What is a sleeper in fantasy football? Although there is no firm definition, you should learn to know when you see one ahead of your 2024 drafts.
Every NFL team has at least one undervalued player to target in the mid-to-late rounds this season. These are offensive skill players, from quarterbacks to tight ends and rookies to veterans alike that can return more value than their average draft positions (ADP).
For Sporting News’ list of 32, we’re sticking to players who are expert-ranked or have an ADP for the eighth round or later in 12-team, half-point PPR leagues (after 85 overall). Here’s plucking our best such pick from each team.
Benson was a solid third-round pick, and the rookie power back is fast-tracked to becoming the top backup to James Conner, who’s 29 with some wear and a pending free agent in 2025. Should attrition hit Conner, Benson could see a big rushing role playing off Kyler Murray in Drew Petzing’s offense.
Cousins is joining another Sean McVay offshoot offense, trading Kevin O’Connell and Wes Phillips for another former Rams assistant Zac Robinson. Should he return healthy from his torn Achilles’ as expected, he can execute in a scheme that has suited him well with plenty of weaponry, led by first-rounders Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and Bijan Robinson.
“Shoddy Bates” hasn’t lived up to his first-round pedigree because of injuries and other factors. He might be considered an afterthought in the depth chart behind younger, higher-upside first-rounder Zay Flowers, but the team brought him back hoping he can rebound as a key third target behind Mark Andrews and Flowers. He’s going so late that he’s worth a shot as Lamar Jackson’s No. 2 outside.
Dalton Kincaid and James Cook figure to be the most reliable support for Josh Allen, but there’s a wide opening at wideout with Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis gone and some crossover in play for Khalil Shakir and newcomer Curtis Samuel. The rookie Coleman was drafted to be a classic, No. 1 type outside and can be a factor soon in 11 or 12 personnel playing off Kincaid.
Young is deep into the QB3s out of the top 24 in rankings and ADP, so he’s a very low-risk flier to take near the end of drafts. Young’s rookie season was a disaster, but there’s an environment for Jared Goff-Year 2 vibes with the flip to QB whisperer Dave Canales as his offensive-minded head coach.
Young also has plenty of receiving, rushing, and blocking upgrades to help better support him. Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield were also quarterback afterthoughts before Canales’ influence turned them into top-12 positional scorers in overall points. Young’s veteran-like makeup can allow him to follow suit. Even top 20 would be a huge jump.
Williams is a top-15 QB in ADP and ranking, but between his weapons in Shane Waldron’s passing game and his straight-up talent as a No. 1 overall pick, he can easily finish in the top-12 with his big arm padded just a little by production with his rookie legs.
Here’s digging deeper, as Gesicki is going as a TE3. The Bengals have a void for an inside option between Ja’Marr Chasse and Tee Higgins with no Tyler Boyd, and Gesticki has some slot hybrid skills. Joe Burrow also should want to give him some red-zone looks to force him into his awful post-TD version of the Griddy.
Chubb has gone from fun, young pup in the Dawg Pound to PUP list, coming off a major knee injury ahead of his age-28 season. Chubb is so much of a fantasy force when healthy that he has major stash-now, win-later upside as a drafted RB3 or RB4.
Ezekiel Elliott isn’t a bad choice here, as he’s back leading the committee with Rico Dowdle. But while he still might cap as flex, Cooks, going in the 11th round, can provide WR3-like production at WR5 draft cost. The Cowboys should keep throwing often, and Cooks needs to remain a veteran factor to support CeeLee Lamb and Jake Ferguson.
Williams is going around RB30, and everyone is trying to write him off in this Sean Payton-Joe Lombardi backfield even though the “best” alternatives remain Samaje Perine and undersized Jaleel McLaughlin. Rookie Audric Estime has been hurt, to boot. With volume and key touches, Williams can develop into an upside flex pick.
Goff was QB15 in average scoring last year behind a three-way tie for QB12. He’s going around the same range in 2023, but he’s a solid bet, especially at home, to continue putting up strong numbers playing off the run with more hope at receiver beyond Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta.
The secret is more out on rookie MarShawn Lloyd behind Josh Jacobs in the backfield, so let’s go a little more obvious. Watson has more big-play and scoring pop than Romeo Doubs and Dontavyion Wicks playing off developing slot ace Jayden Reed. His WR4 value in Round 8 could look silly by the end of the year.
The emphasis will remain on C.J. Stroud’s wide receivers in his second season, but the arrival of Stefon Diggs is set to more come at the expense of other WRs, from Nico Collins to Tank Dell to Noah Brown. Schultz has tougher competition from a healthy Brevin Jordan and rookie Cade Stover, but he also was re-signed earlier, indicating OC Bobby Slowik likes having him as a key target for Stroud.
Here’s going back to tight end with another AFC South team. Woods wasn’t healthy enough to compete in the committee with Kylen Granson and Mo Alie-Cox last season, but the athletic third-rounder from Virginia may earn his way into some key passing game looks behind Michael Pittman Jr. to try to give Shane Steichen a new Dallas Goedert type.
Thomas is being drafted as a back-end WR4 with slot man Christian Kirk going a round before him in 12-team leagues and Gabe Davis going a round after him. There’s just too much talent in the 6-3, 209-pound Thomas to ignore, especially given the first-round LSU pedigree. Watch Thomas on how he settles and clicks with Trevor Lawrence early.
Here’s another rookie NFL first-rounder to consider in a similar situation for a receiving corps with flux. Rashee Rice was the exception in producing as a rookie under Andy Reid, but a combination of Rice’s potential suspension and veteran Marquise Brown being inconsistent for Patrick Mahomes puts this combine-winning speedster as a second-straight potential anomaly.
The Raiders followed up the second-round drafting of Michael Mayer last season with Bowers in the first round this season. He’s a terrific pick in dynasty and TE-premium leagues, but he could have a larger initial role than expected with not much behind Davante Adams and Jakobi Myers.
Here’s sticking with another rookie stepping into a passing game in transition to do less passing. McConkey has the best shot to eat up the vacated targets well and line up everywhere to produce the way former Charger Keenan Allen did.
Stafford has Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp, which is a good pocket-passer production baseline for any fantasy QB. He was putting up everything except TDs early last season, then started putting together some complete games with no health issues. Any QB in Sean McVay’s offense can exceed expectations. Stafford is no exception.
How will the Dolphins use Smith? Figure he’ll be on the field most of the time blocking and running shorter routes and even getting a few rushing attempts. The veteran did more producing than expected with the Falcons and now lands where there’s No. 3 target uncertainty for Mike McDaniel behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
Addison has a had rough second offseason with some issues on and off the field that can hamper his ability to live up to NFL first-rounder upside. He will have every chance to stay hot out of the gate in favorable coverage opposite Justin Jefferson with tight end T.J. Hockenson hurting.
Rhomandre Stevenson is standing out as the must-draft Patriot at some point in the fifth or sixth round as an RB2. After that, a significant role is up for grabs between the remixed deep cadre of wide receiver options. Given we’ve seen all the other veteran Patriots receivers along with former Viking K.J. Osborn, Polk already seems like the only one about whom to get a tiny bit excited should he pan out as a boom-or-bust flex.
Shaheed is going as a WR5 in the 11th around or later despite having good chemistry with Derek Carr and some major questions behind Chris Olave on the depth chart. He has a fair shot to return back-end WR3 value overall.
Tracy was a wide receiver at Iowa before transitioning to running back in his last season with Big Ten rival Purdue. Devin Singletary isn’t the best passing-game option, so Tracy will be involved, helping out Brian Daboll and Daniel Jones in throwing situations. Watch out for some flex return, a la Tyjae Spars as a Titans rookie last year.
He falls into the classic “If only this dude could stay healthy’ category. Williams is hurting again early into his Jets tenure (shocker) after coming off another rough, injury-shortened (torn ACL) season. But he does operate well as an outside big-play and red-zone threat when healthy and will get downfield balls from Aaron Rodgers in consistently favorable coverage away from Garrett Wilson.
Returning Kenneth Gainwell is the veteran default handcuff for new feature back Saquon Barkley, but Gainwell wasn’t in this offense and Shipley was drafted for it after Barkley was signed for Kellen Moore. Watch out for Shipley sliding up into top backup status at some point.
Freiermuth will like Arthur Smith using more 12 personnel because that will keep him on the field more. The Steelers need more short-to-intermediate pop playing off George Pickens with no Diontae Johnson, so Patty F. could be busier than expected with Russell Wilson with some good red-zone appeal to boot.
This rookie choice comes with the caveat of the 49ers needing to either trade Brandon Aiyuk or suffer a big WR injury sometime early to make this a worthy penultimate pick in a lot of deep-league drafts. Pearsall’s ranking and ADP would certainly slide up a lot should an Aiyuk trade be executed, clearing the way for the first-rounder to have the top outside role opposite Deebo Samuel.
JSN is expected to embrace being their next Tyler Lockett as a dangerous, savvy inside-outside option to complement DK Metcalf. That can come at the expense of a fading Lockett. The targets between the three were rather even last season, and the new offense should favor Metcalf and JSN more for high-leverage opportunities.
The Buccaneers have very few vacated targets but are still looking for some more No. 3 pop behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Trey Palmer and others come into play at wideout, but Otton is also set up to make a bigger dent in the new Rams-like offense of Liam Coen.
Levis can look around and see an improved offensive line, an upgrade to skilled backs and receivers, and a passing-friendly scheme under the Bengals-Jaguars combination of Brian Callahan and Nick Holz. Levis has a path to key numbers with some boom-or-bust in Year 2, in the sense he can either rise and thrive like Joe Burrow or fizzle and dive like Kenny Pickett. Here’s thinking it’s somewhere in between, closer to the Burrow side.
Daniels is going as a starter, at QB12 with an eight-round ADP. That might be underselling the rookie given he’s Kliff Kingsbury’s second shot at a dynamic rookie Heisman Trophy-winning mobile dynamo after a young Kyler Murray. Daniels has plenty of key weapons and the rushing support to facilitate his own running behind a revamped line. Keep in mind Murray finished as QB7 overall and tied for QB11 on average (with Josh Allen) as a rookie in 2019 under Kingsbury.
