FantasyPros Staff | Sat, Sep 2nd 2023, 6:00am EDT

Experts’ Favorite Fantasy Football Sleepers (2023)

Winning your fantasy draft comes down to selecting the guys who end up returning a positive ROI relative to their draft cost. What’s great is that once you get to the middle and late rounds, you don’t need to hit on every player (or even half of them) to wind up with a league-winning squad. You just need to be right enough so that the value your picks provide is greater than that of your competition.

Part of the difficulty built into this game we love is that no two sleepers are created equally. You can’t just nab a bunch of upside players in the late rounds and expect to dominate your draft. You need to know which sleepers are the most undervalued and offer the most upside compared to their price. To help you figure out which mid-to-late rounders stand out from the pack, we have polled 80+ experts on who the best sleepers are at every position in half-PPR heading into the new season. Check out who the top picks were below.

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Experts’ Favorite Fantasy Football Sleepers

PLAYER	POS	TEAM	VOTES
Sam Howell	QB	WAS	15
Jake Ferguson	TE	DAL	15
Zay Flowers	WR	BAL	12
Khalil Herbert	RB	CHI	7

Sam Howell (QB – WAS)

“Sam Howell is my favorite sleeper for the 2023 season. When Howell has had talent in his offense, he has performed impressively as a passer. Adding Eric Bieniemy will help change this offense into an elite unit led by Howell. The sneakiest trait about Howell is his ability to run, and he has the potential to produce over 400 rushing yards in the season. Howell is going to turn many heads in 2023.”
– Steven Pintado (The Fantasy Coaches)

Jake Ferguson (TE – DAL)

“In a world where we’re all looking for any TE production we can muster up, there’s a player you can nab in the last rounds of your draft that could be a weekly starter. There is plenty of room for Dallas Cowboys TE Jake Ferguson to step into a decent target share. Dalton Schultz never had fewer than 89 targets per season when he took over as the starter. He’s now gone, but Dak Prescott will not suddenly stop throwing to the TE position. If you remember back to the Blake Jarwin vs. Schultz debates after Jason Witten left Dallas, not many thought much of Schultz until he earned the TE1 job and thrived with his newfound target volume. I think we’ll see a similar story with Ferguson.”
– Jaime Eisner (The Draft Network)

“Without a doubt, the biggest sleeper for this year is Jake Ferguson, Tight End from Dallas Cowboys. I really don’t know how people are sleeping on this guy. Last year Jake received 19 of 22 targets, with 2 touchdowns. Without Dalton Schultz, Dallas has 89 vacated targets on the position, and who are the other options on this roster? No one. Be aware of NFL’s Fergie Time!”
– Guilherme Gianni (Fantasy Futebolista)

“In regard to looking for a sleeper in fantasy football, finding a player well beyond the consensus that can become a staple in your lineup sometimes leads to fantasy championship-winning moves. For me, I am looking at the tight end position, and that player is none other than Cowboys TE Jake Ferguson. With the departure of Dalton Schultz and his 89 targets, there was a void left in a very meaningful position for the Cowboys’ passing attack. Over the previous two seasons, Schultz has ranked inside the Top 10 in fantasy points per game and has averaged 96 targets and 67 receptions in that timeframe. During much of the summer, Ferguson has been a forgotten man in the offense with the addition of Brandin Cooks and the drafting of Luke Schoonmaker. But as we have seen through training camp, he has been very impressive and heavily involved during his snaps in preseason action. If the Cowboys’ offense maintains itself as one of the more consistent ones in the NFL in 2023 and Ferguson can achieve a similar target share to Dalton Schultz, he is a player that you can get for free in drafts currently that will become your locked-in TE1 in fantasy lineups. ”
– Brandon Murchison (RotoBaller)

“My answer to this has changed in the last few weeks, but I have come around on Jake Ferguson. Ferguson has really taken the reins of the starting tight end role in Dallas. That position has been targeted by Dak Prescott an average of 123 times over the past four seasons. The lead tight end has averaged over 90 targets a season. For an undrafted player at a very shallow position, Ferguson is worth a late-round dart throw.”
– Michael Tomlin (Fantasy Six Pack)

“Jake Ferguson. Only once in Dak Prescott’s seven NFL seasons has his top tight end not finished inside the top 13 at his position in half-PPR (TE9, TE3, TE12, TE12, TE20, TE10, TE13). Considering the names have changed over the years (aging Jason Witten, Blake Jarwin and Dalton Schultz), Prescott has earned his reputation for leaning on tight ends (targeted the position on 25.1 percent of his throws in 2022). The difference between the aforementioned tight ends and Ferguson is that Ferguson offers a bit more after the catch. Even better, Schultz saw no fewer than 14 red zone targets over the last three seasons, so there is touchdown upside if Ferguson earns the same kind of trust near the goal line that Schultz did. Ferguson currently goes as the TE33, but he has low-end TE1 upside.”
– Doug Orth (FFToday)

“Jake Ferguson. Ferguson is entering his sophomore season and is expected to be the starting tight end for the Dallas Cowboys. Prescott has always been one to target tight ends at an over 20% target share, and with Dalton Schultz now in Houston, many of those targets are going to go to Ferguson. With a current ADP of TE28, Ferguson has the potential to be one of this year’s biggest steals at what is generally the weakest and most unpredictable position.”
– Rich Piazza (Fantasy Shed)

Zay Flowers (WR – BAL)

“The biggest fantasy sleeper of the year will be Zay Flowers. The Ravens have sent a clear message this offseason. They want to have Lamar pass the ball more. Flowers has shown in training camp and the preseason he is electric with the ball and can get open on any given play, and his path to be the top WR on his team is clear. With his playmaking ability and a clear opportunity ahead of him, Flowers should continue the trend of rookie WRs being great for fantasy managers willing to take the shot on them in drafts.”
– Dylan Licciardo (FF Gamers)

“Zay Flowers is my sleeper of the year in 2023. The former Boston College Eagle showed out at the Shrine Bowl and, as a result, was selected in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens. Aside from tight end Marc Andrews, the Ravens have a bunch of question marks at the wideout position. Flowers is exceptionally slippery, has quick/effective routes, and has a knack for tracking down the deep ball. ”
– Mason “Mase” Riney (Fantasy Six Pack)

“Zay Flowers typically comes off the board around WR40-WR45, but he may well be the Ravens’ best wide receiver in 2023, and I think he’s capable of a fantasy finish in the WR2 range. Flowers’ performance in training camp has drawn rave reviews. Lamar Jackson has given him the nickname “joystick.” Flowers runs crisp routes, has good speed, is explosive after the catch, and fares remarkably well on contested catches for a smaller receiver. Rookie WRs with first-round NFL Draft capital are good fantasy bets. We saw it last year with Chris Olave (ADP: WR44) and Garrett Wilson (WR49). We saw it in 2021 with Ja’Marr Chase (WR26) and Jaylen Waddle (WR46) and in 2020 with CeeDee Lamb (WR38) and Justin Jefferson (WR49). Flowers is a worthy target in fantasy drafts.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)

“Zay Flowers will have a big rookie year in Baltimore and be in consideration for Offensive Rookie of the Year. Flowers will excel in Todd Monken’s offense and will form an instant connection with Lamar Jackson. Expect to see him lined up all over the field and even the backfield for the Ravens. Flowers is a threat to take it the distance anytime he touches the ball. ”
– Justin Fuhr (Pro Football Mania)

“Zay Flowers comes in as WR42 in a new-look offense that is going to put more focus on the aerial attack. Flowers may have the typical slow start that most rookies face but should acclimate quickly. His football IQ is above average and he plays bigger than his stature. Once he has a firm grasp on the offense and some budding chemistry with Lamar Jackson, Flowers has high-end WR2 appeal as an integral part of the best receiving core Jackson has worked with thus far. ”
– John Hesterman (Dynasty League Football)

Khalil Herbert (RB – CHI)

“Khalil Herbert should break out in a big way! In 2022, Herbert was number one in the percentage of runs that went for 10 or more yards – he was also second in yards after contact per attempt and third in missed tackles forced per carry. He’s been an incredibly efficient runner when given the chance, and now he’ll have the easiest path to opportunity in his career. ”
– Alfredo Brown (Footballguys)

“RB Khalil Herbert has a great chance to be the steal of the draft this year, stepping into the RB1 role for a Bears team that finished third in the NFL in rushing last season. Herbert has shown plenty of upside in his young career, including leading all running backs with a 5.7 yards per carry average in 2022 (minimum 100 attempts) despite not giving up a fumble. Now atop the depth chart in Chicago, Herbert is a safe bet for 200+ touches and 8+ total touchdowns as a potential three-down back. For a player being taken on average as the RB33 in fantasy drafts, it is hard not to like Herbert’s chances to return top-24 value at the position in 2023.”
– Dan Larocca (RotoBaller)