This is Fantasy Sleepers Week 10!
Week 9 was a tough one for Sleepers. More and more quality players are being rostered as the season progresses. I did recommend Cade Otton, and he returns to the column this week. Some of these players are streamable and some are stashes.
All players listed are available in 75 percent of Yahoo Leagues or more unless they are listed as a “SHALLOW LEAGUE ADD.”
Quarterbacks
Taylor Heinicke | Atlanta (18%)
Heinicke passed for 268 yards and a TD while rushing for 30 in Atlanta’s Week 9 loss to Minnesota. He now faces off against an Arizona team that has allowed 14 TD passes. There is also the potential that Kyler Murray‘s return creates a sneaky shootout environment.
Gardner Minshew | Indianapolis (19%)
Minshew had a quiet Week 9, and Indianapolis rolled in Carolina with their defense picking off Bryce Young thrice. Expect a heavy dose of Jonathan Taylor and Zack Moss, but Minshew should comfortably finish as a mid-QB2. There is also the chance that this could be a very close game, and Minshew should have extra opportunities to produce fantasy points. In Weeks 6-8, Minshew finished as QB 18, QB 3, and QB 17.
Running Backs
SHALLOW LEAGUES: Devin Singletary | Houston (42%)
Dameon Pierce is set to miss another week. The C.J. Stroud show was put on full display in Week 9, and Singletary only finished with 23 rushing yards. However, his volume (15 touches) was solid. Nico Collins and Robert Woods could miss, and there could be an extra target or two for Singletary.
SHALLOW LEAGUES: Justice Hill | Baltimore (41)
I am a Keaton Mitchell hype man, but Mitchell was limited at Thursday’s practice.
Hill had a season-high 13 carries in Week 9’s win over Seattle and should handle double-digit touches again in a challenging road game at Cleveland.
Rico Dowdle | Dallas (3%)
The Cowboys are 16.5 favorites against a hapless Giants team starting Tommy DeVito at QB. This is a dart throw, but Dowdle could see the most volume of his entire career if you are completely desperate.
Jaleel McLaughlin | Denver (25%)
McLaughlin’s usage has decreased in recent weeks as Javonte Williams dominated the RB touches in Weeks 8 and 9. But the Bye week, and a road game at Buffalo, could put McLaughlin back on track. Buffalo has allowed 50 RB receptions. Could Denver self-scout during the Bye week and get the rookie more involved?
Ty Chandler | Minnesota (6%)
Chandler should see an increased role in the offense with Cam Akers lost to an Achilles injury. Akers had three straight games with ten or more touches, and there could be an immediate role for Chandler to contribute. He should be stashed.
Tight Ends
Luke Musgrave | Green Bay (23%)
Musgrave scored his first TD of the season in Week 9 and looks to be on track for a strong second half. He finished second among all Packers behind Aaron Jones in targets. Musgrave is part of the weekly game plan and has a playable weekly floor.
Pittsburgh has been a difficult team for opposing TEs, but I will use Musgrave in a few spots this week.
Cade Otton | Tampa Bay (21%)
Otton made this Sleepers article last week and had the biggest fantasy performance of his entire career. He finished with six catches on nine targets and scored twice. That is what we call a legendary sleeper recommendation. Will Otton have another smash game against a Tennessee defense that has been incredibly stingy to opposing TEs? No. But is he reliable enough at this point to start? Yes. Otton has had three straight games with six or more targets.
Irv Smith | Cincinnati (5%)
Smith scored in Week 9 against Buffalo and could see some additional targets, especially in the red zone with Tee Higgins out.
Wide Receivers
SHALLOW LEAGUES DeMario Douglas | New England (37%)
He is no longer a sleeper, but this “feels” like a Douglas week. Douglas faces off against a beatable Colts secondary and has had back-to-back seven target games. I will not be able to mention him next week when he is rostered in 50+ plus leagues, so this is more of a nostalgia write-up than anything. Thanks, DeMario- writing about you has been special (Vince McMahon meme).
Khalil Shakir | Buffalo (15%)
Shakir makes this list often, and at some point soon, we will be rewarded.
This week, he can be a desperation flex/WR3 play against a beatable Denver defense. Shakir has had at least four catches in three straight games. Expect a big game from Josh Allen, and attaching a Bill in our lineups is not bad process.
Robert Woods | Houston (7%)
Noah Brown | Houston (14%)
Nico Collins is going to miss, and both Brown and Woods become interesting spot starts this week. Brown is coming off of a career-high of 153 receiving yards and a TD. He will be used by many fantasy managers this week who added him off the waiver wire hoping to ride a heater. Brown has had three straight games with five targets or more.
Woods could also be a sneaky play. He missed last week’s game with a foot injury but looks to return to the lineup after returning to practice on Thursday. Woods has had five games with six or more targets this season.
Trenton Irwin | Cincinnati (1%)
Tee Higgins will miss. In Week 5, Higgins missed time with a rib injury, and Irwin finished with eight catches on ten targets and played over 75 percent of snaps. He outproduced Tyler Boyd in that game as well. Fantasy managers in a bind should look to Irwin, who is available almost anywhere.
Michael Wilson | Arizona (12%)
Wilson missed last week’s game but should return this week against Atlanta. In Wilson’s prior two games, he had 11 targets. Wilson could be a big beneficiary if Kyler Murray returns to his usual fantasy production. The Falcons secondary is exploitable and conceded two TD passes to Josh Dobbs in his first game with the Vikings.
Wilson being a big part of the offense the rest of the season would be an excellent building block for the Cardinals, with Hollywood Brown set to test the Free Agent market this offseason.
