Sleeper Picks You NEED To Make

Sleeper Picks You NEED To Make

More often than not, the champion of a fantasy league is determined by which manager can find the best value late in the draft.

Every year, fantasy managers spend countless amounts of time trying to determine which players might end up as “sleepers”, players selected later in the draft that significantly outperform their ADP.

Here is a look at four players that our fantasy coaches, Harrison Zuckerberg and Bryce Johnson, believe are prime sleeper picks for your upcoming drafts.

Rico Dowdle - The starting running backs for the top-ranked NFL offense finish as a top 24 RB in fantasy 76% of the time. The Cowboys have finished two of the last three seasons as the top scoring offense in the league, and they will likely be in that same territory once again this season. Even with Dallas bringing back Ezekiel Elliott, all of the reports out of camp are that Dowdle looks like the No. 1 guy in the backfield. He finished last season top ten in the league in terms of yards created per touch, so he also has the talent to add to his increased workload. Dowdle is currently being drafted as the RB45, but there is very little chance that he finishes outside of the top 24 given his talent and situation.

Michael Wilson - There is no question that Marvin Harrison Jr. will be the guy at wide receiver in Arizona, but let’s also not forget that teams need a No. 2 option. Wilson was a third round pick in the 2023 draft, and he had a solid rookie campaign, hauling in 38 receptions for 565 yards and three touchdowns. He should be better prepared for success heading into his second year, and all of the indications are that Arizona is going to be more pass-heavy with their offense this fall. If Wilson is still around late in your draft, you should definitely think about taking a flier on him as a guy who can start the year on your bench.

Curtis Samuel - When people think about late-round sleepers, many people immediately think about trying to get younger players who will have their coming out party. However, if you look historically, many of the players who have outperformed their ADP when drafted late have been veteran guys that simply get overlooked. It seems like Samuel is a prime candidate to fit into that latter description. Samuel has been a consistent performer over the better part of the last decade, yet he is being overlooked by many due to the excitement surrounding Buffalo’s young receivers, such as Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir. At the end of the day, Samuel has a great chance of ending up as the No. 1 WR in this Buffalo offense, meaning he is someone who could bring tremendous value to your fantasy team.

MarShawn Lloyd - Josh Jacobs was a disappointment in Las Vegas a year ago, and he now finds himself entrenched as the No. 1 option in Green Bay. Though many people are still high on Jacobs, I think the Packers are also going to be disappointed with the production that they get out of him. Lloyd, a third round pick out of USC, has been very impressive during camp, and many people think that he has clearly surpassed A.J. Dillon as the No. 2 option in Green Bay’s backfield. Lloyd is a fast and shifty player, and it is likely that his touches will increase as the season wears on. If you can afford to keep him on your bench early in the season, he is a guy worth spending a pick on for the eventual return later in the year.