Selecting good players is easy early in fantasy football drafts, but leagues are won and lost by the sleepers you select in the later rounds. Every single year, a select handful of players dramatically outplay their average draft position. Last year, 21.91% of championship teams rostered Kyren Williams, the second-highest percentage in the league. This year, any one of these five players could provide that same boost to your starting lineup.
Note that, in order to be eligible for this list, the player in question needed to be outside the top 100 in the FantasyPros consensus average draft position.
The 5 Biggest Fantasy Football Sleepers of 2024
Brian Thomas, WR49
Historically speaking, rookies are usually the best sleepers in fantasy football. Nobody’s seen what they can do against NFL competition, and the more casual fans in your league won’t necessarily know who some of them are. While Marvin Harrison is (justifiably) a second-round pick in most formats, fellow first-round pick Brian Thomas is completely overlooked. The LSU product was one of the league’s most dangerous playmakers in college, was the fourth receiver selected in the draft, and landed with a good quarterback in a great situation. Calvin Ridley and his 136 targets are gone, leaving a wide-open role for Thomas to inherit. Christian Kirk is a fine slot option and free agent signee Gabe Davis is better off in a small role. Trevor Lawrence might not be a top-five quarterback, but the former first-overall pick can guide someone like Thomas to fantasy football relevance.
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Tyjae Spears, RB34
As the 101st player off the board, Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears barely qualifies for this list of fantasy football sleepers. The second-year running back had a promising rookie season behind Derrick Henry, recording 453 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 100 carries while finishing with a 77.0 PFF grade, the 17th-best mark out of 59 eligible players. The Titans let Henry walk in free agency but signed Tony Pollard to start in his place. The former Cowboy might earn more work early in the season, but he didn’t do much of anything last year with full control of the backfield. Look for this to be a 50/50 split out of the gate, and don’t be surprised if the younger, faster, and stronger Spears earns a larger workload as the season progresses.
MarShawn Lloyd, RB46
This one is all about patience. No matter how well MarShawn Lloyd plays in practice, Josh Jacobs will be the Week 1 starter. However, the former Raider is coming off an atrocious season, averaging just 3.5 yards per carry while ranking 50th out of 59 players in PFF grade. The Packers are banking on the 27-year-old bouncing back, but what if age and the 1,305 career carries are starting to slow him down? Jacobs is effectively on a one-year contract, so Lloyd could easily take the starting job by midseason if Jacobs doesn’t improve. Technically AJ Dillon is also in the picture, but Lloyd shouldn’t have any issues beating him out for the backup job.
Pat Freiermuth, TE14
NFL fans have short attention spans, which is why one of the better tight end prospects to enter the NFL is now one of the top sleepers in fantasy football. Pat Freiermuth finished as the TE13 as a rookie before putting up a TE7 finish in 2023. Unfortunately, injuries, poor quarterback play, and an unfavorable scheme limited him to just 32 receptions for 308 yards and two touchdowns in 2023. Despite the underwhelming season, the former second-round pick is poised to bounce back with a breakout 2024. Say what you will about new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, but he knows how to use tight ends in the passing game. Russell Wilson is not the player he once was, but he should be an improvement from Kenny Pickett, and George Pickens is the only other notable set of hands on the team. Maybe he won’t finish as the TE1, but Freiermuth should be a week-in, week-out start in the tight end slot.
The Steelers have moved Pat Freiermuth all around the formation. Out wide, slot, in line. Gets a ton of targets. Clearly an emphasis so far today.
— Nick Farabaugh (@FarabaughFB) July 25, 2024
Roschon Johnson, RB55
Just like with MarShawn Lloyd, you’ll need to be patient with Roschon Johnson. Chicago spent big on D’Andre Swift and he will be the Week 1 starter. While Swift had a strong season in Philadelphia, Miles Sanders proved that producing in that environment has more to do with the elite offensive line than the actual running back. Swift didn’t break many tackles last year and couldn’t beat out Jamaal Williams for reps during his time in Detroit. This heavily suggests that he’s not nearly as good as his statistics and suggests he could struggle in a new environment. Roschon Johnson played well as a rookie and could easily take a sizable workload by the midpoint of the season. You’ll have to store him on your bench in the short term, but Johnson has league-winning potential as a late-season starter in what should be a high-powered offense.
Main Photo: Bob Self – USA Today Sports
