Let’s dive into fantasy football sleepers! I selected the start of Round 8 as my cut-off for sleepers because I’ve often found that’s the range in the draft when we start to see breakout RBs emerge.
The main goal is that one or several of them beat their average draft positions (ADP) by a significant margin, akin to performances from Rhamondre Stevenson, Tyler Allgeier, Dameon Pierce, Jerick McKinnon, Isiah Pacheco, D’Onta Foreman, Brandon Aiyuk, Christian Kirk, Garrett Wilson, Justin Fields, Daniel Jones and Tyler Conklin last season.
Be prepared to find hidden talents across all teams, including those in unexpected situations like the Arizona Cardinals. My only requirement is that these players possess ADPs outside the top-84 players (in some capacity because this can vary by draft platform).
Get ready to make strategic moves and uncover the next breakout stars! Here are my top fantasy football sleepers for all NFL teams. Below we’ll offer a free look at a few of these names.
- Fitz’s Draft Primers: QB | RB | WR | TE
- Fantasy Football Draft Strategy
- 2023 Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator
Fantasy Football Draft Sleepers
Tyler Conklin finished as the TE16 last season, ending the year with 83 targets (9th) for the second straight season. The Jets TE1’s most appealing trait was his high-end route participation (70%) which ranked 9th among all tight ends in 2022. With an every-down role well within his sights, Conklin is a nice late-round dart throw should he emerge as an Aaron Rodgers go-to target in the red zone.
Mike Gesicki, a tight end known for his versatility as a slot receiver hybrid, was not used correctly last year. But there should be optimism regarding his new fit in the New England Patriots’ wide-open offense, which is begging to give targets away. Recall that in 2021, Gesicki finished sixth in receptions, ninth in receiving yards, fourth in route participation (78%), and fifth in target share (17%) over 18 weeks. These impressive numbers translated to a TE9 finish (TE8 Weeks 1-17) in fantasy football. His utilization as a slot receiver or wide alignment accounted for 94% of his snaps in 2021, granting him an advantage in creating mismatches. And that’s how he projects to play in the 2023 Patriots offense. It’s the perfect fit in Bill O’Brien’s system that puts players in positions to exploit mismatches. Particularly tight ends, such as Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. Gesicki has frequently shined brightest when opportunities arise due to injuries or lack of talent to other players within the offense. And that’s exactly how the situation plays itself with him in New England.
I’ve been on the Gerald Everett bandwagon for far too long, but that hardly means I am jumping off anytime soon. Because he’s being vastly underrated after a solid season. He didn’t experience a full-fledged breakout, but he was useable (from tight end standards). He was the TE15 and ranked second on the team in red-zone targets last season despite modest snap usage (58% route participation). In a new offense led by offensive coordinator, Kellen Moore, we could see Everett’s route usage spike. We saw firsthand how that role did wonders for Dalton Schultz‘s fantasy upside over the past two seasons. And Everett is still a superior athlete, giving him more upside than Schultz could ever deliver. Last year, Everett ranked 7th in yards after the catch per reception (6.5) while also finishing 8th in receptions (58) and 9th in targets (82). Those were all career highs. Long story short, Everett had a career year in his first year with the Chargers and is cheaper than last season. You know what do to. Mt. Everett 2023 eruption szn.
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
- Hoppen’s Final Round Draft Dart Throws
- DBro’s Pace & Play Calling Changes & Impact
- 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
- Making the Case for RB1 | WR1
- Post-Hype Sleepers
- The Worst Fantasy Football Team You Could Draft at ADP
- 7 Safest Players to Draft | 5 Riskiest Players to Draft
- 5 High-Floor PPR Draft Targets
- 4 Late-Round Fantasy Football Defenses to Draft
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