Devin Funchess (WR, CAR) - 2015 Fantasy Football Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Target in middle rounds as a WR3/Flex player

CURRENT ADP: 137 STD, 146 PPR

ANALYSIS: Believed by many to be a first round pick in 2015, injuries and inconsistency on the field left Devin Funchess in a tough position when trying to transition to pro football. Many began to question if he could even stay at the wide receiver position. Funchess was fortunate enough to end up in a situation like Carolina where the second round pick was projected to slide in nicely behind Kelvin Benjaminand Greg Olson as the third option for enigmatic Cam Newton.

The doubts that plagued Funchess continued to disappear as the Panthers announced he would play Wide Receiver, not Tight End in their talent starved offense. Standing an impressive 6'4" 225 pounds, Devin Funchess was compared by many to his eventual counterpart in Carolina; Kelvin Benjamin. While they do boast a similar physique, they also were both extremely raw and unpolished as went through the draft process. Benjamin was lucky enough to parlay his unique skill set into a 1,000 yard season with a staggering 9 touchdowns as a rookie.

Panthers coaches have been impressed with Funchess during camp, not only with his play but his ability to adjust between 3 different Receiver positions. Little things like that will help him gain time on the field as a rookie. His size already warrants playing him just for his possible week to week impact as a red zone target, but the more time he spends on the field rotating between the X,Y, and slot positions will only make him more valuable as a fantasy asset.

With Kelvin Benjamin now out for the year due to a torn ACL, it makes Funchess a must draft as the most tantalizing receiving option in Carolina. Now early on Funchess will have to take the load of being the guy, if he can capitalize on his skill set much like Benjamin did his rookie year we are looking at a major steal in fantasy drafts. The opportunity is there for the taking, it is up to Devin Funchess whether or not he is going to run with it and break out as one of the big sleepers of 2015.