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Fantasy Football Sleepers 2024

 

Is There a Better Feeling Than Nailing Fantasy Football Sleepers?

You get a few puzzled looks from your leaguemates when you draft him.

By November, that same guy is dumping fantasy points on your opponents.

There are lots of ways to define a fantasy football sleeper. We’re going with any player typically available in the double-digit rounds of drafts.

But the key point is -- these guys are set to return big value for your fantasy team as late-round picks.

Without further ado, here are our eight favorite 2024 fantasy football sleepers.

QB Sleepers

Will Levis, Tennessee Titans

Encouraging Rookie Season

Levis made eight starts last year from weeks 8 to 15, ranking a solid 15th among QBs in fantasy points during that stretch.

He did it despite …

Levis’ environment looks much more fantasy-friendly heading into 2024.

More Pass Volume Coming in 2024

The Titans canned HC Mike Vrabel this offseason and replaced him with Brian Callahan. The former Bengals OC has been a pass-leaning play caller, with four of his five Cincinnati offenses ranking top-12 in pass rate, including a trio of top-6 finishes.

Callahan might not lean that far toward the pass in Tennessee. (Levis is not Joe Burrow.) But his arrival will bring a big shift after the Titans ranked no higher than 25th in pass attempts in six seasons under Vrabel.

Better Weapons Arrive in Free Agency

That planned shift became more clear with Tennessee’s moves in free agency. 

The team started by adding RB Tony Pollard, who has the 12th-most receptions among RBs over the past three seasons. He joins RB Tyjae Spears, who caught 52 balls as a rookie last year, to give the Titans one of the best pass-catching backfields in the NFL.

Then Tennessee made a much-needed upgrade at WR by signing Calvin Ridley to a four-year, $92 million deal. Ridley returned from a nearly two-year absence last season to tally 1,016 yards and 8 TDs. He ranked a respectable 43rd in Pro Football Focus receiving grade and 48th in yards per route among 84 qualifying WRs.

DeAndre Hopkins (17th and 18th) easily beat Ridley in both metrics and might remain Tennessee’s top WR this season. But the fact that Ridley could be the team’s second-best receiver is excellent news for Levis.

Any value WR Tyler Boyd, WR Treylon Burks, and TE Chig Okonkwo provide is just a bonus.

Untapped Rushing Upside?

Levis averaged just 7 rushing yards per game last year. But there’s potential for him to score more fantasy points with his legs this season.

Levis ran for 1,174 yards and 17 TDs across four college seasons, including a 516-yard, 9-TD 2021. He didn’t run the 40-yard dash in the pre-draft process but registered a 34-inch vertical (79th-percentile among QBs) and a 124-inch broad jump (95th). Levis is a plus athlete.

If nothing else, the 229-pounder should be an option near the goal line, especially with RB Derrick Henry gone.

Strong August

HC Brian Callahan called Levis "really impressive" in training camp and talked up the progress he's made this offseason.

Then Levis had a strong preseason, completing 11 of 13 passes (85%) for 153 yards (11.8 YPA). And he did it without WR DeAndre Hopkins, who is expected to be ready for Week 1.

  

 

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RB Sleepers

Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals

Fantasy Points To Be Had in Bengals Backfield

Cincinnati has been a good spot for RB fantasy production with a healthy Joe Burrow. In Burrow’s two 16-game seasons (2021 and 2022), Bengals RBs combined to rank 14th and sixth in total PPR points.

Joe Mixon, of course, accounted for most of those points. He finished fourth among RBs in PPR points in 2021, 11th in 2022, and sixth even last year, despite Burrow missing seven games.

Mixon did that in spite of middling play. Here’s how he ranked in a couple of key advanced metrics: 

* Among RBs with 90+ carries

Brown's Mixed Debut

Brown's rookie season was far from perfect. He had too many negative runs, finishing with a 34.1% rushing success rate that ranked dead last among 77 qualifying RBs. He also struggled in pass protection, ranking 74th out of 81 qualifying RBs in Pro Football Focus' pass-blocking grades.  

But Brown gave the Bengals backfield something it hasn't had in a while: Big-play ability. His 54 touches last year featured:

• This 54-yard reception
• A 31-yard run
• A 27-yard run

That's not a surprise considering Brown clocked a 4.43-second 40-yard dash at last year's Combine. He also excelled in the vertical and broad jumps -- all at 209 pounds.

Primed For A Year Two Leap

Everything we've heard out of Cincinnati this offseason suggests that Brown is a more refined player heading into his second season.

He spent much of the offseason working on his pass-catching, impressing QB Joe Burrow and HC Zac Taylor with his gains.

Taylor later praised Brown's consistency throughout camp -- a key factor for a young guy looking to earn a big role.

Brown has reportedly been getting the majority of the first-team reps and seems on track to play a significant role in this high-scoring Bengals offense.

What About Zack Moss?

The Bengals inked Moss to a two-year, $8 million deal in free agency following his career-high 794 rushing yards for the Colts last year.

Moss played well in relief of RB Jonathan Taylor, but it's worth noting that his play declined after a hot start to the season. He averaged 5.0 yards per carry over his first four games but just 3.7 yards per carry the rest of the way.

Moss owned a mediocre 4.3 career yards per carry heading into last season and didn't top 481 rushing yards in any of his first three NFL campaigns. He doesn't offer a ton in the passing game, either, with 75 catches across his four seasons.

Moss figures to have a role in a committee backfield this year and sits just a few spots behind Brown in our PPR RB Rankings. But Moss checks in two rounds ahead of Brown in ADP, making the speedy youngster the much better value in drafts.

 

 

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Ty Chandler, Minnesota Vikings

Chandler’s chances of opening the season as Minnesota’s lead back died when the Vikings signed RB Aaron Jones to a one-year, $7 million deal. But that’s also sunk Chandler’s ADP – and turned him into a prime 2024 fantasy football sleeper.

Aaron Jones Risk Factors

Jones remained effective when he was on the field last year. But he missed six games and parts of others with hamstring and knee injuries.

That continued a worrisome trend for Jones: He’s missed multiple games in five of seven NFL seasons. Our Injury Predictor gives him a 87.6% chance of injury and 3.1 projected games missed this year. Both marks are seventh-highest among RBs.

Jones is also 29 now, which puts him at serious decline risk. Our aging-curve research shows that RBs, on average, go from 80% of peak production at age-28 to 70% at age-29.

So there’s opportunity for Chandler to find more playing time via:

1. An injury to Jones
2. Decline from Jones

Standalone Fantasy Value

Even if Jones stays healthy and effective, Chandler should mix in as part of a committee backfield. Jones has never been a high-volume runner, topping out at 14.8 carries per game back in 2019. He’s averaged 11.4, 12.5, and 12.9 carries per game the past three years.

HC Kevin O’Connell said shortly after the team signed Jones that he wouldn’t be a workhorse. And he seemed to confirm more recently that Jones and Chandler will share work this year.

There should be more RB work to go around than last season, when the Vikings finished 28th in RB carries. That team ranked second in pass rate. Expect more running this year with Sam Darnold at QB.

Chandler’s Strong 2023 Finish

Chandler certainly earned a role with a strong finish to last season. He averaged 13.0 carries per game and 4.5 yards per carry over the final five weeks. And his 133.0 Pro Football Focus Elusive Rating over that span ranked second among 31 qualifying RBs, behind only Derrick Henry.

 

 

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Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Explosive Runner

Irving was one of the most electric runners in college football over the past two seasons, averaging a hefty 6.5 yards per carry.

He ranked among the top 17 in the nation both years in:

• Yards after contact per attempt
• Pro Football Focus Elusive Rating
• Pro Football Focus rushing grade

Excellent Pass Catcher

Irving was also a big-time weapon in the passing game at Oregon.

He caught 31 balls for 299 yards and three TDs as a sophomore in 2022 and then racked up 56 receptions, 413 yards, and two scores this past year.

Only one RB in the country totaled more catches than Irving over the last two years.

Size Limitations

So why did Irving slip into the fourth round of this spring's draft?

Because he’s only 5’10 and 195 pounds.

That frame will likely preclude Irving from workhorse usage as a pro. But it won’t preclude him from being a fantasy asset.

Impressive Preseason

Irving has already shown that his game translates to the next level with strong preseason play. He averaged 4.4 yards per carry with one TD on 18 attempts. He forced a missed tackle on 22% of his runs and averaged 3.2 yards after contact per carry. Irving ranked 23rd among 108 qualifying RBs in Pro Football Focus' preseason rushing grades.

Plenty of Opportunity

Irving is safe bet to win Tampa Bay's No. 2 RB job. Chase Edmonds recently landed on season-ending IR, leaving Sean Tucker as Irving's only competition.

That makes Irving a high-value handcuff to RB Rachaad White.

But Irving also has a chance to carve out standalone fantasy value alongside White. Despite his 2023 breakout, White remained an inefficient runner. He averaged just 3.6 yards per carry and ranked 44th among 49 qualifying RBs in NFL Next Gen Stats' rush yards over expected per attempt.

 

 

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WR Sleepers

Dontayvion Wicks, Green Bay Packers

A Sneaky-Strong Rookie Season

Wicks didn’t see enough consistent playing time to be a real fantasy factor as a rookie last year.

But his underlying metrics have a big "Buy Me!" sign hanging over his head heading into Year 2.

Wicks drew a target on 20% of his pass routes and averaged 1.94 yards per route. Those marks ranked 43rd and 22nd, respectively, among 78 qualifying WRs.

More importantly, Wicks beat teammates Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs in both targets per route and yards per route.

Should You Worry About the Target Competition?

Jayden Reed led all three guys in both of those categories as part of a strong rookie season. He’s likely locked into a big 2024 role. Watson’s big-play ability and second-round draft capital make him a good bet for heavy snaps.

But there’s an opportunity for Wicks to snatch the No. 3 WR job from Doubs, who has been just OK through two NFL seasons. Wicks' yards per route and Pro Football Focus receiving grade last year was better than Doubs has posted in either of his two seasons.

An Ascending Packers Passing Game

This is a passing game that we want pieces of in 2024.

Last year’s Packers ranked 12th in passing yards and third in TDs. QB Jordan Love was especially excellent over the second half of the season, ranking top three league-wide in completion rate, passing yards, passing TDs, and PFF passing grade.

Still just 25 and entering his second season as Green Bay’s starter, Love could certainly take another step forward in 2024. That'd only boost Wicks' chances of delivering as a 2024 fantasy football sleeper.

Flashy August

Wicks has been a standout in training camp by all accounts. And it took him just one snap in Green Bay's preseason opener to make this play:

Didn't take long for Jordan Love @Packers take an early lead!

: Stream #GBvsCLE on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/yyJlhvP170

— NFL (@NFL) August 10, 2024

  

  

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Mike Williams, New York Jets

Williams tore his ACL last year. He didn’t perish.

Yet fantasy drafters have buried him with an ADP outside the top 55 WRs.

Proven Production

That’s quite a discount for a guy who’s finished top-24 in half-PPR points per game in each of the last three seasons.

Williams played just three games last year. But he scored as a top-24 PPR WR in two of them while averaging a career-best 2.33 yards per route. In fact, Williams’ three best yards-per-route averages have come over the past three seasons.

This 29-year-old does not appear to be in decline.

Big TD Upside With Aaron Rodgers

Now Williams heads from a high-end passer in Justin Herbert to a future Hall-of-Famer in Aaron Rodgers. The NFL hasn’t seen a more prolific TD thrower than Rodgers, whose career 6.2% TD rate leads all 213 QBs with 1,000+ career attempts since the 1970 merger.

That meshes well with Williams, who has feasted in the end zone throughout his career. Williams:

• Has averaged 0.35 TD per game
• Has seasons of 9 and 10 TDs
• Owns a career 10.0% TD rate

It wouldn’t be a surprise to look up at the end of the 2024 campaign and see Williams with another 9- or 10-TD season.

Recovery Timeline

Williams’ ACL tear came on September 24th of last year. That gives him nearly a full year of rehab before the 2024 season kicks off. Williams was activated from the PUP list on August 7 and re-joined team drills for the last week of the month.

HC Robert Saleh said in June that Williams’ snaps could be limited early in the season. He’s probably not a guy we’ll be able to trust in fantasy lineups in September. But by the time October rolls around, Williams could be in the mix as a weekly WR3 with upside.

 

     

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TE Sleepers

Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers

Cheap Bet on Rebound Potential

Freiermuth is coming off a disappointing 2023 season. He missed five games and ranked just 32nd among TEs in PPR points per game.

But three offseason developments have Freiermuth looking like a post-hype 2024 fantasy football sleeper:

1. New OC Arthur Smith
2. WR Diontae Johnson's departure
3. A QB upgrade

Arthur Smith Loves TEs

Smith has been the punchline of plenty of jokes over the past few years. But the Steelers’ new OC has a long history of getting his TEs heavily involved in the passing game.

League-wide average TE target share tends to hover around 18-19%. Here are the TE target shares for Smith’s offenses:

Smith has tended to divvy those targets among multiple TEs. But he also helped Jonnu Smith to a TE13 finish in PPR points per game in 2020, Kyle Pitts to a TE6 finish in 2021, and Pitts and Smith to top-17 finishes last year.

Diontae Johnson Leaves Behind Opportunity

Freiermuth’s 2024 target upside gets a boost from the departure of Diontae Johnson to Carolina.

Johnson led the Steelers in targets in each of his first four seasons from 2019 to 2022. He missed four games last year but still paced the team with 6.7 targets per game and a 22.4% target share in those games.

Pittsburgh returns WR George Pickens, who ranked second on the team last year with 6.2 targets per game, and added third-round rookie WR Roman Wilson. But the rest of the WR corps is comprised of Calvin Austin, Van Jefferson, Quez Watkins, and Marquez Callaway.

Freiermuth is the favorite to be the No. 2 option in this passing game.

QB Upgrade(s)

After another season of shoddy QB play, the Steelers added both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields this offseason.

Despite an early-camp calf injury, Wilson remains the favorite to open the season under center. He'd be better for Freiermuth’s fantasy outlook. Wilson remained an accurate passer in Denver last year, ranking 12th in completion rate (66.4%) and third in adjusted completion rate (78.8%) among 33 qualifying QBs.

But Fields would also likely be an upgrade over what the Steelers had under center last season. His career 60.3% completion rate falls short of Pittsburgh’s 63.8% last year. But Fields beats the 2023 Steelers in career yards per attempt (7.0 to 6.8) and TD rate (4.2% to 2.6%).

Freiermuth Has Already Been a TE1

Freiermuth was the 55th overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft after averaging 41 yards and 0.55 TDs per game across three seasons at Penn State.

He debuted as a pro with a strong 60-497-7 line. Freiermuth’s 151.7 PPR points ranked 13th among TEs that year and were the 11th-most from a rookie TE in NFL history.

He was even better in 2022, ranking sixth among TEs in both catches (63) and yards (732). Despite missing two games and scoring just two TDs, Freiermuth still finished seventh at the position in PPR points. He also ranked seventh in both Pro Football Focus receiving grade and yards per route among 32 qualifying TEs.

Freiermuth’s poor 2023 looks like an outlier for a guy who should pump out plenty more TE1 seasons.

 

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Tyler Conklin, New York Jets

If there was a poster for positive TD regression, Conklin would be the boy on it.

He didn’t score a single time on his 61 catches last year. 

2023 Was Better Than You Think

That masked a nice season from Conklin. Here’s where he ranked among TEs in key metrics:

• Targets - 13th
• Catches - 11th
• Yards - 13th
• Yards Per Route - 18th (among 33 qualifiers)
• Pro Football Focus Receiving Grade - 20th (among 33 qualifiers)

Much Better Situation in 2024

It’s a bit less surprising that Conklin went TD-less last year when you consider that he played for the Jets. That team was quarterbacked by a combination of Zach Wilson, Trevor Siemian, and Tim Boyle and finished dead last with just 11 passing scores.

Expect a lot more passing TDs this season if QB Aaron Rodgers stays healthy. Rodgers has averaged 2.1 passing TDs per game since taking over as a starter back in 2008 (17-game pace of 36 TDs) and owns a career 6.2% passing TD rate – tops among all QBs wit 1,000+ attempts since the 1970 merger.

Target Upside

Conklin has been a sneaky strong target earner lately. In fact, he’s one of just seven TEs to draw 80+ targets in each of the last two seasons. (The others: Travis Kelce, T.J. Hockenson, George Kittle, Evan Engram, David Njoku, and Dalton Schultz.)

The Jets return alpha WR Garrett Wilson and upgraded the No. 2 WR spot with Mike Williams. But there isn’t an established No. 3 on the roster, making Conklin the best bet for that role.

We project him for 76.5 targets – 14th most among TEs.

 

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10 Deep Sleepers

Jaleel McLaughlin, RB, Denver Broncos

We’ve highlighted Javonte Williams as an undervalued player. But that doesn’t mean we’re not also in on McLaughlin.

This is a backfield to invest in. HC Sean Payton ran a RB-friendly offense in New Orleans, and his Denver debut found the Broncos ranking sixth in total RB PPR points. There’s room for multiple Broncos RBs to be fantasy-relevant this season.

McLaughlin turned in an explosive rookie season, averaging 5.4 yards per carry and ranking third among 58 qualifiers in Pro Football Focus’ Elusive Rating. He never topped a 40% snap rate but received a carry or target on 58% of his snaps.

The 187-pounder will probably never be a high-volume back, but it's certainly possible that his role grows this year. In Denver's second preseason game, McLaughlin actually out-snapped Williams 11 to 9 with QB Bo Nix and the first-team offense. Both RBs tallied three carries and one target.

The departure of RB Samaje Perine leaves Denver's passing-down snaps wide open. Look for McLaughlin to claim a bunch of them.

 

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Antonio Gibson, RB, New England Patriots

Gibson's Washington tenure was generally underwhelming.

But he was super productive in the passing game. Here's where Gibson ranked among RBs over the past four seasons:

• 9th in targets
• 9th in catches
• 6th in receiving yards
• 9th in receiving TDs

He's averaged a solid 6.0 yards per target and 1.3 yards per route for his career.

It sets him up for primary pass-catching duties in New England. RB Rhamondre Stevenson has totaled 107 catches across the past two seasons but has been inefficient, averaging 4.7 yards per target and 1.1 yards per route.

The days of expecting Gibson to break out as a lead back are over. But he could catch a bunch of passes for a Patriots team that looks shaky at WR.

 

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Jaylen Wright, RB, Miami Dolphins

Fantasy football doesn’t have to be complicated.

How about this idea: Draft guys from a Dolphins backfield that scored 536.2 half-PPR points last year – 51.5 more than any other RB group since 2020.

Wright is set to open the season as Miami’s No. 3 RB. We’ll see exactly how much work that means, but it probably won’t be enough to make him a starting option in managed fantasy leagues.

But the rookie will be just one injury away from a significant role in HC Mike McDaniel’s diabolical scheme. And RBs De’Von Achane and Raheem Mostert check in as two of the biggest injury risks at RB, according to our Injury Predictor.

Wright is tailor-made for this Dolphins offense. He averaged 7.4 yards per carry at Tennessee last year, ripped off 15+ yards on 14% of his attempts, and then blazed a 4.38-second 40 time at the Combine.

Wright flashed that speed throughout camp and the preseason. He averaged 5.4 yards per carry with a score on 17 preseason attempts and caught four of six targets for 41 yards. Five of his 21 touches (24%) went for 10+ yards.

He’d be an exciting fantasy play with spike-week potential if he finds significant work this year.

   

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Jordan Mason, RB, San Francisco 49ers

Elijah Mitchell landed on season-ending IR on Tuesday, leaving Mason as the 49ers' clear No. 2 RB.

Of course, it sounded like Mason had already won that job before Mitchell went on IR. He had a buzzy training camp and a strong preseason, averaging 5.4 yards per carry and ranking second among 175 RBs in PFF rushing grade.

Mason has been supremely efficient on limited opportunities as a pro. His 5.6 yards per carry ranks second among 78 RBs with 80+ carries over the last two seasons.

HC Kyle Shanahan's scheme deserves much of the credit -- but that's part of Mason's sleeper appeal. Any RB getting significant work in this offense is a good fantasy bet. And Mason is now just a Christian McCaffrey injury away from lead duties.

McCaffrey, of course, already suffered a calf injury in August. Our Injury Predictor projects him for 3.0 missed games this season.

  

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Darnell Mooney, WR, Atlanta Falcons

Mooney disappeared in bad Bears passing games the past two years.

But he drew 98 targets on a 16.0% share as a rookie in 2020 and followed that up 140 targets and a WR23 PPR finish in 2021.

He's an intriguing bounce-back candidate after a move to Atlanta, where the Falcons look set to deploy a pass-leaning offense under OC Zac Robinson and QB Kirk Cousins.

Mooney's deep speed (4.38-second 40 time) should be a good fit with Cousins, who ranks No. 1 in accuracy on passes 20+ yards downfield over the last four seasons, per Sharp Football.

He might not see enough targets behind WR Drake London, TE Kyle Pitts, and RB Bijan Robinson to be a reliable weekly fantasy play, but Mooney should at least be a useful best-ball asset.

  

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Greg Dortch, WR, Arizona Cardinals

Dortch has been a productive receiver when he's found playing time. In games he's played at least 70% of Arizona's snaps, he's averaged:

• 8.3 targets
• 6.1 catches
• 64.4 yards
• 0.3 TDs

His 14.3 PPR points per game in those outings would have ranked 21st among WRs last year.

The problem is that he's only reached that 70% snap rate 10 times. It sounds like he'll be hitting it a bunch more in 2024.

Dortch has been running as the Cardinals' starting slot receiver throughout training camp and garnered a steady drumbeat of praise from his coaches. HC Jonathan Gannon said Dortch has "elevated his game," has "yet to hit his ceiling," and is "going to have a big year." OC Drew Petzing said Dortch has a better understanding of the offense and has earned a bigger role this season.

Don't expect him to hit those 14.3 points per game alongside WR Marvin Harrison Jr. and TE Trey McBride. But Dortch could see enough action this year to be a useful spot starter in PPR leagues.

 

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Jermaine Burton, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

Burton was one of our favorite pre-draft sleepers in the 2024 WR class. He was a highly touted recruit and flashed at Georgia in 2020 and 2021. Then he transferred to Alabama and led the Tide in receiving yards each of the last two years. The 6'0, 196-pounder averaged a huge 18.0 yards per catch for his college career and earned a 9.09 Relative Athletic Score at the Combine.

Burton went in Round 3 to Cincinnati, where he's a sneaky bet for 2024 production. The team talked about Burton's inside/outside versatility after drafting him -- a signal that he's a candidate to replace former slot receiver Tyler Boyd.

Despite playing behind Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins the past three seasons, Boyd averaged a healthy 5.6 targets per game. That's a range Burton could approach this season.

And if Chase or Higgins misses time this year, the rookie has the skill set to step into a much larger role in this highly productive passing game.

Burton didn't run with the starters this preseason and still has depth-chart climbing to do. But our money is still on his talent and draft capital emerging as the No. 3 WR by mid-season.

    

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Jalen Tolbert, WR, Dallas Cowboys

After some spring reports that he was in a battle for the No. 3 WR job, Tolbert seems to have pulled away in the race. He's been consistently running with the first-team offense in camp and drawn praise from beat writers and coaches.

Tolbert went from two catches as a 2022 rookie to 22 grabs last year. He was an intriguing prospect coming out of South Alabama, where he accounted for 40+% of the team's receiving yards and TDs in 2020 and then exploded for a 82-1,474-8 receiving line in 2021.

Tolbert figures to trail WR CeeDee Lamb, WR Brandin Cooks, and TE Jake Ferguson in targets early this season. But there's some decline risk with the nearly 31-year-old Cooks, which could free up target share for Tolbert.

He'll benefit, too, from what should be a pass-heavy Dallas offense. Last year's Cowboys ranked 14th in pass rate and eighth in pass attempts. With one of the weakest backfields in the NFL, this year's team should throw even more.

 

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Noah Fant, TE, Seattle Seahawks

Fant has finished 17th and 32nd among TEs in PPR points with the Seahawks the past two seasons.

So it might seem like bad news that he re-signed with Seattle in March.

But as Lee Corso would say:

The Seahawks swapped out OC Shane Waldron for OC Ryan Grubb this offseason. Grubb spent the past two years as the University of Washington's OC, leading the Huskies to a pair of top-two finishes in passing yards per game. He deployed an aggressive, downfield attack that should fit Fant's game well.

Remember that Fant blazed a 4.50-second 40 time at 249 pounds in the pre-draft process, earning an elite 9.89 Relative Athletic Score. This is a high-end athlete who's still only 26 years old.

It's also worth noting that the Seahawks lost TEs Colby Parkinson and Will Dissly, who basically split playing time with Fant last year, and have not added to the position. It looks like Grubb will go with more of a clear starting TE than the committee we've seen in Seattle the past two years.

 

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Colby Parkinson, TE, Los Angeles Rams

Parkinson might be the cheapest starting TE in fantasy football.

Incumbent Tyler Higbee tore his right ACL and MCL in the Wild Card loss to the Lions on January 14. There have been very few updates on his recovery, but it’s likely that Higbee is out well into the 2024 season. He might not be a factor at all this year.

Parkinson, meanwhile, signed a surprisingly lucrative three-year, $22.5 million deal with the Rams in free agency. That – plus the fact that he’s been held out of the preseason along with the rest of the Rams’ regulars – has him looking like the locked-in lead TE.

The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue wrote in July that Parkinson should have a "big role in this next iteration of [Sean] McVay's offense.” McVay’s team have regularly been among the league leaders in three-WR sets, but Rodrigue expects more two-TE looks this year. That’d only help Parkinson’s playing time.

The 25-year-old never found enough snaps in Seattle to be a real fantasy factor. But he registered some promising peripherals the past two years:

• His 8.4 yards per target over the last two seasons ranks seventh among 58 qualifying TEs.
• He finished 11th out of 43 qualifiers in yards per route in 2022 and 32nd out of 45 last year.
• He ranked 10th among 58 TEs in ESPN’s overall receiver score in 2022 and 25th out of 44 last year.

At 6’7 and 252 pounds, Parkinson should at least be a valuable red-zone weapon for a Rams offense that will score plenty.

 

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How to Unlock Your League's Sleepers

Unlocking your team's championship potential hinges on snagging the perfect sleepers. The players you've just read about are a great start.

But here's the catch: the value of a sleeper varies wildly depending on your league's unique rules and scoring system.

You could go old-school: gather endless data, juggle spreadsheets, and crunch numbers until the sleepers emerge. Or, you could streamline the process with our ADP Market Index tool.

Here’s what you get with our ADP tool:

Customized Analysis: Get player rankings and ADP insights that mirror your league's unique format.  Whether you're in a PPR league, require a trio of starting WRs, or navigating the complexities of Superflex, both the rankings and ADP correlate to your league.

Effortless Insight: Instantly compare each player's value against the market average (ADP). Again, this is all calibrated to your fantasy platform and scoring guidelines. That means you’ll see the gaps between a player’s actual value and his ADP.

Spot the Sleepers: Next, look for green index numbers signaling undervalued players. Discovering a player underrated by 20, 30, or even 40+ spots means you've found a sleeper who could bring you a championship run. 

Dive into the ADP Market Index: I know you're bombarded with fantasy content asking for your attention. But if you’re truly trying to gain an advantage by targeting sleepers in your upcoming draft – you really should spend a few more minutes checking out our ADP Market Index tool.  It could be the difference between a championship or another mediocre season!