Fantasy Football Sleepers

As you prepare for your 2022 fantasy football draft, it's important to have a plan for round 1 and the first few rounds of your fantasy draft because these are the most talented players and the ones who are most likely to score the most fantasy points. However, most fantasy managers are familiar with these players. To get an edge on your league mates, it's important to also identify possible breakouts and certain players who can significantly outplay their average draft position (ADP). It's important to identify the best fantasy football sleepers for the 2022 NFL season.

What is a Considered a Sleeper in Fantasy Football?

Fantasy sleepers carry many different definitions nowadays. Sometimes, fantasy sleepers are identified as players who are not being considered by other fantasy football analysts. However, with so many fantasy football rankings, it's hard to find anyone no one is talking about. Sleepers are probably more accurately defined as someone who can significantly out-perform their (ADP). Sleepers should be defined as a specific player who can significantly outperform his draft position. We should be looking for players who can break out and become high-end fantasy performers.

Top-3 Football Sleepers at Each Position for 2022

Quarterbacks

Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles – While some may not think of Hurts as a sleeper, fantasy managers may still be underrating him as an elite fantasy option. With the addition of wideout, AJ Brown, Hurts has the chance to finish as the QB1. His rushing skillset is elite and he already finished as the QB6 in PPG for the 2021 season. With an improvement in his passing stats, he could become the top fantasy QB this season.

Justin Fields, Chicago Bears – For the same reasons that Hurts was a sleeper in 2021, the 2021 first-round QB for the Bears is a 2022 fantasy football sleeper. Fantasy managers are far too occupied for the pass-catchers or rather lack thereof, Fields has the potential to rush for over 700 yards and 6 touchdowns. With those kinds of rushing stats, he doesn't need to be an elite fantasy passer to significantly outplay his ADP.

Jameis Winston, New Orleans Saints – Winston had 19 touchdowns and 4 interceptions in seven weeks last season and looked like a more under-control quarterback than the one we've seen in Tampa. The Saints have quietly put together a very exciting group of pass-catchers. Elite receiver, Michael Thomas is expected back this season. They also signed Jarvis Landry and drafted Chris Olave in the first round. That kind of weaponry, especially with Alvin Kamara in the backfield could lead to an electric offense.

Running Backs

Travis Etienne, Jacksonville Jaguars – For the same reason D'Andre Swift was a sleeper last year, Etienne is a sleeper this year. This is especially true in any PPR format. While some fantasy managers may be turned off by the Jaguars likely being a bad team, that will lead to a lot of deficits, which increases the passing volume. Etienne was an elite receiver in college and he'll play a vital role in their passing game. With James Robinson recovering from a torn Achilles, Etienne could be an elite asset on draft day.

Rashaad Penny, Seattle Seahawks – Penny's efficiency metrics have always been excellent. He's struggled with injuries and another excellent running back, Chris Carson in front of him. Carson appears to be out of the picture and Penny looks destined to be the primary back in the Seahawks backfield. Fantasy managers appear to be skeptical about Penny's injury history, which is understandable, but his price tag is fairly cheap for someone who might get 15 carries a game and appeared to put it all together at the end of the 2021 season. He has always sported an elite yard per carry average and he's been held back primarily due to injury. If he can stay healthy, he could break out in 2022.

Kenneth Gainwell, Philadelphia Eagles – Miles Sanders has struggled with injuries in recent seasons and Gainwell looked sharp as a 2021 rookie last year. Now entering his sophomore season, Gainwell could see his role in the passing game grow. He was surprisingly used quite a bit in the red zone.

Wide Receivers

Elijah Moore, New York Jets – Moore had a span of elite performances despite being a rookie with bad quarterback play. The selection of Garret Wilson as one of the Jets' first-round draft picks has resulted in some fantasy managers forgetting just how dominant Moore was. He was a top-tier prospect coming out of college and he backed that up as a rookie in a tough environment.

JuJu Smith-Schuster, Kansas City Chiefs – Most fantasy managers remember the past two seasons for JuJu, but he was an elite fantasy performer in his rookie and sophomore seasons. Over the past few years, Smith-Schuster has had to deal with a rapidly declining Ben Roethlisberger. In Big Ben's one injury-riddled season, he had to deal with Duck Hodges, an even worse alternative to Big Ben. He'll get a massive quarterback upgrade with Patrick Mahomes and could be the No. 2 target behind Travis Kelce. He should be an ideal sleeper target in any PPR drafts.

Christian Kirk, Jacksonville Jaguars – Kirk got the bag this offseason and looks poised to be the No. 1 WR for the Jackson Jaguars. With head coach Urban Meyer no longer in Jacksonville, Trevor Lawrence and the rest of the offense should look much better this year. Kirk is an ideal sleeper candidate at receiver in PPR formats. He'll line up in the slot and could be in line for a large target share for an offense that threw the ball the seventh most in 2021.

Tight Ends

Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears – He looks destined to be Justin Fields' No. 2 target in Chicago. He was just shy of 100 targets in his second season, which makes for a very appealing fantasy option. It's all about volume for tight ends and Kmet could be in line for a big receiving season in 2022. He didn't find the red zone at all last year, but he had plenty of opportunities. With his big frame, he could become a big red zone threat with the change in the coaching staff.

David Njoku, Cleveland Browns – Like Kmet, Njoku could become the No. 2 target in Cleveland behind Amari Cooper. He's always popped when he's been given the opportunity, but he hasn't put it all together yet. Now, entering the 2022 season, Njoku should finally be the unquestioned starter. With DeShaun Watson under center, for what at least appears to be the second half of the 2022 season, Njoku could break out with ample volume, better QB play, and a more involved offensive role.

Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Chargers – Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Austin Ekeler are going to command the majority of Justin Herbert's attention, but at tight end, it doesn't take a lot of volume to be a top-10 option. Just look at Dawson Knox and Hunter Henry last year. Fantasy managers shouldn't be surprised if Everett becomes a red zone weapon for Herbert and his touchdown potential makes him an ideal 2022 fantasy football sleeper.

Sleeper FAQ

Why Are Sleeper Picks Important in Fantasy Football?

Sleepers are important because they are generally late-round picks who become fantasy-relevant. Just like in the NFL Draft, late-round draft selections rarely provide much, if any, significant value in Year 1. However, a sleeper who hits can provide significant value this fantasy football season. Finding a sleeper can be enough to send your starting lineup into your overdrive or it can help compensate for an early-round pick bust or injury that your fantasy football lineup may have to deal with. In either case, these players are hard to find and not every team will find one, but the ones that are able to find 3rd round production from a 12th-round selection will be a very hard team to beat.

After Which Round is a Player Considered a Sleeper?

This all goes back to how you define the term sleeper. If a sleeper is a player not many fantasy analysts are talking about, a sleeper is a very late-round selection, such as in rounds 12–16. If a sleeper is defined as someone who can significantly outplay their ADP, a sleeper could be found anywhere. A player being viewed and drafted by a WR4 almost everywhere that you identify as someone who could be a top-20 WR could be defined as a sleeper even though they'd be taken in the 8–10 round range.

How Do You Decide Which Players are Sleepers?

It's just a personal preference on how you choose to define the term. With the increasing popularity of fantasy football, it's almost impossible to find players no one is talking about because everyone it seems is talking about fantasy football in the offseason. The important thing isn't how you define it, the important thing is just knowing how the information you're taking in defines it.

Who are a Few Really Deep Sleepers Some Fantasy Football Players May Not Know?

Kenny Golladay, New York Giants – Golladay has one WR2 season and another top-12 finish underneath his belt already. In fact, he's also led the league in touchdowns. He was hurt in 2020 and struggled in 2021 in his first season with the Giants. However, the whole Giants' offense struggled and that wasn't just Golladay's fault. Now that he's healthy and with an improved coaching staff, Golladay should settle in as Daniel Jones' No. 1 target. He could be in line 6–7 targets per game, a number that would allow him to solidly outplay his ADP.

Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars – Engram has a history of elite performances at TE and has finished as a top-12 TE in PPG average for three seasons. The past two seasons have been terrible, but so has the entire Giants' offense, which includes the quarterback, Daniel Jones. The coaching has been just as bad. Now, in Jacksonville with TE guru at coach, Doug Pederson, who made Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert the best TE duo in the league, Engram could have a resurgent season.

Tyrion Davis-Price, San Francisco 49ers – Recent reports have indicated head coach Kyle Shanahan wants to use a more running back by committee approach in 2021. Elijah Mitchell struggled with injuries last year as a rookie and Davis-Price should be the RB2 to enter the season. If he never takes over Mitchell's role, the heavy running game in San Francisco would leave Davis-Price with a role in the offense.

Are Sleepers Vital Regardless of Fantasy Football Scoring Format?

It's important to find value throughout your fantasy football draft. Sleepers are a big part of that. While most fantasy managers know the big names at the top of the draft board, finding sleepers are where you can differentiate yourself from the rest of your league.

What's the Difference Between a Sleeper and a Backup or Handcuff?

A sleeper is a fantasy player no one is talking about or someone who can significantly outplay their ADP. A backup is someone that is No. 2 or No. 3 on the depth chart. A handcuff is a fantasy player that only has fantasy value in the event of an injury to the starter. In some cases, these definitions can overlap each other.

I've Seen Talk of a Sleeper App What is that?

Sleeper is an app or website that offers fantasy football leagues, like ESPN, Yahoo, or NFL. You can customize league scoring and settings and tailor everything to your specific league format.