Fantasy Football Week 6 Cheat Sheet: Identifying Sleepers for Deep Leagues

If you play in a deep fantasy football league, then you know it can be slim pickings on the waiver wire.

You also know that whenever an intriguing option does emerge, they won't last on the waiver wire for long.

So, since time is of the essence, let's spotlight a deep sleeper—rostered in fewer than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues, per FantasyPros—at each of the three marquee positions for Week 6 of the 2023 NFL season.

Quarterback: Sam Howell, Washington Commanders (33 Percent Rostered)

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Sam Howell

Fantasy managers seemingly remain skeptical of Howell, as his rostership isn't exactly where you'd expect it to be for someone who has scored the 14th-most fantasy points at their position, per NFL.com.

His lack of track record might me to blame, as the 2022 fifth-round pick came into this campaign having thrown just 19 passes. Or maybe folks can't get over how absolutely brutal he looked in Week 3 against Buffalo, when he finished with a season-low 170 passing yards and a season-high four interceptions.

If you can overlook that disastrous outing, though, Howell has otherwise been on a tear. In the other three of his last four games, he threw for at least 290 yards with five total touchdowns against a single interception. It's also worth mentioning he has rushed 10 times for 59 yards over his past two contests.

So, beyond the Buffalo game, it sure appears as if he is simultaneously raising his fantasy ceiling and floor. Invest now while you still have the chance.

Running Back: Emari Demercado, Arizona Cardinals (7 Percent Rostered)

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Emari Demercado

With a knee injury sending James Conner to injured reserve, Arizona will now have to play at least its next four games without its leading rusher. Someone will have to pick up the slack, and Demercado looks like the top candidate.

The undrafted rookie out of TCU had already carved out a third-down role in this offense, but Conner's injury potentially cleared a path to much more playing time. Demercado made the most of his first opportunity, turning 10 carries and a catch into 57 scrimmage yards and a score in Week 5, when Conner exited early with the injury.

"He's very unflappable," Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing told reporters. "Whatever was asked of him, the stage was never too big. … You'd never know it was his first year out there."

It isn't entirely clear what role Demercado will handle just yet—he's listed as the No. 2 back behind Keaontay Ingram for now—but the potential reward is too great to overlook.

Wide Receiver: K.J. Osborn, Minnesota Vikings (14 Percent Rostered)

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K.J. Osborn

The Vikings suddenly have a ton of targets to spread around with star receiver Justin Jefferson on injured reserve.

While some will be split between tight end T.J. Hockenson and rookie first-rounder Jordan Addison, Osborn should factor into the mix as well.

His stats haven't exactly erupted so far, but there have been a lot of mouths to feed in this passing offense. And even in a relatively minor, he's still coming off a game in which he tallied nine targets and five receptions. He also has a pair of touchdown grabs already.

As long as Jefferson is on the sideline—where he'll spend at least the next four weeks—Osborn has WR3 potential and should be rostered in all deep leagues.