It’s mid-July and sports fans are more about the MLB All-Star game than the NFL. But that’s how fantasy football titles are lost – getting complacent. It’s high time we hit our electronic devices and start our research that will inevitably push us to that coveted league title.
There’s only one way to get there, and that’s to over-analyze everything that makes sense. Today we’re taking a quick pit stop at every NFL team and noting their top fantasy sleeper. That can’t possibly mean that all 32 of our picks will pan out, but the process of elimination and the uncovering of gems has to start somewhere. For us, today, it starts by plucking one interesting sleeper from each NFL roster. Let’s begin:
Note: People have different definitions of “sleeper”. For this article’s purpose, our listed sleepers have not had true breakout season to this point.
New England Patriots – Jonas Gray (Running Back)
You could list every Patriots running back not named LeGarrette Blount as a sleeper. Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley are gone and given New England’s history of switching from running back to running back, it seems things are somewhat wide open for the offensive backfield. Gray stands out as a potential sleeper, given that he had a couple huge games in 2014.
New York Jets – Geno Smith (Quarterback)
Smith is getting another crack at the starting job in New York and this time things just might click. The Jets traded for wide receiver Brandon Marshall and suddenly Smith has enough weapons (on paper) to finally make some positive things happen. He’s struggled to this point, but is said to already have great chemistry with Marshall. He’s a risk, but there is still a decent amount of upside here.
Miami Dolphins – Jay Ajayi (Running Back)
Ajayi is an injury risk, but he proved in college that he could be an insanely productive running back despite carrying a heavy load. He won’t have to man a huge load right away as a rookie with Lamar Miller around, but he could help out early on in his first season and will always be one Miller injury or benching away from a mammoth-sized role.
Buffalo Bills – Tyrod Taylor (Quarterback)
Taylor is my pick for fantasy sleeper in Buffalo, but he needs to win the quarterback job first. The reality is E.J. Manuel is still super raw and Matt Cassel is just not very good. Taylor has spent the last couple of years learning behind Joe Flacco and no one seems to know much about him. He has loads of talent around him in Buffalo, though, so if he wins the starting gig he could be a name to watch.
Pittsburgh Steelers – Martavis Bryant (Wide Receiver)
Bryant technically busted out as a rookie last year, but he only appeared in 10 games and was limited to 26 receptions. Bryant is slated for a massive increase in targets in year two and is without a doubt the Steelers sleeper to nab in fantasy football drafts.
Cincinnati Bengals – Tyler Eifert (Tight End)
With Jermaine Gresham gone, Eifert is expected to step up into a huge role in his third season in the league. He may have been gearing up for that in 2014, but a dislocated elbow robbed him of his season early on. Now 100%, Eifert’s size and athleticism make him an interesting fantasy tight end option and a great pick for streaming fans.
Baltimore Ravens – Breshad Perriman (Wide Receiver)
Torrey Smith is gone and someone will have to pick up the slack in Baltimore’s receiving corps. Enter explosive rookie Breshad Perriman, who has raw ability and could be a deep ball threat from day one.
Cleveland Browns – Duke Johnson (Running Back)
Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West may initially factor into Cleveland’s running game, but the explosive Johnson is the best talent the Browns have on offense right now and it’d be a shock if he doesn’t have a prominent role right out of the gates. He should be the starter at some point in 2015, too, giving him monster upside as a rookie.
Indianapolis Colts – Donte Moncrief (Wide Receiver)
Indy doesn’t have many sleepers, but second-year wide receiver Donte Moncrief certainly qualifies. Veteran receiver Andre Johnson enters and could steal some targets, but the Colts are expected to use more 3-4 wide receiver sets than ever, giving Moncrief some interesting upside.
Houston Texans – Jaelen Strong (Wide Receiver)
Cecil Shorts III is the only receiver really standing in Strong’s way as a rookie, as he could compete to be the second receiver next to stud, DeAndre Hopkins. Strong was a very solid college talent and though he isn’t the most explosive athlete, he has the goods to emerge as a consistent threat as a rookie in Houston.
Tennessee Titans – David Cobb (Running Back)
Bishop Sankey was bad as a rookie in 2014 and Shonn Greene is gone, so the door figures to be wide open for Johnson to be a major sleeper in his first season with the Titans. A more disciplined runner than Sankey, Johnson should compete for a role behind Sankey from day one and it may not be long before he’s Tennessee’s lead back.
Jacksonville Jaguars – Allen Robinson (Wide Receiver)
T.J. Yeldon is definitely a big sleeper with the Jags, but after seeing Toby Gerhart struggle as a sleeper behind Jacksonville’s shaky offensive line, we may want to pump the breaks just a tad. That shifts things to the passing game, as Allen Robinson has the size and athleticism to be a beast for a bad team that should have to throw a ton.
Denver Broncos – Cody Latimer (Wide Receiver)
Denver’s running game is ever fluid, so you could easily throw a dart and pick a running back to be a sleeper behind expected starter C.J. Anderson. Latimer is the better bet, though, as he’s an explosive talent ready to carve out a role in his second season. The Broncos lost two solid weapons in Wes Welker and Julius Thomas, so Latimer could fill in early as a legit fantasy threat.
San Diego Chargers – LaDarius Green (Tight End)
Green was on the sleeper radar a year ago, but then the ageless Antonio Gates went nuts with a career year (12 touchdowns). Gates is out of the picture for at least the first four games of 2015, though (suspension), leaving Green ripe for the taking in fantasy drafts. He’s a size/speed freak who the Chargers love, so there is tons of upside to be had in taking Green late in drafts.
Kansas City Chiefs – Travis Kelce (Tight End)
Kelce kind of broke out in 2014, but with reports surfacing that the Chiefs “held him back” last year, there’s reason to get excited about how big of a leap he can make in 2015. He’s definitely on the TE1 path again and could vie for the top overall spot. You don’t have to pay a steep price for his potentially elite production, though.
Oakland Raiders – Derek Carr (Quarterback)
The Raiders have tons of potential fantasy sleepers, but Carr is my favorite. Carr put up over 3,000 yards and 21 touchdowns as a rookie in 2014, and that was with trash weapons and a inconsistent play. He is said to be in much better command of the offense going into 2015 and he also gets upgrades at wide receiver via Amari Cooper and Micharl Crabtree. He could be in for a huge second season.
Dallas Cowboys – Joseph Randle (Running Back)
Darren McFadden is the guy getting all the hype, but it’s the stable Randle that is in the lead to be the new starting Cowboys running back. After seeing what DeMarco Murray did in that role a year ago, there’s plenty of reason to be excited about what Randle could do in fantasy circles.
Philadelphia Eagles – Zach Ertz (Tight End)
Ertz was a sleeper last year and fizzled in the middle of the year, but a huge 15-catch game late in the year showed us all why we got excited about him in the first place. With Jeremy Maclin gone, more targets could be headed Ertz’s way. That should make for a bigger role and way more production, naturally making him one of the top sleepers at the tight end position.
New York Giants – Rueben Randle (Wide Receiver)
Randle was another guy who was pegged as a sleeper last year, but Odell Beckham Jr. was the guy in New York that ultimately wowed people. That should be the case again in 2015, but the reports on Randle this summer have again been glowing, lending the possibility that he indeed busts out this season.
Washington Redskins – Matt Jones (Running Back)
Alfred Morris is plenty solid out of Washington’s backfield, so there is no guarantee Jones will make a huge impact in his first season with the team. That being said, he’s the only thing that looks like a true sleeper for the Redskins and is arguably the most talented running back on the team. The coaching staff loves him, too, so if he gets his hands on any kind of a role he’ll be a name to watch.
Green Bay Packers – Davante Adams (Wide Receiver)
With the Packers still getting very little out of the tight end position, they seem content rolling with more 3-4 wide receiver sets. That’s good news for Adams, who looked great as a rookie in 2014 and could be in for an even bigger 2015 season.
Detroit Lions – Ameer Abdullah (Running Back)
Abdullah was drafted to replace the departed Reggie Bush, so he’s already on high alert to breakout as a rookie. He has Joique Bell to contend with, but Bell reported to camp out of shape and doesn’t give off the feel of a feature back. All of that points to Abdullah being a guy to watch in 2015.
Chicago Bears – Kevin White (Wide Receiver)
Brandon Marshall is gone and White was brought in to replace him as Chicago’s #2 receiver across from Alshon Jeffery. As long as he locks down that role, the upside is clear for a rookie with ridiculous size and explosiveness.
Minnesota Vikings – Charles Johnson (Wide Receiver)
Minnesota’s top sleeper comes at wide receiver, as Charles Johnson busted out marginally last year in Norv Turner’s vertical system. With Teddy Bridgewater improved and Johnson having a more concrete role to start the year, he could be in for monster stats this season.
Carolina Panthers – Cameron Artis-Payne (Running Back)
Jonathan Stewart hasn’t made it through a season without an injury in over three years. Naturally, fantasy owners need to put Artis-Payne on their watch list, as he’s a very talented, compact runner that figures to be the next man up if Stewart goes down yet again.
New Orleans Saints – Josh Hill (Tight End)
Jimmy Graham is gone, so the tight end production in New Orleans has to go somewhere. Hill probably will never be a top-five threat like Graham was, but he’s plenty talented and should be in line for a big role right away. He’s at worst a TE2 in this offense and could chase TE1 numbers if all goes well.
Atlanta Falcons – Tevin Coleman (Running Back)
Devonta Freeman is the tentative starting tailback in Atlanta, but the Falcons drafted Coleman to be the guy and he’s undoubtedly the more tantalizing talent. If the Falcons are to operate a more run-balanced offense as their moves suggest, Coleman could be one of the top sleepers to monitor.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Austin Seferian-Jenkins (Tight End)
ASJ had his rookie year hindered by injuries and poor quarterback play, but so far this summer has looked “unstoppable” and also got a quarterback upgrade when the Bucs drafted Jameis Winston. Seferian-Jenkins should start in 2015 and is obviously on the list of potential breakout sleepers when you factor in his size, athleticism and potential role.
Seattle Seahawks – Thomas Rawls (Running Back)
When a team makes it to two straight Super Bowls, they’re not going to have many holes to allow for true fantasy football sleepers. That’s the case here, as Rawls is really the only guy that classifies as a sleeper and it’d be in the “deep” fashion. He’d need a Marshawn Lynch injury to every pay off, but the coaches appear to love him. He’s a thick runner with a nice burst and could make for a nice Dynasty league stash.
San Francisco 49ers – Carlos Hyde (Running Back)
Reggie Bush provides a minor cloud over Hyde’s fantasy value in 2015, as does a lingering leg injury. However, Hyde projects to be a potential monster at full strength, as he has a punishing running style and also brings solid hands and a nice wiggle to his game. With Frank Gore gone and Bush always an injury risk, Hyde could be looking at a huge sophomore campaign.
Arizona Cardinals – David Johnson (Running Back)
Andre Ellington is the lead back in Arizona right now but it seemed last year that he didn’t have the build or inside running ability to handle a featured load. A combination of injuries and ineffectiveness led to an ugly 3.3 yards per carry average and at worst, rookie rusher David Johnson could share the load with him in 2015. At best, Ellington slides down to a change of pace runner and Johnson is every bit the sleeper he appears to be.
St. Louis Rams – Tavon Austin (Wide Receiver)
This is year three of the Rams saying they finally know how to use the shifty slot receiver. Austin may not have lived up to expectations to this point, but he really is too talented to not be used more in the Rams’ offense. Landing a competent passer in Nick Foles under center can’t hurt Austin’s chances, and if he’s going to blow up this would be the time to do so. He’s no lock, but there are worse tries at the WR3 spot in fantasy leagues this year.
Think there is a better sleeper on some of these squads? Let us hear it in the comments below!
