Who are good sleepers in fantasy football? The 2024 NFL season is almost upon us and that means millions of football fans are either prepping for or participating in drafts. While early-round picks are critical, it’s the sleepers in the middle and late rounds who help win championships.
Plenty of fantasy analysts will highlight players like Anthony Richardson as a potential sleeper, but there’s already massive hype around him. Instead, we’ll try and dig a bit deeper to find other fantasy football sleepers who can help your teams win this season.
Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams
Leading off our list of fantasy football sleepers 2024 is the quarterback we believe there will be a strong MPV case for. Remarkably, Matthew Stafford’s ADP is the 21st quarterback or 163rd overall pick (ESPN). Most fantasy managers are taking the likes of Aaron Rodgers, Jayden Daniels and even Deshaun Watson ahead of him. It’s a mistake. The Rams offensive line is significantly improved and the receiver duo of Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua is arguably the best in the NFL. Plus, Sean McVay is a play-calling wizard and the Rams defense is bad enough that Stafford will need to keep pace. We’d bet on Stafford giving fantasy managers 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns.
Also Read: Active MLB players who are future MLB Hall of Famers
Caleb Williams, QB, Chicago Bears
Caleb Williams slots behind Matthew Stafford among our fantasy football sleepers at quarterback, but we’d be fairly comfortable with either as a fantasy starter. For one thing, Williams has the rushing ability to provide a few extra fantasy points per week. He’s also in a perfect situation, with a supporting cast – Keenan Allen, DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, D’Andre Swift and Cole Kmet – that rivals some of the top offenses. There will be growing pains early, so it might be wise for fantasy managers to have another quality option (Kirk Cousins or Jared Goff) to play matchups. With that said the ESPN ADP (14th QB, 129th player overall) stands out as excellent value.
Related: Want more NFL coverage, analysis? Check out Sportsnaut.com
Zamir White, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
Finding fantasy football sleepers at running back is all about opportunity and ADP. Zamir White is taking over as the Las Vegas Raiders starting running back this fall and we see reason to believe in a ball-carrier who averaged 4.7 yards per carry and 99.3 rushing yards per game in four starts. Plus, the Raiders offensive line is quietly underrated, they have a defense to keep games close and a receiving corps that requires attention. Considering White’s ADP is 80.3 on ESPN, the 22nd running back selected, that stands out as good value for a quality RB2 in fantasy football.
Related: NFL defense rankings 2024
Tyjae Spears, RB, Tennessee Titans
Projecting Tyjae Spears as one of the fantasy football sleepers at running back for 2024 says just as much about Tony Pollard. If Pollard, 42nd in true yards per carry (3.9) couldn’t make it work behind the Dallas Cowboys offensive line, there’s no reason to think he’ll fare better with the Tennessee Titans. Fantasy managers should understand Spears – 108.8 ESPN ADP (32nd at position – stands out as a potential FLEX play with upside. He’ll contribute plenty in the passing game and the fifth-highest breakaway run rate (7 percent) with a 4.2 true yards per carry suggests he can make a real impact.
Related: Top 100 NFL players 2024
Trey Benson, RB, Arizona Cardinals
Consider Trey Benson a draft-and-stash among our fantasy football sleepers 2024. The Arizona Cardinals will presumably ease him into the backfield, allowing James Conner to handle a majority of the work in the first half of the regular season. Once it comes time for Arizona to start maximizing its young talent, Benson could take over in late November. In an offense where opponents have to focus on trying to stop Kyler Murray, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Trey McBride, there should be space for Benson to run. He is an explosive ball-carrier with some pass-catching skills, too. You can find Benson in the later rounds, with an ADP of 135 (39th running back).
Related: Worst NFL offensive lines right now
Ladd McConkey, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
There won’t be many fantasy football drafts where we don’t come away with Ladd McConkey. In early August, with Justin Herbert sidelined in training camp (plantar fascia), McConkey’s ADP is 120th overall, or the 45th receiver off the board. That puts him in a territory with wideouts who will have to share a lot of targets (Marquise Brown, Jordan Addison, Xavier Worthy, Keon Coleman and Rome Odunze). McConkey is an excellent route-runner as a rookie who excels at getting open underneath and in the intermediate areas of the field. Herbert loves those spots and McConkey is easily his best pass-catcher. Did we mention the Chargers have a bottom-10 defense? There’s everything to love.
Related: NFL awards predictions 2024
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is perfect for Ryan Grubb’s offense. The first-year Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator oversaw the Washington Huskies offense in 2023 and everything about JSN’s game screams a volume weapon. Opponents will still be fixated on DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, leaving Smith-Njigba to exploit countless one-on-one matches with space to work with. It’s also worth mentioning that the Seahawks’ defense will likely require the offense to score frequently to win. The target share, schematic fit and talent all align for a breakout season. Best of all, Smith-Njigba’s ESPN ADP right now is 112th overall, behind reaches like DeAndre Hopkins and Christian Watson.
Related: NFL QB rankings 2024
Diontae Johnson, WR, Carolina Panthers
In a very bad situation for success last season, Diontae Johnson still finished with a very good yards per route run (2.04, 29th overall) and he looked very comfortable doing more damage in the slot. Now stepping in as the Carolina Panthers’ No. 1 receiver, Johnson’s route tree aligns perfectly with the throws Bryce Young is most comfortable making. Furthermore, Panthers head coach Dave Canales knows how to perfectly tailor his offense to make life easier for a more physically-limited QB while maximizing his wideouts. Johnson has a very realistic path to 80 receptions and 1,000 receiving yards, especially considering Carolina might have the worst defense in football. Right now, you can get Johnson just outside the top 100 picks in fantasy football drafts.
Related: Highest-paid NFL players 2024
Luke Musgrave, TE, Green Bay Packers
Luke Musgrave only played in 11 games as a rookie season due to injury but the highs (10.4 yards per catch), showcased a future difference-maker at fantasy football. The 6-foot-6 tight end is an outstanding athlete with the size, hands and YAC ability to be a true weapon in Matt LaFleur’s offense. He won’t be the first or second target for Jordan Love, but the depth of the Packers’ weapons and LaFleur’s play-calling give Musgrave top-10 upside at tight end. That’s especially valuable considering his ADP (169.4) ranks 20th at his position. Buy now and keep him as an upside play.
Related: Best NFL players ever
Pat Freiermuth, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers
We understand why some don’t have Pat Freiermuth among their fantasy football sleepers at tight end. Neither Justin Fields nor Russell Wilson is especially friendly to the tight end, but Arthur Smith also places a value on players with Freiermuth’s skill set. Freirmuth has generated a lot of buzz this summer and there’s not exactly a ton of competition for targets in Pittsburgh. We feel confident predicting Freiermuth is a top 10 fantasy producer at his position this season with 60-plus receptions and 600-plus receiving yards. With his ADP 15th among tight ends, there’s clear value here.
Related: NFL power rankings 2024