One Fantasy Football sleeper for all 32 NFL teams
There’s nothing like digging for sleepers as you prep for your Fantasy Football draft, so why not give you one to consider from every NFL team. You’ll likely recognize some of the names on this list, but there’s still value to be had in identifying guys who slip through the cracks. Others on the list offer the potential to turn a late-round pick into a tidy profit. To give context of each player’s value, we’ve also included their average draft position (ADP), with nearly half of the group being so off the radar they are going undrafted in many leagues.
John Brown, Arizona Cardinals (ADP 120.4): He isn’t exactly a deep sleeper, but he’s still being way under-drafted. With Michael Floyd gone, Larry Fitzgerald 34 years old and Brown now healthy, he should be treated as easily a top-25 fantasy WR entering the year with upside to finish higher.
Austin Hooper, Atlanta Falcons (ADP 137.2): He should be much more heavily involved during his second year in the league, and the tight end showed major potential getting 10.0 YPT as a rookie. He saw just 27 targets last season, yet his two catches for 40+ yards tied for second in the NFL among all tight ends.
Breshad Perriman, Baltimore Ravens (ADP 131.3): He continues to battle health issues, and he enters his third year in the league as a huge wild card. But the Ravens throw as often as any team in football, and Perriman is a former first round pick who averaged 15.1 yards-per-catch last season.
Jonathan Williams, Buffalo Bills (Undrafted): He is now the Bills’ No. 2 running back with Mike Gillislee gone, and he’d be a must start in fantasy leagues should LeSean McCoy (who’s approaching 30) go down.
[Pick one winner a week. Play Survival Football for chance at $100K]
Devin Funchess, Carolina Panthers (Undrafted): He hasn’t exactly impressed since entering the league (although he has scored nine touchdowns on 54 catches), but year three is often when wide receivers break out. With Ted Ginn gone, Funchess is going to act as the team’s clear WR2 and see a major uptick in targets.
Kevin White, Chicago Bears (ADP 128.4): He has battled injuries and ineptitude since being drafted with a top-10 pick in 2015, as he’s recorded just 19 career receptions. But he’s going to be given a major opportunity this season with Alshon Jeffrey gone, and White’s measurables were off the charts (his SPARQ score was in the 98th percentile).
Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals (ADP 119.6): He is one year removed from getting 8.4 YPA, and the Bengals added Joe Mixon and John Ross in the offseason. If Tyler Eifert and A.J. Green stay healthy, this offense is loaded. Dalton has top-10 fantasy quarterback upside but is being drafted as a QB2.
Kenny Britt, Cleveland Browns (ADP 121.2): He somehow eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards (while getting 9.0 YPT) last season over 15 games despite dealing with arguably the worst QB situation in the league. He’ll have to overcome more shaky quarterback play now in Cleveland, but Britt should set a career high in targets this season.
Alfred Morris, Dallas Cowboys (Undrafted): If Ezekiel Elliott really does miss six games, Darren McFadden is the favorite to act as the team’s starting back, but he’s hardly a sleeper at this point. Don’t forget about Morris, as McFadden is 30 years old with an extensive injury history. Morris would be a must-start should he somehow find himself in a starting role.
De’Angelo Henderson, Denver Broncos (Undrafted): He might be as low as fourth on Denver’s depth chart right now, but C.J. Anderson has had major health concerns in the past, Devonte Booker is currently hurt, and Jamaal Charles is 30 years old coming off yet another major surgery. Henderson is a dark horse to be a major factor in the Broncos’ running game, and just check out his speed here.
Marvin Jones, Detroit Lions (ADP 129.1): He got off to an extremely hot start with his new team in Detroit last year, but he essentially disappeared over the rest of the season, failing to score over the final 10 games. But he’s still just 27 years old and expected to have a big role with Anquan Boldin gone.
Jamaal Williams, Green Bay Packers (ADP 129.9): He is locked into the Packers’ RB2 role, behind starter Ty Montgomery, who has 80 career rushing attempts. Williams would have major upside should he be given a bigger opportunity, as Green Bay scored the fourth-most PPG last year.
D’Onta Foreman, Houston Texans (Undrafted): He is another rookie backup who’d see his fantasy value skyrocket should his team’s starter go down. Lamar Miller disappointed when finally given a heavy workload last season, finishing No. 73 in Juke Rate and No. 64 in fantasy points per opportunity. Foreman, meanwhile, recorded a Speed Score that was in the 94th percentile.
Robert Turbin, Indianapolis Colts (Undrafted): He is due for some touchdown regression as he somehow hit paydirt eight times on just 73 touches last year. But he’s impressed all summer, and most importantly, Frank Gore is 34 years old. Always fade running backs that age.
Marqise Lee, Jacksonville Jaguars (ADP 130.3): He recorded just 32 fewer receiving yards than Allen Robinson last year on 46 fewer targets. Lee got 8.1 YPT, while Blake Bortles got 5.9 YPA throwing to anyone else. He’s a major breakout candidate.
Chris Conley, Kansas City Chiefs (Undrafted): He plays in a conservative offense alongside the exciting Tyreek Hill, but the latter isn’t a prototypical WR1, and the team lost Jeremy Maclin to free agency. Conley is now starting, entering his third year in the league and had remarkable measurables at the combine.
Robert Woods, Los Angeles Rams (Undrafted): He lost some potential after the recent Sammy Watkins trade, but he should still see the second-most targets on the Rams this year, and Watkins obviously has injury concerns. The coaching upgrade in LA should help as well.
[Now’s the time to sign up for Fantasy Football! Join for free]
Tyrell Williams, Los Angeles Chargers (ADP 101.1) : He is battling for targets with Keenan Allen back, a solid TE duo and rookie Mike Williams. But both Allen and Williams carry major injury risk, and it sure helps having a star QB throwing to him. Williams got 1,059 receiving yards with seven touchdowns last season, and that came in just 12 starts and during his second year in the league.
Kenny Stills, Miami Dolphins (ADP 127.3): He got 17.3 yards-per-catch and managed nine touchdowns on just 83 targets last year, making him an interesting late-round flier. Jay Cutler’s big arm should suit the deep threat well.
Latavius Murray, Minnesota Vikings (103.8): He is by all means behind rookie Dalvin Cook on Minnesota’s depth chart, but this is a 27-year-old coming off a season in which he scored 12 touchdowns.
Dwayne Allen, New England Patriots (ADP 127.9): He enters a role as New England’s TE2 that allowed Martellus Bennett to produce 701 receiving yards with seven TDs last season. Allen has always been a red-zone threat, and he’s practically free at draft tables.
Ted Ginn, New Orleans Saints (ADP 128.5): He quietly has 14 scores over the last two years, and he’s now looking at the biggest role on the best passing offense of his career. He’s easily the Saints’ best deep threat, although he’s admittedly a better fit for best-ball leagues, as he’ll likely be somewhat boom-or-bust.
Sterling Shepard, New York Giants (ADP 124.9) : He was hyped quite a bit entering last season, but he was a bit of a disappointment during his rookie campaign (although he did score eight TDs). He enters this year as New York’s WR3, but Brandon Marshall is 33 years old and really slowed down last season. Shepard should improve in year two, and he’s become an afterthought during drafts.
Austin Seferian-Jenkins, New York Jets (Undrafted): He has burned owners before, but he’s supposedly turned his life around, and the Jets’ coaches and beat writers can’t stop raving about him. His QB situation could be better, but New York has easily the worst WR corps in the NFL, so ASJ should be peppered with targets.
DeAndre Washington, Oakland Raiders (Undrafted): He looks like the favorite to back up Marshawn Lynch, who’s 31 years old, didn’t play last season and looked sluggish the last time we saw him on the field. Washington got 5.4 YPC as a rookie last season, and Oakland has one of the best offensive lines in football, so he has major upside.
Wendell Smallwood, Philadelphia Eagles (Undrafted): He is the underdog to begin the year as the starter after Philadelphia brought in LeGarrette Blount during the offseason, but the latter is 30 years old, offers nothing in the passing game and scored all those TDs last year thanks mostly to New England’s offense. Meanwhile, beat writers say Smallwood has “looked like a man possessed” in practice recently. The Eagles’ offense could easily bust out in 2017.
James Conner, Pittsburgh Steelers (Undrafted): He is the heavy favorite to act as the Steelers’ RB2, and while Le’Veon Bell gets as many touches as any team’s starter in the backfield, he’s clearly an injury risk (holding out doesn’t help either). Conner had huge college numbers despite dealing with Hodgkin lymphoma, and he’s yet another RB2 who’d be a huge fantasy difference maker should he get a chance to start.
Paul Richardson, Seattle Seahawks (Undrafted): He is clearly behind Doug Baldwin and Jimmy Graham in Seattle’s passing game, but he could emerge as the next best option this year, as Tyler Lockett is recovering from a fractured fibula, and Jermaine Kearse is less explosive. Richardson turned it on at the end of last year, and he’s one of the better late-round WR fliers.
Brian Hoyer, San Francisco 49ers (Undrafted): He is obviously only relevant in 2QB leagues, but he’s an affordable option who’s quietly posted a 25:7 TD:INT ratio over the past two years. Hoyer should be San Francisco’s starter as long as health permits in 2017, and quarterbacks often thrive in Kyle Shanahan’s system.
Jacquizz Rodgers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (ADP 123): He is going to lose a bunch of work once Doug Martin returns from his suspension, but he’s the favorite to start for the first three games of the season on a Tampa Bay offense that suddenly looks loaded. Rodgers averaged 23.4 touches during his five starts last season.
Rishard Matthews, Tennessee Titans (ADP 115.5): He moved down draft boards after Tennessee signed Eric Decker, but don’t go too far. Matthews scored nine touchdowns over the final 12 games last season and is more familiar with the system than Decker. Marcus Mariota should improve as a passer moving forward as well.
Vernon Davis, Washington Redskins (Undrafted): He is 33 years old, and it wasn’t that long ago he looked completely finished. But the veteran tight end got 9.9 YPT last season, which led all tight ends in the NFL (minimum 50 targets). Moreover, Jordan Reed is one of the bigger injury risks in football.
