Fantasy Football: One Deep Sleeper Candidate From Every NFL Team
Wayne Gallman, RB, New York Giants
There may not be an NFL rookie getting overlooked more than New York Giants running back Wayne Gallman. Despite being a featured player on Clemson’s excellent squads of 2015 and 2016 and rushing for 2,647 yards and 30 touchdowns the past two seasons, Gallman is often an afterthought in rookie drafts and cheap to acquire in all formats.
I guess that happens when you're neither big (6’0", 215 pounds) nor fast (4.60 40) and play behind a presumably below-average run-blocking offensive line in New York. Still, Gallman is a do-it-all player who is tenacious as a runner on every carry, consistent as a pass catcher and blocker, and he has only the unproven Paul Perkins and the oft-injured Shane Vereen in front of him on the depth chart. While Gallman's upright style can negate his ability to elude defenders and generate power, he does have enough burst to surprise defenders with his cuts and is fast enough to generate big plays.
That said, the Giants haven't had a 1,000-yard rusher since Ahmad Bradshaw in 2012, and the situation hasn't been ripe for fantasy value in recent years. Of course, it’s difficult to say how much that was the way the offense was built, or the talent level of Rashad Jennings, Andre Williams, and Vereen.
Perkins will get the first crack at this job after his 456-yard rookie season, but don't discount the possibility that this could be a 2016 Jeremy Langford situation, where an average starter with low draft pedigree is displaced by a more effective rookie back on the roster. Perkins had a Rushing NEP per rush of -0.02 and just a 40.18% Success Rate, which, while not terrible numbers, put him in a similar tier to Rob Kelley and Frank Gore. Now, that may mean Perkins is an All-Pro given the Giants offensive line issues, but at this point, nothing is guaranteed for the second year player.
By no means am I saying Gallman will achieve what Jordan Howard did last season in Chicago, but the question is whether or not he can become a decent fantasy asset, perhaps one that you can utilize as a trade chip down the road.
Perkins failed to find the end zone in 2016 on any his 127 touches, and while he had some success towards the end of the season, nothing he did on the field should convince anyone he has this job locked up if he struggles early. Should Gallman continue to perform well in the preseason, don't be surprised if he is given an opportunity at some point in 2017 to have a much larger role.
