Fantasy Football 2024: Most Exciting Sleepers to Target in Mock Drafts
Nothing excites a fantasy football manager more than a certified sleeper.
These are the overlooked players in the NFL world, the ones who post numbers that far exceed their expected output.
The 2024 campaign has no shortage of sleeper candidates, but we'll spotlight three of our favorites to target.
Brock Bowers, TE, Las Vegas Raiders
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Given the fantasy world's obsession with shiny new objects (in this case, NFL rookies), managers must typically pay a premium to grab players who were just selected in the upper half of the opening round.
Brock Bowers is apparently one of the exceptions—despite being one of the best tight end prospects to enter this league in years.
He is slippery enough to separate from defenders and explosive enough to turn any touch into a house call. He's also coming off a ridiculous three-year run at Georgia, during which he tallied 175 receptions for 2,538 yards and 26 touchdowns. In a nod to his supreme athletic ability, he even handled 19 carries for another 193 yards and five scores.
And yet, he's only coming off of the board on average as the 95th player selected, per FantasyPros. There is clearly some concern with the Raiders' quarterback play and the other pass-catchers in this offense (namely, Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers), but Bowers' draft cost could look like an absolute bargain by season's end if he taps into anything near his full potential.
Jayden Daniels, QB, Washington Commanders
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Jayden Daniels hasn't officially been named Washington's starting quarterback, but that feels like a formality. Does anyone really imagine the Commanders opting to trot out Marcus Mariota instead of their No. 2 pick?
Now, getting an opportunity and doing something with it are two different things. And Daniels is raw enough that fantasy manager seem less than fully convinced he'll immediately seize this opportunity. His average draft position is just 107th overall.
At this draft price, Daniels is essentially all reward and no risk.
That reward could be enormous, too. He has great options in the passing game, including Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, Austin Ekeler and Zach Ertz. Daniels can also pad his numbers with his explosive rushing ability, which just last season netted him 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns. His work in the ground game should elevate his floor, and his passing ability has the potential to blow the top off of his ceiling.
Gus Edwards, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
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Gus Edwards' name won't immediately elicit excitement among fantasy managers, which feels strange to say about someone who just authored a 13-touchdown campaign. It's just that Edwards has never been a primary back before.
Maybe that changes this season. He is, after all, splitting first-team reps with J.K. Dobbins so far. And even if Dobbins emerges triumphant in this camp battle, who's to say he stays healthy enough to hold the starting gig for long?
That's impossible to know at the moment. You know one thing we can all be certain of, though? A team led by Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman will want to run the football. The Chargers already signaled as much by splitting from both Keenan Allen and Mike Williams this offseason.
Edwards could be leaned on heavily, but fantasy managers aren't being forced to pay for that potential. Instead, he's only costing the 116th pick overall on average. Managers should pounce on that price before everyone else figures out that it's way too low.
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