8 Sleepers to Target in NFL.com Fantasy Football Leagues

Aug 11, 2024

Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

It is no secret that league rules change across the varying fantasy platforms in the industry. Understanding the nuances in scoring settings, roster requirements, league size, and playoff format is paramount to sustained success in fantasy football. The default settings for fantasy football leagues on NFL.com include 10 teams with point-per-reception (PPR) scoring. You must start one quarterback, two running backs, two wide receivers, one tight end, one defense/special teams, one kicker, and one FLEX each week. Finally, four of the 10 teams in each league make the playoffs, which are played in Week 16 and Week 17.

More Sleepers: CBS | ESPN | Yahoo | Sleeper

The presence of a FLEX position increases roster elasticity while the PPR scoring emphasizes bankable volume through the air in this format. Furthermore, the smaller league size effectively decreases room for error in the draft and amplifies the need for upside in the later rounds. Join me as we examine eight sleepers to target in fantasy football leagues on NFL.com that are positioned well to outperform current average draft position (ADP).

Keenan Allen, WR – Bears (NFL.com ADP: WR32, 69 overall)

There are many reasons fantasy football gamers are hesitant to draft Keenan Allen this year. The dreaded age cliff looms large for the 32-year-old wide receiver, he signed with the Bears after spending the first 11 seasons in the league with the Chargers, he will be catching passes from a rookie quarterback (albeit the first player selected in this year’s NFL Draft), and he will see the most competition for targets in his career.

Even so, Allen has many aspects working in his favor in his first season in Chicago. Allen has not yet seen his efficiency metrics fall off in his advanced age, coming off a season where he led the league in first-read target share against zone coverage (40.3%) and ranked in the top 18 in the league in PPR fantasy points per route run against both man (.60, 18^th) and zone (.57, seventh) coverages. His 32% and 30% targets per route run rate against man and zone, respectively, also kept him in the top eight in the league in both categories. Furthermore, teammate D.J. Moore has had drastic splits against man and zone coverages throughout his career, finishing towards the top of the league in most metrics against man while falling outside the top 24 at the position against zone in 2023. This is important when you consider the continued transition away from man coverage found in the league today. Man coverage rates have fallen for six consecutive years, settling at just 24% in 2023.

The Bears are expected to have a bottom-tier offensive line in 2024, something that could shift the emphasis of targets towards players that win within the first five yards of the line of scrimmage, any area of the field Allen continues to dominate. Add it all up and Allen presents an intriguing combination of floor and ceiling at a WR3 valuation.