A 12-pack of fantasy football undervalued players to draft

There are few things more satisfying in the world of fantasy football than identifying a player or group to break out when your fellow owners don’t. With that in mind, it’s time to look at some possible sleepers for the upcoming season.

Quarterbacks

Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons

Prior to rupturing his Achilles tendon last season, Cousins was on pace for 4,953 yards and 38 TDs — for reference, 4,624 yards and 36 TDs led the NFL, respectively. Granted, he won’t have anyone as singularly dominant as Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, but there’s a nice collection of weapons awaiting him in Atlanta, including WRs Drake London and Darnell Mooney, and tight end Kyle Pitts. The veteran was already a stationary passer, so diminished mobility shouldn’t be an issue. He’d be a steady QB2 to pair with a riskier starter.

Will Levis, Tennessee Titans

After years of watching Tennessee’s offense revolve around running back Derrick Henry, who signed with the Baltimore Ravens this March, it’s hard to view them as a pass-first offense. They look like they’re gearing up to be just that, however, adding WRs Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd alongside DeAndre Hopkins under new head coach Brian Callahan, who ran the pass-happy Cincinnati Bengals’ attack the past five years. Don’t be surprised if Levis outperforms his preseason ranking and emerges as a capable QB2 for fantasy owners.

Justin Fields, Pittsburgh Steelers

Even if, as expected, head coach Mike Tomlin names QB Russell Wilson the starter, you know the leash isn’t going to be very long. While Wilson was better last year following a disastrous 2023, he threw a lot of checkdowns and was eventually benched. If Fields gets the call at any point, he immediately becomes a viable fantasy starter that very week. Owners that have a legitimate stud at the position could weigh the merits of stashing Fields on their bench, even if he doesn’t currently hold the starting job, as his weekly ceiling is sure to be higher than most reserves.

Running backs

Brian Robinson Jr., Washington Commanders

A mobile quarterback can be a boon to a running game, and QB Jayden Daniels is that. He’s also a rookie that the Commanders will want to protect with a capable ground attack, which will be led by Robinson with RB Austin Ekeler set to handle obvious passing situations. Robinson made strides becoming a more complete back in Year 2 (1,101 total yards, 9 TDs), and running a read option with Daniels should give him more room to operate.

Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans

Spears compiled 838 yards and three TDs as a rookie while sharing the backfield with the NFL’s leader in carries last season. Newly signed RB Tony Pollard, who struggled last year when pushed into a true lead role, won’t see the same workload as Henry did, and the expectation of a more pass-oriented offense plays to Spears’ strengths as well. He has top-25 potential.

Blake Corum, Los Angeles Rams

While RB Kyren Williams exceeded all expectations last season, he missed four games with an ankle injury and then broke his hand in the playoffs. Corum is one of those guys that plays bigger than his size and has proven to be excellent in short yardage and goal-line situations. The news that Williams will return punts suggests the rookie should see plenty of snaps, and if he locks down those red-zone touches he could boost his value significantly.

Wide receivers

Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders

It feels like there’s a level of fatigue with McLaurin, who has never taken that next step into superstar status. He’s topped 75 receptions and 1,000 yards in four straight seasons, though, and Washington is light on talent at WR/TE. As such, McLaurin should be the clear No. 1 target for QB Jayden Daniels.

Romeo Doubs/Dontayvion Wicks, Green Bay Packers

Green Bay’s interchangeable receiver corps is tough for fantasy owners to parse, but they’ve landed on WRs Christian Watson and Jayden Reed as the top options. That’s debatable. Doubs led the team in targets (96) and tied with Reed for tops in receiving TDs (8) in 2023. Plus, he logged 10 catches for 234 yards and a TD in the playoffs. Wicks closed strong as well, catching four touchdowns in the final four games. Either one would make an interesting late-round gamble.

Joshua Palmer, Los Angeles Chargers

LA’s offseason overhaul has left Palmer as the top returning receiver (38-581-2 last year). The arrival of WR Ladd McConkey has made the rookie the preferred pick of fantasy owners, but Palmer seems better equipped to be the team’s nominal WR1 given his experience with QB Justin Herbert. At worst, Palmer is a solid late-round depth piece with upside.

Tight ends

Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys

The departure of TE Dalton Schultz to the Houston Texans before last season left a hole in the Cowboys’ passing game. Ferguson filled it. He finished second on the club in receptions (71) and yards (761), and he had a monster game (10-93-3) in the playoff loss to Green Bay. With marginal talent at running back, expect Dallas to throw a lot this year, which could mean big things for Ferguson.

Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers

Although Freiermuth is coming off a disappointing season (32-308-2), he looks well positioned for a bounce-back campaign. The receiver depth chart is weak outside of WR George Pickens, and new QB Russell Wilson is a risk-averse passer these days, happily checking the ball down. If he can stay healthy, Freiermuth has starting tight end potential.

Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers

After catching just seven passes over the first three months, Kraft hauled in 29 balls for 321 yards and two TDs over the last eight games (including playoffs). He shares the position with TE Luke Musgrave (34-352-1), which could limit his upside, but Kraft’s arrow is pointed up. If you’re in a league where you plan on carrying two tight ends, Kraft would be an intriguing flier.