NFL Fantasy Football Sunday Sleepers: Value Plays for GPP

CLEVELAND, OH – AUGUST 17: Tyrod Taylor #5 of the Cleveland Browns breaks a tackle while pursued by Star Lotulelei #98 of the Buffalo Bills in the first quarter of a preseason game at FirstEnergy Stadium on August 17, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Welcome to Sunday Sleepers: Value Plays for NFL Fantasy Football GPP’s. Here, we’ll take a weekly peek at Value Plays for each position that may have slipped under your fantasy radar. Value Plays are inherently risky, so be aware of the risk and, if you play GPP tournaments like Fanduel’s Sunday Million, mix Value Plays into your lineups with caution. A well placed Sleeper can catapult you to the top of the leaderboard, or just as easily drop you like a stone off a cliff and dash your dreams on the rocks below.

Let Sunday Sleepers be your first step to finding those low-owned gems that can turn an ordinary Sunday into something special. The salaries listed are for Fanduel, but these plays have high-ceiling potential and can work for whichever DFS site you play.

NFL Fantasy Football Quarterback

Tyrod Taylor ($6600) Cleveland vs. Pittsburgh

Despite the optimistic flurry around this revamped Cleveland Browns club, I expect fantasy owners to take a wait-and-see approach this week and look elsewhere, especially with the Steelers in town. But this apprehension is based on reputation: namely the Steelers’ reputation on defense to stifle opponents, and the Browns’ reputation to find a way to fail. The Browns are underrated at a five to six total win projection, while the Steelers D is overrated. Period.

The Browns are hungry to prove they can win, and heart goes a long way in this league. No better time to show off than Week 1, against a division rival at home, after a winless campaign last year. The Browns will be better than you think, and Taylor will be a huge part of their success. With plenty of weapons at his disposal through the air and additional upside with his legs, TT is primed for a big day — cash in with Tyrod’s low ownership; his price won’t stay this low for long.

NFL Fantasy Football Running Back

James Conner ($5000) Pittsburgh at Cleveland

Okay, using the term ‘sleeper’ here may be a bit of a stretch given how much press coverage has been given to Conner as the Le’veon Bell holdout has turned into quite the saga. He is likely to be more heavily owned than a typical sleeper pick, but the potential to outscore his salary here is very attractive. True, I expect a close game in Cleveland, possibly even an upset. I also expect a lot of points on the board, and who else is going to tote the rock for the Steelers?

Conner is fully equipped to take advantage of Bell’s absence as an every-down back who can catch (7/61 through the air in preseason) as well as run. He’s hard to tackle. He knows the offense and has been with the first team throughout camp and the preseason. He has the confidence of Mike Tomlin. He has the mental toughness to beat cancer and return to the game stronger than ever. That’s good enough for me.

NFL Fantasy Football Wide Receiver

Keelan Cole ($4500) Jacksonville at New York Giants

This is the cheapest you’ll find Cole all season, with pricing already set on Fanduel before Marqise Lee suffered his season-ending injury. I expect a healthy competition for targets between Cole and Dexter Moncrief, with Cole having more big-play potential and excellent chemistry with a now healthy Blake Bortles.

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The Giants defense will likely improve on last year, but it would be hard not to after finishing dead last in the league against the pass. Only the most savvy and well-read DFS players will scroll this far down the list. Expect minimal ownership here. If you read my Sunday Stratagem article you already know I like Bortles for a lot of the same reasons — Cole makes a cheap stacking option with Bortles that is likely to well exceed value and leave a ton of salary for your backs and flex positions.

NFL Fantasy Football Tight End

George Kittle ($5300) San Francisco at Minnesota

It feels compelling to pay up for one of the few ‘top-tier’ options at tight end, but the truth is this position is notoriously unpredictable. A sure thing does not exist at any position, but picking a tight end is like bobbing for apples; you might sink your teeth into one every now and then, but mostly you’re chasing that perfect pick underwater, in the dark and with your hands tied. Before you spend a ton of money on a Gronkowski or Kelce, think about this: San Francisco turned into a game-winning machine after Jimmy Garoppolo took over late last year.

Kittle finished his year with 11.7 Fanduel points on Christmas Eve (3/42/1), and followed that up on New Years Eve with 12 Fanduel points (4/100/0) with Garoppolo under center. And that with a bum shoulder. Expect him to be a big part of the Niners’ success this year. On the road against the Vikings’ second-ranked pass defense last year, Kittle will be very low owned. But the Vikings can be susceptible to the tight end — look for Kittle to see some red-zone looks and start the new season right where he left off last year.

NFL Fantasy Football Defense / Special Teams

Washington Redskins ($4000) at Arizona Cardinals

Before you laugh me off to the funny farm for fantasy prognosticators whose cheese has slid clean off their crackers, remember that this is a sleepers column and that we are digging deep for big-point potential that your competition has rejected. And that’s where we find the Redskins this week, on the road against … who? David Johnson and the Cardinals. The problem with the Cardinals is that it takes eleven guys to make an offense. They only have one-and-a-half. The half being an aging Larry Fitzgerald.

Their O-line is not good, giving the Redskins some sack opportunities despite LB Zach Brown’s oblique injury. True, Sam Bradford didn’t throw a single pick last year. He also didn’t play much. He has 57 picks on his career. That number can easily go up on Sunday, with tight coverage on Fitzy while the pocket collapses over and over again and the Skins zero on Johnson. I expect Bradford to make some hurried mistakes this week, and if the Redskins can take advantage so can you. If Washington can get a lead here, this could be a sneaky play that’s worth a shot where others would rather play it safe.

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Look for my articles (Sunday Stratagem, Sunday Sleepers, and Monday Morning Quarterback) every week on Fantasy CPR and get fresh, unique perspectives designed to help newer DFS players find more than just beginner’s luck all season long.