Fantasy Football Sleepers

The NFL season is finally here, so it’s time to dive into Week 2 fantasy football sleepers.

These are players that aren’t obvious starts and you likely got them late in your drafts.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at Week 2 sleepers.

Fantasy Football Week 2 Sleepers

Take a look at my Week 2 fantasy football rankings to guide your start-sit decisions.

Fantasy QB Sleepers Week 2

Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at DET)

We just saw Baker Mayfield shred the Commanders for 289 yards and four touchdowns on 9.6 yards per attempt.

It’s clear that Mayfield is comfortable with new playcaller, Liam Coen. There’s a legit chance that the Bucs improve on offense this year, especially with rookies Jalen McMillan and Bucky Irving.

We’ve got a projected shootout on tap vs the Lions. I’d start Mayfield over bigger names like Tua Tagovailoa and Joe Burrow.

Fantasy RB Sleepers Week 2

Austin Ekeler, Washington Commanders (vs NYG)

Even though Brian Robinson is the preferred option in this backfield, that doesn’t mean that we can’t find value with Austin Ekeler.

The veteran caught all four of his targets for 52 yards, including an impressive 22-yard catch.It’s a good spot at home against a porous Giants defense.

I have no problem rolling with Ekeler over Zamir White, who went much higher in drafts but got out-snapped by Alexander Mattison in Week 1.

Fantasy WR Sleepers Week 2

Jalen McMillan, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at DET)

Jalen McMillan played over 80% of the snaps in Week 1, joining Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers as the only rookie wideouts that eclipsed this threshold.

We saw McMillan haul in a 32-yard touchdown, but his day could have been even better, as he had a couple of near-misses downfield.

With the Bucs playing in 3-WR sets at among the highest rate in the league, we could see an even better game from McMillan vs a vulnerable Lions secondary. I’d play McMillan over Tyler Lockett.

Fantasy TE Sleepers Week 2

Colby Parkinson, Los Angeles Rams (at LAR)

With Puka Nacua sidelined, we could see Colby Parkinson emerge as another safety valve for Matthew Stafford.

The former Seahawks tight end caught 4-of-5 targets for 47 yards against the Lions in Week 1.

We could see more of the same in a high-scoring game vs the Cardinals. I’d play Parkinson over Pat Freiermuth and Cole Kmet.

Fantasy Football Draft Sleepers

You need to find sleepers to help win your fantasy football leagues. Unearthing a late-round gem can be just as valuable as hitting a home run on your early picks — just look at Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams last season.

In this section, you will read about three potential sleepers for each position. I only included those with an ADP of 100 or later as a way to cater to the needs of both shallow and deep league players.

So without further ado, let’s dive into my picks for fantasy football sleepers for the 2024 NFL season.

Fantasy QB Sleepers 2024

Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns

There’s no question that Deshaun Watson has been unimpressive in his 12-game stint with the Browns so far.

But Cleveland brought in Ken Dorsey as new offensive coordinator, hoping to transition into a more spread offense with a potent aerial attack.

Adding Jerry Jeudy completes an impressive group of weapons that includes Amari Cooper and David Njoku.

On top of the improved team context, we also have to note that Watson still runs at a high rate, rushing for 23.7 yards per game last year, which works out to 379 yards in 16 games.

If Watson can get back some of his previous form, he’ll provide a nice profit on current ADP of QB20.

Find out where Deshaun Watson lands in our quarterback power rankings.

Will Levis, Tennessee Titans

Will Levis gets a massive bump in supporting cast in his Year 2 season.

New head coach Brian Callahan will deploy a more pass-heavy attack, while Calvin Ridley and Tony Pollard add to an underrated group of weapons that includes DeAndre Hopkins and Tyjae Spears.

Look for an uptick in passing volume, which could push Levis into the streaming conversation in traditional formats.

It wouldn’t shock me to see a Jameis Winston type of season, back when he was airing it out to Chris Godwin and Mike Evans.

Drake Maye, New England Patriots

We can expect Drake Maye to be on the bench for the early part of his rookie season, but the Patriots face the Bengals, Seahawks, Jets, 49ers, Dolphins, and Texans in their first six games.

It wouldn’t surprise me to see New England go winless during that stretch, which would make it difficult to keep Maye on the sidelines.

Once Maye is the starter, he has the type of rushing upside that can make an impact in fantasy.

The former North Carolina star rushed for 1,147 yards and 16 touchdowns in his two seasons as starter.

Fantasy RB Sleepers 2024

Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals

If you’re trying to find the next Kyren Williams, Chase Brown checks a lot of boxes:

• Year 2 running back
• 5th round draft pick
• Hyped in training camp
• Good offense with pocket QB
• Coach has previously leaned on one RB
• Limited work in Year 1
• Competing with veteran that has limited track record

While Zack Moss played well for the Colts last year, I’d rather bet on the young player with potentially untapped upside over the journeyman veteran.

Javonte Williams, Denver Broncos

It feels like ages ago that we were worried that Javonte Williams would be cut from the Broncos over a speculative report from a beat writer.

Since then, we’ve heard nothing but glowing reports on Javonte in camp, making him the heavy favorite to lead this backfield in touches.

With quarterback Bo Nix being a rookie that likes to check it down to his running backs, Williams has terrific receiving upside.

Even though Jaleel McLaughlin, Audric Estime, and Samaje Perine are in this backfield, none of them have Williams’ ceiling.

Remember that Javonte was returning from a serious knee injury, which zapped his burst. But judging by camp reports, it sounds like Williams is back to the tackle-breaking machine he was in his first two seasons.

Rico Dowdle, Dallas Cowboys

Here we have a situation similar to the Bengals — wide-open backfield in a high-scoring offense.

While I like Ezekiel Elliott as well — I’m confident that he’ll rush for double-digit touchdowns — Dowdle is the more explosive runner at a cheaper cost.

It feels unlikely that the Cowboys will add at running back, so Dowdle has a reasonable chance to lead this backfield in touches.

That’s a lucrative role in such a fast-paced and fantasy-friendly offense.

Fantasy WR Sleepers 2024

Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos

Courtland Sutton is in a good spot to command a massive target share as the clear-cut top option for the Broncos. This is a player who put up a 20+% target share in three of his four full seasons.

Now that Jerry Jeudy is gone, Sutton will only have to compete with Tim Patrick, Josh Reynolds, and Greg Dulcich. Both Marvin Mims and Troy Franklin haven’t progressed as quickly as hoped.

Sutton put up 47 receptions for 644 yards and three touchdowns in eight career games without Jeudy.

With Bo Nix looking impressive in camp, we could see a career-year for Sutton this season.

Jerry Jeudy, Cleveland Browns

Jerry Jeudy is coming off a disappointing season with the Broncos, but reports came out that he asked for a trade several times last year.

It’s hard to provide strong production when you’re in a situation that you don’t like — don’t neglect the human element here.

Now, Jeudy joins a fast-paced Browns offense where he can provide a couple of spike weeks with contingent upside if Amari Cooper or David Njoku were forced to miss time.

Let’s remember that Jeudy is only one year removed from averaging 11.4 points per game (WR19).

Perhaps a change of scenery will be good for Jeudy.

Find out where Jeudy lands in our wide receiver power rankings.

Rashod Bateman, Baltimore Ravens

Rashod Bateman has been getting a lot of praise by the Ravens’ coaching staff throughout camp.

Don’t forget that this is a former first-rounder who has been held back by injuries for the past two seasons.

Bateman looked headed for a breakout season in 2022, especially after his 108-yard game vs the Dolphins.

If he can stay healthy, you could be looking at a rock-solid contributor late in drafts. There is spike-week potential here in an elite Ravens offense.

Fantasy TE Sleepers 2024

Luke Musgrave, Green Bay Packers

Luke Musgrave came into his rookie season as a touted prospect in a stacked tight end class headlined by Dalton Kincaid and Sam LaPorta.

But this is a talented player in his own right, tied to an emerging star QB in a prolific offense.

That’s the type of bet you want to make at tight end.

While Musgrave is better suited for deeper formats or Best Ball, I could see improved production in Year 2.

The one concern is that Tucker Kraft should be back sooner or later, and there’s a lot of mouths to feed in this Packers offense.

Noah Fant, Seattle Seahawks

After splitting time with Colby Parkinson and Will Dissly last year, Noah Fant is now the clear-cut top tight end in Seattle.

Remember that this is a player who went in the first round, plus tight ends tend to break out later in their career — just look at David Njoku.

Fant is an ideal late-round target as your TE2 or TE3 in Best Ball. You can also stash him in deeper formats.

While there are a lot of mouths to feed in Seattle, that just means we could see a good offense with a lot of scoring opportunities for this talented tight end.

Isaiah Likely, Baltimore Ravens

Isaiah Likely proved that he could thrive as the main tight end while Mark Andrews was out last year, putting up 21 catches, 322 yards, and five touchdowns in his last six games.

Look for offensive coordinator Todd Monken to get creative to play both Likely and Andrews at times this year.

After all, Likely is clearly one of the top three most talented players on this team.

Worst case, you have the best TE handcuff in the NFL. If Andrews ever misses time, Likely immediately becomes a top eight option.

What are Fantasy Football Sleepers?

A fantasy football sleeper can mean one of two things. Either a relatively unknown player who has a big year or a player who takes the next step forward and significantly outperforms expectations with career-best statistics.

Generally speaking, a sleeper is a player undervalued during fantasy football drafts. It’s important to be mindful of fantasy football average draft position (ADP) when judging whether or not a player is a good value, sleeper, or breakout.

How to Identify a Fantasy Football Sleeper

The best way to identify or find sleepers for the upcoming season is to think about each player’s context and past history. For example, if a player moves from a backup role to a starter.

Here are a few more ways to find sleepers:

• Players who emerge, show improvement and play really well late in the previous season.
• Players who played through injuries in the previous season. They may finally be healthy and improve this season.
• Head coach or offensive coordinator changes often result in roles shifting.
• Positive regression. IE Diontae Johnson caught 86 passes in 2022 but had no touchdowns. No WR ever had that many catches without a TD. A positive regression suggests a more statistically in-line touchdown total (averaged ~7 TDs in his first three years).