Fantasy Football 2018: Cheatsheet for Sleepers and Busts Heading into Your Draft

Keep your eyes open for draft-day sleepers in NFL fantasy football, but beware of popular names disguised as busts. Oftentimes, offseason hype misleads inexperienced owners.

For those watching starters in short stints during the preseason and listening to coaches praise the majority of their players, it's difficult to assess who's primed for a strong 2018 campaign. The evaluation process should focus on reading in between the lines and coming to educated guesses. 

The cheatsheet below lists sleepers and busts for every position. The explanations for noteworthy selections examine the big picture, with analysis pertaining to potential game plans, injuries and trends as opposed to the overt optimism in press conferences. 

Which pickups could make you look like a genius? Where's the fantasy football Fool's Gold?

Sleepers 

Quarterbacks 

1. Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders 

2. Tyrod Taylor, Cleveland Browns

3. Eli Manning, New York Giants

Running Backs

1. Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers 

2. Kerryon Johnson, Detroit Lions 

3. Isaiah Crowell, New York Jets

Wide Receivers

1. Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams

2. Jordy Nelson, Oakland Raiders

3. Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks

Tight Ends

1. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers

2. David Njoku, Cleveland Browns 

3. Mike Gesicki, Miami Dolphins  

Defense

1. Houston Texans

2. New Orleans Saints

3. Cincinnati Bengals 

Kicker 

1. Matt Prater, Detroit Lions 

2. Robbie Gould, San Francisco 49ers

3. Josh Lambo, Jacksonville Jaguars

Sleeper: QB Tyrod Taylor, Cleveland Browns

Ron Schwane/Associated Press

Cleveland Browns quarterback Tyrod Taylor's ADP lists at 14.04. Fantasy owners should pick him up in the late rounds as an absolute draft-day steal. Josh Gordon doesn't have a timetable for a return to the team, but Jarvis Landry provides a reliable target for the 29-year-old signal-caller. He's caught at least 66 percent of his targets in all four career seasons. 

Second, David Njoku should cross your radar as an emerging tight end in the league. After a training camp report about his drop issues, the 22-year-old caught two touchdown passes in the Browns' preseason opener against the New York Giants. 

Finally, Taylor's legs add to his fantasy value. He's rushed for at least 400 yards and four touchdowns in each of the last three seasons. For those who want to look smart, take him in the middle rounds with confidence.

Sleeper: RB, Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers 

Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

When the Carolina Panthers signed running back C.J. Anderson, the transaction caused some doubt about Christian McCaffrey's status as an RB1-type. Two-man backfields help football teams win games, but it gives fantasy owners an uneasy feeling with less certainty on week-to-week touches.

Nonetheless, head coach Ron Rivera and offensive coordinator Norv Turner seem committed to giving McCaffrey the majority touches with 25-30 per contest.

The second-year running back caught 80 passes for 651 yards and five touchdowns last year but finished with 435 rushing yards, averaging 3.7 yards on the ground.

It's possible Anderson handles 12-15 carries per game in a close split in rush attempts, but the Panthers have an initial commitment to putting the ball in McCaffrey's hands at a high volume. Fantasy owners should view him as an RB1 until further notice. His ADP lists at 2.04, which is low considering his prospective workload. 

Busts 

Quarterbacks 

1. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

2. Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans 

3. Alex Smith, Washington Redskins

Running Backs 

1. Sony Michel, New England Patriots 

2. Carlos Hyde, Cleveland Browns 

3. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans

Wide Receivers

1. Allen Robinson, Chicago Bears

2. Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos

3. Sammy Watkins, Kansas City Chiefs 

Tight Ends 

1. Jordan Reed, Washington Redskins

2. Tyler Eifert, Cincinnati Bengals

3. Trey Burton, Chicago Bears

Defense 

1. New England Patriots

2. Carolina Panthers 

3. Pittsburgh Steelers 

Kicker

1. Harrison Butker, Kansas City Chiefs

2. Brandon McManus, Denver Broncos

3. Dan Bailey, Dallas Cowboys 

Bust: RB Sony Michel, New England Patriots

Steven Senne/Associated Press

New England Patriots running back Sony Michel may not have a sizeable role when his team takes the field against the Houston Texans Week 1. The rookie first-rounder underwent a procedure to drain fluid from his knee after practice in early August, per ESPN.com's Mike Reiss.

Although the injury isn't expected to sideline him for an extended period, missing any time during the offseason program stagnates a rookie's development. In Michel's case, he's going to battle Rex Burkhead and James White for touches. Both veterans have familiarity with the Patriots system. They'll likely start the year sharing a large portion of the rushing workload.

Michel can't push for touches as a spectator during the practices and for at least another preseason game. For now, managers should avoid him at all costs.

Bust: WR Allen Robinson, Chicago Bears

Nam Huh/Associated Press

There's so much buzz around the Chicago Bears, specifically the offense with head coach Matt Nagy taking over the reins. Wideout Allen Robinson inked a three-year, $42 million deal as the team's most costly free-agent signing, but he's not going to pay dividends right away. 

Chicago Tribune reporter Rich Campbell described Mitchell Trubisky's early training camp performances as "inconsistent" with further context: "His challenge over the next seven weeks is to increase the frequency of the good balls and minimize the bad ones. Right now [the] level of consistency is not close to where he or Nagy want it."

Before putting fantasy stock into a big-name wide receiver, the quarterback has to settle into a groove to ensure pass-catchers have opportunities to produce in the aerial attack. When coupling Trubisky's uneven practices with Robinson coming off an ACL tear in a new offensive system, it's a recipe for a major fantasy bust.

Average Draft Position (ADP) courtesy of Fantasy Football Calculator.