Fantasy Football Lottery Tickets: Brian Thomas Jr., Jameson Williams, Khalil Shakir

Fantasy Football draft lottery tickets and sleepers can make or break your season. While safer players may have a higher hit rate, targeting players with upside late in fantasy football drafts is how you can truly DOMINATE your league. Here are fantasy football draft lottery tickets and sleepers to target.

Fantasy Football Draft Lottery Tickets

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 draft lottery tickets to consider below.

Brian Thomas Jr. (JAC)

Brian Thomas Jr. emerged as a force in his junior year at LSU, boasting a 33% dominator rating and leading the FBS with 17 touchdowns. Standing at 6’4″ and 205 lbs, he possesses the size and speed of a boundary X-receiver, evidenced by his impressive college production. Despite not being the primary target, Thomas still earned a 24% dominator rating, competing for catches with fellow standout Malik Nabers. Drafted by the Jaguars in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, Thomas has the opportunity to absorb a significant portion of targets left by departing players, potentially exceeding 100 targets. While he offers high-end splash week potential, his weekly consistency may vary due to Jacksonville’s diverse offensive weapons.
– Andrew Erickson

Jameson Williams (DET)

Jameson Williams has faced challenges in his first two years in the NFL, including a torn ACL in his rookie season and a slow start due to a suspension in his second year. While he has displayed flashes of big-play potential, injuries and inconsistencies have hampered his progress. Heading into his third year, Williams is expected to take on a larger role in the Lions’ offense with the WR2 position likely up for grabs. However, his limited target share and inconsistent performance in 2023 raise questions about his potential breakout. Williams may be overrated based on his draft capital, and he faces competition for targets in a crowded receiving corps in Detroit. Still, it’s noteworthy that his HC has already labeled Jamo as the team’s most improved player this offseason. Year 3 seems like it will be a career-best for the former Alabama product.
– Andrew Erickson

Khalil Shakir (BUF)

Khalil Shakir concluded his second season on a high note, shining in the absence of Gabe Davis with impressive performances. Over the last three games, he caught 16 of 17 targets for 180 yards and 2 touchdowns, showcasing his reliability and big-play ability. Shakir topped the NFL in catch rate (88%) and generated the highest passer rating (141.5), while leading the Bills in receiving EPA and ranking 16th overall in the league. Despite earning a larger role in the offense for 2024, he faces competition for targets from second-round rookie Keon Coleman and veteran slot WR Curtis Samuel.
– Andrew Erickson