Fantasy Football 2023: Sleepers to Target and Possible Team Names for Your Squad
The NFL's roster cutdown day is quickly approaching (or, Labor Day, for the rest of the U.S.), and fantasy leagues that haven't yet held their drafts are getting their houses in order ahead of the season.
If you play in a 12-team league, you know that your ticket to victory is being smart about how you assemble your bench, having clutch flex options week in and week out and making good use of the waiver wire.
But there a handful of players are already emerging as clear sleepers from drafting and rostering data, and you should make a point of targeting them in the later rounds of your draft (or putting in a claim for them after waivers open).
In order to qualify as sleepers, players must be rostered in 40 percent or less of Yahoo leagues. (Note that until all leagues have completed their drafts, rostered percentages will vary.)
Point projections and rankings use PPR (points per reception) scoring.
Top Fantasy Sleepers 2023
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Michael Gallup, WR, Dallas Cowboys
Rostered percentage: 27%
2023 projections: 49 rec, 659 rec yds, 4.6 rec TD, 142.8 pts
While there is no shortage of talented wideouts in the present-day NFL, it's pretty surprising a player who's projected to bring in almost 700 receiving yards and more than 140 points is currently sitting undrafted in most leagues. Michael Gallup had just 424 yards and four touchdowns in 14 games last season after recovering from an ACL injury, but the Cowboys' new "Texas Coast" offense should see Gallup get plenty of opportunites through the air.
Romeo Doubs, WR, Green Bay Packers
Rostered percentage: 29%
2023 projections: 56.2 rec, 662 rec yds, 0.1 rec TDs, 147 pts
Jordan Love, and indeed the Packers offense as a whole, remains a question mark heading into the 2023 season, so it's not overly surprising that fantasy managers are feeling wary of Packers pass-catchers, outside Christian Watson. Still, Doubs has been Love's primary target throughout the preseason and has capitalized on those opportunities, including a touchdown in the Packers' preseason win over the Bengals. Doubs is better for PPR leagues and may not score a ton of touchdowns, but he's a great flex option, especially as we get to know the new Green Bay offense.
Chuba Hubbard, RB, Carolina Panthers
Rostered percentage: 14%
2023 projections: 112 att, 524 rush yds, 3.1 rush TD, 18 rec, 155 rec yds, 0.5 rec TD, 105.7 pts
With Christian McCaffrey in San Francisco, Chuba Hubbard was able to carve out a larger role in the Panthers backfield in 2022, and he should have the chance to continue putting up bigger numbers this season. Hubbard will be getting occasional carries behind Miles Sanders, but his real value comes in the passing game. Hubbard is an especially good pickup in PPR leagues.
Rostered percentages and scoring projections via FantasyPros
Fantasy Team Names for 2023
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So, you've targeted some players flying under-the-radar to fill out your bench and give youself an arsenal of flex options week to week. Now, all you have left to do is find an equally potent name for your team.
First, the team-inspired names. You may be lucky enough that your favorite team's quarterback is good enough to have made it on your squad, or perhaps you're fielding a team filled with rivals. In any event, you'll be able to show your league where you stand with one of the following names:
12th Man
Air and Water Show
American Eagles
Arlington Heights Bears
Baby, It's SKOLd Outside
Baltimore Blitz
Broad Street Bullies
Broadway Bullies
Carolina in My Mind
Duval Dynasty
Fly Like an Eagle
High-Flying Jet
Horsing Around
It Ain't Easy Being Cheesy
Jungle Fever
Lambeau Leap
Levi's Legends
Lombardi's Legacy
Music City Miracle
Orange Crush
Pack Attack
Patriots Day
Pirate's Booty
Pirate's Plunder
Purple People Eaters
Purple Reign
Raiders Roulette
Remember the Titans
Ram It
Super Bowl Shuffle
Viking Reign
Of course, some fantasy managers don't like using team-inspired names...or football-inspired names at all, for that matter. They like to show off their varied interests and their team name changes with the news cycle. If you're that kind of fantasy manager, here are some name ideas pulled from the 2023 headlines:
Baby Billy's Bible Bonkers
Barbenheimer
Cat Food Ozymandias
Come On, Barbie, Let's Go Party
Cousins Dinner
Grimace Shake
I'm Just Ken
Locked in the Walk-In
Los Alamos
M3GAN's Dance
Met Gala Bathroom
Met Gala Cockroach
Mojo Dojo Casa House
Nepo Baby
Now I Am Become Death, the Destroyer of Worlds
Peaches, Peaches, Peaches, Peaches, Peaches
Peter's Special Cheese
Seven Fishes
The Eldest Boy
Uncle Jimmy's Frozen Banana
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