Fantasy football may be a casual game for some, but one of the best ways to improve your experience and knowledge of the sport — and thus, your success — is to learn about the deeper parts of the player pool.
For a heightened challenge, why not give 12-team, 14-team or even dynasty league a try? Reaching outside of your comfort zone, to gain insight into the more than 160 players selected in ESPN’s standard draft, can even improve your success in a shallow format, because you need to know. front players who will be selected during the season in standard leagues. Get those players before your competition is critical.
Remember, things change quickly and dramatically in the NFL, even in the first few weeks of the season. In the middle of the season, the most successful fantasy teams have a different complexion than they did when they came out of the draft.
To help you start digging deeper into the player pool, the list below is our annual list of “deep sleepers,” players who won’t be — and in many cases are. must no – selected in the standard 10-team ESPN draft, but who has a decent chance to contribute to the fantasy team at some point during the upcoming season. Some of those players could be late-round targets in 12- and 14-team leagues, as well as in dynasty formats.
Write those names down and keep tabs on them in the early weeks. If something happens, one of them can be an important part of your championship quest. For example, Puka Nacua was one of the names from last year’s list.
First, remember this a deep column sleepers, which means you will not find even players I value as late-rounders in the standard league, such as Jaleel McLaughlin, Marvin Mims Jr. and Luke Musgrave. The purpose of this list is to dig deeper into the player pool, introducing you to names you don’t know yet but always want to.
Greg Dortch, WR, Arizona Cardinals: We’ll start with the most famous names on the list, even though they’ve only been selected in 0.5% of ESPN’s league so far. Dortch has had time for the Cardinals over the past two seasons, playing at least 75% of the offensive snaps in nine games during that span and averaging 14.5 PPR Fantasy points on a 71.3% catch rate. Rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. drew almost all of the attention from the roster in the early draft, but Dortch should be an often-targeted option as a slot receiver or on the outside in three-receiver sets.
Andrei Iosivas, WR, Cincinnati Bengals: A dual-sport star at Princeton, Iosivas got a brief, full look with the Bengals in the final three weeks of 2023, when he caught nine passes and scored 28.2 PPR fantasy points while playing 62% of the offensive snaps. He then spent the offseason training with personal receivers coach Drew Lieberman, who has previously worked with former breakout prospects Brandon Aiyuk, Evan Engram and Mohamed Sanu. Iosivas is shaping up to be the team’s likely slot receiver following the offseason departure of Tyler Boyd. Considering the team’s top two receivers, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, missed a combined 15 games over the past three seasons, Iosivas should take a bigger chance on the possibility of one of the better scoring offenses.
Bo Melton, WR, Green Bay Packers: After spending most of last season bouncing between the team’s practice squad and regular roster, Melton’s 105-yard, 22.5-point pass in Week 17 earned him a spot on the team’s divisional playoff roster, as well as a chance to compete for a more important role this year. He’s a speedy receiver who draws attention for his work ethic, a nice trait for a player who, despite his fifth-chart status, is part of a promising offense that likes to rely on hot hands at the position. .
Keaton Mitchell, RB, Baltimore Ravens: The rookie’s campaign may have ended prematurely due to a torn ACL in Week 15 – an injury that threatens to keep him on the PUP list until September this season – but if healthy, he could quickly become Derrick Henry’s main backup due to his explosive speed. Mitchell turned 26% of his rushing attempts into results of at least 10 meters, and he averaged 4.3 meters of the expected per attempt, two of the best rates in the league among players with at least as many as 47 attempts. While players coming off surgery are often incomplete until their second season back — and Mitchell is unlikely to see game action before October — he’s also one of the top fliers on a team that’s less run-oriented. in the competition in the position.
Colby Parkinson, TE, Los Angeles Rams: The Rams surprised many by signing this 25-year-old with 57 career catches on his resume for a three-year deal that included $15.5 million guaranteed, but apparently they saw something in his performance with the Seattle Seahawks. Among Parkinson’s 50 receptions in the past two seasons, 10 went for 20-plus yards and he averaged 7.3 yards. The Rams appear to be committed to using multiple TE sets more often this season, a strategy that didn’t hold up at least in the early stages of the year as Tyler Higbee worked his way back to strength after an ACL/MCL injury in January.
Michael Penix Jr., QB, Atlanta Falcons: While the top pick on draft day, Penix’s arrival in Atlanta gives the team an exciting and well-tested prospect should Kirk Cousins ​​miss additional time as the 36-year-old recovers from surgery for a torn Achilles. Penix played 48 games in six college seasons between Indiana and Washington, and in the last two years, totaled 67 touchdowns while being sacked only 1.4% of the time on dropbacks and 5.5% of the time when pressed, both of which are fourth highest. . He can’t see a single snap except in late-game blowouts or prevent Cousins ​​from getting injured, but he’s one of the more interesting backups to stash. The Falcons, after all, have a strong receiving game between Drake London, Kyle Pitts, Darnell Mooney, Bijan Robinson and Ray-Ray McCloud III.
Bryce Young, QB, Carolina Panthers: the new season which was one of the worst by any quarterback of the century. His 33.4 QBR ranks sixth worst among quarterbacks who started at least 15 games (only Mark Sanchez 2012, JaMarcus Russell 2008, Matt Cassel 2009, DeShone Kizer 2017 and Sanchez 2009 are worse). However, the Panthers did their best to improve some of the roster flaws that contributed to Young’s struggles, including adding Diontae Johnson and Xavier Legette to the receiver room, strengthening the offensive line by signing Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis, and hiring head coach Dave Canales. , with Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield enjoying breakout seasons in 2022 and 2023. Young has many to prove it. He also has a lot of career to do. Many successful quarterbacks have had terrible rookie campaigns, but Young at least has other ingredients aligned this season to help get his career on track. He is certainly someone to keep an eye on this pre-season and in September.
Tyrone Tracy Jr., RB, New York Giants: A converted wide receiver who opened eyes with measurables at the NFL combine, Tracy has a clear path to a meaningful role for a Giants team that will lead heavily in the running back in the passing game. Devin Singletary’s three-year deal guaranteed $9.5 million gives him a look behind the team’s clear three-down back, but it should be noted that Singletary’s 0.27 PPR fantasy points per touch during his five-year NFL career is dead last (among at least 500 ). from 2019 to 2023). Tracy had advanced in the race to start 2024 as Singletary’s primary backup, until an ankle injury in mid-August. Now it looks like he’ll have to wait a little longer before becoming a useful piece in a PPR format.
Kimani Vidal, RB, Los Angeles Chargers: A sixth-round rookie who scored 14 touchdowns and led FBS running backs with 47 rushes of 10-plus yards for Troy last season, Vidal began training camp third on the depth chart for a Chargers team that figures to be one of the league’s best running backs. -heavy on new offensive coordinator Greg Roman. Remember the top two ends of the team, Gus Edwards and JK Dobbins, missed a combined 33 games due to injuries in the past two seasons, and Roman, in the Baltimore Ravens team that featured Edwards and Dobbins, squeezed 331 out of another run. back on the roster that season. Vidal brings the physical element of this team Chargers will need, as 60% of the rushing yardage last season came after contact, and he finished fourth in forcing missed tackles (84). He’s a decent speculative pick in a bigger league than ESPN’s standards.