Titans rookie Tyjae Spears leads this season's all-sleeper fantasy football team
As draft day approaches, fantasy football managers are all searching for that diamond in the rough who could catapult them to a championship.
While there are many different interpretations of what constitutes a "sleeper," we're looking at players who might have seen their fantasy values drop unnecessarily last season or who may be in a much better position to succeed this season. Possibly both.
Here are some of the season's top fantasy football sleepers who could dramatically outperform their average draft positions (ADPs from all August drafts, courtesy of NFFC) and why they could be an asset to your team:
QUARTERBACK
Desmond Ridder, Atlanta Falcons (ADP: 230): Ryan Tannehill was QB9 in 2020 under now-Falcons head coach Arthur Smith. With that kind of direction, the mobile Ridder has fringe QB1 upside.
RUNNING BACK
Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans (ADP: 154): The dynamic rookie sits behind a high-mileage, 29-year-old Derrick Henry in Tennessee's run-heavy offense.
WIDE RECEIVER
Van Jefferson, Los Angeles Rams (ADP: 183): Finally healthy after an injury-shortened 2022, there's hardly anyone around to threaten his WR2 targets opposite Cooper Kupp.
TIGHT END
Greg Dulcich, Denver Broncos (ADP: 146): Could emerge in Year 2 with Denver's wide receiving corps losing two key contributors. Dulcich has the physical tools to threaten TE1 territory in Sean Payton's offense.
KICKER
Anders Carlson, Green Bay Packers (ADP: 294): He's certainly risky as a rookie kicker, but the Packers offense should do enough to keep him busy from distance.
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
Detroit Lions (ADP: 264): The Lions quietly finished as fantasy's 17th-ranked defense in 2022, despite only 37 sacks. Maturation and personnel upgrades could make a big difference this season.