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Fantasy Football is a very difficult "sport." Yes, it's as good as a sport. The mental fortitude to play and succeed in fantasy football is unmatched. It's the football equivalent of chess. A plethora of aspects such as drafting, trading and manipulating the waiver wire all play key roles in each owner's shot at success.
Drafting is the number one way to start your season on the right foot and, according to most fantasy savants, its impact is about one-third of each team with the other two-thirds going to the aforementioned trading and waiver wire work respectively.
It's easy to give advice on who to pick in the first couple of rounds as players like Alvin Kamara, Travis Kelce and Christian McCaffery are some of the best and safest players in all of football.
The way you win the draft, and eventually your league, is by securing elite production in the later rounds. These players are referred to as "sleepers."
Fresh start for a forgotten QB
Currently ranked as the QB31 on ESPN with an average draft position (ADP) of 269, Sam Darnold is the sleeper QB this year.
Darnold is being placed into a great situation surrounded by multiple electric playmakers such as McCaffery, Robby Anderson, DJ Moore and the young, exciting rookie Terrance Marshall Jr.
He will also work with Joe Brady, one of the best young offensive coordinators in football. During his tenure at LSU, Brady turned Joe Burrow from a fringe NFL draft choice to the number one overall pick in just one season.
Darnold takes over for Teddy Bridgewater, who finished 2020 as QB19 in only 15 games, averaging 17 points per game (PPG). QB19 is the floor for Darnold who has a much bigger and stronger arm and has shown flashes of greatness with the Jets.
His value will never be lower and going behind much less talented QBs like Cam Newton and Derek Carr is an affront to the young gunslinger. He's an absolute steal and could easily sneak into the top 12 this season.
Overlooked rookie with immense upside
Being drafted as the RB42 and an ADP of 125 is shameful for someone with the level of talent that New York Jets rookie RB Michael Carter possesses. Carter excelled during his college career at the University of North Carolina. His 1,245 rushing yards, 8.0 yards per carry, and 47 total forced missed tackles all ranked in the top 5 in the FBS during the 2020 season.
He slipped to the fourth round, where the Jets scooped him up with the 107th overall selection. Adam Gase's firing and the monumental upgrade that ensued with the hiring of Robert Saleh will also help the entire team.
New offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur has learned a ton from NFL genius Kyle Shanahan and is the brother of current Packers head coach Matt LaFleur. .
Even in an improved offense and with the skills Carter has, it's still very difficult for rookie RBs, especially those overlooked in drafts, to carve out a name for themselves right away.
However, this Jets team currently has Tevin Coleman, Ty Johnson and La'Michal Perine listed as their top three RBs who combined for just 800 rushing yards last year while suffering a variety of injuries.
He is currently going behind much less talented RBs like Devin Singletary, Zack Moss and David Johnson. Carter can and should quickly work his way to the top of the depth chart and become an elite RB in the NFL.
Revenge season for an ELITE talent with an improved QB
There are several candidates who can be classified as "sleeper" WRs, but no one is more deserving than Broncos wideout Jerry Jeudy. The former first-round pick is currently ranked as the WR37 on ESPN with an ADP of 70.
The 22-year-old WR possesses elite route running ability and is poised for a breakout year in his sophomore season.
Jeudy suffered some of the worst collective QB play last season, resulting in just over 850 yards through 16 games. Per Pro Football Focus, Jeudy was fifth in the league in uncatchable targets at 18.8%.
Denver featured three QBs last year, directly resulting in their last-place finish in the AFC East. Drew Lock has reportedly shown some improvement in the offseason as the the team brought in veteran Teddy Bridgewater to compete with Lock. Bridgewater produced two of the top 24 WRs last year in Carolina - Robby Anderson WR23 and D.J. Moore WR19 - neither of whom have anywhere near the talent that Jeudy has.
Going behind guys like Juju Smith-Schuster, Tee Higgins, teammate Courtland Sutton and the oft-injured Kenny Golladay, Jeudy has tremendous value in fantasy drafts and should finish in the top 20 this season.
New team, more playing time, and a QB upgrade
Tight end plagues fantasy owners every year. If you don't get your hands on Travis Kelce, George Kittle or Darren Waller, you're taking a big risk at the position.
There are several TE sleepers, but one candidate well placed to return magnificent value in fantasy is Gerald Everett of the Seattle Seahawks. Everett is ranked as TE26 and has an ADP of 248 in ESPN leagues. He's basically going undrafted as it appears people have given up on the talented TE.
In his last three seasons, Everett has finished as the TE22, TE26 and TE24 while playing with Jared Goff under center. Furthermore, Everett struggled to see the field under Sean McVay, only playing more than 50% of the snaps twice last year.
The Rams seemed to prefer Tyler Higbee, which won't be a problem for Everett in Seattle. Everett is already impressing many people in the organization, including head coach Pete Carroll.
Everett joins a loaded WR core that features DK Metcalf and Tyler Locket, who both draw tons of attention from opposing defenses. Everett will benefit from this fact as well as the colossal upgrade at the QB position going from Goff to Russell Wilson.
He's currently being drafted after players like Blake Jarwin, Eric Ebron, Cole Kmet and Rob Gronkowski. Everett will finish higher than all four and has top 12 written all over him.
