Sleepers for the 2023 Fantasy Football Season
Every analyst has a different definition for what a sleeper is. To me they are not necessarily a league winner. A sleeper is a player that can be plugged into your lineup to help you win a week. Could this week be during the playoffs? Sure, like Tyler Allgeier last season. During the final four weeks Allgeier went from sleeper to possible league winner. He averaged 5.4 yards per carry with 107.75 yards per game in that span. He finished as RB16 or better each week. Those are the sleepers I want. They may not do it for you all season. When it matters though they help you succeed. Here is my list of sleepers by position with some IDP included.
QB- Las Vegas Raiders- Aidan O’Connell
If healthy, Jimmy Garoppolo is the starter. In Garoppolo’s nine-year career he has only played a full season once. In 24 games at Purdue, O’Connell, averaged 300 yards per game. He has the fundamentals. The pre-season showed he can take the reigns as the starting Quarterback if needed. The Raiders have a plethora of talent around him to succeed. He will not win you a season. You do not need that from a sleeper. You need him to be the plug-in when your starting Quarterbacks go on a bye, or worst get injured. If the roster space allows, he is worth a stash.
RB- New York Giants- Eric Gray
Saquon Barkley is the unquestioned starter here. Let us take a trip back in time to 2020. Barkley went down. Wayne Gallman fills in. Gallman goes on six-game stretch averaging 15.8 fantasy points per game. Fast forward to 2021. Barkley goes down. Devontae Booker goes on a five-game stretch averaging 15.8 fantasy points per game. Right now, Matt Brieda is on the depth chart as RB2. Personally, I think Gray is the better back. Gray offers explosiveness out the backfield between the tackles. A lot of pieces would need to fall for Gray to get the shot. If he does though 15.8 fantasy points per week is RB1 type of upside.
WR- Jacksonville Jaguars- Zay Jones
We forgot about Zay! The talk in the Wide Receiver room is the return of Calvin Ridley. Rightfully so. He has led his team before. He has shown WR1 upside. Zay has been healthy his entire career. His breakout season came in his first season with Trevor Lawrence. Chemistry is there. He is still seeing work with the first team offense. From week 12 through 15, Zay put up three top 8 performances. He will not be a weekly starter. Sleepers usually are not. Zay will still hold value in this offense.
TE- Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Cade Otton
In his first season with Baker Mayfield, Tight End David Njoku, finished as TE9 overall. Njoku did not have the same receiving threats that Otton will have. Otton did catch 65% of his passes last season. That is a better catch rate than Njoku had in year 1 with Mayfield. Where he was strong in pass catching, he lacked in yards per catch. Only averaging 9.31 yards per catch. Otton did bring together three top 10 performances last season at the Tight End position. I expect the Buc’s offense to pass often in low intermediate routes. This means Otton could see an uptick in targets and possibly yards per catch. He has what it takes to be a top 15 Tight End. This year we may see even more than three weeks in the top 10.
Flex- Indianapolis Colts- Evan Hull
The Colts could not find a trade they liked to trade star Running Back Johnathan Taylor. This means Taylor will start the season on the Physically Unable to Perform list (PUP). He will be forced to miss the team’s first four games. Deon Jackson will likely see the field first as the starter. Hull is the more explosive back. Hull also has more playmaking abilities as a pass-catching threat. We might see early dump-offs from Anthony Richardson to Hull. Sometimes one needs a fast start to a 4-0 record because bye weeks at the end of season hurt. Hull could be that early flex option to put up big points and win weeks. He will have four weeks to show why he should be involved in the offense, even when Taylor returns.
DL- Green Bay Packers- Lukas Van Ness
Van Ness likely comes off the bench to start the season. He will have a chance to see the field in rotation. The two-way athlete has the size and length to be a dominant defensive end. He has the speed to play off the edge. He is versatile. When he is on the field, he will be an X-factor for the team. It is possible he takes over the starting role come mid-season.
LB- Pittsburgh Steelers- Cole Holcomb
Before his injured 2022 season, Holcomb was heating up. In 2021 he saw over 140 tackles. He enters a defense with star power all around him. With him returning from injury it is possible offenses target his side avoiding last season’s breakout defender Alex Highsmith. Holcomb brings energy on every play. He knows how to track the ball well. If fully healthy all year, he will see 100+ tackles. Maybe, with all that star power around he finds it easier to get to the Quarterback breaking his career 2.5 sacks record.
DB- Denver Broncos- JL Skinner
The safety out of Boise St will have an uphill battle to get into the starting rotation. His playmaking abilities could have him see the field early and often. He is a versatile safety that brings size to the backfield. He can explode towards the line to gather tackles-for-loss. If he gets the playbook down, we may see more of him as the season progresses. A safety that can get an interception and sack in the same week, yes please!
IDP- Philadelphia Eagles- Sydney Brown
The Eagles defense should be as explosive as its offense this season. They added playmakers all around. Brown is one of them. Brown is an athletic defensive back from Illinois. If he can get the fundamentals of the pro level together with his talent, then we could see a big year from him. He may start the season off the bench behind veteran Terrell Edmunds and second-year player Reed Blankenship. But the third-round pick will have plenty of opportunity to make his name known.
Those are my sleepers for the 2023 season. Who do you like? Let me know in the comments.
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