There is nothing like hitting on your late-round picks in a fantasy draft. Not only do you get bragging rights amongst your friends, but these players can turn your fantasy lineup into an absolute juggernaut.

It is incredibly fulfilling when your leaguemates think they've cornered the market at a position of weakness on your team, and then you unearth a gem to foil their plans. You have all seen this scenario unfold. 

Your brother-in-law sees you waiting at QB and decides to take his second QB just ahead of your pick. Or your best friend from college tells you, "Good luck finding a starting TE," as she adds David Njoku to her team that already has Travis Kelce.

With those pesky leaguemates in mind, I have hand-crafted specific criteria for this sleeper list.

  1. Playing time: The player must already be a starter or in a time-share for the starting role.
  2. Talent: The player must possess the traits to unlock additional upside (especially at WR).
  3. Average draft position: They must go later than pick 120 in ESPN and Yahoo leagues (which you can find with our comprehensive fantasy football ADP tool).

In a nutshell, we want players with an opportunity to start fast. If they flop, we can quickly take action on the waiver wire.

Quarterback Sleepers for Fantasy Football 2024

Deshaun Watson | Browns

In five full games in 2023, Watson averaged 18 points per game (PPG). Since 2011, the average finish for a QB with 18 PPG is 12th. Watson has yet to flash the 22-plus PPG upside we saw in Houston, but he is still in his prime (29), keeping the door open for a rebound.

The eighth-year veteran doesn't offer the same rushing upside as guys like Kyler Murray and Jayden Daniels, but his 23.7 yards per game ranked ninth in 2023. The Browns added Jerry Jeudy this offseason, giving Watson another weapon to complement Amari Cooper and David Njoku in the passing attack.

Finding a QB still in his prime with 20 PPG upside isn't typical, but that is what we have in Watson — whom you can draft outside of the top 150 picks on most sites. He is my eighth-most drafted QB in 200-plus drafts.

Justin Fields | Steelers

Fields is my 10th-most drafted QB, which might sound weird, considering we don't even know if he will start. My reasoning is pretty simple: Once Jayden Daniels is off the board, there isn't an option with more dual-threat upside than Fields, even if Russell Wilson is the starter in Week 1.

In healthy contests over the last two seasons, Fields averaged 20.3 and 20.6 PPG. While he has yet to flourish in the passing attack, the former Round 1 NFL Draft pick demands the rock on the ground. Fields' 23% designed rush rate ranked second behind Jalen Hurts, and his scramble rate of 9% ranked third behind Tyrod Taylor and Lamar Jackson.

 

 

When things don't go as planned at QB, I am open to drafting two, and Fields is my top QB2 target in that scenario.

Running Back Sleepers for Fantasy Football 2024

Chase Brown | Bengals

Zack Moss is listed as the No. 1 back on the Bengals' unofficial depth chart, but early training camp reports suggest Brown is getting plenty of reps with the first team. Brown is the more explosive of the two backs and demonstrated an ability to shoulder a significant workload in his final year of college with 328 carries.

While the most likely outcome is a committee approach, Cincinnati profiles as a high-end offense. Even in a part-time role, Brown should outplay his ADP, and if the second-year back takes over as the primary option, he will carry high-end RB2 upside. Brown goes outside the top 120 picks on ESPN, Sleeper and Yahoo, making him a high-priority sleeper to target.

Rico Dowdle | Cowboys

The Cowboys backfield projects as a tandem attack, with Ezekiel Elliott and Dowdle splitting most of the work. Elliott is expected to be the lead back, but this is more of a 1A and 1B scenario, which ADP doesn't accurately reflect.

  • Elliott ADP: ESPN 112, Sleeper 115, Yahoo 111
  • Dowdle ADP: ESPN 167, Sleeper 148, Yahoo 132

Giving Elliott a slight edge is fine, but these spreads are too large. We are talking about a 29-year-old with more touches than any other active RB (2,421). Dowdle has a reasonable path to equal or best Elliott in a high-quality offense. Early reports from training camp suggest Dowdle could already be the top option, per Saad Yousuf of the Athletic:

"Rico Dowdle has been the face of the committee and could be the lead guy during the season. In practices, he’s had solid showings in pass protection, flashed receiving ability and gotten the call to run in high-leverage situations."

Elliott and Dowdle are only eight spots apart in my overall ranks, making Dowdle a name to focus on later in drafts.

Wide Receiver Sleepers for Fantasy Football 2024

Brian Thomas Jr. | Jaguars

Xavier Worthy (28th), Ladd McConkey (34th) and Keon Coleman (33rd) were all selected after Brian Thomas Jr. (23rd) in the NFL Draft. Yet, Thomas is the last one taken in fantasy drafts on ESPN and Yahoo.

Thomas isn't a complete prospect, but all the rookies above have at least one question about their game. While he was never a high-end target earner playing alongside Malik Nabers, Thomas offers a rare combination of size and speed (6-foot-3 with a 4.33 40-yard dash) that is hard to ignore in a Round 1 talent. 

The Jaguars already have a solid receiving corps with Christian Kirk, Evan Engram and Gabe Davis, but none of those players are target hogs. That leaves the door open for Thomas to carve out significant targets in Year 1.

On Underdog, Thomas (75) is priced almost identically to McConkey (72) and Coleman (77), which should also be the case on ESPN and Yahoo. This makes him a fantastic upside target after Round 10.

Rashid Shaheed | Saints

Shaheed was a part-time player over his first two seasons, but he is the favorite to lock down the No. 2 WR role, opposite Chris Olave, in 2024. While playing time is a prerequisite, it doesn't guarantee production at the WR position. You still need that other ingredient we call talent.

While we only have a small sample with Shaheed, he has made the most of his opportunities. His career 1.95 yards per route run (YPRR) is WR2-worthy, and the Weber State product averaged 12 PPG with a 20% target share in nine contests where he reached 70% route participation or higher — both WR3-worthy marks.

The Saints need a second weapon to step up their passing attack, and Shaheed could boom in Klint Kubiak's scheme. Kubiak has shown an affinity for jamming the cheat code buttons.

If you need WR help later in your drafts, Shaheed is an easy click on ESPN (152), Sleeper (134) and Yahoo (132).

Ja'Lynn Polk | Patriots

Polk was a high second-round pick (37th) by the Patriots in the NFL Draft, taken just after Coleman (33rd) and McConkey (34th). However, in fantasy drafts, the gap is far wider, with Polk coming off the board 30 to 50 picks later than his rookie peers.

New England's QB situation isn't as strong as the Bills' and Chargers', but the target pecking order is wide open. Polk was never a high-end target earner in college, but the competition for targets was fierce. He played alongside the No. 9 NFL Draft pick, Rome Odunze, and third-rounder Jalen McMillan.

Look for Polk to challenge for the WR1 role immediately, making him a value at pick 169 on ESPN and 157 on Sleeper. On Yahoo, he currently goes undrafted.

Josh Downs | Colts

Before his Week 9 knee injury, Downs was on pace for a WR3 finish as a rookie. He delivered 12.5 PPG with a 21% target share during that stretch. After the injury, those numbers plummeted to 12.5 and 16%, respectively.

The Colts added Adonai Mitchell in Round 2 of the NFL Draft, but the rookie is battling Alec Pierce for playing time. Mitchell flashed big-play ability in college but was never able to produce consistently, and Pierce has been a poor target earner for two seasons.

When you add it all up, Downs has an excellent chance to be Indianapolis's second-leading receiving weapon behind Michael Pittman. Downs goes pick 130 or later on ESPN, Sleeper and Yahoo platforms. Umm, yes, please.

Tight End Sleepers for Fantasy Football 2024

Noah Fant | Seahawks

The former Round 1 NFL Draft pick never blossomed into the high-end TE1 fantasy managers envisioned. However, he flashed TE1 upside with a 1.56 YPRR over his first three seasons, and this year he should finally play a full-time role with Will Dissly and Colby Parkinson departing via free agency.

Fant won't suddenly morph into the No. 1 option in Seattle's attack, but with Jaxon Smith-Njigba struggling as a rookie and Tyler Lockett aging, he has outs. Even as the third or fourth option, the sixth-year veteran could push for a low-end TE1 finish if his route participation climbs toward 80%. 

Fant finished as the TE11 and TE12 in his two highest route participation campaigns in 2020 (67%) and 2021 (73%). He feels like a near lock to eclipse those route participation marks, making him a perfect late-round target if your TE plan falls apart.