These are fantasy football sleepers for Week 1.
Note: All players are available in at least 75% of Yahoo Leagues.
Oh, you’ve come here for deep fantasy football sleepers? Every week, I will be digging deep—no, deeper than that—to identify deep sleepers. Some of these players can be streamed in a pinch, while others are future waiver wire additions.
In this column last year, I discussed players like C.J. Stroud, De’Von Achane, Tank Dell, and Trey McBride well before their breakouts. For many fantasy managers, this article served as a “Waiver Wire of the Future.” Whether you are streaming or stashing, hopefully, you find some value from this article as part of your weekly process.
This is Week 1 of the fantasy season, so I hope you do not need to use any of these players in your lineup. But if you do, we will do our best to identify players and situations that can help.
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Antonio Gibson – RB, New England (25%)
Rhamondre Stevenson is the lead back in New England but look for Gibson to play a significant role. The Patriots will need to lean on their RBs to protect their QBs and ease the pressure on multiple new WRs. Gibson caught a career-high number of passes last season, making him a valuable option in PPR leagues. As far as fantasy football sleepers go, Gibson is a good bet.
Jaylen Wright- RB, Miami (22%)
A reminder that Wright should be rostered- everywhere. If he rips off a long run this weekend people are going to lose their minds next week on the Waiver Wire with visions of Achane 2.0 on their minds. Stash him before the game.
Tyler Conklin – TE, New York Jets (20%)
Conklin has quietly been targeted often and caught many passes over the past two seasons. The talk of the offseason—deservedly so—has been about Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson being HUGE beneficiaries of Aaron Rodgers‘ return.
However, there has been little buzz about Conklin. He could prove to be one of the better values among all TE2s. If you are unsure about your TE situation, consider rostering him.
Darnell Mooney – WR, Atlanta (17%)
Atlanta and Pittsburgh will square off in the Arthur Smith revenge game. There will be plenty of narratives. Look for Pittsburgh to key in on Drake London and Bijan Robinson, which should lead to some extra looks for Mooney. The free agent is under the radar right now but has a chance at a bounce-back season. Consider him a sneaky flex option this week.
DeMario Douglas – WR, New England (15%)
The Patriots are sizeable underdogs on the road in Cincinnati. Look for Douglas to play almost a full-time role out of the slot this season. The game flow could dictate that he sees some extra looks. Douglas had five weeks of WR3 or better scoring last season and will look to improve on those numbers in year two.
Bo Nix – QB, Denver (18%)
Nix faces a difficult matchup on the road in Seattle. Nevertheless, I want to stash him where I can.
He had a strong preseason, and with his combination of accuracy and underrated rushing upside, Nix could surprise with stronger-than-expected fantasy numbers.
Bucky Irving – RB, Tampa Bay (19%)
I am very curious to see what Bucky Irving‘s involvement will be. There is a lot of buzz about him out of Tampa Bay camp. Whether or not that translates into enough touches to be fantasy-friendly remains to be seen. With his pass-catching ability, look for Irving to have a chance at a handcuff-plus role this season. He is also a must-stash for Rachaad White managers.
Ray Davis – RB, Buffalo (18%)
Just how heavily involved will Davis be this week? There is a chance he could be more involved than some are anticipating. Davis has burst as a runner and has the ability to catch a few passes. James Cook had over 230 rushing attempts last season—about as much as he can handle. Look for Davis to be worked in on a weekly basis. He is a priority handcuff.
Kimani Vidal – RB, LA Chargers (10%)
We are not sure how the touch distribution will be divided among Chargers RBs. Veterans J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards will get opportunities, but the back who could gain the most traction this Sunday is Vidal. The rookie has some juice and saw snaps with the first team offense in the preseason. LA wants to run the ball—all three backs are worth rostering until we figure out the pecking order.
Andrei Iosivas – WR, Cincinnati (2%)
Iosivas will have a weekly role out of the slot this season, and that alone makes him an interesting sleeper. But in Week 1, with the Ja’Marr Chase contract saga looming, Iosivas could be on the field in two WR sets. He has the size, speed, and athleticism to make big plays in the passing game.
He is worth a short-term dart throw if Chase misses time.
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