This is Fantasy Sleepers Week 11! Last week was a fun one for Sleepers. I recommended Ty Chandler, Noah Brown and Rico Dowdle– all all three of them went on to be popular Waiver Wire pickups a few days later. This week we will look to do it again.
Fantasy gamers can use this list for spot starts if you are desperate. Additionally, they can use this list as a secondary Waiver Wire run full of players to stash.
Quarterbacks
SHALLOW LEAGUE ADD Will Levis | Tennesee (34%)
Levis has a great opportunity to get back on track this week against a leaky Jacksonville secondary. The Jaguars allow the No. 3 most passing yards per game in football and are coming off of a demoralizing 34-3 loss to San Francisco. Levis had a season low in passing yards and Quarterback Rating in Tennessee’s loss to Tampa Bay.
However, he is just a few weeks removed from his four TD explosion against Atlanta. I do not expect that sort of performance, but Levis is solidly a top 15 play at the position this week and is on the streaming radar.
Aidan O’Connell | Las Vegas (5%)
Las Vegas has had a simple formula in back-to-back wins under Antonio Pierce. They have played relentless defense and have given Josh Jacobs 53 rushing attempts. This week will be far more challenging as the Raiders face off against the offensive juggernaut Miami Dolphins. Miami will challenge with a relentless pass rush, and offensively, they will put extreme pressure on the Raiders to keep up. O’Connell will push for 40 or more pass attempts in this one.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson | Cleveland (4%)
Is anyone interested in opening the mystery box? We saw Dorian Thompson-Robinson in Week 4 against Baltimore and he struggled. P.J. Walker helped the Browns to two wins, but he was extremely turnover prone and lacked the upside to challenge defenses. Can Thompson-Robinson be better? It certainly seems like the Browns think so. In terms of Fantasy, Thompson-Robinson has the rushing ability to surprise some people this week. Amari Cooper, David Njoku and Jerome Ford provide solid support. If you are desperate, roll the dice.
Running Backs
Ty Chandler | Minnesota (45%)
Alexander Mattison may miss this week’s game with a concussion. Somehow, Chandler is still sitting there on 55 percent of Yahoo Leagues. If he is available in your league, do not hesitate to grab him. Chandler has an opportunity to be the most productive Vikings RB for the rest of the season.
Last week, he was effectively in a split with Mattison and found the end zone. This week, if Mattison misses, he is a locked in RB2. If Mattison somehow plays, Chandler is still a matchup-based flex play. Denver has been SHREDDED by RBs all season long.
Jerick McKinnon | Kansas City (28%)
Philadelphia has allowed the fewest rushing yards per game of any team in football and have allowed the least number of points of any team to the RB position. This feels like a game where Isiah Pacheco and McKinnon must be utilized as pass catchers out of the backfield. McKinnon’s usage ramped up over the second half of last season and that could also be the case this year. He caught his first TD of the season in Week 9. Could he make it two games in a row?
Kenneth Gainwell | Philadelphia (26%)
Gainwell scored a rushing TD in Week 9 and had five catches in Week 8. At the very least, he is one of the better handcuffs in football and should be rostered. With Dallas Goedert sidelined, the Eagles could ramp up the touches for their RBs, and Gainwell may benefit from it. He has multiple paths to viability this week and for the rest of the season. We want Eagles on our rosters.
Rico Dowdle | Dallas (13%)
Dowdle made this column last week and did not disappoint. He posted season highs in rushing attempts (12) and yardage (79) while finding the end zone. He even outgained Tony Pollard. Will Dallas win every game 49-17? Nope. But has Dowdle earned weekly touches? Probably. The Cowboys face another terrible team this week in the 1-8 Carolina Panthers. Dallas is a -10.5 favorite. We could see another double-digit touch performance from Dowdle. Even if you are not in desperation mode and in need of a streamer, Dowdle should be rostered.
Tight Ends
Cade Otton | Tampa Bay (19%)
Hello Otton, my old friend. In Week 9, I recommended Otton in this column, and he went nuts with six catches for 70 yards and two TDs against Houston. Like many TEs, Otton was shut down against the Titans. He also suffered from game flow as Tampa Bay cruised to victory.
This week, he looks to get back on track against San Francisco. In Weeks 7-9, Otton had at least six targets every game.
Tyler Conklin | New York Jets (17%)
Conklin is coming off of his best fantasy performance of the season in Week 10’s loss to Las Vegas. Conklin caught all seven of his targets and finished with 70 receiving yards. Over his past two games, Conklin has been targeted 13 times and caught all of them. The Jets offense has issues galore, but at least there is a semblance of consolidation and pecking order. Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall are featured, and Conklin provides support. Buffalo has been stingy against opposing TEs, so this is very much a floor play if needed.
Donald Parham | Los Angeles Chargers (3%)
Parham is a TD or bust dart throw but is attached to one of the league’s best QBs in Justin Herbert. With four TD catches on the year, Parham has shown a connection with Herbert despite a lack of snaps. Gerald Everett is not practicing so look for Parham to see an outsized role.
Wide Receivers
SHALLOW LEAGUE ADD: Jayden Reed | Green Bay Packers (32%)
I love Reed this week against a leaky Los Angeles Chargers secondary. Los Angeles has been shredded against opposing WRs all year long and have allowed the most passing yards in the NFL. Reed is over the 25 percent or less threshold I try to adhere to in this column, but he is still available in 68 percent of Yahoo leagues.
Fantasy managers are scared off by a lack of clarity among the Green Bay Packers WR, but Reed has been very promising. He has gone over 83 yards in two of his last three games and has four TD catches on the season. This could be his first game over 100 yards in his career. Consider Reed for your Flex spot this week and all weeks moving forward. Look for him to gain momentum heading into 2024.
Rondale Moore | Arizona (11%)
Moore had a season high of eight targets and 43 receiving yards in Kyler Murray‘s first game back from injury. The Murray-Moore connection was strong in 2022 and looks to continue for the rest of the 2023 season. He is somewhat of a floor play with his WR utilization, more of a safety valve type, but he has the added bonus of 21 rushing attempts this season. If we start to see this sort of consistency with targets and a few additional rushing attempts, Moore could become a fun player for the rest of the season.
Michael Wilson | Arizona (13%)
Wilson was targeted six times and nearly scored a TD in Murray’s first game back. I have written about Wilson constantly this year whether it was my Waivers article or Sleepers article. However, besides his massive two TD performance against San Francisco, he has provided mere glimpses into more than usable performances. Could this week’s potential shootout be a Wilson game? I do not mind using him in spots where I need a high ceiling play. Houston has conceded 37 and 27 points scored in its last two games.
Jalen Guyton | Los Angeles Chargers (6%)
Guyton returned from an ACL injury at the perfect time. Mike Williams was lost earlier in the year, Josh Palmer is on the IR, and Quentin Johnston has failed to get going.
Guyton had a promising game in Week 10 with six targets, four receptions, and a TD. He could be even more productive this week as Los Angeles faces an exploitable Green Bay defense.
Kyle Philips | Tennessee (1%)
Philips is on the Sleeper radar with back-to back 60+ yard performances and has been targeted five times in each. The Levis-Philips connection could be a thing. With another solid week, he will be a popular Waiver Wire pickup. Go ahead and grab him for free and roster him through the week or use him if you are in a jam.
Tutu Atwell | Los Angeles Rams (25%)
Just a hunch play. Atwell was outstanding in Week 1’s win over Seattle with six catches for 119 receiving yards. Only consider using him if you are in a complete jam, with every WR listed before him a better option this week.
