5 Fantasy Football Sleepers 2024 & NFLSZN Projections
The 2024 fantasy football draft season is ramping up, with most drafts wrapping up by the end of Labor Day weekend just in time for the season. Many fantasy football managers will be asking: “What sleepers and dark horses should I be targeting this year?”
Don’t sweat it. From big dawgs ready to breakout to guys being outright disrespected at their average draft position, this list has you covered.
Here, we’ll break down some of our favorite sleepers for fantasy football in 2024, including analysis and PrizePicks projections for each potential league savior.
Note that this list is based on point per reception scoring, which PrizePicks uses for fantasy football scoring. Players listed in order of average draft position (ADP); ADP consensus data is via Fantasy Pros as of August 21, 2024.
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Evan Engram, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars
TE8 | ADP: 67
Raise your hand if you were the PPR TE2 last season, but you’re now going as the TE8. OK, Evan Engram, you can put your hand down.
With only three touchdowns last year on a whopping 114 receptions, it feels as though something’s gotta give. Now with wide receivers Calvin Ridley and Zay Jones out of the picture and replaced with less established talents, seven tight ends going off the board before Engram is just a steal.
As QB Trevor Lawrence’s top safety blanket and a favorable offensive situation, Engram's floor is super high and his ceiling may be even higher.
PrizePicks NFLSZN: Evan Engram 3.5 receiving TDs — MORE
WR Calvin Ridley was among the top of the NFL in red zone targets, and Engram still managed to come down with three touchdowns last year. Out of 42 players who had 100+ targets in 2023, only four didn’t reach four touchdowns. I love the NFLSZN more on 3.5 receiving TDs.
Austin Ekeler, RB, Washington Commanders
RB29 | ADP: 85
Taking 28 running backs over this man is nuts on legacy alone. Austin Ekeler was the overall RB1 and RB2 in 2021 and 2022. Last season was a massive disappointment for the injured Ekeler, yet he still managed 1,000+ all-purpose yards.
How so many people have convinced themselves that he suddenly sucks now will regret fading him at this value. Now healthy, explosive, and a constant matchup nightmare for linebackers, Ekeler is too valuable to pass up on this late in PPR leagues.
PrizePicks NFLSZN: Austin Ekeler 399.5 Receiving Yards — MORE
Ekeler has averaged 5.1 catches per game over his last five seasons, and he was adamant about preserving his body in San Diego/Los Angeles — which will pay off in his age 29 season. Even if his catch per game number ticks down to four, we’re around 68 catches over 17 games. At his career average of 8.8 yards per catch, he’s soaring past this projection.
Ekeler will regain some of his form and manage what he did for his first consecutive six years with the Chargers. Go with more than 399.5 NFLSZN Receiving Yards for Ekeler.
Christian Watson, WR, Green Bay Packers
WR40 | ADP: 97
They’re saying the Packers don’t have an alpha WR. Well, enter Christian Watson. After constant struggles in the NFL with injuries, doctors may have finally found the root problem and the likelihood Watson can stay healthy has increased.
No other Packer receiver has the abilities needed to emerge as QB Jordan Love's guy more so than the 6-foot-4 Watson. Watson has great speed and has already shown what he can do when healthy, including 7-71-2 and 5-91-1 receiving lines in his last two regular season games last year.
Last year, despite not being at 100 percent (and missing multiple games), Watson posted 5 touchdowns on just 28 catches, adding in two 90+ yard games to boot. If one guy was to emerge as Love’s go-to, I don’t see any way it’s not Watson.
PrizePicks NFLSZN: Christian Watson 5.5 Receiving TDs — MORE
Nine regular season games netted Watson five TDs last season, and he finished with 13 red zone targets — notably, just behind teammates Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed with 17. If Watson can stay healthy, he should be the go-to around the end zone. Taking the more on his 5.5 SZN Receiving TDs seems very obtainable.
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Joshua Palmer, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
WR57 | ADP: 155
Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Austin Ekeler are all gone. That vacates over 1,900 receiving yards and 178 receptions. All who remains that has shown any sort of rapport with QB Justin Herbert is Palmer.
2024 first-round pick Quentin Johnston has shown no signs of improvement thus far, and rookie Ladd McConkey hasn’t been able to establish a connection with Herbert, due to him not being a go until Week 1. Palmer is guilty of missing eight games in the past two seasons, but when mostly healthy in 2022 he led the Chargers receivers in targets with 107.
It’s not a sexy pick, but it’s the kind of pick that gets the job done, as Palmer should be peppered with targets this year.
PrizePicks NFLSZN: Joshua Palmer 700.5 Receiving Yards — MORE
All the vacated targets have to go somewhere. Even if McConkey emerges as a rookie standout, at WR57 this value is too good to pass up on with Herbert under center. I’ll trust the potential volume here and take more on Palmer’s 700.5 SZN Receiving Yards projection on PrizePicks.
Will Levis, QB, Tennessee Titans
QB24 | ADP: 187
For those in two QB or superflex leagues, Will Levis may be the QB2 for you. After last season's masterclass Week 8 debut, Levis showed growing pains in his rookie campaign.
In the offseason the Titans got a pass-friendly head coach and offensive coordinator, swapped three of their primary starters on the offensive line, and acquired pass-game threats in Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd, plus a capable pass-catching RB in Tony Pollard.
Unlike last season, Levis had a full offseason and camp as the starting QB and has weapons outside of just an aging DeAndre Hopkins. Levis has the starting job secured, and he has a good chance to finish inside the top 20 QBs this season. That alone makes him a valuable grab at QB24.
PrizePicks NFLSZN: Will Levis 3,424.5 Pass Yards — MORE
The second year for QBs has consistently been a year when they stepped up and broke out. Levis has a half season under his belt, and the Titans surrounded him with everything he needs to have success this year. I’ll take more on Will Levis 3424.5 SZN Pass Yards.
NFLSZN on PrizePicks: Fantasy Football Made Easy
That’s a wrap on sleepers for the 2024 fantasy football season. Remember, grabbing these guys in your draft or a PrizePicks NFLSZN lineup can set you up for a winning season.
Be sure to stay locked on the NFLSZN board for the latest season-long fantasy football projections. Want to build your perfect fantasy football lineup for 2024? Head to the NFLSZN board and choose more or less on player stat projections for 2024.
Get ready to build a squad of dawgs and dominate your league in 2024!
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