The Biggest Sleeper Pick in Fantasy Football May Be a Former Alabama Player

It's hard for Alabama fans to think of Calvin Ridley as a sleeper in any respect, but in terms of NFL fantasy football he might be the biggest one this season.

Over the past two seasons, after being a first-round pick by the Atlanta Falcons (26th overall), the wide receiver put up nearly identical numbers: just over 800 yards and 17 total touchdowns.

But if you look past the numbers, it's easy to see why Ridley is becoming a fan favorite amongst fantasy football drafters and climbing fantasy football draft boards.

Ridley's Average Draft Position is 35th overall and WR15 in the latest drafts from the Fantasy Football World Championships.

The reasons why are numerous:

• Ridley was on pace to have a 1,000-yard sophomore year before suffering an abdominal injury last season.

• For the first time in his career, Ridley enters the season as the Falcons' No. 2 receiver. Atlanta traded Mohamed Sanu midway through the 2019 season.

• Julio Jones is getting a little older.

• The third year in the NFL is typically a magical season for wide receivers.

• Ridley sounds hungry for more.

"I'm not going to lie, I'm real hungry to show people that I'm easily a 1,000-yard receiver, easily, and even better," Ridley recently told reporter during a virtual interview session with reporters. "I think that's what it is for me. I'm always confident in myself, and I'm just really hungry and want to help the team win as much as I can."

During the offseason, Ridley focused on improving his leg strength, which he believes will help him make even further strides in his ability to manipulate opposing defensive backs.

"I've really been working on pretty much everything but really my legs," Ridley said. "Getting my legs a lot stronger, trying to get my knees up more to be a little faster. … My cuts are really good, I'm really strong in my legs. I want to be running through [my cuts] and that has to do with me doing it all year long. So, all season I have to continue to squat and do a lot of leg work to keep my legs and my cuts really crisp. You know, so I can run fast."

Ridley's route running was already considered top-notch, and he's been working with the same starting quarterback for two-plus years.

Consequently, Sports Illustrated’s fantasy football analyst Frank Taddeo has Ridley as his top breakout candidate for 2020.

Taddeo was joined by Falcon Report writer Christian Crittenden and discuss Ridley’s expectations for this upcoming season.

The bottom line, though, is that while Jones has surpassed 1,300 receiving yards in each of the last six seasons, Ridley is ready to give the Falcons a pair of 1,000-yard receivers for the first time since the 2012 season