Left for dead after posting a measly 174 yards as a rookie in 2018, DJ Chark wasted no time in breaking out his sophomore season. He went off for 146 yards and a touchdown in the first game of the year and became a hot early season waiver wire add. Chark went on to finish as the WR16. Chark is the most recent guy to come out of nowhere to be the savior of receiver needy fantasy owners. But who is next? Look no further than the Indianapolis Colts sophomore speedster, Parris Campbell.

Rookie Season

Typecast as a gadget player coming out of Ohio State, Colts’ Head Coach Frank Reich was quick to dispel this notion:

What he did in the red zone weren’t hybrid, gadget, slot receiver type plays. They were legit, NFL, I’m going to be a stud receiver plays.

Mike Wells on Twitter

Campbell was a hot name among dynasty players before his rookie year. He was going as high as 1.05 in rookie drafts when everyone was under the impression he would be Andrew Luck‘s new slot receiver and eventual successor to T.Y. Hilton. That dream was dead almost immediately when Luck abruptly retired. Drafting Jacoby Brissett‘s new weapon isn’t quite as appealing so his ADP began to slide. Then the injuries set in. Throughout his rookie season, Campbell was plagued by hamstring, sports hernia, and hand injuries on his way to an uninspiring 18 receptions for 127 yards and a single touchdown. Not great, but there is hope!

Sophomore Season

The praise from his coach continued this off-season, with Reich stating he is “super pumped about Parris and his upside.” Going from Brissett to Philip Rivers is a significant quarterback upgrade for Campbell and the rest of the Colts offense. Brissett was very conservative last year, something Rivers has never been accused of. Rivers’ willingness to throw downfield will be huge for all the pass catchers on the Colts. Campbell will likely be the slot WR in three-receiver sets. Rivers has been known to feed his slot receiver throughout his career. At 6’0″ and 205 pounds with a wild athletic profile, Campbell is going to be a nightmare to cover in the slot where teams often stick a safety or occasionally a linebacker in pass coverage.

T.Y. Hilton will assume his role as the team’s number one receiver but he is past his prime and already dealing with a hamstring injury. Should Hilton miss any time, watch for Campbell to get a bump in volume and an increase in downfield targets. Campbell will also have 2020 second-round pick Michael Pittman Jr. to compete with for targets. Pittman Jr. is a huge target in the mold of Rivers’ old buddy Mike Williams. Campbell and Pittman Jr.’s skillsets complement each other very nicely.

Fantasy Impact

Right now fantasy owners can draft Parris Campbell as the 63rd WR off the board. Pick him up late and enjoy as he becomes a reliable WR3 with tremendous upside. 65 receptions, 900 yards, and 7 touchdowns are well within reach for the second-year receiver and he could easily surpass that. To get that kind of production in one of the last rounds of your draft is highway robbery. Don’t wait until after week one to get Campbell on your roster, it could be too late!

Well, there you have it, Parris Campbell is the next breakout fantasy star. Follow me on Twitter @JimJamFF so you can roast me if he doesn’t pan out and thank me when he does! While you’re here check out the rest of the great articles at Belly Up Fantasy as we continue to gear up for draft season!