Welcome to Sleeper Picks. Sleeper’s newest offering promised plenty of entertainment and action, and they delivered. We will break down our top three picks for this week’s NFL action. Sleeper is quickly becoming one of the most popular season-long fantasy platforms, and they are expanding into other areas based on demand. Each week in this space, we’ll talk about some strategy for the new platform while providing our favorite NFL more/less picks.
Sleeper Picks NFL Week 1
2023 Season record: 45-33
Kyle Pitts (TE – ATL): 47.5 receiving yards
This is a number Pitts hit just five times last season, but with a massive upgrade behind center, he should be well on his way to his first 1,000 yard season since his rookie campaign. The Steelers will likely hone in on stopping Pitts and London in the passing game, but the threat of Bijan Robinson will keep the Steelers defense honest, which means he will have a significant volume of snaps against poor coverage backers in Patrick Queen and Elandon Roberts and a 6’0 star safety in Minkah Fitzpatrick (Pitts is 6’6). It should only take two to three receptions for this total to hit. Push the More on Pitts for Week 1.
Pick: More
T.J. Edwards (LB – CHI): 4.5 solo tackles
This is the very first IDP play we have covered at Sleeper Picks. Edwards is the LB1 for the Chicago Bears in terms of tackles and failed to hit at least five solos in just five of his 17 games played (70.5 percent hit rate) last season. He recorded six, seven, two, nine, and one solos in his five games against AFC opponents in 2023 (five solo per game average), proving the tougher competition does not limit his production. Tennessee should provide tackle for loss and sack opportunities in abundance, so expect Edwards to also contribute in the peripheral stats outside of solos and assists. Hit the More on TJ for Week 1.
Pick: More
Terry McLaurin (WR – WAS): 60.5 receiving yards
McLaurin finally has a legit quarterback to work with and should have a career season in store for 2024. Terry has averaged 66 receiving yards per game over his career, with 2023 being his only sub 60 receiving yards per game (58.9) season. He was able to hit the number in over half of his games with below average quarterback play last year, and will likely only need to catch two to three balls for this number to click this weekend. Tap the More on Terry for Week 1.
Pick: More
Writers note: The lines are constantly changing on Sleeper, so there is a high probability that one or all of the numbers may no longer be the same when you open your app. There are excellent values when they are first posted, with the only catch being that they are not all released at the same time. Vigilance could provide a solid return on investment this season, literally.
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Raju Byfield is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Raju, check out his profile and follow him @FantasyContext.
