Honk shooooo … honk shoooooo … honk mimimimi — wha, what? Sleeping time is over? No more sleeping? That’s right, it’s time to wake up.
In fantasy football, we often call a risky, unconventional or otherwise out-of-the-box start a “sleeper,” because had you not woken them up, they’d probably just be conked out on the waiver wire blissfully unaware that anyone was relying on them for 12 fantasy points. It’s a term I believe we derive from “sleeping giant” or “sleeper agent,” maybe from, like … the moderately popular British rock band Sleeper? We even have a fantasy football platform called Sleeper — everyone is sleeping!
With byes and injuries and just … general fantasy football disasters surely befalling your team by Week 6, I’m sure you could use some dart throws dipped in wake-the-hell-up juice at some sleepers that might get you out of a jam. As usual, we’re assuming 10-12 team leagues and PPR scoring, and IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: this is not “Start/Sit” (I already did that, check it out here), and I’m NOT saying you should start these guys in your league this week — you probably have a better option, as these are deep bag pulls. I’m saying that if you have to start a deep bag pull, here are the bags I would be doing the pulling from.
WR Efton Chism III, TE Eli Raridon, New England Patriots
Two guys from my waiver wire column, Chism was the lone starting Patriots WR who didn’t catch a touchdown last week, but I think you can start him in a bind provided A.J. Brown doesn’t suit up. Chism is my preferred option between him, Demario Douglas and Kyle Williams just because he plays more snaps. This is an elite passing offense, and Romeo Doubs has not yet shown he can be the kind of target hog that blocks out other options.
Actually firing up Raridon would be quite the choice, and I don’t see how that happened to you unless you’re somehow in a 20-team league. He’s basically in a 50-50 split with Hunter Henry and ideally you want to start a TE who … starts, but I think Raridon is a really good football player who will continue working his way into the offense. If you want to get weird with it, Raridon is a TE deeeeeeeep flyer.
RB Kimani Vidal, Los Angeles Chargers
When we’re talking sleepers, we’re talking about buying the upside in tremendously sketchy situations. Speaking of tremendously sketchy situations, the Los Angeles Chargers backfield: one of the worst three-headed splits I’ve ever seen in my time playing fantasy football. None of Omarion Hampton, Keaton Michell or Kimani Vidal are officially playable, none of them are certifiably unplayable either. Anyone who tells you they know one is better than the other hasn’t been paying attention, as Hampton’s share of the offense has been in free fall. This is a true triple split.
You can also start Mitchell if you want, but I see Vidal as someone who could take over more and more of Hampton’s role as it becomes clear the team does not trust him with the rock. Again, we’re looking at probably high single-digit carries here, but Vidal has found the endzone each of the last two weeks. Want to see if he can do it again?
WR Laquon Treadwell, Indianapolis Colts
The fact that Laquon Treadwell is still in the NFL much less making any kind of fantasy football column is astounding, but the usage is just … it just is. He’s arguably the number one wide receiver on the team right now, not in terms of targets but in terms of snap share. Since the injury to Alec Pierce, Treadwell is a lock to see 80 percent of downs, and that has led to what we can potentially describe as playable volume in fantasy football. He has 14 targets in the last two weeks and shouldn’t struggle too much against the Tennessee Titans defense on Sunday.
RB Tyler Allgeier, Arizona Cardinals
If Jeremiyah Love misses Sunday’s game with his ankle injury, then for the love of everything please play Allgeier he’s not even a sleeper at that point. If Love is active, though, I still think you can get something out of Allgeier if you’re desperate. He barely gets any carries though will always be dangerous around the goal line, and is still trusted in pass protection which has led to a healthy number of catches this season. You know what we love in PPR fantasy football? Catches.
If Love misses the game, you could even consider loading up Bam Knight, who you probably forgot about, as another sleeper, though I’d … maybe avoid overindexing on Cardinals running backs with how they seem to throw the ball 60 times per game. That is my personal preference.
WR Ryan Flournoy, Dallas Cowboys
Usually I’d steer well clear of starting a third receiver on any team, but Dallas runs a lot of three-receiver sets and Fournoy is out there a lot alongside George Pickens and Ceedee Lamb. If you’re starting Fournoy, you’re basically betting on one thing: the Dallas defense is so abjectly terrible that the pass volume will be undeniable. Flournoy has seen a decent target share this year, and Green Bay Packers defense has been nothing to write home about.
TE Darren Waller, Carolina Panthers
It’s pretty amazing that Darren Waller is just back and playing at a reasonably high level. He’s not the first option he was on the Raiders back in the day, but he’s been reasonably productive for the Panthers so far this season. You’re in for an absolute world of risk if you start Waller given endless target competition and the fact that both Mitchell Evans and Tommy Tremble very much play … but it’ll be fun to start Waller. I think.
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