Fantasy Football: One Deep Sleeper Candidate From Every NFL Team

Matt Jones, RB, Washington

Full disclosure: Matt Jones isn't likely to make an impact as a member of the Washington. After being a surprise third-round pick just two seasons ago, fumbling issues relegated him to head coach Jay Gruden’s doghouse where he has remained for the past 11 months. Jones' attempts to force his release or trade have been fruitless to this point, and it is unclear what the team plans to do with the former Florida Gator.

As a prospect, Jones was also inconsistent. In his three years with the Gators, he never once topped 900 yards in a single season. But there were flashes of greatness both as a runner and as a receiver, flashes that led former Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan to say via his Twitter on August 9th that Jones is the most criminally underrated player in the NFL. He also said the next day that "Matt Jones is the best back on that team."

Jones is a load to tackle at 6'2", 235 pounds, and he is faster than you would think after running a 4.6 40. Perhaps most impressive for his size, however, is the Le'Veon Bell-like 6.82 three-cone drill, which measures a back's ability to change direction. In fact, the two backs have almost identical measurables, which perhaps is what McCloughan saw when he drafted Jones. While no one in their right mind would predict Jones to have anywhere near the impact Bell has had, Jones is a unique athlete for his size, and he has soft hands out of the backfield, making him capable of being a three-down weapon.

It's worth pointing out that Jones had several massive games before being benched in 2016, including a 16-carry, 135-yard performance against the Eagles and a 22-carry, 117-yard game against the Browns. In terms of Rushing Success Rate, Jones far out-paced Rob Kelley (45.45% to 37.50%) last season. But the Kelley didn't fumble, and Jones did.

Still, it's hard to think that Jones will not get an opportunity given the considerable promise he has demonstrated in his young career. At just 24 years old, he still has plenty of time to resurface as a lead back somewhere in the NFL, and dynasty owners would be wise to track where he lands. Considering the cost of admission (pretty much free), he is certainly worth taking a flier on if you have space on your dynasty bench.