2019 Fantasy Football: Biggest Sleepers at Every Position

The art of unearthing a fantasy football sleeper is more difficult than ever. 

Technically, it should be easy given the wealth of information assaulting fantasy football owners from all angles these days. Historical data, charts, comparisons and countless other items in the internet age have leveled the playing field. 

But sifting through the noise, digesting it and putting it into action during a live draft is a different sort of monster. 

The best sleepers at every notable standard fantasy position still have a basic core: great value in average draft position (ADP) against other players and, perhaps historically, the upside for quite a bit more and a relatively low profile.

Heading into the final onslaught of fantasy drafts, these are the biggest sleepers at each position.  

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Quarterback

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens (9.11 ADP)

On some sort of surface level, fantasy owners counting on Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson makes sense. He's not a surprise anymore, defenses have film to study, etc. Even so, Jackson was one of the only passers to put up 15-plus points in each of his final seven games to close last year. He retains a huge ceiling in terms of rushing, and his passing attack is more intriguing than last year thanks to adds like rookie Marquise Brown, so there is positional top-10 upside here.

Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (13.05)

Woe is the fantasy owner who forgets about the running element to the quarterback position. Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills finished just outside of the top 20 at his position last year, scoring 18-plus points in five of his final six games. Allen seems to have a floor of 500 rushing yards and an unknown ceiling as a passer. For perspective, 13.05 ADP is Dak Prescott territory from a year ago, who went on to finish with a top-10 scoring mark.

Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders (14.06)

This isn't just about Antonio Brown, though he sure doesn't hurt. Derek Carr finished among the top 20 scoring quarterbacks last year while throwing for 4,000-plus yards but only 19 scores. Brown himself scored 15 times last year and underrated add Tyrell Williams scored five times. Don't forget rookie back Josh Jacobs, who rounds out an upgraded, target-happy attack.

Running Back

Susan Walsh/Associated Press

Darwin Thompson, Kansas City Chiefs (8.10)

Darwin Thompson could end up being the lead back for the Kansas City Chiefs. Thompson averaged nearly seven yards per carry last year at Utah State before being a sixth-round pick. He's been so good that the team cut Carlos Hyde and gave Thompson first-team work on the goal line. Keep in mind he's in Kansas City, where last year Kareem Hunt tallied a top-eight positional mark on 200-plus points thanks to 181 carries and 14 total touchdowns.

Adrian Peterson, Washington Redskins (9.08)

Derrius Guice may get the bulk of the attention for the Washington Redskins, but that doesn't mean he's getting the bulk of the work. A year ago, Peterson showed up as a late arrival in Washington and finished 16th in scoring at his position on 1,042 yards and seven scores. Guice hype has him getting drafted in the 9.08 range, which for reference, is where a guy like LeGarrette Blount or Latavius Murray was getting drafted last year. Peterson is much more of a known commodity and bell cow for a team slowly bringing along its passers.

Tony Pollard, Dallas Cowboys (9.12)

Feel free to load up on the rookies at running back, as is always the case. Tony Pollard is the guy for the Dallas Cowboys while Ezekiel Elliott holds out, and he's getting first-team reps and looking good in the preseason on limited work. The same ADP lessons from a year ago apply here—Pollard is more of a workhorse, not to mention he's running behind an elite line and within a good offense. Elliott could always come back, but even then, Pollard is a must-have buy because backs who skipped the offseason aren't guaranteed to last once they jump right into live, meaningful action.

Wide Receiver

John Raoux/Associated Press

Dede Westbrook, Jacksonville Jaguars (7.09)

Dede Westbrook was an afterthought last year for the Jacksonville Jaguars and in terms of fantasy football. That dramatically changes with the arrival of Nick Foles under center, though more important is the arrival of offensive coordinator John DeFilippo. DeFilippo loves Westbrook as a route-runner, which means a lot coming from a guy who squeaked out top-12 performances from both Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs in Minnesota last year. Westbrook's 31st finish last year is nothing at this point, and even better, he's hitting his all-important third season.

Donte Moncrief, Pittsburgh Steelers (11.03)

While some fantasy owners might buy into the hype of James Washington in the wake of the Pittsburgh Steelers losing Antonio Brown, observant veterans likely have an eye on Donte Moncrief. He's in an offense seeking to replace more than 200 targets, and he hasn't played with a quarterback like Ben Roethlisberger in a long time. By all accounts, he's the starter alongside JuJu Smith-Schuster, not Washington. This ADP last year went to disappointments like Allen Hurns and others who simply weren't in comparable situations. 

Tyrell Williams, Oakland Raiders (11.08)

Tyrell Williams has always been a sort of fringe player within the Los Angeles Chargers offense yet still has two seasons with five or more scores. He's stepping into a bigger role in Oakland, with defenses worrying about Brown and Josh Jacobs out of the backfield. Williams still averages north of 16 yards per catch, so he's bound to make the most of his chances in a better-looking situation and exceed his ADP range.

Tight End

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens (12.05)

Mark Andrews put up a top-16 season for the Baltimore Ravens last year, but by most accounts, it was a disappointment since he didn't score. Still, more than 500 yards while Lamar Jackson focused on torching defenses as a runner wasn't a bad development. He's hitting his second year running, receiving praise as a bigger piece of the offense and someone Jackson will look to often. This ADP range last year produced George Kittle (second in scoring) and Jack Doyle (36th), but it's hard not to like the upside.

Jordan Reed, Washington Redskins (13.08)

Yes, fantasy owners are probably tired of being burnt by Jordan Reed. And yes, Reed is already hurt, though he's expected back by Week 1. But Reed had a target share of 23 percent last year, according to ESPN, which aligns with his past great seasons. Like last year with Alex Smith, Reed will be a big part of the equation as the team tries to make it work with veteran Case Keenum or rookie Dwayne Haskins. That guy who has scored 11 times in a season still has it if he can stay on the field. 

Tyler Eifert, Cincinnati Bengals (n/a)

Yes, another oft-injured player with massive upside. Tyler Eifert drummed up seven or more points in two of his four showings last year before suffering a season-ending setback, and there's reason to believe that with a new Cincinnati Bengals coaching staff with an offensive slant, he could get back to being the guy who scored 13 times in 2015. It's an unlisted ADP gamble that could produce top-five production, and there hasn't been any news about setbacks for Eifert all summer.

Kicker

Tony Avelar/Associated Press

Robbie Gould, San Francisco 49ers (15.04)

The ever-reliable Robbie Gould continues to chug right along in an underappreciated manner. He had a similar ADP a year ago and rewarded owners with a top-10 showing, including hitting double digits six times. The return of Jimmy Garoppolo could mean more touchdowns instead of field-goal attempts for Gould, but until that actually comes to fruition, he's a superb option.

Aldrick Rosas, New York Giants (n/a)

Aldrick Rosas finished sixth in scoring among kickers last year, missing just one of his 33 attempts, which was from 50-plus range. This one might simply be a case of no name recognition for Rosas yet, but there isn't any reason to think he shouldn't flirt with another top-10 finish.

Randy Bullock, Cincinnati Bengals (n/a)

Randy Bullock was as boring as it gets last year for the Cincinnati Bengals, finishing 20th in scoring on just 23 attempts, of which he missed four. But a potentially bad team with stars already injured (A.J. Green) could end up moving the ball but not scoring often. The defense should keep the field-position battle at least respectable. That could mean a dramatic uptick in attempts for Bullock, who had three of his misses come from 50-plus territory.

DEF/ST

Gerald Herbert/Associated Press

New Orleans (15.02)

This ADP would have hardly placed the New Orleans Saints among the top 18 units drafted a year ago. Perplexing, considering the Saints finished 14th in scoring with 49 sacks and 12 interceptions, for starters. With most of the core still intact, a potential second-year leap from Marcus Davenport and plenty of chances to create turnovers because Drew Brees' offense encourages shootouts, the Saints once again sport massive upside.

Kansas City (n/a)

The Kansas City Chiefs are admittedly a big roll of the dice after last year's debacle and a scheme change, but it's hard to ignore some of the details. Despite an overall messy showing, 52 sacks and 15 interceptions were notable. The new 4-3 features Frank Clark as a primary pass-rusher and Tyrann Mathieu as the enforcer and turnover hunter. A unit with Tyreek Hill on returns is always worth a roster spot, if nothing else.

Washington (n/a)

The Washington Redskins will continue to have one of the best fronts in football thanks to the tandem of Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen. An already great pass rush (46 sacks last year) led by Ryan Kerrigan gets a first-round addition in the form of Montez Sweat, and the safety spot is massively upgraded with free agent Landon Collins.

ADP info courtesy of Fantasy Football Calculator 12-team standard non-PPR leagues. All scoring info via ESPN.