When preparing for your fantasy football drafts, knowing which players to target and others to avoid is important. The amount of information available can be overwhelming, so a great way to condense the data and determine players to draft and others to leave for your leaguemates is to use our expert consensus fantasy football rankings compared to fantasy football average draft position (ADP). In this way, you can identify players the experts are willing to reach for at ADP and others they are not drafting until much later than average. Let’s dive into a few notable fantasy football sleepers below. And check out all of the fantasy football sleepers experts love in our consensus sleeper rankings.
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Fantasy Football Sleepers: Wide Receivers
Here are fantasy football sleepers the experts love to target in drafts.
Who are Fantasy Football Sleepers?
Fantasy football sleepers are players who have a strong chance to exceed expectations and become surprise difference-makers for fantasy managers.
Fantasy Football Sleepers: Wide Receivers
Over the Broncos’ last five regular-season games of 2024, Marvin Mims had 23 catches for 341 yards and five touchdowns. He was WR17 in PPR fantasy points per game (17.5) over that stretch, even though Mims played fewer than half of Denver’s offensive snaps in all of those games. Mims is still only 23 years old. It’s possible Sean Payton sees Mims as merely a punt returner and gadget guy. But it’s also possible that the flash we saw at the end of last season was the start of big things for an electric playmaker. Mims is a worthwhile dart throw in the later stages of your draft.
– Pat Fitzmaurice
Harris, the soul-snatching route savant, landed with the Bolts in the second round of the NFL Draft. He should quickly become Justin Herbert‘s trusted second option in the passing game opposite Ladd McConkey. Yes, Harris will have to hop either Mike Williams or Quentin Johnston to crack the starting lineup, but I’m not worried about his ability to do so. We’re discussing a player who has ranked first and ninth in yards per route run over the last two years, stacked up against arguably a former first-round bust and a veteran who looked like he was running on empty last year (per PFF). If the Bolts remain a pass-happier team than people realize in 2025, Harris could be one of the best values in fantasy football drafts this season. Last year in Weeks 7-18, the Bolts ranked eighth in neutral passing rate and sixth-best in pass rate over expectation. If that continues and Harris can spread his wings in this offense, he could crush his ADP in 2025.
– Derek Brown
Cedric Tillman had an interesting 2025 season. He didn’t play much until Week 7, which was also the week when Deshaun Watson tore his Achilles. Over a four-game stretch from Week 7 to Week 11, Tillman had 24 catches for 302 yards and three touchdowns. He was the WR8 in PPR fantasy points per game (18.6) over that stretch. Then, in Week 12, Tillman sustained a concussion. He went on injured reserve and didn’t play again the rest of the season.
It was a short but very promising burst from Tillman in his second NFL season. The surge may have been at least partly fueled by the aggressive downfield throwing of Jameis Winston. The Browns’ QB situation is muddy for 2025, but one of the candidates to see significant action at quarterback for the Browns is Joe Flacco, who, like Winston, is a hyper-aggressive downfield thrower. Tillman is an intriguing sleeper for 2025.
– Pat Fitzmaurice
Elic Ayomanor was drafted by the Titans in Round 4. The former Stanford standout brings a rare blend of size (6’2″, 206), athleticism (4.4s speed, 82nd percentile jumps), and production – boasting the highest career dominator rating in the class (39%). Ayomanor posted 125 catches for 1,844 yards and 12 TDs across two seasons and flashed true X-receiver traits. In Tennessee, he lands in a WR room headlined by veterans Calvin Ridley and Tyler Lockett, presenting Ayomanor a realistic chance to rise the depth chart quickly and become Cam Ward‘s favorite rookie WR.
– Andrew Erickson
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