There are many different fantasy sleeper articles out there, and everyone has a different definition of what is a sleeper. Let's start this article off by defining what is a sleeper to me. A sleeper is someone who will outperform where the majority of people are drafting them, someone who your league-mates are sleeping on. Sleepers are determined by looking at the average draft position (ADP) of a player. If I believe the player will finish the year at a much higher place than that ADP, they are a sleeper.
WR
Jalen Reagor (Phi)
TL: DR Clear number one target with a top ten quarterback throwing him the football. He will see plenty of targets all over the field.
Jalen Reagor is currently coming off the board as the 52nd wide receiver in the 11th round of fantasy drafts. The opportunity Reagor is now in provides enough upside to qualify him as a sleeper instantly. Reagor is walking into an Eagles receiving core that includes aging and often injured Desean Jackson, Alshon Jeffery, who will start the year on the PUP list, Greg Ward, and JJ Arcega-Whiteside. Reagor is by far the favorite to lead this receiving core in targets and could quickly become a solid WR2 with WR1 upside for your fantasy team. When those targets are coming from Carson Wentz, it makes them even more valuable. Last year Wentz finished the season as the QB 9 in fantasy football. He has shown the ability to throw the ball all over the field and put up fantasy numbers, but we are under-valuing Reagor in the draft, why is that? Reagor is a sleeper because people have not seen a strong fantasy WR come out of Philadelphia during Wentz's time there as a QB. We have witnessed Zach Ertz be a dominant TE, but the receivers have never been trustworthy; instead, Wentz has spread the ball around to various receivers. That is because Wentz has never had a target like Reagor before. Wentz put up his QB 9 season last year throwing to guys like Greg Ward, who was signed off the street. Reagor can be moved all around the field, is a threat to score any time he touches the ball and will be a reliable option for Wentz on the outside. We have not seen what Wentz can do with a talent like Reagor, and you should grab him in your drafts while you can. You will not find any other team's top wide receiver option this late into drafts this season.
Brandon Aiyuk (SF)
TL: DR Deebo Samuel is injured to start the year, 49ers moved up in the draft to take Aiyuk, and he should be used often in the passing game.
Brandon Aiyuk is currently going as WR 66 in the 14th round of drafts. Aiyuk is someone who is benefitting from an injury already. The 49ers top wide receiver from last year Deebo Samuel will not be ready to start the season, and we do not know how long it will be until he can play. Another receiving option in Jalen Hurd has already been placed on season-ending injured reserve with a torn ACL. The wide receiver group in San Francisco is thin, which means Aiyuk will have every opportunity to perform. While the 49ers are not the most pass-happy offense in the league, we saw last year that a 49ers receiver could contribute in fantasy football. Deebo Samuel came on late in the year and finished as the 26th wide receiver in fantasy. His efficiency was a significant part of why he was so successful. While I do not believe Aiyuk will be as strong an option as Samuel was for owners last year, we cannot ignore the opportunities he will be given. Targets mean everything for a receiver, and I expect Aiyuk to be second on this team in targets behind only George Kittle. If he can make the most of those targets, he can become a weekly flex option for fantasy teams.
Preston Williams (MIA)
TL: DR Williams showed flashes of greatness last year; he is on a team that will have to throw the ball a lot. Williams will also not be drawing the top cornerback matchups in a tough division.
Preston Williams is currently being drafted as the wide receiver 58 in the 13th round of drafts. Williams is a bit of a forgotten man in fantasy owners' eyes since he went down with an injury mid-season, and Devante Parker became a reliable WR1. However, Williams is coming back healthy and showed us the potential he had last year in his limited time. Preston Williams was on pace to put up a 1000 yard season in his rookie year before his injury, and this is while the Dolphins were still going back and forth between Fitzpatrick and Rosen. I expect Fitzpatrick to be the starter the entire year for this team while Tua gets used to the NFL game. This is excellent for Williams because Fitzpatrick has shown that he is willing to throw the ball throughout his career no matter what. The Dolphins still boasts a rather mediocre defense, which means they will be throwing the ball a lot, which equates to more targets for Willams and Devante Parker. Another essential note in terms of Williams' value is that he is the clear number 2 option for the Dolphins. The AFC east boasts two of the best lockdown corners in the league in the Patriot's Stephon Gilmore, and the Bill's Tre'davious White. These corners can eliminate a WR from a team's gameplan, but luckily for Williams, they should both end up on Devante Parker. This means four games this year; Parker will be going up against some of the elite corners in the NFL, which could increase Williams' targets in those games. I very much expect Preston Williams to be a reliable flex option every week with the potential to become a high-end WR2 for fantasy teams.
TE
Hayden Hurst (ATL)
TL: DR Walking into the most pass-happy offense in the league and filling the 97 target void left by Austin Hooper.
Hayden Hurst is currently coming off the board as the TE13 in the 9th round of fantasy drafts. The Falcons are the favorite to lead the league in passing attempts this year. This means plenty of opportunities for all of their guys Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, and Hayden Hurst. We saw last year what the TE position for the Falcons could do for fantasy owners. Austin Hooper was the TE1 before he was injured and still finished as the TE7 in fantasy football at year's end. Hurst should be walking into the same role as Hooper because the offensive coordinator (Dirk Koetter) is still calling the plays. When Koetter has been the offensive coordinator for the Falcons (last year and before being the Bucs head coach), he was always pass-happy. He has gotten the best out of Matt Ryan and all the receiving options at his disposal. Even in Tampa, we saw the Koetter offense provide fantasy assets through the air and at TE with Cameron Brate and OJ Howard, both being fantasy options under Koetter. Hurst is being slept on due to the situation he is coming from. He was overshadowed in Baltimore because of how good Mark Andrews is at football. Despite that Hurst still showed us last year he can be a quality NFL TE and now he is in the perfect opportunity to shine. I expect Hurst to be a top 5 option at the TE position this year, and you can grab him late in your drafts.
Mike Geisicki (MIA)
TL: DR Pass happy offense and will be the primary red-zone threat for the team in the receiving game.
Mike Geisicki is currently being drafted as the TE14 in the 10th round of fantasy drafts. Many of the same reasons for why I believe Preston Williams is a sleeper I feel Geisicki is a sleeper. Fitzpatrick will need to throw the ball a lot for the Dolphins to be competitive this season. Geisicki should see plenty of those targets. We already saw chemistry forming between Geisicki and Fitzpatrick last year when Geisicki finished as the TE11 in fantasy football. We saw Geisicki's total 89 targets last year, which ranked 7th among TE. I expect him to see a similar number of targets this year, and if we see his efficiency increase or a few more touchdowns, he will easily finish as a top ten TE this year.
Those are my five sleepers for the WR/TE positions going into fantasy drafts these upcoming weekends. Stay tuned tomorrow where I discuss who I would take at each position in the first round of a fantasy draft.
All ADP data came from Fantasy Pros consensus ADP.
Comentarios