Fantasy Sleeper Picks
The 2020 NFL season is right around the corner and that means fantasy football drafts will be happening all month long. Below, we are taking a look at three sleepers you must target in your fantasy drafts.
- The Average Draft Position (ADP) is found on FantasyFootballCalculator.com. The sleepers from 2018 were a hit, as some of the top players on the list were Phillip Lindsay, Chris Godwin, Kenny Golladay, George Kittle and Patrick Mahomes.
- Before diving into their sleeper picks for each position, let’s meet our analysts: Sean Koerner is Action’s Director of Predictive Analytics and was FantasyPros‘ No. 1 fantasy football draft ranker of 2019. Chris Raybon was the fourth-most accurate FantasyPros ranker in 2019 and has watched every NFL snap since 2010.
For the purpose of this article, we will be looking at players who are being selected outside of the top-100 picks in your drafts. Here are three sleepers you must leave your fantasy drafts with this season.
2020 fantasy football sleepers to target
Rookie-eligible fantasy sleepers (e.g. Ilya Sorokin, Nicholas Robertson, Grigori Denisenko, Kaapo Kahkonen) are included in NHL.com's top rookies story. ADP indicates fantasy average draft position. Michael's analysis of rookies who debuted last season and could break out in 2021 fantasy baseball. These players could be draft sleepers to target.
The average draft positions (ADP) listed below are from standard 12-team PPR leagues via MyFantasyLeague.com.
Kansas City Chiefs WR Mecole Hardman (ADP: 124)
If you are going to wait on a position in your draft, consider passing on wide receivers in the first few rounds. The middle rounds are loaded with stud receivers with the position stretching all the way into the double-digit rounds. The one receiver that has “league-winning” upside after the top-100 picks is Hardman, the second-year receiver of the defending champion Chiefs.
As a rookie, Hardman caught only 26 passes, but he was able to rack up 538 yards and six touchdowns. Entering his sophomore season, Hardman figures to have an expanded role in the offense. If Tyreek Hill or Sammy Watkins were to miss any time, he would be an every-week starter in your lineup. Even without an injury, Hardman possesses enough upside to be a home-run FLEX play.
Picking Hardman anytime after the eighth round is an acceptable strategy this year.
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Dallas Cowboys TE Blake Jarwin (ADP: 139)
IF you decide to pass on the likes of Travis Kelce and George Kittle in your fantasy drafts, consider waiting until the double-digit rounds and target Jarwin. Jarwin is currently being drafted as TE17 in MFL PPR fantasy drafts, but his ceiling is much higher than that.
Jarwin will now be the team’s featured tight end as the Cowboys chose not to re-sign Jason Witten in free agency. Despite being a backup last season, Jarwin caught 31 passes for 365 yards and three touchdowns. Meanwhile, Witten caught 63 passes for 529 yards and four touchdowns.
While we can’t assume Jarwin will get all of Witten’s production this season, it’s not hard to envision him doubling his stats from last season. Considering all of the weapons the Cowboys have on offense, Jarwin should have plenty of opportunities to make plays down the field in head coach Mike McCarthy’s offense.
Don’t be afraid to wait on tight end as players like Jarwin present excellent value late in drafts.
New England Patriots RB Damien Harris (ADP: 166)
Finding values at receiver and tight end isn’t all that difficult. The same can’t be said for the running back position as there are typically only one or two hits per season after the first four rounds or so.
If you are searching for a running back that could become an every-week starter in your lineup, consider using a late-round choice on Harris.
Despite being a third-round pick last season, Harris finished his rookie year with only four total touches. While he hasn’t done anything himself to inspire confidence from fantasy owners, neither has any of his teammates. Starter Sony Michel was ineffective last year and is already starting the season on the Physically Unable to Perform list. James White is purely a receiver and isn’t a threat to take away goalline touches.
Harris was a highly-productive running back at Alabama and given his well-rounded skill set, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him flourish in the NFL. Even if Harris works only in a committee this season for the Patriots, he could still outproduce his ADP. Harris is an excellent pick at the end of your draft with RB1 upside if things fall his way.
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Fantasy Sleeper Picks 2019
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