Besides winning your fantasy championships, one of the most gratifying aspects of fantasy football is identifying sleepers. Providing immense value on your draft picks allows you to win fantasy championships.
Here is my attempt at gratification with the list of 10 deep sleepers you can have in your queues during your upcoming fantasy football drafts.
- Fantasy Football Draft Strategy
- 2023 Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- Expert Consensus Fantasy Football Draft Rankings
- Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator
10 Deep Sleepers (2023 Fantasy Football)
Colt McCoy (QB – ARI)
I was even surprised to include Colt McCoy as a fantasy sleeper. McCoy is, at best, a journeyman quarterback who has had the opportunity to start on multiple NFL teams but continues to prove that he cannot be a consistent starter in this league. However, McCoy will start this season as the Arizona Cardinals starter, with Kyler Murray still not completely recovered from his ACL surgery. Plenty of fantasy managers will ignore McCoy, but his best ability is availability.
So if you are in a Superflex league, draft McCoy with one of your last picks, and maybe you catch lightning in the bottle when you are forced to insert him in your lineup in a bye week. McCoy has some explosive weapons at his disposal, with Marquise Brown and Rondale Moore allowing him to break a game-changing play.
Ty Chandler (RB – MIN)
put Ty Chandler in bubble wrap until Week 1 pic.twitter.com/A70xHY6Rmi
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) August 11, 2023
The release of Dalvin Cook left a massive hole in the Vikings’ backfield, which provided ample opportunity for someone to step up and take over the featured back role in Minnesota. Most assumed it would be Alexander Mattison automatically taking over the role, but Mattison has yet to prove he is ready for a full-time role. Mattison has exhibited flashes in small sample sizes, yet we should hesitate to jump on that bandwagon.
The Vikings have other options at running back, including the young versatile Ty Chandler. Chandler shined in the Vikings’ first preseason games with 60 total yards on 15 touches. He showed a burst and the ability to catch the ball from the backfield. His shiftiness makes him an exciting player who should carve out a role as a passing game option and a timeshare with Mattison in a running back rotation.
Jordan Mason (RB – SF)
Jordan Mason took advantage of the opportunity when Elijah Mitchell missed time with an injury that forced him to miss all but five games last season. Mason was impressive in his rookie season, exhibiting the bruising style the Niners lack in their multi-faceted offense. Mitchell and all-world starter Christian McCaffrey aren’t reliable, healthy options that leave the door open for Mason to earn valuable touches and be the ideal handcuff running back to stash on their fantasy rosters.
An injury to either of those backs allows you to step into a considerable role worthy of a draft selection with one of the final picks of your fantasy drafts.
Deuce Vaughn (RB – DAL)
Deuce Vaughn vs Jacksonville Jaguars, Preseason Week 2.
All rush attempts and targets. pic.twitter.com/UxQO609U84
— Zareh Kantzabedian (@ZKantzFF) August 13, 2023
Every NFL preseason has players that surprise, and fantasy managers jump at the opportunity to obtain them. The next player on that list is the Dallas Cowboys running back Deuce Vaughn. Vaughn, the Cowboys’ sixth-round pick, shined in his first NFL preseason action by rushing eight times for 50 yards and one touchdown. His highlights displayed plenty of wiggle and juice at Kansas St. The Cowboys depth chart behind starter Tony Pollard is pretty bare, leaving the door open for Vaughn to a direct path to touches in an explosive Cowboys offense.
Marvin Mims (WR – DEN)
The Denver Broncos’ second-round pick looks to have a more significant role in the offense with the season-ending injury to Tim Patrick. Mims possesses incredible speed and provides a much-needed deep threat to the Broncos’ offense. The biggest obstacle to his success will be the play of Russell Wilson.
Is Russell Wilson cooked? Sean Payton takes over the Broncos and has an uphill battle fixing Wilson. Any upgrade for Wilson should lift all of the Broncos’ weapons, including Mims, to be top fantasy options.
Puka Nacua (WR-LAR)
GET TO KNOW THE NAME…
Puka. Nacua. pic.twitter.com/wBkmI2LooF
— Derek Brown (aka Ugly John Daigle) (@DBro_FFB) August 13, 2023
Puka Nacua is probably the most trending wideout that no one knows about. The fifth-round pick out of BYU continues to climb the Rams’ depth chart and projects to be the WR3 on the Rams’ offense when we kick off Week 1. Nacua is shining in training camp, and the coaching staff is excited for the rookie, who caught three of five targets for 32 yards and a score in his first NFL preseason game.
He will continue to have plenty of preseason action as the depth chart behind starters Cooper Kupp and Van Jefferson doesn’t scare any defenses. The Rams should rebound to an explosive offense with the returns of quarterback Matthew Stafford and Kupp, leading to Nacau being a sneaky deep sleeper option for fantasy managers.
Michael Wilson (WR – ARI)
Cardinals rookie WR Michael Wilson with a catch on 3rd and 5 pic.twitter.com/T0wxVIaqA1
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) August 12, 2023
Injury concerns dropped Michael Wilson to the No. 94 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Michael Wilson missed 12 straight months at Stanford with two consecutive foot fractures. Wilson then played only six games last season before breaking his collarbone. Wilson showcased his talent in the Senior Bowl when he caught four passes for 76 yards and a score.
Wilson enters an Arizona Cardinals wide receiver room that just released their WR1, DeAndre Hopkins, allowing Wilson to have a shot at securing a role in the Cardinals offense as a rookie. His stock continues to rise, and he is the favorite to start opposite Marquise Brown and become a boundary option for an offense that will hopefully see Kyler Murray return behind center.
Jake Ferguson (TE – DAL)
100% starter snaps. 3-of-3 targets.
4.75 YPRR.
Turn that up Jake Ferguson 🔉🔊 pic.twitter.com/cCiqX1xw2x
— Hayden Winks (@HaydenWinks) August 14, 2023
Fantasy managers automatically assumed that rookie second-round pick Luke Schoonmaker would be the tight end to draft this season in anticipation of taking over the starting job at tight end for the Cowboys. However, the rookie tight end still hasn’t recovered from his off-season foot surgery which opened the door for Jake Ferguson to walk in and take over the No. 1 tight end for the Cowboys.
The lead tight end for a Dak Prescott-led offense has averaged 94 targets per game across the last three seasons. Ferguson enters an ideal opportunity to jump into the Cowboys’ starting lineup and, more importantly, your fantasy weekly lineups.
Cade Otton (TE – TB)
Cade Otton led rookie TEs with 42 catches in 2022? That can't be right…pic.twitter.com/s7X0qbqFBg
— Scott Spratt (@Scott_Spratt) July 24, 2023
Cade Otton had the luxury of catching passes from the GOAT Tom Brady last season, but this season, he will have to settle for Baker Mayfield or Kyle Trask. Otton led all rookie tight ends with 42 receptions last season and entered this season as the Bucs’ TE1. Along with a new quarterback, the Bucs will have a new offensive system implemented, and Otton should serve as a security blanket for either Mayfield or Trask.
Regardless of who gets the starting nod, the offense has multiple weapons, including an elite duo of wideouts and ascending sophomore running back Racaad White, leaving plenty of room for Otton to be a solid receiving outlet. Look for Otton to give fantasy managers sneaky value in deeper leagues.
Cole Turner (TE – WAS)
Cole Turner had a good day. pic.twitter.com/oCItTatxGE
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) August 12, 2023
The tight end position has always been integral to an Eric Beieniemy offense. The Commanders currently list Logan Thomas as the TE1 on their depth chart. However, Thomas has had issues staying healthy across the last two seasons, as evidenced by playing in 20 total games. Enter Cole Turner. Turner shined in training camp but was sidelined with a hamstring injury that hampered the entire season.
Turner returns healthy and is expected to make a big jump in the new Commanders’ offense. He showed chemistry with presumed starting quarterback Sam Howell on the first-team offense was on the field. Turner caught three passes, including a crucial fourth-down reception to keep the chains moving. Turner is one of the better deep options at tight end with ample opportunities to shine and a deep sleeper that no one is talking about.
More Players to Target & Avoid
- Pat Fitzmaurice: (Targets | Avoids) (Premium)
- Andrew Erickson: (Targets | Avoids) (Premium)
- Derek Brown: (Targets | Avoids) (Premium)
- Fantasy Football Sleepers for Every Team (Premium)
- How to Identify Fantasy Football Busts (Premium)
- Erickson’s Guide to Drafting Players on Good Offenses
- Fantasy Football Draft Values for Every Round
- Hoppen’s Final Round Draft Dart Throws
- Predicting First-Round Bust Candidates
- DBro’s Wide Receiver Lottery Tickets
- Erickson’s Running Back Lottery Tickets
- Hoppen’s 4 Players Who Could Become First-Round Picks Next Year
- Players to Target in Each Round (v2 | v3)
- Players to Avoid in Each Round
- Late-Round Draft Targets
- Late-Round QB Targets in Superflex Leagues | More QB Sleepers
- Late-Round RB Targets | More RB Sleepers | July RB Targets
- Late-Round WR Targets
- Late-Round TE Targets
- Deep Dart Throw Draft Targets
- WRs to Target in the RB Dead Zone (v2)| RBs to Avoid in the RB Dead Zone | RBs to Target in RB Dead Zone
- Identifying the Next WR1s | Identifying the Next RB1s
- 2022 Duds That Will Become 2023 Studs
- 4 Kickers To Target at the End of Drafts
- Making the Case for RB1
- Post-Hype Sleepers
- The Worst Fantasy Football Team You Could Draft at ADP
- 7 Safest Players to Draft
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Dennis Sosic is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Dennis, check out his archive and follow him @CALL_ME_SOS.
