Discover a diverse range of fantasy football sleepers, from under-the-radar gems with substantial upside to late-round steals who can outperform their average draft positions. This comprehensive list of players, spanning from Round 8 into the double-digit rounds, aims to provide potential league-winning options while offering tremendous value. I selected the start of Round 8 (picks 85 and beyond in a traditional 12-team league) as my cut-off for fantasy football sleepers because I’ve often found that’s the range in the draft when we start to see breakout RBs emerge. Let’s dive into my favorite fantasy football sleepers to draft.
The main goal is that one or several of them beat their average draft positions (ADP) by a significant margin, akin to performances from De’Von Achane, Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams from last season. So, this fantasy football sleeper list is less about players I view as “values” at their current ADP (they get an honorable mention) and more about potential-level jumpers.
Rookies tend to be undervalued across the fantasy football landscape. Although they are a bit less “slept” on the Sleeper platform, they will also be featured in the comprehensive fantasy football sleeper article.
Be prepared to find hidden talents across all teams, including those in unexpected situations. My only requirement is that these players possess ADPs in half-PPR outside the top 84 players (in some capacity because this can vary by draft platform). It’s too soon for me to be attacked by “he’s not a sleeper in MY league” social media trolls.
Hence why Jaylen Warren doesn’t quite make the cut (he’s usually a Round 7 pick) although he goes much later in the Sleeper Platform (95th overall). Because of the suspension fear, Rashee Rice‘s ADP is also over the place. But as I wrote in the Fantasy Football ADP Risers & Fallers (NFL Training Camp), no news about a penalty tells me this is going to be a 2025 issue. Rice isn’t a typical fantasy football sleeper, but is way undervalued across many draft platforms. Buy the dip. Rice showcased promise in his rookie season with the Chiefs, tallying 105 receptions for 1,200 yards and 8 touchdowns in 20 games, earning him a 19% target share. Despite an average of 10.9 fantasy points per game, he surged post-Week 6, averaging 12.1 points and ranking within the top 20.
Fantasy Football Sleepers
Round 8 Fantasy Football Sleepers (84-96)
Brian Robinson Jr. (RB – WAS)
Anthony Lynn is the new run game coordinator for the Commanders and could similarly deploy Austin Ekeler-Brian Robinson to Ekeler-Melvin Gordon circa 2019. Ekeler saw heavy targets back then (92 catches in 2019) but another RB (Kenyan Drake/James Conner) was earning all the red-zone work. That could be Robinson in 2023, which makes him the better Commander RB to target, especially at a cheaper cost. He’s being drafted exactly where he was last season despite a strong sophomore campaign. He finished RB22 overall and was 21st in points per game (12.0). He was the carbon-copy fantasy RB2 that started hot – RB4 Weeks 1-11 and 11th in points per game (13.5) – just to crawl to the finish line (RB51 from Week 12 onward averaging 7.8 points per game). The receiving usage with a mobile QB and Ekeler in the fold likely won’t be a large part of Robinson’s 2024 production (although he is underrated as a pass-catcher in his own right) but that’s baked into his ADP as a fantasy RB3. What’s being overlooked is he should benefit from some boosted rushing efficiency in this offense (thank you mobile QB), along with seeing the bulk of red zone work. Kingbury’s first three seasons with Arizona saw his offense rank top 7 in rushing TDs (twice inside the top 4). Over the four seasons, the team’s leading RB rushed for an average of ten TDs.
Xavier Worthy (WR – KC)
Texas’ Xavier Worthy quickly made a name for himself with his standout speed and playmaking prowess at the college level. At 6 feet 1 inch and 172 pounds, Worthy distinguished himself early, notching 62 receptions for 981 yards and 12 touchdowns in his freshman year. He capped off his college career with over 1,000 yards and 5 touchdowns in his junior year, securing a 30% career dominator rating (the second highest in his class) and the youngest breakout age at 18. His abilities have drawn comparisons to DeSean Jackson, underscoring his potential impact with his elite speed. Set to join the Chiefs as a 1st-rounder, Worthy is expected to compete for a significant role, in a high-powered offense. The upside is through the roof, and Worthy has been “as advertised” throughout training camp after missing portions of OTAs with an injury.
All in all, I’m not going to overthink this one when it comes to projecting the Kansas City target shares etc. Sometimes, a rookie lands in the exact ideal landing spot we hope and pray for. And that’s how I view Xavier Worthy landing with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. Reminds me of De’Von Achane landing in Miami last season. It just fits like a glove.
The future is now in Kansas City, and his name is Xavier Worthy. The undersized wide receiver checks off nearly all the boxes I could desire in a rookie prospect. All. In. Elite upside that you can secure as a bench WR in case the Chiefs slow play their Lamborghini.
Round 9 Fantasy Football Sleepers (97-108)
Jayden Daniels (QB – WAS)
Jayden Daniels played five seasons of college ball, totaling 55 games. He’s ready to go as a passer more than we traditionally see from most rookie passers. He led the NCAA in yards per attempt (11.5) and finished as Pro Football Focus’ (PFF) second-highest graded passer (92.0) in his final season at LSU.
His ability to add value as a rusher makes him the perfect late-round QB to hyper-target. Daniels can thrive in a familiar Kliff Kingsbury system with underrated weapons already entrenched at the skill positions. In college, the No.2 overall pick rushed for over 3,300 yards – 60 rushing yards per game. Last year’s third quarterback selected, Anthony Richardson, also averaged 60 rushing yards per game in the college ranks.
Among the crop of rookie QBs, Daniels has – by far – the best chance of finishing as a fantasy QB1 in 2024. We saw Kingsbury work his magic with Kyler Murray en route to an Offensive Rookie of the Year (OROY) award. Murray was QB7 overall in his rookie season. He finished as the QB12 in points per game as a rookie, third in carries and second in rushing yards.
In other real-life NFL drafts without Caleb Williams-level talent at the top, Daniels would have easily been the No. 1 overall pick. He’s my favorite bet to win OROY in 2024.
Rome Odunze (WR – CHI)
Fade the target competition in Chicago and buy into the talent at a suppressed cost. Rome Odunze was selected in the top 10 in the real-life 2024 NFL Draft for a REASON.
His college tenure at Washington was characterized by steady progression, peaking in his junior year with 75 catches, 1,145 yards, and 7 TDs, and further elevating in 2023 with 81 receptions for 1,428 yards and 13 TDs, despite battling injuries. His senior performance earned him a spot on the AP first team and a career-high 33% dominator rating, placing him fourth in his draft class. Notably, Odunze had a breakout season at 19 during his sophomore year, underlining his early development. Drafted 9th overall by the Chicago Bears, he starts the season as the WR3 but has the potential to secure a more significant role as the year progresses. His blend of size, resilience, and early breakout age positions him as a promising fantasy asset.
Christian Watson (WR – GB)
Christian Watson tallied 13 red-zone targets in just 9 games played in 2023. Watson also had a whopping 15 end-zone targets during the regular and postseason combined (6th).
The 3rd-year WR has a high ceiling when healthy as both a big-play and red-zone threat, but it cannot be realized until he solves his hamstring woes.
Offseason reports have been positive regarding Watson’s hamstrings, providing some hope that he can put it together in Year 3.
Because one cannot forget how elite Watson was as a rookie. His 26% target rate per route run was elite, ranking 17th among all WRs with at least 400 snaps. His 2.47 yards per route run ranked inside the top 10. From Week 10 through Week 18, Watson ranked first in yards per route run (2.78). Over the same span, Watson was the WR9 in both total points and on a per-game basis.
In Watson’s last 15 games in total, he still averaged 13.3 points per game – same as Ja’Marr Chase from 2023.
Per FantasyPros’ own Derek Brown (DBro), from Weeks 5-13, Watson led the team in target share (17.7%), air-yard share (36.7%), YPRR (1.79), end zone targets (14), first-read share (22.3%), and FD/RR (0.081).
Round 10 Fantasy Football Sleepers (109-120)
Chase Brown (RB – CIN)
Second-year RB Chase Brown is primed for a breakout in 2024. He showcased his abilities as a rookie, demonstrating his versatility as both a rusher and a receiver alongside a healthy Joe Mixon. Even with a hamstring injury sidelining him in October, he proved his worth and earned opportunities on the field. And he was running routes, which we love for RBs in PPR formats. One notable aspect in Brown’s favor is his explosiveness, evident in his impressive ball carrier speed on a 54-yard touchdown reception, as documented by NFL’s Next Gen Stats. During OTAs Brown drew rave reviews from his QB/HC with his pass-catching prowess. He then took the majority of 1st-team reps during the start of training camp while being praised for his immense consistency by Zac Taylor. I think Brown wins the Bengals RB1 job over journeyman RB, Zack Moss (despite what the Bengals preseason depth chart might suggest).
Blake Corum (RB – LAR)
Blake Corum would be super productive in the Kyren Williams role for Sean McVay as a do-it-all RB. Rams HC coach Sean McVay linked Corum’s game and style to Williams, and they selected him in the 3rd round as a result. I don’t think the Corum selection denounces Williams as the starting RB1 in LA, but it gives McVay another option in case Williams suffers another injury. The third-year RB has gotten hurt both years he has played in the NFL. Last year, the Rams went right back to Kyren, with nobody else worth much on the depth chart. Corum changes that equation substantially. Because if he hits (I’d bet he does) with his opportunities in the wake of another Williams injury, McVay might not be so loyal/open to turning the backfield back to Williams. Given the Corum addition, I’d strongly fade Williams as a top 2024 redraft pick while hyper-targeting the former Wolverine as a premier late-round RB target. Any volume that Corum takes on in the Rams’ backfield will hurt Williams’ fantasy value. Corum had his best season to date in 2023, as he aided in Michigan’s championship run as the focal point of the team’s offensive rushing attack. The 5-foot-8 and 205-pound rusher posted a 33% dominator rating in his final season with the Wolverines rushing for 1,245 yards and 27 touchdowns. He recorded the third-highest dominator rating among RBs in 2023. His breakout year came in 2021, demonstrating his potential as a leading rusher – 944 rushing yards and 11 TDs, which was good for a 19% dominator rating and set the stage for an even more impressive 2022 season. That year, Corum rushed for over 1,400 yards with 18 touchdowns en route to a 27% dominator rating. Corum improved every single season to tie a bow on his college career with a 23% dominator rating – a near top-five mark in his RB class. He showed talent at an early age after splitting time as a true freshman with future NFL RBs Hassan Haskins and Zach Charbonnet. He also overcame 2022 knee surgery, which didn’t stop him from a monster 2023 campaign (even if he was slightly less efficient). Corum was super productive as a rusher all three seasons as the featured weapon, which is further highlighted by his 3.09 yards per snap on offense. One of just six players in the class to crest the 3.00 yards per snap/play threshold. Yards per play is a great indicator of future success with recent late-round standouts in that category over the past three years including Keaton Mitchell, Tyjae Spears, Elijah Mitchell, Rhamondre Stevenson, Rachaad White and Tyler Allgeier. This metric also confirmed the status of last year’s first-rounders Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson, both of whom graded positively in that category.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR – SEA)
In his first season, JSN managed 63 receptions from 93 targets (17.5% target share), totaling 628 yards. Smith-Njigba only scored 4 touchdowns resulting in lackluster efficiency in PPG as the WR48 overall. But it shouldn’t be forgotten that the former 1st-rounder suffered a wrist injury that contributed to his slow start. He started to hit his stride after Week 6 where he averaged 8.2 points per game. But still over this span, his route participation (74%, 50th and 64% snap share) and high-end target competition between Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf made it tough for JSN to produce. With more opportunities in 2024 at just 22 years old, Smith-Njigba is a cheap and easy breakout candidate if he can overtake one of the other Seattle WRs (most likely Lockett). He flashed his YAC-ability as a short underneath target, with the 12th-highest YAC/reception (5.9) in 2023. And when he was on the field his targets/snap were nearly identical to his two teammates. So far this offseason, the Seahawks’ training camp drum beat has been loud for JSN experiencing a true second-year breakout under new OC Ryan Grubb.
Trevor Lawrence (QB – JAC)
In 2023, Trevor Lawrence ranked first in the NFL in expected passing yards per game (260). The offense ranked 4th in pass rate over expectation (2.8%). This offense is going to throw. A lot. With big-play threats such as Brian Thomas Jr. and Gabe Davis entering the fold, we could see Lawrence throw for a boatload of yards in 2024. The AFC South is going to be a shootout after a shootout. Buy Lawrence as the QB16 in ADP – a total of 8 spots down from his 2023 ADP.
Round 11 Fantasy Football Sleepers (121-132)
Brian Thomas Jr. (WR – JAC)
Calvin Ridley and Zay Jones combined for 200 targets last season. Considering Gabe Davis has never commanded 100 targets in a single season, rookie Brian Thomas is looking at close to at least 100-plus targets in the Jaguars offense. That’s a very encouraging benchmark for a rookie WR – given every rookie in the last few years to hit that threshold has drastically exceeded expectations and finished at least top-4 in receiving yards among rookie WRs. I fully expected BTJ to take over the Calvin Ridley role, who was miscast as a field stretcher last season. That role was salivating for fantasy purposes: 1800-plus air yards 23% target share, 36% air yards share, NFL leader in end zone targets and WR10 expected points per game.
Curtis Samuel (WR – BUF)
Curtis Samuel finished the 2023 season as the WR44 overall, averaging 7.9 fantasy points per game as the WR52 in points per game (7.9) in his final season with the Washington Commanders. Par for the course when it comes to Samuel, who always seems to string together consecutive weeks of production before seeing his numbers drop off because of injury. His receiving numbers were nearly identical to his 2020 campaign, albeit he was more efficient as Washington’s primary slot WR. Unfortunately, he was barely used as a rusher with only 7 carries compared to 38 in 2022. Entering his age 28 season, Samuel has never finished higher than WR25 at any point during his career, regulating him to WR4 fantasy status barring extreme circumstances. He will have his fair share of productive weeks, but nothing to move the needle as a fantasy game-changer. However, it needs to be noted his best season came in 2020 with the Carolina Panthers under Joe Brady, his new OC in Buffalo. In Samuel’s last year with Brady in Carolina, he played 72% of his snaps from the slot. Attached to Josh Allen in a full-time role, Samuel has a nice sleeper appeal in the Bills offense, especially with Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis gone from the offense.
Pat Freiermuth (TE – PIT)
Pat Freiermuth was 27th in points per game during the regular season (5.1) in 12 games and 5.5 points per game, including the postseason. He hardly moved the needle despite ranking 16th in route participation. He dealt with injuries, and the Steelers offense wasn’t good enough to support three viable pass-catchers, plus the RBs. However, it wasn’t all bad. His three spiked weeks suggest he can still deliver when called upon. There’s only a handful of tight ends capable of a 9-120 stat line on 11 targets with Kenny Pickett at QB. His 2023 TE29 finish is the worst of his career, after finishing as the TE8 and TE13 the two previous seasons. Smells like an outlier for a young, uber-talented tight end with draft capital (former 55th overall pick). Now is a great opportunity to buy the dip on the 25-year-old in a contract year with a better QB in Pittsburgh. And although many hate Steelers OC Arthur Smith, he has always featured tight ends in his offense (at least from a target perspective). The Falcons ranked third in targets to tight ends in 2023. And there’s been a constant stream of positivity out of the Steelers’ camp of Freiermuth being an integral part of the new-look 2024 Steelers offense.
Round 12 Fantasy Football Sleepers (133-144)
J.K. Dobbins (RB – LAC)
List of RBs with a higher yards per carry than Dobbins over the last 2 seasons: De’Von Achane.
The talent is there with J.K. Dobbins and the market has recognized it. The last time Dobbins returned from a season-long injury (2022 season) he was drafted as the RB23. 54th overall. 48th overall in 2023. RB31 in 2020. Now he’s a double-digit pick well outside the top 100.
In Dobbins’ last five games, including the playoffs at the end of the 2022 season, he averaged an impressive 6.6 yards per carry, 92 rushing yards, and 14 carries per game.
Gus Edwards entered the Chargers offseason banged up and there has been zero buzz around rookie Kimani Vidal since he was drafted.
Meanwhile, Greg Roman has been saying all the right things about Dobbins, calling him a huge asset. When Roman coached both Edwards and Dobbins during his time spent in Baltimore, Dobbins was also viewed as the clear-cut starter above Edwards.
Neal ElAttrache did Dobbins’ Achilles surgery and has spoken glowingly about him. The same guy who did Cam Akers…when he came back in the same year. It took some time, but Akers did lead the NFL in rushing the last 6 weeks of the 2022 season…after the torn Achilles. After Akers tore his right Achilles, he tore his left Achilles at the start of November. He played in the 2024 Hall of Fame Game for the Houston Texans, 9 months later. Dobbins is approaching nearly 12 months from his tear.
Last point. NFL’s Daniel Jeremiah is super plugged into the Ravens and Chargers. He did not hold back regarding Dobbins as the back-to-own for fantasy football in LA’s backfield in a Move The Sticks podcast summer episode.
Rico Dowdle (RB – DAL)
It remains to be seen whether Rico Dowdle can usurp Ezekiel Elliott as the Dallas RB1, but the early training camp reports have been glowing about the 5th-year RB. He’s looked explosive and the team knows that he can offer more juice than Zeke. Dowdle was ninth in yards per touch and 18th in juke rate last season. Now it’s just a matter of getting those red-zone touches over Elliott. So far throughout the summer, Dowdle has gotten extensive looks in high-leverage situations per the Athletic.
Jon Machota of the Athletic also writes that Dowdle is the in-house ‘favorite’ to lead the Cowboys in rushing.
Round 13 Fantasy Football Sleepers (145-156)
Josh Palmer (WR – LAC)
Josh Palmer was pacing for nearly 1200 yards last season before his injury. 17-game pace: 72-1198-4 on 117 targets. 36th in receiving yards per game. He was fully on his way to a breakout. Year 4 there’s no stopping this man. At worst, he’s a solid in-house option on the roster who has the most built-in chemistry with Justin Herbert.
Nico Collins‘ 2022 yards per route run was the same as Palmer’s in 2023 (1.9) per ESPN analytics. Child, please.
Dontayvion Wicks (WR – GB)
While Christian Watson missed time, 2023 5th-round rookie Dontayvion Wicks stepped up. He caught 39 passes from 58 targets for 581 yards at 14.9 yards per reception during the regular season. The 6-foot-1 and 206-pound WR averaged nearly 2.0 yards per route run – which ranked 27th among all WRs and 5th among all rookie WRs (also identical to his fellow rookie Jayden Reed). Per True Media, Wicks’ first downs per route run tied Davante Adams for 18th among all players. Given Jordan Love‘s tendency to spread the “love” between his pass-catchers displayed in 2023…Wicks could emerge as one of the top pass-catchers in this ascending Packers offense. Wicks outgained Doubs in their last 8 regular season games played together.
Round 14 Fantasy Football Sleepers (157-168)
Deshaun Watson (QB – CLE)
Watson hit nearly 18 points per game in his five full starts and was a top-12 fantasy QB in three of his six games played last season. He ran the ball effectively in all his starts, averaging 28.4 rushing yards per game. Watson also went 5-1 as Cleveland’s starting quarterback.
He’s not Joe Flacco (one can dream), but this offense can be very fantasy-viable for a gun-slinging QB with his weapons of Amari Cooper, David Njoku, Elijah Moore and Jerry Jeudy.
Watson is super cheap (QB23 ADP) even after being discounted last season. Like it or not, there’s a pretty easy path for him to accrue a 20 points-per-game pace in 2024. Flacco averaged nearly 22 points per game.
We see reclamation projects every year at QB turn back the clock and get back to an earlier form. Watson might never been what he was in Houston, but his archetype isn’t hard to see churn out a fantasy QB1 season if healthy.
Jaleel McLaughlin (RB – DEN)
Bo Nix‘s projected No. 1 check-down option in the passing game. Jaleel McLaughlin looks to be that GUY in 2024. Sean Payton’s offenses love throwing to RBs so I expect McLaughlin to be a PPR machine in addition to whatever he can add as a rusher. Last season as an undrafted free agent, McLaughlin made a case to be the No. 2 RB in Mile High. He was super-efficient as a rookie finishing second in the NFL in yards per carry at 5.4. Per FantasyPros’ own Derek Brown (DBro), McLaughlin ranked 14th in explosive run rate, fifth in missed tackles forced per attempt, fourth in yards after contact per attempt, and fourth in yards per route run.
Denver made it a point to get him involved in the passing game when he was on the field, as he also ranked first in targets per route run (44%) ahead of Chase Brown (43%) and Javonte Williams (37%).
Adonai Mitchell (WR – IND)
Adonai Mitchell had a standout season with the Texas Longhorns, achieving a 32% dominator rating with 11 touchdowns from 55 receptions. Standing at 6’2″ and weighing 205 pounds, his physique is well-suited for an outside receiver role. While he boasts the physical tools and deep threat potential akin to D.J. Chark Jr. or Alec Pierce, the Colts second-rounder enters a situation where he may play third fiddle behind Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs. This could limit his weekly fantasy production, although his knack for big plays makes him a worthy consideration in best-ball formats, offering occasional high-scoring outings. But Mitchell has a golden opportunity for more spiked week potential early on in the 2024 season, given the ankle injury to Downs. The rookie WR is worth drafting and rostering to see how things shake out to open the year for this exciting Colts offense. As an explosive vertical threat, Mitchell’s game could translate well to second-year QB Anthony Richardson‘s big arm.
Keep in mind that you shouldn’t overdraft Mitchell. He is still competing with Alec Pierce for that perimeter role opposite Michael Pittman Jr. We could see the Colts use rookie 5th-rounder, Anthony Gould, as the No. 1 slot. The speedy Oregon State WR ran a sub 4.4 at the NFL Combine and offers high-end special teams skills.
Honorable Mentions:
Round 15 Fantasy Football Sleepers (169-180)
Justin Fields (QB – PIT)
If he ends up as the starting QB for the Steelers, Fields would easily be ranked inside my top-8 fantasy QBs. Worth the flier. Fields was ranked as my QB5 in my super early 2024 QB rankings because he scored nearly 22 points per game from Week 4 onward with the Bears last season.
Hunter Henry (TE – NE)
If I miss out on Pat Friermuth as my late-round tight end de jour, Hunter Henry is my next go-to target. Henry figures to be a “featured” piece in Alex Van Pelt’s offense that relies heavily on TEs, especially in the red zone. Jacoby Brissett has averaged 6.6 yards per attempt since 2016. Checkdowns are coming Henry’s way if the veteran opens the year as QB1. The veteran tight end has averaged nearly 6 receiving TDs per year as a member of the Patriots. He’s a proven producer and vastly underrated as a late-round tight end option. We’ve seen in the past Brissett fuel the likes of Jack Doyle to fantasy goodness with the Colts. Doyle was a top-20 tight end both seasons that Brissett started including a TE9 finish in 2017. He caught 80 balls on over 100 targets.
Round 16 Fantasy Football Sleepers (181-192)
Michael Wilson (WR – ARI)
Michael Wilson‘s impressive performance in Week 18 showcased his potential in the Arizona Cardinals’ passing game. With a 21% target share, he hauled in all 6 of his targets for 95 yards, demonstrating his reliability and big-play ability. Wilson’s consistent involvement in the offense, evidenced by running routes on 80% of dropbacks (35th among all WRs), solidifies his role as a full-time contributor moving forward, as the clear-cut No. 2 WR behind rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. Wilson’s strong finish to the season, averaging 15.5 fantasy points per game in the absence of Marquise Brown, further underscores his value and potential impact in the Cardinals’ aerial attack in 2024. He won’t be the No. 1 with MHJ and Trey McBride on the roster, but he should still be viewed as a clear notch ahead of Zay Jones and slot wide receiver, Greg Dortch.
Tyrone Tracy Jr. (RB – NYG)
Devin Singletary is by far the weakest veteran RB any of these Day 3 rookie RBs are competing for touches/snaps with. Singletary does everything right but doesn’t “wow” coaches on the field. Therefore, Giants 5th-round pick Tyrone Tracy could be an upside play in the Giants’ backfield should Singletary flounder with the starting gig. Keep in mind that in Tracy’s first year playing RB at Purdue after switching from WR, he led his draft class in yards after contact per attempt. He could be the Giants’ RB1, or he could be completely nothing given his inexperience at the position. Although training camp reports have been glowing regarding Tracy’s pass-catching chops, music to my ears for an offense that is in desperate need of playmakers.
Darnell Mooney (WR – ATL)
Darnell Mooney told reporters during training camp and Kirk Cousins are locker neighbors. Mooney added Cousins is always giving him insight.
“Kirk’s the guy. He’s the reason why everything’s flowing.”
Locker room narrative? Consider me a believer. Cousins has the chance to help unlock Mooney’s true potential that he flashed during his 1,000-yard campaign with the Bears when he shined with brightest posting a 27% target share.
Nearly 40% of deep targets to Darnell Mooney have been inaccurate in his career over that span the #1 most accurate QB on deep targets (20+ yards downfield) is Mooney’s new QB: Kirk Cousins per Warren Sharp.
Falcons director of player personnel Ryan Pace drafted Mooney in the fifth round in 2020. So although most of the NFL viewed the Mooney acquisition as a massive overpay in free agency by Atlanta, they know exactly the player they are getting. Every year we get WR contracts in free agency that make us go “huh?” Last year it was Jakobi Meyers, the year before that it was Christian Kirk. Usually, you want to shy away from WR in FA switching teams, but Mooney has so much upside in this pass-heavy offense. The targets might be hard to come by on the surface, but a pass-happy offense can potentially feed more than one weapon. One also must consider Atlanta was extremely healthy on offense last year, which tends to regress annually. If someone goes down in this Falcons offense, expect Mooney’s fantasy value to launch to the moon.
Roschon Johnson (RB – CHI)
I can’t help but think the best fantasy value in the Chicago backfield is second-year RB Roschon Johnson, who should/could emerge as the primary receiving back/third-down RB for the Bears with his excellent pass-blocking chops. The only rookie RB who had more pass-blocking snaps than Johnson last season was Tyjae Spears (who played two more games). I like the chances of Johnson at 219 pounds to be the Bears’ goal-line back in 2024 – an easy access point to fantasy production. D’Andre Swift has been an afterthought as a red-zone rusher on his last TWO teams, but his backfield teammates between Jamaal Williams and Jalen Hurts have averaged 16 rushing TDs. And typically…second-year RBs that fail to fire as rookies are the best bets to see BOOMs in value the following season.
Final Round Fantasy Football Sleepers:
Khalil Herbert (RB – CHI), Ja’Lynn Polk (WR – NE), Javon Baker (WR – NE), DeMario Douglas (WR – NE), Audric Estime (RB – DEN), Marvin Mims (WR -DEN), Luke McCaffrey (WR – WAS), Jalen McMillan (WR – TB), Tucker Kraft (TE – GB), Deneric Prince (RB – KC), Trey Sermon (RB – IND), Jordan Mason (RB – SF), Greg Dulcich (TE – DEN), Zach Ertz (TE – ARI)
Subscribe: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart | Castbox | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict | TuneIn
