Opportunity is the Key to Sleepers in Fantasy Football

Opportunity is the Key to Sleepers in Fantasy Football

Every player making a roster in the NFL has talent, but only some players have a clear path to opportunity to get the volume needed to have an impact in Fantasy Football. Today, I will examine each team’s position battles, where we often find opportunities. Most of the top spots are occupied this season, but the next-man-up theory kicks in during the season. Depending on the format and size of rosters in your league, many of these players will not be worth rostering to start the season. Still, everyone mentioned in this article becomes a hot waiver wire add if injuries occur at the top of the depth chart. Let’s look team by team for opportunities that could yield sleeper value in Fantasy Football sometime this season. 

Arizona Cardinals

The only competition yet to be settled is who will become the second option at WR. Mike Wilson gives me the slide edge over Greg Dortch, but it’s very close. 

Atlanta Falcons

Darnel Mooney appears to have a hold on the WR2 spot right now, but who will emerge as the WR3, and could that player eventually challenge Mooney for the second spot? Ray Ray McCloud is an exciting player, as is third-string RB Jase McClellan. 

Baltimore Ravens

Justice Hill should slot in at RB2 behind Derrick Henry to start the season, but I don’t know if he can handle the volume. Rasheen Ali could be a player to watch this season, but he is currently in concussion protocol and could be a late addition to the IR. Rashod Bateman is penciled into the WR2 spot to start the season, but he was very disappointing in the past. Can the rookie Devontez Walker take over that position during the season? 

Buffalo Bills

There is a big question about the pecking order in the WR room with the departures of their two leading WRs in the offseason. Keon Coleman is a talented rookie who the scouts say has difficulty separating. Khalil Shakir has never had to be the lead WR in the past but has a solid shot this season to make a big move forward. Veteran Curtis Samuel was brought in as a free agent and got linked back up with the coach who helped him have the best season of his career. I will bet on the rookie to emerge, but a three-way split may take the upside away from all of them. Frank Gore Jr had an impressive preseason but did not survive the roster cutdown. Ray Davis is well-positioned as the RB2. 

Carolina Panthers

The biggest question heading into the season is when rookie RB Jonathan Brooks will be healthy enough to take over the lead RB role. He will spend the first four weeks on the PUP list, making Chubba Hubbard the starter. Could we see a resurgence of Miles Sanders before Brooks returns in week five or later? The other position is to keep an eye on the features of another rookie. Ja’Tavion Sanders has very little competition ahead of him. Keep an eye on Jonathan Mingo early in the season to see if he can make a massive leap from last year's disappointing season. 

Chicago Bears

Teams saw fewer changes than the Bears, making it challenging to decipher the Fantasy Football pecking order and expected volumes at every position. We know which three WRs will be at the top, but we are still determining who will be one through three in target share. Rome Odunze could emerge out of that pack over time. D’Andre Swift should be the lead RB, but his volume is uncertain, and we also don’t know who will emerge as the RB2 for right now; the Bears kept Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson to share the volume, although a late trade of one of them would not surprise me at all. 

Cincinnati Bengals

Zach Moss was signed as a free agent and will battle with Chase Brown for the top RB spot, although it’s doubtful whether either RB will get the same volume Mixon saw last year. The other big battle will be for WR3 between Andrei Iosivas and Jermaine Burton. Iosivas had some strong plays when their primary WRs missed time last season. The question at TE is whether Mike Gesecki finds a “Fantasy Football Friendly” home in Cincy or rookie Erick All can emerge this season. There are so many targets on the Bengals offense, which limits the upside for anyone at TE. 

Dallas Cowboys

Ezekial Elliott was brought back this season, but the pecking order at RB is still being determined as we head to week one. Rico Dowdle is the other choice for Zeke, with Malik Davis not cutting. Dalvin Cook's signing is intriguing, but I will choose different options except in deep roster dynasty formats. The other big question is who will emerge as the WR3. Jalen Tolbert has yet to live up to expectations, and youngster Ryan Flournoy is a guy to keep an eye on early in the season. 

Denver Broncos

Unless they trade Courtland Sutton, the big battle is at WR2. Tim Patrick looked good in preseason, but he was cut, which opens a path for Marvin Mims or Troy Franklin to win that volume unless journeyman Josh Reynolds can hold them off. Mims is a big play guy who showed some sparks early in the season and then struggled to make it on the field. I like him more in Best Ball than in Redraft, but keep an eye out for his early-season production. Can this be the year that Greg Dulcich can be significant in fantasy football at TE? 

Detroit Lions

This year should be the season we finally see Fantasy Football relevance from Jameson Williams. An injury in his rookie year and an early-season suspension affected his development last year. The Lions only kept four WRs on their final roster, so they must be comfortable with Williams. The only question is whether Sione Vaki can win some time at RB behind Jamyrr Gibbs. Vaki is an exciting playmaker who instantly becomes relevant in fantasy football if anything happens to Gibbs or Montgomery. 

Green Bay Packers

They have an excellent problem with a deep group of WRS, although it’s possible there isn’t a true Alpha WR to dominate targets every week. Jayden Reed and Christian Watson distance themselves from the others but remain a one and 1A entry at WR. AJ Dillon was sent to season-ending IR, which means MarShawn Lloyd becomes the RB2 as expected. Similar to the WR situation, the Packers have two solid young TEs, Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft, but I think both might struggle to find week-in and week-out consistency for Fantasy Football. 

Houston Texans

Unlike the Packers, who might lack a true Alpha WR, the Texans might have two of them in Diggs and Collins, with a third operating out of the slot, which could also be considered a WR1 on many teams. The pecking order for targets might be different every week. Massive competition for RB2 hasn’t been settled yet, but veteran Cam Akers might have the edge over Dameon Pierce. 

Indianapolis Colts

The concern of the starting QB getting hurt is probably why the Colts head to week one with 3 QBs on the roster. The battle at RBs has yet to be settled, but I would like Tyler Goodson to find any leftover volume from starter Jonathon Taylor. Adonai Mitchell looked good in camp and could nudge Josh Downs out of the way as this roster's WR2 for Fantasy Football purposes. The TE battle remains a mess, but the answer to which Colts TE should be on the roster might be none of them. 

Jacksonville Jaguars

Trevor Lawrence has several new targets this season, but his old, reliable TE Evan Engram could lead the team in targets. Veteran WRs Christian Kirk and Gabe Davis are penciled in on the depth chart as WR1 and WR2, but rookie Brian Thomas will take over that role quickly. Kirk has some attractive Fantasy Football value but is already coming into the season with minor injuries, which opens the door for the rookie to take over. 

Kansas City Chiefs

During the preseason, I was getting a bit of razing for saying that Carson Steele might be the handcuff to own for Isiah Pacheco owners in Fantasy Football. Deneric Prince was considered the heir apparent to that role if Clyde Edwards Helaire wasn’t healthy, but the prince became a pauper and got cut. I expect him to get signed to the Practice Squad. Steele was a tremendous late-round addition to Best Ball. Note that Samajae Perine has been signed and may indicate the health of CEH rather than any effect on Pacheo. The Chiefs brought back Ju Ju Smith-Schuster to add some depth to Hollywood Brown, who was struggling with an injury. I stick to my strategy of only investing in Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy in Fantasy Football from the Chiefs WR Room this season. 

Las Vegas Raiders

The QB battle ended up going to free agent Gardner Minshew over Aidan O’Connell, and that could give a little help to the Fantasy Football value of Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers, who are the clear WR1 and WR2 on this team. Tre Tucker might have some attractive, immense play value this season. Zamir White should hold on to a high volume of the work by default at RB, with Mattison and Laube having minor relief work to start the season. Brock Bowers should emerge as a solid TE, but I'm concerned about his upside and consistency in this offense. 

Los Angeles Chargers

If you look at the new coach’s past tendencies, you might think this would be a run-heavy offense. But the defense was awful last season, and the Chargers kept seven wide receivers on the final roster. This team might need to throw more than the coach would like this season. The RB and WR pecking order will also change throughout the season. Gus Edwards might start the season as the lead RB, but I think JK Dobbins and rookie Kimani Vidal could emerge as the better RBs. While many fantasy football analysts seem to be all in on rookie Ladd McConkey, I like Joshua Palmer’s chances to emerge as the lead wide receiver for the Chargers. Quentin Johnson was a huge disappointment last season, but in the past, we have seen coaching changes lead to a vast improvement in the second season for WRs. The TE situation between Will Dissly and Hayden Hurts for Fantasy Football purposes is tough to read, but the answer might be neither. 

Los Angeles Rams

The announcement by Coach Sean McVay that last year’s Fantasy Football sensation RB Kyren Williams would be returning punts has sent some of the Fake Football Analysts into convulsions. That’s because rookie RB Blake Corum is the type of runner that McVay might like, and they did spend a third-round pick for him this season. But I always thought Corum was selected because of how pitiful the RB situation was behind Williams, not that the coach had doubts about his star. The Rams benefit from two great WRs who can dominate targets in Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. That limits the upside of a third WR in this offense for Fantasy Football purposes. Damarcus Robinson starts in the slot, but rookie Jordan Whittington could emerge if Kupp or Nacua misses time this year.

Miami Dolphins

I was surprised that veteran Mike White didn’t cut a backup QB to Tua Tagovailoa. The RB room with the Dolphins is intense, with Raheem Mostert, De’Von Achane, and rookie Jaylen Wright all having that big play potential to score on any carry or reception. The WR room is not as deep after mega playmakers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, but Malik Washington could emerge if either of the top WRs gets hurt. Johnnu Smith adds another intriguing playmaker to this high-scoring offense at TE. 

Minnesota Vikings

The quarterback race ended abruptly with the injury to rookie JJ McCarthy, who left this team to Sam Darnold. Can it be any worse than the game QB Roulette played last season when Kirk Cousins got hurt? Aaron Jones was signed as a free agent and should get the RB1 volume ahead of Ty Chandler, although the possibility of an even split could water down the value of both. Jalen Nailor is emerging as a solid WR3 and could have instant Fantasy Football value if anything happens to Justin Jefferson or Jordan Addison. My concern is whether the Vikings will try to run more this season, which could take the upside away from their dynamic playmaker, Jefferson. 

New England Patriots

Drake Maye should emerge as the starting quarterback for the Patriots in week one. The RB situation is solid and well-defined, with starters Rhamondre Stevenson and Anthony Gibson set for solid years. The WR situation is up in the air with veteran Kendrick Bourne on the PUP list and many talented players trying to establish the pecking order among the remaining WRs. Rookies JaLynn Polk and Javon Baker should emerge as the top 2 wide receivers in time, with veteran KJ Osborn also having a solid role. Where talented playmaker DeMario Douglas fits in is anyone’s guess right now. I am intrigued to have many parts of this offense under new leadership for the first time in decades.

New Orleans Saints

There is no quarterback battle right now, but that’s what we thought about with the Raiders a few years ago when Derek Carr lost his job by the end of the season. Could it be Deja Vous all over again, with rookie Spencer Rattler taking over down the stretch? Kendre Miller headed to the PUP list, clearing the way for Alvin Kamara to have another big season with Jamaal Williams possibly being Fantasy Football relevant in Best Ball formats this season off the bench and for some goal line carries. Jordan Mims made the final roster at RB and will be an exciting sleeper to keep an eye on this season. But the big question is how much volume TE/Hybrid Taysom Hill gets this season, especially near the goal line. The WR top three is solid and well-defined, with AT Perry behind Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. 

New York Giants

Could this be the worst team in the NFL in real football this season? Daniel Jones looked shaky in the preseason but will have a long leash with just Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito behind him. Devin Singletary fought off better competition last year and is a valuable RB in Fantasy Football, albeit with his upside capped by this offense. Malik Nabers quickly takes over as the top target among all players. Can Jalin Hyatt improve, and does Wan’Dale Robinson get enough targets to impact fantasy football? After Nabers and Singletary, I was in Giants avoidance all draft season. 

New York Jets

Will QB Aaron Rodgers play all season? Will he revert to the 2021 form at age 72? Will he suddenly take a sabbatical to Outer Mongolia? Breece Hall was immune to foul QB play last year, but Garret Wilson was not. The good news is that the backup QB situation is better this year. Braleon Allen is a good insurance draft pick if you grab Hall in the first round. Mike Williams is a solid value player at WR2, but if he misses time, I would like the chance for rookie Malachi Corley to emerge. While Rodgers has had a good rapport with TEs in the past, this season, I am not keen on any of the choices in this roster for Fantasy Football purposes. 

Philadelphia Eagles

Since I like the Eagles' schedule during the Fantasy Football playoffs, and I don’t expect them to solidify their playoff position until week 18, this team has lots of value for fake football this season. Saquon Barkley should get all the critical volume when healthy, but if anything happens to him, I would like Will Shipley to be an excellent fantasy football asset. The addition of Jahan Dotson for their WR3 to compete with rookie Johnny Wilson was interesting, but neither has Fantasy Football value without injuries ahead of them. Dallas Goedert will have an excellent season at TE, but in case of injury, I don’t see a replacement worth having on your fake football roster. 

Pittsburgh Steelers

This team is a mess to try to figure out from a Fantasy Football point of view. Will Russell Wilson lose the starting role to Justin Fields? What will the volume split be between Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren? Will George Pickens become a dependable Fantasy WR, or will a last-minute trade for Brandon Aiyuk happen after all? Roman Wilson is a solid late-season WR to add in all formats and could emerge later this season if another WR is not added to this roster. Pat Freiermuth seems posed for a great season, but will the new OC use all four TEs and mess up his Fantasy Football value? “As the Steelers Turn” might be a soap opera to avoid for Fantasy Football purposes this season.

San Francisco 49ers

Considering his lack of rushing yards, Brock Purdy had a stunning Fake Football season. The holdout of offensive tackle Trent Williams is a massive concern to me, especially regarding whether Purdy can repeat last season. Christian McCaffrey is a unicorn at RB in Fantasy Football and should be immune from anything except injury. Jordan Mason or Issac Guerrendo could emerge as Fantasy viable if CMC got hurt, but a volume split would most likely cap the upside of each. Deebo Samuel and George Kittle will have tremendous fake football seasons without Brandon Aiyuk, but the team will be so much worse that I can’t see this holdout lasting into the season. None of the guys farther down the roster have any appeal to me currently. 

Seattle Seahawks 

Geno Smith is better at real football, and Sam Howell is better at fake football. Kenneth Walker is in for a big season, and Zach Charbonnet makes a great handcuff. I expect a big year from Jaxon Smith-Njigba, but I also roster quite a few shares of DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, especially in Best Ball. Noah Fant looks solid but has a limited upside in fake football at TE, with none of the other reserves at any position worth having on your Fantasy Football roster. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Baker Mayfield resurgence was fun to watch last season, and in Fantasy Football, I expect an even better season from him this year. He is an excellent backup in 1QB and QB3 in Superflex formats. Bucky Irving could cut into Rachaad White’s volume this year. Look for Jalen McMillan to have some Fantasy Football appeal this year behind the two solid starters Mike Evans and Chris Godwin at WR. Cade Otton should be better at fake football this season, but I wouldn’t want to count on him. Keep an eye on Devin Culp and consider adding him as a backup TE in the deep roster dynasty. 

Tennessee Titans

The keys to the offense have been handed over to Will Levis, which is exciting and scary. Mason Rudolph isn’t a threat to Levis, so he is worth a stash if you need a backup QB. The RB volume split between Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears is a mystery heading into week one, but I give the edge to Pollard. The pecking order at WR should be apparent if DeAndre Hopkins is healthy. Tyler Boyd is an intriguing last WR roster spot selection, and I think he could have a solid season. Which Calvin Ridley will show up this season is a mystery. The TE usage might be more complex and hold less Fantasy Football value than the RB battle, so avoiding them all might be the best strategy. 

Washington Commanders

The Commandoes might be a lousy real football team, but they could be a gold mine for Fantasy Football production. Their lead RBs, Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler, have well-defined roles in PPR leagues; my “Play Em Both” strategy might work well at times during bye weeks and when you are dealing with injuries on your roster. The late trade of Johan Dotson opens the Fantasy Football relevance of Luke McCaffrey behind dominant WR1 Terry McLaurin. Zach Ertz is a sneaky play at TE early in the season, with rookie Ben Sinnott also being a great late TE guy this season who should emerge by midseason. 

Conclusion

Every player making an NFL roster has talent, but only some get the same opportunity. Quite often, the difference later in the season in Fantasy Football is being a week ahead of who to add via waivers as the players' roles in an offense become more specific. Follow me all year long for waiver wire advice, and good luck this season!