There was a time when Sammy Watkins was considered one of the top up and coming wide receivers in the NFL, but now, Watkins is really nothing more than an afterthought.
Watkins spent the 2018 campaign with the Kansas City Chiefs, playing in just 10 games due to injury. During that time, he hauled in 40 receptions for 519 yards and three touchdowns.
If you translate those numbers over a full 16-game season, they look pretty good, but that has been Watkins' problem throughout his carer since entering the NFL with the Buffalo Bills back in 2014: he just can't stay healthy.
And even when Watkins has been on the field, he has been a bit underwhelming. Take his 2017 campaign with the Los Angeles Rams, for instance. Watkins played 15 games, but he totaled just 39 catches for 593 yards and six scores.
That is not what we expected from the former Clemson standout who was drafted fourth overall by the Bills five years ago.
However, going into 2019, there is reason to believe that Watkins could be an impactful player and could be a Fantasy Football sleeper.
The 26-year-old is entering his second season with the Chiefs and has the good fortune of being paired with one of the best quarterbacks in the game in Patrick Mahomes. You know, the guy who threw 50 touchdown passes in 2018.
But why this year? What makes Sammy Watkins such a sleeper candidate?
Well, it has a lot to do with the rest of Kansas City's roster.
The Chiefs went into last season with Kareem Hunt in the backfield, and Hunt spent the first 11 games of the year with the club and was playing at a Pro Bowl level once again before being released due to a domestic violence incident.
So, Kansas City is entering 2019 down its All-Pro running back.
Not only that, but the status of the Chiefs' No. 1 wide out, Tyreek Hill, is very much up in the air concerning his off-the-field issues. It's now beginning to look like Hill will play at some point this year, but it's also possible that he will be facing a suspension.
If Hill does end up missing some time, Watkins will become Kansas City's No. 1 receiver, as the Chiefs don't really have any other reliable targets in the passing game outside of tight end Travis Kelce.
It's not like Watkins is a bum. In 2015, his second year in the league, he hauled in 60 receptions for 1,047 yards and nine touchdowns in just 13 games, and during his rookie campaign (his only full 16-game season), he snared 65 balls for 982 yards and six scores.
Plus, Watkins is hardly over the hill. He just turned 26, so he should have more than enough juice left in the tank, injury history or not.
Of course, the concern is whether or not Watkins can actually play a full season, as he hasn't done that in any of the last four years. But if he can stay on the field, he could end up being a very high-end No. 2 receiver in Fantasy in 2019.
This isn't to say you should use an early pick on Watkins, as again, we don't really know what to expect, particularly in terms of his health, but he could be a big-time sleeper as a No. 2.
He has the quarterback, he has the offensive line and he has the talent. There really is no reason for Sammy Watkins not to produce this coming season so long as he is on the gridiron.
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