When you’re drafting in a league with 14 or more teams, the later rounds are crucial. The talent pool quickly dwindles, and you find yourself trying to grab sleepers that have a chance to make an impact. We need to dig deep into the depth chart and find gold. Look at these players in the later rounds that you could potentially use in your starting lineup.
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8 Fantasy Football Deep League Stashes
Malik Davis (RB – DAL)
The Cowboys moving on from Ezekiel Elliot allows Tony Pollard to get the feature role for this season.
The Cowboys will need an RB2, and Davis had the most playing time last year of any of the other running backs on the roster with 38 carries for 4.2 yards per carry. Pollard will certainly see 230 touches this year, but Davis could be a vital handcuff if anything should happen.
Rashee Rice (WR – KC)
With Kadarius Toney on the shelf, someone must step up in his absence.
Justyn Ross is an option, but he has a long history of injuries in college and missed last season. There’s also Richie James, but Rice is looking great in practice.
Will Levis (QB – TEN)
The clock is ticking for Ryan Tannehill in Tennessee. This will be the second-straight year the Titans drafted a quarterback, but with how bad Malik Willis played last season when Tannehill was out, he couldn’t keep the job.
The second-round pick had a great 2021 season, with Kentucky throwing for 2,286 yards, nine passing touchdowns, 376 rushing yards, and nine rushing touchdowns. The Wildcats had injuries throughout the offense in 2022, leading to regression from Levis and the dropping in his draft stock.
Levis is one of the top-drafted rookies that isn’t being drafted onto fantasy teams because isn’t projected to start, but if the Titans begin the season struggling or Tannehill is injured, Levis will move in as the QB1.
Jordan Mason (RB – SF)
Christian McCaffrey is the guy in this San Fransisco, but as we’ve seen with Kyle Shanahan, he likes to get all of his running backs involved. Shanahan has been known to take unheard-of running backs and turn them into fantasy stars like Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson, Trey Sermon, and Jaymcal Hasty.
Just because he’s lower on the depth chart doesn’t mean he won’t get playing time. Elijah Mitchell has frequently found his way onto the IR, and McCaffrey has also had injury issues.
The second-round pick out of SMU is coming off 1,355 receiving yards and ten touchdowns. With great straight-line speed and the ability to separate, he can be the vertical guy to contrast Skyy Moore‘s excellent route running.
Jerome Ford (RB – CLE)
Nick Chubb will be one of the few workhorse running backs in 2023 and worthy of being one of the top-ranked backs. Ford is making a case to be second on the depth chart.
The 2022 fifth-round pick out of Cincinnati was buried down on the depth chart last season behind Kareem Hunt and D’Ernest Johnson. He could be an injury away from a starting role but could be the change-of-pace back and in passing down situations. He’s dealing with an injury of his own currently, so continue to monitor reports.
Marquez Callaway (WR – DEN)
This is a name you might be familiar with. Callaway was an undrafted free agent in 2020 and signed with the New Orleans Saints. He had a moderately successful 2021 campaign with 698 yards and six touchdowns, but he could not replicate that in 2022.
This offseason, he signed with the Broncos and coached Sean Payton, who had Callaway in New Orleans. This gives him the advantage of knowing Payton’s system over all other receivers, which could earn some increased playing time.
Puka Nacua (WR – LAR)
The Rams’ rookie wide receiver is putting up highlights early in camp and has people believing he could move up the depth chart.
If you watch his tape, he has incredible speed and can separate from a defensive back for a big play. He displayed that flash by averaging 16.3 yards per catch in four seasons at Washington and BYU.
Zach Evans (RB – LAR)
Cam Akers is the starting running back in Los Angeles, but we know his history as the starter. He’s had ups and downs, seeing his usage diminish with Darrell Henderson Jr. and Malcolm Brown getting snap shares in the past.
Evans is a brute, north-to-south runner, and he could quickly find a role in short-yardage or goal-line situations.
More Players to Target & Avoid
- Pat Fitzmaurice: (Targets | Avoids) (Premium)
- Andrew Erickson: (Targets | Avoids) (Premium)
- Derek Brown: (Targets | Avoids) (Premium)
- Fantasy Football Sleepers for Every Team (Premium)
- How to Identify Fantasy Football Busts (Premium)
- Erickson’s Guide to Drafting Players on Good Offenses
- Fantasy Football Draft Values for Every Round
- Predicting First-Round Bust Candidates
- DBro’s Wide Receiver Lottery Tickets
- Erickson’s Running Back Lottery Tickets
- Hoppen’s 4 Players Who Could Become First-Round Picks Next Year
- Players to Target in Each Round (v2 | v3)
- Players to Avoid in Each Round
- Late-Round Draft Targets
- Late-Round QB Targets in Superflex Leagues | More QB Sleepers
- Late-Round RB Targets | More RB Sleepers | July RB Targets
- Late-Round WR Targets
- Late-Round TE Targets
- Deep Dart Throw Draft Targets
- WRs to Target in the RB Dead Zone (v2)| RBs to Avoid in the RB Dead Zone | RBs to Target in RB Dead Zone
- Identifying the Next WR1s | Identifying the Next RB1s
- 2022 Duds That Will Become 2023 Studs
- 4 Kickers To Target at the End of Drafts
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