A sleeper running back is a player taken as a backup who ends up worthy of being a starter or at least far outplays the draft slot where you selected him. Average Draft Positions (ADP) are taken from MyFantasyLeague.com using only recent drafts.
The Average Draft order shows a general picture of how your draft will unfold and where values/sleepers and bad values/busts likely exist. Any green highlight means the player is a good value that could be taken earlier. A red highlight signifies an overvalued player that is a bad value or just too high of a risk for that spot.
Average Draft order – Value plays
Sleepers and over-valued players
Best of the rest
Chris Thompson (JAC) – Worth noting that Jay Gruden is the offensive coordinator and he brought along Thompson with him from the Redskins Football Team where he had as many as 49 catches in a season.
Carlos Hyde (SEA) – Hyde finally lasted all 16 games in 2019 and turned in 1,070 rushing yards. This is his seventh year and fourth NFL team but Seattle loves to run the ball and Rashard Penny blew his knee last year and starts out on the PUP list. Hyde is a great handcuff pick for the Chris Carson owner and may end up with some stand-alone value.
A sleeper tight end is a player taken as a backup who ends up worthy of being a starter or at least far outplays the draft slot where you selected him. Average Draft Positions (ADP) are taken from MyFantasyLeague.com using only recent drafts.
The Average Draft order shows a general picture of how your draft will unfold and where values/sleepers and bad values/busts likely exist. Any green highlight means the player is a good value that could be taken earlier. A red highlight signifies an overvalued player that is a bad value or just too high of a risk for that spot.
Average Draft order – Value plays
Sleepers and over-valued players
Best of the Rest
Jordan Akins (HOU) – Third-year player with the Texans has drawn rave reviews for looking ready to step up this season. Texans will have to figure out exactly how to fill the hole left by DeAndre Hopkins and Akins could find a larger role.
A sleeper wide receiver is a player taken as a backup who ends up worthy of being a starter or at least far outplays the draft slot where you selected him. Average Draft Positions (ADP) are taken from MyFantasyLeague.com using only recent drafts.
The Average Draft order shows a general picture of how your draft will unfold and where values/sleepers and bad values/busts likely exist. Any green highlight means the player is a good value that could be taken earlier. A red highlight signifies an overvalued player that is a bad value or just too high of a risk for that spot.
Average Draft order – Value plays
Sleepers and over-valued players
Best of the Rest
Robby Anderson (CAR) – Worth up to 63-941-7 while with the Jets, Anderson comes over to pair with DJ Moore in what promises to be a pass-heavy new offense under new HC Matt Rhule. He’s overlooked in drafts because he left a bad offense for what should be an innovative one.
Dede Westbrook (JAC) – Maybe Laviska Shenault is newer and shinier, but Westbrook is a speedy slot receiver with 66 catches for around 700 yards and four scores for the last two years. A more experienced Gardner Minshew should help trend up those stats if only incrementally.
Mohamed Sanu (NE) – He is 30 years old and didn’t add much in his first season with the Patriots. But managed 838 yards in his last year with the Falcons and was hampered by an ankle injury last year that required off-season surgery. The Pats need a receiver to step up and Sanu will be a starter. He’s worth keeping an eye on at the least.
James Washington (PIT) – Second-rounder from 2018 was an after-thought as a rookie when Antonio Brown and Juju Smith-Schuster dominated. Rose to 44-735-3 last year playing with “not Roethlisberger”. He’s just one of three or four receivers, but it is far too early to write him off.
Michael Pittman (IND) – The 6-4, 223-pounder from USC is expected to win the No. 2 job across from T.Y. Hilton. The Colts upgraded with Philip Rivers and face one of the easiest passing schedules in the NFL.
A sleeper quarterback is a player taken as a backup who ends up worthy of being a starter or at least far outplays the draft slot where you selected him. Average Draft Positions (ADP) are taken from MyFantasyLeague.com using only recent drafts.
The Average Draft order shows a general picture of how your draft will happen and where values/sleepers and bad values/busts likely exist. green highlight means the player is a good value that could be taken earlier. A red highlight signifies a bad value or at least too high of a risk for that spot.
Average Draft order – Value plays
Sleepers and over-valued players
Best of the Rest
Philip Rivers (IND) – Sure, the Colts looked bad without Andrew Luck last year but Rivers was at least the No. 13 fantasy quarterback for years with the Chargers. He’s much closer to Luck than he is to Jacoby Brissett. And Colts have one of the easiest passing schedules too.
Derek Carr (OAK) – Carr spent his entire career around being the No. 18 fantasy quarterback and “he may finally have receivers” (Part II).
No matter if you studied the NFL daily or just realized that your fantasy football draft is just about to happen, keeping up to date is more challenging than ever. Without the benefit of preseason games, it doesn’t feel like draft time. Water-cooler football banter has suffered from a lack of seeing helmets, scoreboards, rookie fumbles, or anyone “catching everything in sight.”
Not to worry. Armed with a high-quality cheatsheet from TheHuddle.com and the following tips, we’ll get you through that draft, this season, and eventually, your playoffs.
The First Half of the Draft
The reality of 2020 is that running backs are king, wide receivers are a strong second, and the rest can probably wait. Unless your league allows for two starting quarterbacks, that position can wait. Both Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes usually end up as second or third-round picks, but the overall difference is not that great between quarterbacks. Wait until the first ten or so are gone and then snap up Matthew Stafford, Daniel Jones, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Jared Goff, or Baker Mayfield. That fills your starting quarterback in the seventh or eighth round and allows you to pursue the other positions that will drain much quicker.
If there is a default pick in any round, it is running back. Expect all starting running backs to be gone after the fourth round. Grab at least two in your first four picks, or you’ll likely have a liability at a high-scoring position. If you get flustered because “your guy” was taken right before your turn – just pick a running back.
Opting where to take your tight end should depend on your scoring rules. If there are points for receptions, then decide if you want a difference-maker in the position or just accept it’s not going to contribute much to your weekly score. Travis Kelce, George Kittle, Zach Ertz, and Mark Andrews will be the first four to go and usually by the fourth round. Kelce and Kittle could be second-round picks. They provide an advantage at the position that is almost impossible to obtain by landing a sleeper tight end.
If your league doesn’t use reception points, or if you miss out on those four players, then just wait. The difference between the fifth and twelfth-best tight ends is just a couple of points per game if you could even successfully guess the order after the first four are gone.
Wide receivers are the deepest position. There are quality players to be had through the sixth round or even longer in most drafts. You can delay them more than any other position, and not suffer a liability. But, you also won’t get any advantage and the important reality is that your league likely starts more wide receivers than any other position.
The tradeoff on waiting for starting wideouts is that not only do you lose their potential fantasy points, but more importantly, their consistency. Owning at least one of the Top-20 wide receivers will help your weekly score remain high and not suffer as many flop weeks.
Putting this all together, make a plan on how you intend to seed in your starting quarterback and tight end. I’m typically a fan of filling out the starting running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, and quarterbacks before I worry about backing up any position… except maybe running back that would usually be my preferred flex position.
Having three running backs after your fourth pick is hard to fault, and taking an elite wideout makes more sense the deeper in the first round you are slotted. The first half of the draft is all about your starters. Make the decision going in if an elite quarterback or tight end makes sense, otherwise, pick the best available running back or wide receiver.
The Second Half of the Draft
The latter part of your fantasy draft will provide a starting kicker and defense, and fill out the depth for the other positions. Granted, short of landing a sleeper, these are not going to be the players that deliver your team to the championship. But they can be the ones that keep you out.
Every year, the top defenses from the previous season are taken far earlier than the rest which is in the final two or three rounds. Of the Top-5 from 2018, none ended up better than No. 9 last year and three were No. 24 or worse. Defenses are reactive and their production relies heavily on their weekly schedule and what situation their own offense places on their opponent. There is nothing wrong with streaming defenses by taking the best matchup from the free-agent pile each week.
Kickers always end up at the bottom of the draft for good reason. There is usually a minimal difference between kickers, and they are notoriously difficult to predict. But, Harrison Butker, Wil Lutz, Justin Tucker, Robbie Gould and whatever kicker the Patriot use always remain Top-10 for the last three years. Beyond them, there is nearly no way to discern who else rounds out the better kickers each year. Three rounds from the end of your draft, consider one of those and gain a small but reasonably safe advantage.
Fantasy Depth
The reality is that we cannot know the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and how it could impact NFL rosters and games. But it is prudent to prepare for the possibility by focusing more on backing up your best players. Definitely your best running backs, but even your wide receivers if it makes sense. And just because you selected a top quarterback doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to ride him all 16 weeks.
That goes back to investing in running backs. You can be certain a backup can step up should the need arise. Rounding out your depth with running backs from other teams is riskier this year – what if they too are out? This is also a year where owning wide receivers from the same team suddenly makes more sense. This will be a memorable year and the most important tip of all – just have fun within the chaos that has become 2020.
A sleeper wide receiver is a player taken as a backup who ends up worthy of being a starter or at least far outplays the draft slot where you selected him. Average Draft Positions (ADP) are taken from MyFantasyLeague.com using only recent drafts.
The Average Draft order shows a general picture of how your draft will unfold and where values/sleepers and bad values/busts likely exist. Any green highlight means the player is a good value that could be taken earlier. A red highlight signifies an overvalued player that is a bad value or just too high of a risk for that spot.
Average Draft order – Value plays
Sleepers and over-valued players
Best of the Rest
Dede Westbrook (JAC) – Maybe Laviska Shenault is newer and shinier, but Westbrook is a speedy slot receiver with 66 catches for around 700 yards and four scores for the last two years. A more experienced Gardner Minshew should help trend up those stats if only incrementally.
Mohamed Sanu (NE) – He is 30 years old and didn’t add much in his first season with the Patriots. But managed 838 yards in his last year with the Falcons and was hampered by an ankle injury last year that required off-season surgery. The Pats need a receiver to step up and Sanu will be a starter. He’s worth keeping an eye on at the least.
James Washington (PIT) – Second-rounder from 2018 was an after-thought as a rookie when Antonio Brown and Juju Smith-Schuster dominated. Rose to 44-735-3 last year playing with “not Roethlisberger”. He’s just one of three or four receivers, but it is far too early to write him off.
Every fantasy football gamers needs to know the top sleeper candidates for 2020.
The term “fantasy football sleeper” has taken on many meanings throughout the years, depending upon where one looks and to whom one asks. There is a fine line between “breakout candidates” and “sleepers,” just as there is nuance when comparing sleepers and “fliers.” “Undervalued players” fall into their own bracket, as well.
Breakouts are players who’ve shown enough already to instill confidence they’re on the cusp of something monumental — a leap from sporadic contributions to must-start status.
A sleeper is any player the general public tends to be overlooking in relation to positional peers.
An undervalued player is a known commodity whose value has been driven downward by extenuating circumstances, usually the byproduct of drafters inflating the value of their favorite sleeper and breakout targets.
Finally, a flier is one of those guys a drafter will spend late-round capital on just to see if a hunch will pay off.
Now that we’ve established the boundaries, understand all players will be addressed in the context of 12-team, 16-round drafts. Average draft placement data is merely a guideline based on current trends.
Note: All ADP figures are courtesy of FantasyFootballCalculator.com and are PPR scoring, unless noted otherwise. “N/A” represents not enough selections to warrant inclusion in the ADP charts.
We saw plenty of flashes from Minshew as a rookie in 2019, finishing the year with eight games of at least 20 fantasy points, including a high-water mark of 30.9. The Jaguars’ offensive line should be improved this season, and the backfield remains stable, although unspectacular, which plays into Minshew’s favor. At receiver, the Jags return all three starters from last year, featuring third-year wideout DJ Chark, who is flirting with WR1 status if his trajectory holds up. The draft brought in rookie do-all weapon Laviska Shenault Jr., and veteran pass-catching tight end Tyler Eifert is now in the mix. Don’t forget third-down weapon Chris Thompson comes over from Washington with new coordinator Jay Gruden.
There should always be some concern with a new system installation, and even more so when a pandemic is impacting the offseason, but Minshew showed last year he has no issue picking up a system on the fly. He’s a strong No. 2 fantasy passer with starting utility when the matchup is right.
I’ve written about Bridgewater not once but twice in recent time after coming around to his fantasy football potential. There’s a level of concern he’s just a guy masquerading as an NFL quarterback, which requires buying into him suspending some degree of belief that he’s merely a game manager. In Carolina, the well-traveled vet will be in charge of an offense orchestrated by a first-time coordinator and his rookie head coach amid a pandemic.
The plus side is this defense figures to be lousy, and the volume will be unlike anything Bridgewater has seen to date. Toss in the best running back in football with a trio of capable wideouts and we have a recipe for fantasy production. It may not always be pretty, but there is opportunity for a cheap source of starting-worthy output. Bridgewater’s best value is in best-ball formats because of this, and he’s a No. 2 gamble behind an elite starter in any conventional league.
Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
Running backs
Justin Jackson | Los Angeles Chargers | Sleeper | ADP: 11:10
Entering Year 3, Jackson has a microscopic sample size as the No. 3 back behind Austin Ekeler and Melvin Gordon. The latter is gone, and the former can’t be expected to do it alone. Jackson’s body of work is 79 attempts for 406 yards (5.1 YPC) and a pair of scores. He isn’t much of a receiver — an area we’re likely to see more of Ekeler. Fourth-rounder Joshua Kelley will compete for time, but it’s safe to believe the rookie curve will be tougher this offseason.
Jackson may battle inconsistency at times, and the backfield is probably going to be the focus of extra defensive scrutiny if the passing game isn’t up to par after the departure of Philip Rivers. There’s reason to believe we won’t see No. 6 overall pick Justin Herbert play meaningful snaps with Tyrod Taylor slated to open as the starting quarterback. Jackson runs tougher than his 5-foot-11, 193-pound frame suggests; he could be the preferred choice near the stripe. The long and short of it is gamers are snoozing on the third-year back, and he’s a capable RB3, especially in leagues that run deeper than average.
NEW — Damien Harris | New England Patriots | Sleeper | ADP: 10:11
Starting running back Sony Michel is always banged up, and this time he’s in jeopardy of missing the beginning of the regular season. Harris was a starter at Alabama and hasn’t been given a chance to shine in the pros (four career touches). The offense could take some time before the passing game is up to speed, and it’s questionable how much the coaching staff even wants Cam Newton to be throwing.
Brandon Bolden opted out. James White is entrenched as the pass-catching back. Michel, as mentioned, his on the mend. Rex Burkhead is hardly anyone to worry about. Harris could be the future beyond whatever Michel has left to offer, and it’s a worthy gamble to see if the Patriots deploy him in a meaningful way. Bill Belichick has no loyalty to any player so long as the replacement is performing. Harris has RB3 potential.
In the 2020 draft, Tennessee arguably reached for the Appalachian State running back when it snagged Evans in Round 3. None of that matters now, because opportunity is all gamers should care about when evaluating the situation. Evans is an obvious contrast from the bruising rushing champ, and there’s little reason to expect the Titans to get away from riding Derrick Henry as the formula to their success.
Evans, though, could see more work as a spell or third-down option than we witnessed from Dion Lewis last year. The veteran touched the ball only 54 times on the ground and 25 through the air. Evans realistically could see numbers to the inverse of that stat line, touching the ball via in more passes than carries. There’s some guesswork at play when you don’t know how a small-school back will be ready for the pros in an abbreviated offseason. All bets are off, though, if the Titans opt to bring in one of the lingering veteran free agents.
Eno Benjamin | Arizona Cardinals | Flier | ADP: N/A
Total flier material here … in fact, Benjamin is barely draftable in deep leagues. If we play the “what if” game, he’s worthy of an inclusion in the event one of the catalysts were to come true. Those possible situations being: 1) Kenyan Drake’s brief but impressive run last year turns out to be a fluke 2) Drake gets hurt with a larger workload 3) Backup Chase Edmonds isn’t durable enough for even limited reps … any one of those situations could put Benjamin, a seventh-round rookie, into position to contribute. That said, all of those scenarios are far closer to being food for thought than anything to take to the bank. Benjamin is a late-round roll of the dice for those looking to take a chance.
(Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports)
Wide receivers
Diontae Johnson | Pittsburgh Steelers | Sleeper | ADP: 8:04
Few players are as intriguing as the second-year receiver. Ben Roethlisberger is throwing again after elbow surgery and will bring a much needed boost to the entire offense. Johnson offers a blend of speed and athleticism that was on display as a rookie, even through the quarterback carousel after Big Ben bit the dust. WRs JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Washington help balance out the defensive attention, and the addition of tight end Eric Ebron adds another low-volume target to keep defenders on their toes while not posing a massive threat to Johnson’s target share.
Pittsburgh spent a 2019 third-round pick on Johnson, and the Toledo product didn’t disappoint. The offensive system remains the same, translating to less concern for developmental stalling that other blossoming receivers may encounter due to the coronavirus outbreak. Johnson drew no fewer than seven targets in each of the last four games of 2019, snaring four or more balls in every contest, and scoring twice along the way. He improved as the year went on and didn’t find the game to be too much for him as a rook. In some ways, his upside exceeds that of Smith-Schuster as the potential WR1 of this passing game. You’re looking at a rock-solid No. 2 fantasy receiver.
Josh Reynolds | Los Angeles Rams | Sleeper | ADP: N/A
The Rams featured a base three-receiver set a league-high 80 percent of the time in 2019 and a whopping 95 percent of the snaps in 2018. We’ve seen this offense generate three productive fantasy wideouts a number of times when injuries weren’t derailing Sean McVay’s plans, and now Brandin Cooks is a Houston Texan to pave the way for Reynolds to get his shot. Rookie receiver Van Jefferson will have a say in the matter, but so will an atypical offseason program for the youngster.
In 2019, Reynolds saw his work increase with Cooks on the shelf for two games and parts of others. It didn’t amount to huge stats for Reynolds, yet he still was relevant (19 targets, nine catches, 177 yards, one TD) as a flex consideration. Cooks was targeted 72 times, down from 117 the prior year when the offense was clicking. No Todd Gurley in the backfield could mean more passing, and it also opens up a few looks per game, in theory. Should Reynolds see somewhere in between those marks Cooks tallied, we’re looking at around 95 balls coming his way — good for WR3 numbers on the utilization front. Obviously looks alone don’t equate to points, so an even-keeled view is a flex option as the floor of his upside.
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NEW — Bisi Johnson | Minnesota Vikings | Flier | ADP: N/A
Pandemic-shortened offseason program. Check. Rookie receiver as chief competition. Check. Open starting spot to fill. Check. No. 1 receiver with injury concerns. Check. Johnson, a seventh-round rookie from a year ago, flashed a few times when called upon. In 2020, he enters training camp battling for the No. 2 gig opposite Adam Thielen. Minnesota invested a first-round pick in Justin Jefferson, so it’s only a matter of time before the rookie is in the lineup. Until then, which seriously may not even be this year, Johnson has a real shot at delivering.
It all comes down to how much one trusts Jefferson to acclimate to the pros and digest the playbook during this offseason. He had been placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list and has since been removed. Johnson isn’t going to win anyone a title, but there’s a hint of upside here. Monitor Jefferson’s development in camp.
Adam Humphries | Tennessee Titans | Flier | ADP: N/A
Remember him? In 2018, Humphries turned in a 76-catch season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and managed to find the end zone five times. Toss in 816 yards and all three stats were career bests. He translated that into a respectable payday with the Titans but never really looked comfortable in the offense. In Week 14, he suffered a high-ankle sprain and missed the rest of the regular season. In his second year with the Titans, Humphries should see the offense around him open up a bit. A.J. Brown will take a step forward and looks destined for WR1 status. The guy once presumed to be that in Corey Davis is likely out after 2020, so there’s no real incentive to force the ball his way.
Humphries played nearly 79 percent of his snaps from the slot last year, and the passing game ran at least three-wide sets a respectable 67 percent of the time, with 55 percent coming in a base three-receiver formation (seventh lowest). As second-year offensive coordinator Arthur Smith tweaks his playbook after a season of learning the ropes, there’s room for growth in this area more than any other. Much like with the aforementioned Parris Campbell, there’s no reason to get overly excited about Humphries, but he’s more likely to see an uptick in work than remain stale or regress. Gamers could do worse on a late-round flier or in best-ball formats.
He finished WR60 as a rookie in 13 games last year after missing time with a broken rib that punctured a lung. When he came back to the field in Week 16, the former Clemson hero posted back-to-back 100-yard games with a score in each, landing seven and six passes, respectively, on 18 targets. That’s 35 percent of his season-long yardage in two contests, and his average yards per reception went from 11 to 16.1. Even though it was a small sample size, Renfrow was trending in the right direction in the month leading up to the injury. He saw his per-game averages for targets, catches and yardage all increase from the first eight weeks of the year.
Here’s where it gets dicey. Rookie receiver Henry Ruggs is poised to begin his career in the slot, which suggests Renfrow is out of a top-three role. The second-year receiver went from being one of my favorite sleeper targets to merely a flier, but he’s not without potential. Ruggs isn’t likely to stay in the slot forever, and there’s always the chance this was just “coach speak” anyway. Perhaps I’m being stubborn, but Renfrow is too talented to be completely shut out from having a regular role. Monitor the situation closely as the pair work in padded practices during training camp.
Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Tight ends
NEW — Jonnu Smith | Tennessee Titans | Sleeper | ADP: 13:11
Smith gets his shot to start without Delanie Walker in the picture for what will be Smith’s fourth NFL season. He has proven to be one of the most prolific tight ends after the catch, and the offense is starved for another weapon. The Titans have A.J. Brown as the top receiver and then it’s a guessing game. Smith is the most likely option to fill the void of being the second target for Ryan Tannehill, since Corey Davis has given us ample chances to see he’s not the guy. Adam Humphries, as mentioned above, is a flier, but the situation easily can go sideways.
Smith is proving to not only be a value buy at his position but has a puncher’s chance of emerging as this year’s top breakout fantasy tight end. Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith was a tight ends coach for this team as recently as 2018, and unless Darrynton Evans develops into a go-to pass-catching running back as a rookie, Smith is the obvious choice to see the second-most targets in what is admittedly a stunted passing attack. Think TE2 with serious upside.
Jace Sternberger | Green Bay Packers | Sleeper | ADP: N/A
Feeling frisky? The departure of Jimmy Graham left a hole in the starting lineup that is expected to be filled by the second-year Sternberger. He was drafted in Round 3 last year and didn’t catch a pass until the playoffs, ultimately scoring a touchdown in the conference championship game as a reserve. Sternberger missed eight games during the season after suffering an ankle injury. In summation, he’s not exactly experienced. Sternberger was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, so keep tabs on his activation.
The Packers have longed for a tight end for years who can do damage in the passing game. The system employed by Matt LaFleur is friendly to the position, and Green Bay didn’t address its wide receivers in the draft, as many prognosticators (and probably Aaron Rodgers) had expected for a team that was one win away from the Super Bowl. Devin Funchess was brought in during free agency, but he’s far from a lock to contribute. Rookie tight end Josiah Deguara will play more of an H-back role and isn’t a true threat to Sternberger. Every so often a player comes from what seems like absolutely nowhere to become a household fantasy name, and if any tight end is positioned for such a leap this year, Sternberger is the guy.
Dalton Keene | New England Patriots | Flier | ADP: N/A
Rarely do rookie tight ends contribute anything of consequence in fantasy football. Rarely does it pay to second-guess Bill Belichick. As the Patriots forge ahead without Tom Brady slinging passes to the usual suspects, New England’s storied coach is expected to hand the keys over to Cam Newton. No one knows just what to expect after consecutive seasons with major ailments. At least he has found success working with tight ends in the past.
The rookie has a legit shot at being the primary fantasy tight end in a system that has lived and died by the position for years — in a system that doesn’t have a particularly strong receiving corps. A starter of 38 games at Virginia Tech in three years, Keene could be ready for a markedly successful debut season. And it won’t cost gamers more than a throwaway draft selection to go with a little bit of faith to find out.
Kickers
Matt Gay | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Sleeper | ADP: N/A
It’s tough to understand why Gay isn’t being drafted in the top 16, according to ADP figures, after being the No. 6 fantasy kicker in 2019. The offense may not afforded him the 35 kicks he attempted last year, but he still registered 7.8 fantasy points a game while missing five extra points on 48 tries and connected on just 77.1 percent of his field goals (27-for-35). He missed six kicks from 40-plus, including three from greater than 50 yards. Gay missed only three kicks prior to the final three weeks of the year. It’s a little worrisome that two of those games were at home, and one was in Detroit’s climate-controlled confines. He went 0-for-3 in the season finale, so it’s fair to give him the benefit of the doubt and chalk it up to rookie jitters.
Defense/special teams
Cleveland Browns | Sleeper | ADP: N/A
Simply regaining its best defender in Myles Garrett after his 2019 suspension will make a world of difference. The Browns have considerable talent, even if they will be reliant on two rookies making a substantial impact in 2020, so this recommendation isn’t without risk. The defense is going to be faster because of it, too. Look for reasonable jumps in play from second-year linebacker Mack Wilson and cornerback Greedy Williams. While rostering a second defense is almost never worthwhile coming out of a draft, Cleveland is a fringe starting unit if you missed out on the safer options.
A sleeper tight end is a player taken as a backup who ends up worthy of being a starter or at least far outplays the draft slot where you selected him. Average Draft Positions (ADP) are taken from MyFantasyLeague.com using only recent drafts.
The Average Draft order shows a general picture of how your draft will unfold and where values/sleepers and bad values/busts likely exist. Any green highlight means the player is a good value that could be taken earlier. A red highlight signifies an overvalued player that is a bad value or just too high of a risk for that spot.
A sleeper running back is a player taken as a backup who ends up worthy of being a starter or at least far outplays the draft slot where you selected him. Average Draft Positions (ADP) are taken from MyFantasyLeague.com using only recent drafts.
The Average Draft order shows a general picture of how your draft will unfold and where values/sleepers and bad values/busts likely exist. Any green highlight means the player is a good value that could be taken earlier. A red highlight signifies an overvalued player that is a bad value or just too high of a risk for that spot.
Average Draft order – Value plays
Sleepers and over-valued players
Best of the rest
Chris Thompson (JAC) – Worth noting that Jay Gruden is the offensive coordinator and he brought along Thompson with him from the Redskins Football Team where he had as many as 49 catches in a season.
Lynn Bowden Jr. (LV) – One of those “what to do with him” players that played as a quarterback, running back and wide receiver at Kentucky. Listed as a wideout in the NFL draft, the Raiders intend on using him as a running back. But also as a receiver. And maybe a bit of quarterback. All those fantasy points count. Great end-of-draft grab to see what happens.
Carlos Hyde (SEA) – Hyde finally lasted all 16 games in 2019 and turned in 1,070 rushing yards. This is his seventh year and fourth NFL team but Seattle loves to run the ball and Rashard Penny blew his knee last year and starts out on the PUP list. Hyde is a great handcuff pick for the Chris Carson owner and may end up with some stand-alone value.
Adrian Peterson (WAS) – Yes, he is 35 years old. And there are plenty of other backs on the Football Team like Derrius Guice, Antonio Gibson, Peyton Barber, and J.D. McKissic. But two years in Washington and he’s offered over 1,000 total yards both times despite being the guy I always pick up at the end of drafts.
A sleeper quarterback is a player taken as a backup who ends up worthy of being a starter or at least far outplays the draft slot where you selected him. Average Draft Positions (ADP) are taken from MyFantasyLeague.com using only recent drafts.
The Average Draft order shows a general picture of how your draft will happen and where values/sleepers and bad values/busts likely exist. green highlight means the player is a good value that could be taken earlier. A red highlight signifies a bad value or at least too high of a risk for that spot.
Average Draft order – Value plays
Sleepers and over-valued players
Best of the Rest
Philip Rivers (IND) – Sure, the Colts looked bad without Andrew Luck last year but Rivers was at least the No. 13 fantasy quarterback for years with the Chargers. He’s much closer to Luck than he is to Jacoby Brissett. And Colts have one of the easiest passing schedules too.
Derek Carr (OAK) – Carr spent his entire career around being the No. 18 fantasy quarterback and “he may finally have receivers” (Part II).
