Fantasy Football Sleepers: Ladd McConkey, Xavier Worthy, Jaxon Smith-Njigba (2024)

When preparing for your fantasy football drafts, knowing which players to target and others to avoid is important. The amount of information available can be overwhelming, so a great way to condense the data and determine players to draft and others to leave for your leaguemates is to use our expert consensus fantasy football rankings compared to fantasy football average draft position (ADP). In this way, you can identify players the experts are willing to reach for at ADP and others they are not drafting until much later than average. Let’s dive into a few notable fantasy football sleepers to consider below.

Fantasy Football Draft Sleepers

Ladd McConkey (LAC)

McConkey could become the Bolts’ WR1 in short order. McConkey has a clear path to volume this year, with only Joshua Palmer and Quentin Johnston pushing him weekly. Is the passing volume in a Greg Roman offense a concern? Absolutely, but that’s why his ADP is this low. During Roman’s final four seasons with Baltimore, his offenses averaged 496 passing attempts. If McConkey can earn at least a 21% target share, then we’re talking 102 targets, which might not sound like much, but that would have been tied for 32nd among wide receivers last season. There’s plenty of upside for McConkey to earn an even larger slice of the target pie in 2024, considering the other pass catchers that are running opposite him and his inherent talent level. Last year at Georgia, McConkey was in the 98th percentile in receiving grade and receiving grade versus single coverage. He was also in the 91st percentile or higher in separation percentage and YPRR. If the Bolts’ throw even more than I’m projecting, McConkey could be one of the best values of the fantasy draft season.
– Derek Brown

Xavier Worthy (KC)

Texas’ Xavier Worthy has quickly made a name for himself with his standout speed and playmaking prowess. At 6 feet 1 inch and 172 pounds, Worthy distinguished himself early, notching 62 receptions for 981 yards and 12 touchdowns in his freshman year. He capped off his college career with over 1,000 yards and 5 touchdowns in his junior year, securing a 30% career dominator rating-the second highest in his class-and the youngest breakout age at 18. His abilities have drawn comparisons to DeSean Jackson, both from Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid and draft analyst Thor, underscoring his potential impact. Set to join the Chiefs as a 1st-rounder, Worthy is expected to compete for a significant role, particularly with the possibility of an expanded opportunity if teammate Rashee Rice faces a suspension.
– Andrew Erickson

Jaxon Smith-Njigba (SEA)

Smith-Njigba’s usage last year was comical. The team neutered him into a low aDOT player when he has the skills to be so much more. When he was aligned outside, he flashed the talent that had plenty of Fantasy GMs drafting him aggressively last year. Among 81 qualifying wide receivers last season, when he was running routes on the perimeter, Smith-Njigba ranked 15th in YPRR and fourth in TPRR. Among 61 qualifying receivers with at least 40 perimeter targets, he also ranked 14th in FD/RR. With a new head coach and offensive coordinator to revamp this offense and a retooled offensive line, Smith-Njigba should flourish in his sophomore season.
– Derek Brown