Noah Kenny | Fri, Aug 9th 2024, 6:56am EDT

5 Deep Sleepers to Stash in Dynasty (2024 Fantasy Football)

If you’re reading this, it’s too late. Tyrone Tracy Jr. is rostered in 89% of dynasty leagues. Jared Wiley has long been plucked from waivers. The Rasheen Alis of the world already have cozy spots on your league mates’ taxi squads. The best sleeper, however, is a deep one. Below is a list of dynasty stashes you can find on the waiver wire right now. The criteria for this list is to be rostered in 40% or less of dynasty leagues on Sleeper.

Deep Dynasty Sleepers to Stash

Dallin Holker (TE – NO)

Dallin Holker, or “Holk Hands,” is rostered in 19% of dynasty leagues. His illustrious one-handed double catch has faded into combine lore. Holker went undrafted and found himself a legitimate opportunity in New Orleans. He projects to back up the oft-injured Juwan Johnson, who’s currently sidelined due to a foot injury. Holker offers significant receiving upside, having led the FBS in tight end receptions (64), yards (767) and first downs in 2023. The Saints have lived with mediocre pass-catchers for too long. The lack of talent behind Chris Olave presents an opportunity for the Saints’ undrafted free agent (UDFA).

Colorado State awarded Holker the captaincy ahead of his lone season with the Rams. He didn’t disappoint, matching the school’s touchdown record for tight ends in a season (six). Holker lined up almost exclusively as a receiver (49.2% slot, 23% X, 26.2 % in-line). He’s a natural pass-catcher with exceptional hand-eye coordination and a large catch radius. He adjusts to balls at his toes and extends away from his body. His 50% contested catch rate (10 out of 20) is almost in the same neighborhood as 2017 Michael Thomas (56.3%).

Holker also shows promise as a route runner. He’s a fluid athlete who finds soft spots in zone coverage. He lacks the speed to dust defenses, but his elite 6.83-second 3-cone (94th percentile) indicates he has the agility to add more shake on his breaks. Holker is also a yards after the catch (YAC) monster and an explosive play threat. He forced 15 missed tackles last year and recorded 11 20+ yard receptions. That’s an explosive play on 17.2% of receptions.

Holker has the chance to earn playing time in 2024. He’s also a good bet to develop further down the line, as his 2023 season was his first time starting more than four games.

Jalen Coker (WR – CAR)

Jalen Coker is rostered in 34% of dynasty leagues. The zero-star high school prospect is used to being overlooked. It’s ironic, considering his 42.5” vertical (99th percentile) has him skying over the competition. The high-point athlete ended his career at Holy Cross with a monumental season. He recorded 59 receptions, 1,040 yards and 15 touchdowns. He did most of his damage vertically (17.6 yards per reception). An impressive 79.7% of his receptions resulted in first downs or touchdowns.

Coker possesses explosive athletic tools (42.5” vertical, 10’8” broad jump) and runs fantastic routes. Steve Smith Sr. called him the best route runner in the 2024 class. He compared him to Tim Duncan, meaning Coker is technically detailed and sound and doesn’t waste movement. He pointed out a few instances of Coker beating a defensive back with a rocker step at the top of his stem. Coker reads and attacks leverage consistently. He also wins positioning while the ball is in the air and has a knack for flashing his hands at the high point. He’s a natural ball winner, as shown by the many goal-line fade touchdowns in 2023.

Coker’s mix of aerial control and route running makes him an interesting stash. He signed with the Panthers as an UDFA, and although the receiving core lacks elite talent, Diontae Johnson and Xavier Legette figure to dominate the target share. The best-case scenario for Coker is a Dontayvion Wicks-lite rookie season. The main concern is whether or not he can make the leap from the FCS to the NFL. He has the tools to do it, but only time will tell.

Jordan Whittington (WR – LAR)

There isn’t a next Puka Nacua. Let’s get that out of the way. But when an organization hits on a late pick, it’s worth considering the next player they take a swing on.

The Rams selected Jordan Whittington in the sixth round of this year’s draft. The former five-star recruit failed to live up to expectations at Texas, as an extensive injury history kept him sidelined for most of his first three seasons. Whittington persevered. He played 27 straight games for the Longhorns in 2022 and 2023 and served as team captain in his final year.

Whittington totaled 92 receptions, 1,157 yards, and two touchdowns in his final two seasons. He took 82.2% of his snaps out of the slot, displaying comfort in traffic and an instinct for running after the catch. Whittington forced 27 missed tackles in his final two seasons. He shifts immediately into a ball carrier, often making oley-style cuts as soon as he gains possession. He changes direction well in tight spaces and he’s a load to bring down once he gets momentum. There’s a “game time” feel when Whittington turns upfield.

Whittington is a big slot receiver (6-foot-1, 202 pounds, 18 reps on the bench press) and a solid route runner. His 10-inch hands trap the ball with quick reactions and his big body stonewalls contact. He adjusts tempo along the stem and occasionally flashes snappy hips at the break point. He also found himself open against zone coverage in the intermediary parts of the field in 2023.

As of writing this, Whittington is rostered in 40% of leagues. Get him before reports surface about him joining Nacua and Cooper Kupp for breakfast.

Bub Means (WR – NO)

The Saints selected Pittsburgh wide receiver Bub Means in the fifth round of this year’s draft. He’s currently rostered in 35% of leagues. There is a hole behind Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed as mentioned earlier. Means could add a physically imposing (6-foot-1, 215 pounds) element to this offense. He blends verticality (39.5” vertical), length (33 ¼” arms), strength (19 reps on the bench press) and top-end speed (4.43-second 40-yard dash) to make him a dangerous deep threat. Means averaged 17.6 yards per reception and had 20+yard receptions in 10 out of 12 games last year. He ended the season with 41 receptions, 721 yards and six touchdowns for a disappointing Pittsburgh offense.

Means is a developmental route runner, but his acceleration and top-end speed help him separate vertically. Pittsburgh used him almost exclusively as a field-stretching X, tasking him with a bigger average depth of target (aDOT) of 17.7 than Rashid Shaheed’s last year (14.6). Means won 11 out of 22 contested catch situations in 2023, which is impressive given the depth of his targets. He’s a long, vertically gifted receiver who positions himself well to attack the catch point. This could help him get involved in the red zone. There’s also potential for him to utilize his physicality to become a possession threat, similar to what Joshua Palmer did last year in between catching bombs.

Fellow UDFA Mason Tipton has made his case this training camp. He’s beginning to outshine Means, who recently came off the NFI list and has yet to gain momentum. Means is losing steam in the dynasty community, but I’m still willing to keep him on my taxi squad until someone emerges from New Orleans’ sea of UDFAs and Day 2 picks.

Xavier Gipson (WR – NYJ)

The Hard Knocks hero started his rookie campaign in cinematic fashion. Xavier Gipson scored a walk-off punt return touchdown against division rival Buffalo Bills in overtime. The two-time WAC Offensive Player of the Year went undrafted out of Stephen F. Austin. Over his final two collegiate seasons, Gipson totaled 139 receptions, 2,530 yards and 21 touchdowns. That was enough to get him a shot with the Jets, and he quickly made his mark during his first offseason.

Gipson was a solid return man in 2023 but failed to find consistent production elsewhere. He totaled 21 receptions and 229 yards. He impressed in his limited usage in the run game, with 68 yards and one touchdown on eight attempts. Gipson’s best game came against the Atlanta Falcons, catching five of his six targets for 77 yards. Trevor Siemian and Tim Boyle both played this week. Unfortunately, Aaron Rodgers’ injury and the resulting quarterback situation severely limited any potential breakout.

Gipson hopes to continue his early offseason momentum after returning from an injury that kept him sidelined for the beginning of training camp. He’s an incredibly shifty athlete with a knack for sliding past tacklers. He also has the vision and in-game speed to break off explosives. Gipson is also a solid target. He accelerates with a noticeable burst and utilizes his shiftiness to separate. He showed strong hand-eye coordination and body control against the Falcons, adjusting to multiple tough catches near the boundary and in the face of big contact.

Gipson will continue to compete with Malachi Corley for that third receiver spot. Corley is understandably the favorite given his recent draft capital, but Gipson is a good bet to make at no cost. He’s currently rostered in 35% of leagues.

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