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Sammy Watkins' Fantasy Upside For 2019 Looks Tied to His Health

By Mike Esposito

Divisional Round - Indianapolis Colts v Kansas City Chiefs
Divisional Round - Indianapolis Colts v Kansas City Chiefs / David Eulitt/Getty Images
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Sammy Watkins is regarded as a potential sleeper candidate for the 2019 fantasy football season, but considering he's missed 18 of a possible 64 games over the past four seasons, staying heathy will be key to his fantasy upside.

The Clemson product missed six games due to injury in 2018. However, when he was healthy, he was incredibly efficient. In the eight games (played 10 total) in which he played on 20 percent or more of the Kansas City Chiefs' offensive snaps, Watkins averaged an impressive 13.6 fantasy points per game.

Missing more than a quarter of the last four seasons is clearly a major reason why Watkins is currently WR31, according to FantasyPros ADP, rather than inside the top-25 of his position as the above numbers would indicate. While injuries should still be a concern for potential Watkins owners, he's seemed to place himself in a good position to finally see the field in all 16 games.

The 26-year-old wideout has put in some serious work with the Kansas City training staff this offseason and, according to the man himself, feels healthier than ever and is poised for big things in 2019.

No matter how good he says he feels right now, Watkins will come with a "buyer beware" label heading into the season. However, the upside definitely makes him worth the risk in the middle rounds. Even if he isn't in for his best year yet, Watkins should serve as a solid WR3 with WR2 upside based on the matchup.

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Mike Esposito is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Mike Esposito also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username espo6891. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.