Sleepers is a word often overused, and a lot of times misused. It’s also a dying word, at least in redraft leagues. Any player that has any slight redraft value will be written up by someone. But, Dynasty offers a little more depth to the term sleeper.
Most Dynasty sleepers are players that would never even sniff a redraft roster, but we Dynasty managers love to add that one player to the back of our bench for the off chance he turns into a startable player at some point, in which case we look like geniuses — or we are completely wrong, we drop him and move on. Either way, here is our collaboration with some of the best…
Dynasty Sleepers to Buy Now, Before the 2023 Season
Embed from Getty ImagesTE Jelani Woods (IND)
With all these new shiny toys coming into the NFL this year, Jalani Woods is not on many people’s radars right now. Woods is an athletic freak at 6-foot-7 252 pounds and runs a 4.61 40 time. He also has an extremely high speed and burst score. Last season, Woods had some impressive glimpses in his rookie year with two top 5 finishes at the tight end position.
The Colts are looking to upgrade the QB position which will help him reach his full potential. Woods can be a valuable throw-in for any trade that most likely won’t break the deal. I’ll be looking to acquire him this off-season as a stash at the end of my benches in multiple leagues. Jamie Perog @JamiePerog
WR Parris Campbell (NYG)
It’s hard to recommend sleeper buys before the NFL Draft. By their nature, sleepers are more frequently the type of players who could get negatively impacted by the draft, so caution is prudent and acquisition cost is key. Parris Campbell is a safe buy target given these conditions. He is still only 25 (26 in July) and has talent; his issue has always been staying healthy. In a full 17-game season for the disastrous 2022 Colts (part of which he played with Sam Ehlinger at QB), Campbell earned 93 targets and caught 63 passes for 623 yards (9.9 ypr) and 3 touchdowns.
There were several weeks where Matt Ryan heavily targeted Campbell and he was useful in DFS cash lineups. In a thin WR free agent market (and with a less-than-stellar rookie class), he was reported to have interest from several teams. He will be a fine slot option for the Giants and a low-cost flex/WR4 on your dynasty roster. I think this signing will allow the team to use Wan’Dale Robinson more creatively, so I’m not too worried about either player here.
As WR82 in DLF ADP, WR75 in Bulletproof ADP, and WR82 on KTC, Campbell’s price in your dynasty leagues should be pretty low. According to DTC and KTC, that cost should be about a 2023 3rd. I’d personally need more, but with 2023 pick values high in their life cycle at the moment, and with the manager perhaps worried about Robinson’s presence hurting Campbell, it’s possible that could get it done.
This is a fairly deep rookie class, so holding that 3rd and sending a safer offer of a 2024 3rd plus a sprinkle might be the better first move. Brian Ford @ffjunkie_
WR Rashid Shaheed (NO)
With the new signing of QB Derek Carr to New Orleans, why not take a shot at Shaheed? He ended last season with 488 yards on 28 receptions with Dalton under center. All while being a wavier wire grab and an afterthought of a wideout to most fantasy managers.
Look, even though Michael Thomas has tweeted about Carr and there are rumors about a contract restructure, he hasn’t played much in three seasons and seems to always get hurt. So that leaves Olave and Shaheed. Remember Carr has proven he can support multiple wideouts before.
I think he would be an excellent bench guy that you can slot in various weeks for PPR value. I’d be willing to throw some trades at him because my managers will be eyeing Olave instead. Courtney Burrows @luvtractor3
Embed from Getty ImagesRB Jerome Ford (CLE)
Ford was someone I enjoyed watching film on coming into the 2022 NFL draft. Ford showed he could handle a heavy workload for an offense and showed value as a receiver. He was my RB4 of the class due to his speed and versatility on the offense. Poor combine numbers dropped him into the fifth draft round to one of the best running teams in the Cleveland Browns.
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Heading into 2023, Kareem Hunt and D’Ernest Johnson are free agents that will likely not be back with the team. This allows Ford to step up and bring the receiving back role and a change of pace for Nick Chubb. We’ve seen Chubb, who is older, miss a few games.
If Ford gets an opportunity to start, he’ll have some solid fantasy value moving forward. Better to grab him down before the NFL draft comes around. Steven Pintado @coachstevenp
RB Keontay Ingram (ARI)
Obviously, things can change with the NFL Draft, but right now, Keontay Ingram is in line for a significant role with the Cardinals. Considering that only James Conner is ahead of him on the depth chart, Ingram could be the main backup on a run-heavy team.
With their starting QB nursing a torn ACL, we could see Arizona’s offense lean heavily on the ground game. Even when Kyler Murray has been healthy, the Cardinals have produced a lot of rushing touchdowns over the course of the young quarterback’s career.
While he may not produce consistently every week, Ingram is a low-cost way to get potential spike weeks. Kyle Senra @SenraSays
TE Jake Ferguson (DAL)
With Dalton Schultz set to leave the Cowboys in free agency, Jake Ferguson looks to have a huge role increase in 2023 and beyond. There’s a new OC in town and while Brian Shottenheimer might not be as pass-heavy as Kellen Moore was, his TEs have always been involved in the offense. Including Dustin Keller and Jared Cook leading their respective teams in targets while under Brian’s playcalling.
Dalton Schultz was fairly healthy but in limited action last year, Jake Ferguson caught 86% of his targets and found the end zone twice. Quarterback, Dak Prescott, has always leaned on his TE too. So if Jake Ferguson is the guy he could become another reliable player at such a scarce fantasy position. His trade value will definitely vary based on scoring.
In a TE Premium league, you might have to pay a little more for him although he shouldn’t be super expensive. In a single TE, no bonus league you can probably get him for a later-round pick. Maybe throw out a bench WR that you’ll never play to sweeten the deal.
One way or another I want some shares of Ferguson. We’ve seen consistent TE play in the Dak era. Go out there and get him! Jerry Wilke @JerryWilkeFM
Embed from Getty ImagesWR Terrace Marshall Jr.(CAR)
The Carolina Panthers kicked off the 2023 offseason with a bang, trading away WR DJ Moore and a multitude of picks for the No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. This trade opens the door wide open for Terrace Marshall Jr. to have a breakout season in 2023.
This does not come without risk, as another poor season for Marshall could mark the end of his time in Carolina. But, the Panthers have already passed on a couple of the biggest WR names (Jakobi Meyers, Juju Smith-Schuster, and Allen Lazard) in an already poor free-agent WR market. Today, the Panthers signed TE Hayden Hurst which will hurt Marshall’s target opportunity slightly.
Even with this addition there is ample opportunity for Terrace Marshall Jr. to break out as the top WR in Carolina. Marshall’s price should still be relatively low even after the DJ Moore trade. However, it may be worth waiting until after the draft, when Carolina could draft a WR in the second round, causing Marshall’s price to drop lower. Either way, Marshall is a sleeper I am targeting in my dynasty leagues this off-season. Micah Peters @FF_MP9
RB Malik Davis (DAL)
With Ezekiel Elliott officially gone from the Cowboys backfield, it is finally Tony Pollard’s show…or is it? Going as far back as college, Pollard has never been a bell cow-type running back, in fact, he’s listed as an RB/WR on Sports-Reference.com and 78 carries in his Junior season was his career high.
For as long as he has been in the NFL he has played behind Ezekiel Elliott and logged a career-high 193 carries last season. That’s not to say Pollard can or won’t be effective, in fact, I think he will be extremely efficient with the touches he gets. But, I don’t see the Cowboys giving him a full workload like they did Zeke early in his career, and as it stands right now, Malik Davis is the next man up.
He looked good in limited time last season, averaging a respectable 4.24ypc on 38 attempts and adding six catches for 63 yards. Do I expect him to be an every-week flex for you in fantasy? Of course not. But, he could be good for a spot start here or there, and God forbid Pollard ever goes down with an injury, Davis will step into a huge workload.
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