Fantasy Football 2014: Five Breakout Candidates

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Emmanuel Sanders, WR, Denver Broncos

Sanders struggled to stay healthy throughout his career as a Pittsburgh Steeler, but did manage to elevate his game a bit in 2013. With Mike Wallace gone to the Miami Dolphins, Sanders stepped up as Ben Roethlisberger’s number two option in the passing game and put up 67 receptions for 740 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Sanders established career highs across the board, and while he only mustered 11 yards per catch, he did find a way to play a full 16-game season for the second straight campaign.

It’s hard to see him playing in all 16 games for a third year in a row, but as a member of the Denver Broncos potent passing attack, that’s really not a major concern. Sanders is a minor downgrade in terms of pure skill-set from Eric Decker, but he’ll still be heavily incorporated into the passing game. Besides, while he’s not as fundamentally sound as Decker is, he’s much more explosive athletically and should have the ability to make a lot of big plays. If what we saw out of Denver’s passing attack last year was any indication, Sanders should be in for another career year.