Thankfully the 2023 fantasy football season is just around the corner. Each year fantasy players want to construct their team with a proper mix of good-value players and upside sleepers while avoiding players with high bust potential.
In the sixth part of an eight-part series, I will identify two potential sleepers from the NFC North.
- AFC ADP Sleepers, Busts & Values: East | North | South | West
- Draft Targets for Every Round: Early | Middle | Late
- Fitz’s Draft Primers: QB | RB | WR | TE
- Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator
Sleepers to Target
Sam LaPorta (TE – DET): ADP 162.3 | TE17
While the rookie tight end’s ADP has been on the rise lately, LaPorta is still severely underrated as the 16th tight end off the board. Amon-Ra St. Brown had 176 targets last season, earning 76 more than the next closest Lion – D’Andre Swift. More importantly, Detroit didn’t add any significant wide receivers this offseason despite losing Jameson Williams to a six-game suspension. Instead, the team invested a top-35 draft pick in LaPorta. The former Iowa star had a productive college career despite playing with awful quarterbacks, totaling 153 receptions for 1,786 receiving yards and five touchdowns.
Furthermore, the rookie was dangerous after the catch. LaPorta averaged six yards after the catch per reception among tight ends with at least 65 targets last season, a higher average than Dalton Kincaid and Michael Mayer. More importantly, he has taken most of the starting snaps in training camp. The rookie tight end has reportedly developed a strong connection with Jared Goff. Meanwhile, Detroit’s tight end unit had a combined 12 receiving touchdowns last season. Yet, nine of them came from someone other than T.J. Hockenson. While he won’t replace St. Brown as Jared Goff’s go-to weapon, LaPorta could lead the team in receiving scores.
Roschon Johnson (RB – CHI): ADP 161.3 | RB52
Many are excited about Khalil Herbert now that David Montgomery is in Detroit. However, Johnson is my favorite Chicago running back this year. The former Longhorn could be this year’s Dameon Pierce. Not only is the rookie the cheapest Bears running back to draft, but he has the most upside. Reportedly Johnson has been the pass running back in pass protection this offseason, something the coaching staff has harped about repeatedly. Furthermore, the coaching staff has praised the former Longhorn all offseason.
Johnson would have been a second-round NFL Draft pick if he didn’t split the Texas backfield with Bijan Robinson. Last year Robinson led college football with 104 missed tackles, while Johnson had 46. However, the first-round rookie forced a missed tackle on 40.5% of rushing attempts. By comparison, the fourth-round rookie forced a missed tackle on 48.9% of his rushing attempts last season. Furthermore, Johnson had a higher percentage of rushing attempts totaling 15 or more yards (9.6%) than Robinson (8.2%). The rookie’s ADP is on the rise but still vastly underrated. Don’t be surprised if Johnson leads the Bears in rushing attempts.
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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Mike Fanelli is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @Mike_NFL2.