallas Cowboys, he posted averages of 1,101 yards and eight touchdowns per season. The key is obviously for him to stay healthy, which has been a rough task for the 30-year-old wide receiver the last three years. The thing with Austin is that you’ve seen what he can do. So while there is risk, it’s not the kind of risk you’re taking on a guy who has never proven himself or stepped foot in an NFL game before.
If you’re looking for the next Gordon or Alshon Jeffery of your draft, Miles Austin might not be your guy. But if you’re looking for a guy to fill the similar role of Anquan Boldin last year in fantasy football, Austin could be a great sleeper pick for you. No one might think it’s a great pick and some might even laugh, but you might just be picking up the missing piece that puts you over the edge of your competition.
