Fantasy Football: Sleepers to Claim for Week Three: Niles Paul

Sep 14, 2014; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins tight end

(84) chatches a touchdown as Jacksonville Jaguars strong safety

(42) defends during the second half at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

1) TE Niles Paul, Washington Redskins

I admit, I was slow to jump on Niles Paul. He opened the season with 89 yards receiving in week 1, and 99 yards receiving in week 2 with a TD. So why am I now convinced by his 6 catch, 68 yard performance on Sunday?

Well, it looks like Kirk Cousins likes him.

I had backed off of Paul as he continued to be listed 3rd on the Washington depth chart, but Skins’ QB’s keep throwing him the ball. In three weeks, he has 18 receptions for 253 yards and 1 TD.  That projects to 1,349 receiving yards and 5 TDs, which would certainly make him a find as a fantasy TE.

I don’t expect Paul to put up those kind of numbers over a full season, but he plays on a team that looks like it will have to come from behind a lot this year. With a young, relatively inexperienced starter in Kirk Cousins, that could mean a lot of targets for a big body that’s something of a safety net.

Right now, I’m kicking myself for not recommending this guy earlier.