The term sleeper can mean many different things in fantasy football. In one way or another, it is used to describe a player that is undervalued for one or a multitude of reasons. The player can then be considered a sleeper if he is believed to outperform his current evaluation. In fantasy, the best way to determine how a player is being collectively evaluated is by using their average draft position (ADP).
In order to be considered a true sleeper, a player should have an ADP outside of the top 12 at their position and outside the top 96 overall. This assures that the player is being drafted after round eight of 12 team drafts. With this definition of a sleeper in mind, a deep sleeper should have an ADP outside of the top 20 at their position and outside the top 120 players overall. These are players that are not valued highly, probably, because they have an uncertain role in their respective offenses.
Drafting the right deep sleepers can be the difference between making your league’s playoffs or not. Finding the right players to fill in your bench spots can be difficult but it is worth doing your homework on.
Here are 10 deep sleepers that could help you win your league:
10. Emmanuel Sanders, WR, BUF
ADP 132, WR63
Emmanuel Sanders could quietly be the second option on a high-powered Buffalo Bills offense and nobody seems to care. Sanders has had a great NFL career with three 1,000-plus yard seasons under his belt. Last year he posted a respectable 61-726-5 stat line in 14 games with the Saints. Josh Allen is not afraid to throw the ball deep which is exactly where Sanders, who has a career average of 13 yards per reception, thrives. Most defenses will try their best to scheme No. 1 receiver Stefon Diggs into double coverage. This could allow Sanders to have some big games and outperform his current ADP.
9. Nyheim Hines, RB, IND
ADP 146, RB45
Pass-catching specialists can fill in for your team on bye weeks and rack up some points in PPR leagues. Nyheim Hines has hauled in 63 receptions in two out of the three years he’s been in the NFL. This creates a pretty safe floor for a spot-start player. He also has some juicy matchups against the Patriots, Cardinals, and Raiders in the fantasy playoffs (Weeks 15-17). All three ranked in the bottom third of the league in rushing yards allowed in 2020.
8. Dyami Brown, WR, WAS
ADP 171, WR78
Dyami Brown has remained under the radar in what was another extremely talented receiving class in 2021. The rookie enters a Washington offense that is likely to utilize him as the No. 3 receiver behind Terry McLaurin and Curtis Samuel. Expect the Football Team to throw the ball down the field more often with Ryan Fitzpatrick taking over at quarterback. Brown was an exceptional deep threat in college that could produce a few boom weeks.
7. Cole Kmet, TE, CHI
ADP 172, TE22
I don’t recommend waiting on tight end when it comes to fantasy football but there do appear to be a few more sleepers at the position this year. The Bears’ Cole Kmet is one of those such sleepers. The general rule to live by when selecting a TE is to only draft one if they have a realistic chance of getting at least the third-most targets on their offense. Kmet fits the bill.
Only Allen Robinson and Darnell Mooney are expected to receive more opportunities to catch the football. At 6-foot-6, 262-pounds, Kmet embodies the prototypical TE size and has the dreaded rookie season out of the way. He could prove to be one of the better TE2’s in fantasy this year with some TE1 weeks as a realistic outcome.
6. Leonard Fournette, RB, TB
ADP 124, RB39
Playoff Lenny isn’t getting any love coming off a historic postseason performance with a 124 ADP. The Buccaneers return all 22 of their Super Bowl starters and are expected to have a big lead in a lot of games. This is just what the doctor ordered for Leonard Fournette and the Bucs’ run game. Bruce Arians seems to favor Ronald Jones when talking to the media but Fournette played more snaps and had more targets in the 12 games the two were both healthy in last season.
Embed from Getty Images5. Josh Palmer, WR, LAC
ADP 209, WR98
Josh Palmer was a surprising third-round pick by the Chargers. Los Angeles’ offense looks like it is ready to explode into one of the league’s best with Justin Herbert at the helm. Palmer’s fantasy value would skyrocket if Keenan Allen or Mike Williams were to miss any time. Still, he has some significant value as the WR3 in a high-flying offense. If there was an under-the-radar receiver to break out and have a Terry McLaurin-type rookie season, it’s Palmer.
4. Sterling Shepard, WR, NYG
ADP 151, WR69
Sterling Shepard is a poor man’s Jarvis Landry. He has produced WR3 numbers in the past (2018) and he is now in a great situation playing beside Kenny Golladay. This will open up the middle of the field for the slot receiver to get some open looks. Also, if Saquon Barkley misses an extended amount of time a lot of his dump-off catches should be Shepards for the taking.
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3. Nico Collins, WR, HOU
ADP 197, WR89
Nico Collins is a former five-star high school recruit that got coaxed into a bad situation at Michigan. His metrics have alpha receiver written all over them. The Texans’ quarterback situation seems to be up in the air at the moment, but the fact that he steps in as the likely No. 2 target on the team as a rookie is too good to pass up. Reports out of camp have been showering the young pass-catcher with praise. He could be the one bright star for the Texans in 2021.
2. Zach Wilson, QB, NYJ
ADP 180, QB23
Zach Wilson‘s preseason ADP and narrative is looking a lot like Justin Herbert’s was a year ago. I’m not saying Wilson will burst onto the scene like Herbert did but he is extremely talented in his own right. He also lands in one of the best situations that a rookie quarterback could. He has great receivers around him and a proven NFL play-caller in Mike LaFleur. Waiting on a quarterback is a strategy that has become very popular in fantasy football and that’s because it works. However, it only works if you are able to pick up an undervalued stud at the position later on in drafts. Wilson could be your guy in 2020.
1. Terrace Marshall, WR, CAR
ADP 134, WR64
Another rookie on the list. Terrace Marshall is the presumed WR3 for Carolina but he has a skill set that the team has not had in a long time. The Panthers lacked a red-zone threat last season and that’s exactly where Marshall thrives. His ADP is steadily on the rise, so act quickly before he creeps out of the deep sleeper territory. Many people forget that the Panthers supported three 1,000-plus receivers a year ago and Curtis Samuel’s role is now vacant. If anyone is going to fill in, it’s Marshall.
All ADP data was used from underdog fantasy drafts.
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