Welcome to Sleepers 3.0. I'm going to do one final version of sleepers later this month with my favorite sleepers for the season, but this edition has some specific criteria.
The players listed here have an Average Draft Position on CBS Sports of No. 120 overall or later as of August 7. Some of these players' ADP will rise dramatically over the next few weeks. But they are all worth drafting with late-round picks.
Most of these players will be on my Fantasy teams this season. I recommend you follow suit, and let me show you why I'm excited about these guys for 2024.
Levis' ADP is 170.9 right now, which means you can draft him with one of your last picks. And I wouldn't be shocked if he's a low-end starter this year. It's not ideal that DeAndre Hopkins (knee) is hurt and could miss the start of the season. But Levis has improved weapons this year with the additions of Calvin Ridley, Tyler Boyd and Tony Pollard, a revamped offensive line and likely better offensive coaching under Brian Callahan. As a rookie last season, Levis struggled in a bad situation for the Titans, but we saw his upside in his first NFL game in Week 8 when he torched the Falcons for 238 passing yards and four touchdowns for 34.6 Fantasy points. He's not going to do that on a weekly basis, but he should be one of the better surprises this year.
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Fields currently doesn't have an ADP on CBS, and you might have to be patient if you draft him with a late-round pick since he could be on the bench in Pittsburgh behind Russell Wilson to start the season. But if Fields gets the chance to start for the Steelers then he could be a significant difference maker for Fantasy managers. We know the upside for Fields, who averaged 21.1 Fantasy points per game in 2022 and 18.9 points in 2023 with the Bears. Over that span of 28 games, Fields also had 12 outings with at least 22 Fantasy points, and he's among the best running quarterbacks in the NFL. It could pay huge dividends if you can afford to stash Fields this season. And if he's somehow named the starter for Week 1 ahead of Wilson then Fields will be ranked as a top-15 quarterback.
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Other sleeper quarterbacks to consider:Â Trevor Lawrence (ADP of 122.4), Matthew Stafford (140.5) and Deshaun Watson (146.3)
Hubbard's ADP is already starting to climb with Jonathon Brooks (knee) likely out for the first month of the season, but it currently sits at 139.9. We'll see where it settles, but the later you can draft Hubbard the better. The risk is he's a part-time starter to open the year with Miles Sanders, and then Hubbard could lose his job entirely when Brooks is healthy. But the reward is Hubbard could be the best running back in Carolina all year if Brooks suffers a setback, or the Panthers could be cautious with their rookie rusher. Last season, Hubbard took over for an ineffective Sanders and had seven games in a row with at least 11.1 PPR points from Week 12 through Week 17, including two outings with at least 20.2 PPR points. Carolina's offense should improve this season with a better offensive line and the addition of coach Dave Canales. Hubbard is the perfect target in Round 9 if you like using a Hero-RB or Zero-RB approach.
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I'm a big fan of Kenneth Walker III this season, but I still want shares of Charbonnet as well. And he's an easy target with his ADP at 124.4. The new offense in Seattle under coordinator Ryan Grubbs figures to be more pass happy, which could give Charbonnet a chance at increased playing time. And Walker has missed at least two games in each of his first two seasons in the NFL due to injury, which makes Charbonnet a potential lottery ticket. Last year, Charbonnet had three games with double digits in carries, and he scored at least 12.9 PPR points in two of them. I plan to draft Charbonnet as early as Round 9, and he would be a weekly starter if Walker were to miss any time during the season.
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There was a Yahoo report at the beginning of August that suggested Chandler and Aaron Jones could be "headed for a pretty clear split-backfield rotation." We'll see if that happens after Jones was added as a free agent this offseason, but Chandler should be an easy sleeper to target at his current ADP of 136.5. Last year, Chandler was the best running back for the Vikings to close the season after Alexander Mattison struggled. In his final eight games, Chandler had six games with double digits in carries, and he averaged 12.9 PPR points over that span. While Jones should be drafted ahead of Chandler, remember that Jones missed six games last season with lower-leg injuries, and he's 29. I plan to pass on Jones at his ADP (61.5) and wait for Chandler. Jones is extremely overpriced if they're sharing carries based on the Yahoo report.
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We're done waiting for Gibson to be a breakout candidate like we used to say about him in Washington. But now that he's with New England, Gibson could be a lottery ticket at his ADP of 138.1. He'll be the No. 2 running back for the Patriots behind Rhamondre Stevenson, and keep in mind that Stevenson missed five games in 2023 with an ankle injury. Gibson started his career in Washington with consecutive seasons of at least 1,000 total yards and averaging at least 14.3 PPR points per game. He's a solid pass catcher and has three seasons in a row of at least 43 catches. While we expect Stevenson to remain involved as a receiver out of the backfield, Gibson could be the Patriots running back playing on obvious passing downs. There's the chance Gibson could be a flex option in deep PPR leagues, but he could also be a difference maker this season if Stevenson were to miss any time due to injury.
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Other sleeper running backs to consider:Â MarShawn Lloyd (ADP of 142.4), Tyrone Tracy Jr. (141.8), Jaleel McLaughlin (146.2), Jaylen Wright (137.8) and Tyler Allgeier (135.2)
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Keon Coleman (ADP of 105.1) should be the first Bills receiver drafted because of his upside, but it's a good idea to take a flier on Shakir (132.3) and Samuel (134.4) also based on their cost. All three of these guys will vie to be the No. 1 receiver for Josh Allen this season with Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis gone. For Shakir, who is entering his third season in the NFL, he is the only Buffalo receiver to ever catch a pass from Allen in a game. And he's coming off a strong finish to 2023. Starting in Week 18 when Davis was injured at Miami, Shakir had six catches for 105 yards on six targets. And then in two playoff games against Pittsburgh and Kansas City, Shakir had 10 catches for 78 yards and two touchdowns on 12 targets. He's having a good training camp also, and I love targeting him as early as Round 10. The same goes for Samuel, who has a history with offensive coordinator Joe Brady. The two were together in Carolina in 2020, and Samuel had his best season with 77 catches for 851 yards and three touchdowns on 97 targets, as well as 41 carries for 200 yards and two touchdowns. Samuel will get used in a variety of ways in Buffalo, and both of these guys could be difference makers this season.
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Jayden Reed (ADP of 82.1) and Christian Watson (88.8) are going to be the first Packers receivers selected in most drafts. But if you want a piece of this Green Bay passing game -- and you should -- then just wait for Doubs (129.9) or Wicks (153.2). Almost daily you'll see a different report about one of the receivers performing well, and it would be great if one or two of them stood out above the rest. Last year, Doubs was mostly touchdown-dependent for much of his Fantasy production, scoring eight times. He averaged 10.3 PPR points per game but had nine games with 11 or more PPR points. However, only two of those games came when he didn't find the end zone, and he had 12 games with 37 yards or less and just three games with at least five receptions. He got more involved in the playoffs with 10 catches for 234 yards and a touchdown on 12 targets in two games, and hopefully, he can build off that performance. The good news for Doubs is he'll be on the field a lot. For Wicks, he has the talent to be a quality Fantasy option, but we have to see how much playing time he gets. He had a productive end to his rookie campaign in 2023, scoring at least 15.7 PPR points in three of his final four outings in the regular season. Most of that production came when Watson was sidelined, and Wicks was quiet in two playoff games with two catches for 25 yards and a touchdown on four targets. I plan to target and stash one of Doubs or Wicks, and we'll see how it shakes out during the year.
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We know Marvin Harrison Jr. will be the No. 1 receiver for the Cardinals, but he's a second-round pick in most leagues with an ADP of No. 18 overall. Behind Harrison, Dortch and Wilson should be the next two receivers in Arizona, and both have the ability to be relevant Fantasy options this year. And both are free on Draft Day since Wilson's ADP is 165.2, and Dortch doesn't have an ADP on CBS. But I like Dortch better, and it seems like everyone in Arizona is excited about him as the slot receiver. Last year, Dortch scored at least 11.7 PPR points in four of his final seven games. And coach Jonathan Gannon said of Dortch, "He thinks that if he's out there, he can help the team win. And I think that, as well ... He's going to have a big year." As for Wilson, he had some big games as a rookie in 2023, including three outings with at least 15.5 PPR points, with two of those coming with Kyler Murray in Week 17 at Philadelphia and Week 18 against Seattle. Wilson also missed four games due to injury, and that's something he has to overcome according to offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. "It's that consistency of staying in the lineup consistently, health-wise, and then going out and making plays, day in and day out," Petzing said. "What you don't want to see is, hey, you have a great game and then you disappear for a game." I love the Cardinals offense this year, so I will draft one of Wilson or Dortch late as much as possible.
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No one wants to invest in the Patriots passing game this year, which makes sense. But with one of your last picks you might get a No. 3 Fantasy receiver out of Polk, Douglas or Baker since all three are in this range. Polk's ADP is 170.7, Douglas is 173.3 and Baker doesn't have an ADP on CBS. We'll see who starts the majority of games at quarterback in New England out of Jacoby Brissett or Drake Maye, but this trio of receivers should soak up targets, especially with Kendrick Bourne coming off a torn ACL. Polk is my favorite Patriots receiver based on upside. In 2023 at Washington, Polk had 69 catches for 1,159 yards and nine touchdowns. The Patriots offense could struggle to score, but Polk has the ability to be a difference maker, which makes him a steal at this cost. Douglas (hand) is banged up right now, but he could lead all New England receivers in receptions as the slot option. And Baker, like Polk, could make plenty of splash plays. In 2023 at UCF, Baker had 52 catches for 1,139 yards and seven touchdowns. One of these guys should make an impact for Fantasy managers this year.
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Other sleeper wide receivers to consider:Â Josh Palmer (ADP of 132.0), Rashid Shaheed (148.5), Josh Downs (154.3), Xavier Legette (155.6) and Ricky Pearsall (162.8)
Conklin could be a surprise streaming option in PPR, and his current ADP is 186.5. He gets a healthy Aaron Rodgers back from his Achilles injury, and we don't know how good Mike Williams will be coming off last year's torn ACL, as well as how quickly rookie Malachi Corley will make an impact. That could put Conklin in line to be second on the Jets in targets behind Garrett Wilson, and Conklin has earned exactly 87 targets in three straight seasons. He might not find the end zone consistently with seven total touchdowns in his career, but I wouldn't be shocked if Conklin is a low-end starter in PPR this year thanks to Rodgers. Last year, Conklin had 12 games with at least five targets, and he scored at least 9.5 PPR points in seven of them. Only 12 tight ends last year averaged more than 9.5 PPR points per game, so Conklin isn't far off from being a potential starter this year if his targets remain consistent.
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Henry isn't going to get drafted in the majority of leagues, and his current ADP is 176.1. But Henry should end up being a reliable weapon for either Maye or Brissett, and Henry is a good No. 2 tight end to stash on your bench in deeper formats. New offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt could help Henry in a big way since Van Pelt has been in Cleveland the last four seasons, helping to run one of the more tight end-centric offenses in the NFL. Last year, the Browns threw 166 passes to tight ends, the seventh-highest mark in the league. For Henry, he had four games in 2023 with at least six targets, and he scored at least 13.9 PPR points in each of them. He could end up as a popular streaming option early in the season if he's featured in New England's offense.
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Other sleeper tight ends to consider:Â Jonnu Smith (no ADP), Ben Sinnott (no ADP) and Noah Fant (no ADP)