Which Are the 2015 NFL Season's Most Legitimate Sleeper Teams?

We all know what a sleeper team is—or at least, we think we do.

It's a team most people are "sleeping" on—not paying enough attention to.

The best way to take our collective temperature on 2015 sleepers is with gambling odds. Vegas sets futures lines based mostly on what they interpret that we think about each team. Going through lines provided by Oddsshark, we quickly see which teams are getting a lot of buzz, and which we are collectively sawing logs over.

Bleacher Report has picked the teams most rightfully worthy of the sleeper term: Teams being rated like also-rans, that could end up playing deep into January—or later.

Honorable Mentions

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Miami Dolphins: Built a lot of buzz with a big free-agent push, but they play in a meat-grinder division and aren't quite as good as the Chiefs. More likely to underwhelm than surprise.

New York Giants: Odell Beckham Jr. took over the world last season, but it's hard to see how standing pat in free agency and drafting for need puts them ahead of the all-in Dallas Cowboys.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Last year, I thought the only thing that could make the Dolphins a contender was an unlikely breakout year from Ryan Tannehill. It just so happened Tannehill delivered. This year, the only thing that could make the Jaguars good is an even-unlikelier breakout year from Blake Bortles. 

Detroit Lions: Despite being written off by the national football hive mind (and Vegas) once they lost Ndamukong Suh, the Lions are still hugely talented—but a team coming off a double digit-win season and playoff berth can't really be called a "sleeper."

Atlanta Falcons

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Super Bowl odds: +4,000 (four-way tie for 18th)

Win total O/U: 8.5 (10-way tie for 10th)

The Falcons finished third in a three-horse race for the NFC South division crown last year. Admittedly, it was a slow race: The Carolina Panthers won the division with an unimpressive 7-8-1 record, and the Falcons trailed them by a game-and-a-half.

Yet, had the Falcons beaten the Panthers head-to-head in Week 17, they'd have hosted a postseason game—and, like the Panthers, could have advanced past the quarterback-less Arizona Cardinals and into the divisional round of the playoffs.

The Falcons aggressively targeted their main weaknesses with major acquisitions: New head coach Dan Quinn to instill aggressiveness and physicality on defense, first-round pick Vic Beasley for an off-the-edge pass-rusher and third-round tailback Tevin Coleman to add ground-based firepower to the offense.

All told, the Falcons did more to get better than either the Panthers or New Orleans Saints. If star receivers Julio Jones and Roddy White are at their best, the Falcons could run away with the NFC South and surprise a team or two in January.

Houston Texans

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Super Bowl futures: +5,000 (five-way tie for 22nd)

Win total O/U: 8.5 (10-way tie for 10th)

Last season, the Texans were a bundle of contradictions: A hot sleeper, a trendy dark horse. You know, one of those teams everybody thought was underrated.

A perennial contender imploded in one horrific season, positioning the Texans to pair the greatest defensive player of his generation with the greatest defensive prospect in memory. The potential for an immediate bounce back to 2012 form was undeniable.

When J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney did get on the field together, it was magic—for one game. A meniscus tear caused Clowney to miss the next six weeks, then be limited in two others and miss two more before finally undergoing season-ending microfracture surgery.

Without him, the Texans still went 9-7. They took the Dallas Cowboys to overtime and beat the Baltimore Ravens in a Week 16 game critical for both teams. The Texans missed out on the playoffs only at the very end of the season, when the Cleveland Browns failed to play spoiler on their behalf.

Now, the team is in its second year under head coach Bill O'Brien. They've tried to address the quarterback problem with O'Brien guys Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett. They've added veteran size and youthful speed to the defensive line, and—oh yeah—they're getting Clowney back.

The Texans don't have as much firepower as the rival Indianapolis Colts, but they have offensive weapons in receiver DeAndre Hopkins and running back Arian Foster, and a potentially incredible defense. That's a formula that wins in the postseason.

Minnesota Vikings

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Super Bowl futures: +4,000 (four-way tie for 18th)

Win total O/U: 7.5 (two-way tie for 23rd)

The Vikings' potential to contend for the NFC crown isn't all about Adrian Peterson.

Head coach Mike Zimmer worked wonders in his first season in Minnesota, taking 2013's worst scoring defense and holding opponents to an average of 8.6 fewer points per game in 2014. Defensive end Everson Griffen had a monster year, and so did rookie outside linebacker Anthony Barr.

2013 first-round cornerback Xavier Rhodes matured over the course of 2014. He started all 16 games, finished with 18 passes defensed—tied for fourth-best in the NFL, per Pro Football Reference—and snagged his first interception. He's joined at cornerback by the ageless Terence Newman and No. 11 overall pick Trae Waynes.

With talented young linemen Sharrif Floyd and Linval Joseph boasting plenty of upside left unreached, the defense could take another huge step forward in 2015—and they were ranked 11th in scoring defense in 2014.

On the other side of the ball, blossoming second-year quarterback Teddy Bridgewater gets deep threat Mike Wallace to pair with crisp-running wideout Charles Johnson and explosive catch-and-run threat Cordarrelle Patterson. The wideout trio isn't great; in fact, they're the worst in their division. But together with Bridgewater and an athletic, young offensive line, they should be able to move the ball and score points just fine.

Oh, AND they're getting Peterson back.

New York Jets

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Super Bowl odds:  +5,000 (five-way tie for 22nd)

Win total O/U: 7.5 (two-way tie for 23rd)

The Jets added Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie, Buster Skrine and No. 6 overall pick Leonard Williams to their always-physical defense. They added Brandon Marshall, Stevan Ridley, Zac Stacy and second-round pick Devin Smith to an offense desperate for skill-position talent. They added the ninth-highest-rated passer of 2014 to a quarterback-starved offense, and he's probably going to back up an improved Geno Smith.

On top of all this, the Jets finally parted ways with head coach Rex Ryan, who'd run out of either steam or ideas. Todd Bowles, an outstanding coordinator long thought ideal for promotion, will get a chance to run a talented team his way.

Yes, the uncertainty surrounding Sheldon Richardson's arrest may put pressure on Williams to succeed right away. Of course, the lung and rib injuries Smith suffered at the opening of camp will slow down his ability to contribute early in the season.

Still, no team in the NFL was more aggressive about getting better quickly—and the defection of Revis from New England just might un-tilt the balance of power in the AFC East. It'll be a bare-knuckle brawl to the finish line, but that's exactly the kind of fight this Jets team is equipped to win.

Kansas City Chiefs

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Super Bowl odds: +3,300 (five-way tie for 13th)

Win total O/U: 8.5 (10-way tie for 10th)

The Chiefs have one of the NFL's most talented rosters.

With incredible pass-rusher Justin Houston returning to the fold, a defense that's finished in the top five in points allowed for two straight seasons remains intact. Super tailback Jamaal Charles has shown no signs of slowing down. Alex Smith will never be a dominant big-play quarterback, but he's a lot more effective than many think.

With Jeremy Maclin imported from Philadelphia and talented third-round pick Chris Conley joining him, the Chiefs have finally added real outside threats to their downfield passing attack. Together with tight end Travis Kelce, Smith won't be able to blame his supporting cast if he doesn't top his career highs in both yards (3,313) and touchdowns (23).

Vegas (and the football-watching public) seem to regard the Chiefs as a fringe wild-card team. In terms of roster strength, though, they give up nothing to the Denver Broncos. The Chiefs should make the AFC West race a photo finish—and be considered a strong contender for the AFC crown.