Fantasy Football Week 1: Biggest Sleepers at Every Position
On Thursday, the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions officially kicked off the 2023 fantasy football season. Now, we can look ahead to our first NFL Sunday with several sleeper targets in mind.
In the first week, let's dig deep for players available in at least 50 percent of full point-per-reception Yahoo and ESPN leagues, based on FantasyPros' consensus roster percentages.
For managers in standard leagues, don't feel left out. You can find value in our sleepers who may handle goal-line carries or see targets in the red zone.
Every week, we'll list eight sleeper picks for offensive positions with the player's DraftKings daily fantasy price and rostered percentage.
For Week 1, you'll see two names for the first time on our sleepers list. One is a rookie wide receiver who's the biggest long shot of the bunch. The Los Angeles Rams also shared some news that should encourage managers to pick up a pair of unheralded pass-catchers.
QB Derek Carr vs. Tennessee Titans (35% Rostered)
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Fantasy managers know the book on Derek Carr. He's a solid quarterback who doesn't rack up big passing numbers with consistency, having thrown for more than 28 touchdowns in only one out of nine seasons. Carr often goes undrafted and becomes a season-long streamer option when he has a favorable matchup.
If you don't like the season-opening matchup for your starting quarterback or need another solid option for a superflex position, add Carr this week.
You may be hesitant to pick up Carr because he's going to face the Tennessee Titans' stout defensive front, which features Harold Landry III, Jeffery Simmons and Denico Autry. However, the Titans gave up the most passing yards and tied three other teams in giving up the second-most touchdowns through the air last season.
Carr also has a good track record against the Titans. He's thrown for 10 touchdowns and two interceptions in five games against Tennessee while under center for the Las Vegas Raiders.
Yes, Carr has to get acclimated to new pass-catchers, but Chris Olave, Michael Thomas, Rashid Shaheed and Juwan Johnson (more on him later) could pose a serious collective threat to a defense that struggled to stop aerial attacks last year. Carr may shine bright in his home debut with the Saints.
QB Sam Howell vs. Arizona Cardinals (16% Rostered)
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Sam Howell has made only one career NFL start, so it's hard to know what to expect from him. However, he's an intriguing sleeper in a matchup with the rebuilding Arizona Cardinals, who were one of four teams to tie for the second-most passing touchdowns allowed in 2022.
The Cardinals worked out a new deal with All-Pro safety Budda Baker this offseason, but they lost cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. in free agency. Sixth-round rookie cornerback Kei'Trel Clark could start on the boundary opposite Marco Wilson.
Arizona also lost its top two pass-rushers from last season in J.J. Watt (retired) and Zach Allen, who signed with the Denver Broncos. The Cardinals defense doesn't seem equipped to rush the passer or slow down receivers downfield.
Howell can take advantage of Arizona's weak pass defense even if wideout Terry McLaurin is limited because of a toe injury that he suffered during the preseason. Jahan Dotson, a 2022 first-rounder, and seventh-year veteran Curtis Samuel could feast on the Cardinals secondary, which would bode well for Howell's passing numbers.
RB D'Onta Foreman vs. Green Bay Packers (23% Rostered)
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According to Chicago Bears running backs coach David Walker, Khalil Herbert "hasn't done anything to lose the (lead) job." So, we should expect D'Onta Foreman to take on a complementary role while quarterback Justin Fields also contributes to the ground attack after he racked up 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground last year.
Though the Bears' rushing opportunities seem limited with a mobile quarterback involved in the run game, their top two tailbacks could post solid fantasy numbers against the Green Bay Packers, who ranked 26th in rushing yards allowed per game last year.
We must account for the Bears' offseason acquisitions as well. With the addition of wideout DJ Moore, tight end Robert Tonyan, rookie right tackle Darnell Wright and right guard Nate Davis, Fields should have solid pass protection. As a result, he'll have enough time to survey the field and get the ball to his pass-catchers rather than tuck it and run to escape constant pocket pressure.
Assuming Fields throws less and gives the ball to his running backs to take the hits on run downs, Herbert and Foreman can coexist in a productive fantasy backfield against a defense that struggled to stop the run last year.
Foreman rushed for a career-high 914 yards while averaging 4.5 yards per carry with the Carolina Panthers in a lead role for about half of the 2022 campaign. Coming off his best year, he should be second in line for carries over rookie fourth-rounder Roschon Johnson.
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RB Kyren Williams at Seattle Seahawks (7% Rostered)
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On Wednesday, Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay told reporters that wide receiver Cooper Kupp (hamstring) will miss Sunday's matchup with the Seattle Seahawks. McVay also said the team might put Kupp on injured reserve.
Kupp played nine games last season and averaged almost 11 targets per outing. While he's out, quarterback Matthew Stafford will likely spread the ball around.
Running back Kyren Williams could benefit from Kupp's absence.
Toward the end of training camp, The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue dropped a fantasy football nugget about the Rams offense that deserves some attention.
"To start, they'll probably feature both Akers and Williams, and the rep share will be situational depending on the defense they're facing. But where Williams could have a bigger impact is in the passing game, where he truly excelled throughout training camp. Quarterback Matthew Stafford especially seemed to get comfortable when targeting Williams as a receiver."
On top of Williams' potential increased target share in Kupp's absence, he'll line up against one of the worst run defenses from last season. In 2022, the Seahawks gave up the third-most rushing yards per game.
Seattle brought back Jarran Reed and signed Dre'Mont Jones to strengthen its defensive front, but Williams may only need a handful of carries and targets to make a notable contribution in the RB2 or flex spot in PPR leagues.
WR Van Jefferson at Seattle Seahawks (19% Rostered)
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Since Cooper Kupp would miss at least four games if the Rams place him on injured reserve, managers should try to make room on their rosters for Van Jefferson.
The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue suggested Jefferson would move into the lead wide receiver role in Kupp's absence.
During the Rams' run to their Super Bowl LVI victory in 2021, Jefferson became a big-play receiver, hauling in 50 passes for 802 yards and six touchdowns. Unfortunately, he went through a rough stretch after multiple knee surgeries in 2022.
Jefferson missed the first six games of last season, but he bounced back late in the year, recording six catches for 138 yards between Weeks 17 and 18.
Now healthy headed into the regular season, Jefferson could rack up yards in chunks as Matthew Stafford's primary receiver without Kupp to command a majority of the targets.
WR Tank Dell at Baltimore Ravens (5% Rostered)
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Houston Texans rookie wide receiver Tank Dell cracks the Week 1 sleepers list because he has a pathway to a sizable role on his rebuilding squad.
The Texans will start rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud, who vouched for Dell during the draft after they developed a rapport during the NFL Scouting Combine. Though he caught all of his passes from Davis Mills in his preseason debut, Dell made a strong impression, recording five receptions for 65 yards and a touchdown.
He isn't facing a particularly imposing wide receiver depth chart, either.
Robert Woods averaged a career-low 9.9 yards per catch with the Tennessee Titans last season, and he's headed into his age-31 campaign. Third-year pro Nico Collins hasn't logged more than 37 catches or 481 receiving yards in a single season. John Metchie III missed practice Wednesday because of a hamstring injury, and he sat out his entire 2022 rookie season while undergoing treatment for leukemia.
If Stroud and Dell truly have a connection that goes back to their spring workouts, they could form a solid duo for the Texans offense. Behind tight end Dalton Schultz, the rookie wideout could become Stroud's No. 2 pass-catching target.
This week, Dell will face the Baltimore Ravens, who ranked 26th in passing yards allowed last year. The Ravens head into Sunday's matchup without lead cornerback Marlon Humphrey, who lines up on the boundary and in the slot.
Dell can make an immediate impact in the Texans' aerial attack.
TE Gerald Everett vs. Miami Dolphins (43% Rostered)
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Fantasy managers have fallen asleep at the wheel when it comes to Gerald Everett's value. He could finish within the top 10 tight ends in scoring this year.
In 2022, his first season with the Los Angeles Chargers, Everett registered career highs in receptions (58) and receiving yards (555). Though rookie first-round wide receiver Quentin Johnston may steal a portion of Everett's target share, the Chargers hired offensive coordinator Kellen Moore this offseason, which means the aerial attack could feature a productive pass-catching tight end.
Just look at Dalton Schultz's receiving numbers while sharing targets with wideouts Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup and even running back Tony Pollard with Moore calling the plays for the Dallas Cowboys offense over the previous three seasons. Schultz recorded at least 57 catches and 577 receiving yards in each of those campaigns, scoring 17 total touchdowns in that stretch.
In the Chargers' pass-heavy offense, Everett could establish a consistent role and see more looks in the red zone. He could have a big game against the Miami Dolphins, who allowed the third-most fantasy points to tight ends last season.
TE Juwan Johnson vs. Tennessee Titans (39% Rostered)
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The New Orleans Saints will probably field a more productive passing attack with quarterback Derek Carr after Andy Dalton and Jameis Winston struggled last season. Because of Carr's arrival, Saints pass-catchers deserve a moderate boost in fantasy value, especially Juwan Johnson.
Days after the Saints signed Carr, they inked Johnson to a two-year extension, which suggests he'll likely handle a big role in the passing offense following a season with career highs in catches (42), receiving yards (508) and touchdowns (seven).
During an interview with his brother at training camp, Carr name-dropped Johnson first as someone to look out for in fantasy leagues (starts at 4:04).
With Carr's stamp of fantasy approval, Johnson shouldn't be available in more than half of fantasy leagues, particularly since the Tennessee Titans tied for fourth in fantasy points allowed to tight ends in 2022.
Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com for details.
Fantasy points scored against statistics are provided by FantasyPros.
Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.
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