Fantasy Football Week 1: Matt Camp's Top Sleepers at Every Position

A Week 1 article about sleepers probably won't apply to a lot of fantasy owners. 

You should be sticking with your highest-drafted players for at least the first week of games and then reassessing your personal depth chart following Week 3—at the earliest. 

Of course, it helps to have your top players available. This week has already put some of those players into question. 

The Antonio Brown saga took another turn, and now his status for Week 1 and beyond with the Oakland Raiders is in doubt. On the first practice report of the week, Brown was listed as "did not participate" with his injury called "not injury-related—conduct," per Jimmy Durkin of The Athletic. 

On Thursday morning, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Brown and GM Mike Mayock "got into it Wednesday" and the team planned to suspend Brown. With Brown's helmet and feet issues behind him, it looked like he might be ready to contribute for those who drafted him despite a tumultuous preseason. On Thursday night, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the team doesn't plan to have Brown for Week 1.

It seemed like Odell Beckham, Jr.'s hip issue was minor and while he was listed a participating in full on Thursday, he was an addition to the injury report. According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, Beckham said he hadn't gone full speed in practice and explained, “Especially with what I've had going on, I've been kind of afraid to just open up. It’s something that hinders me from fully sprinting as fast as I can.” 

This could be the shortest list of sleepers you'll see in this article all season. Treat these players as potential lineup boosters if you're already in a tough spot or cheap DFS options.

Still can't figure out your fantasy football lineup for the week? Check out Your Fantasy Fire Drill with Matt Camp, and he'll solve your problems live. Submit your questions and tune in every Sunday at 11:30 a.m. ET, only on the B/R app.

Matthew Stafford, QB, Detroit Lions

Rick Osentoski/Associated Press

Don't run away!

I know Stafford let all of us down last season, but it's a new year and a healthier Stafford. Stafford battled through a back issue last season and certainly wasn't helped by the loss of Kerryon Johnson and trade of Golden Tate. 

Johnson is primed for a big season and Danny Amendola was brought in to add some experience to a wide receiver group that already includes Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones Jr. Plus, the Detroit Lions landed a significant tight end upgrade in T.J. Hockenson.

Stafford isn't a name getting a lot of love in the fantasy world, and that's fine since the position is so deep and the offense could be run through Johnson. However, Stafford has to be on the radar for Week 1 with a favorable matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. 

The Cardinals will be without top corners Patrick Peterson (suspension) and Robert Alford (broken leg). They aren't a deep secondary after that, so if Stafford returns to his pre-injury form, he has top-12 potential for the opening weekend.

Justin Jackson, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

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Jackson is probably the most obvious sleeper on the list, but with so much attention (fairly) given to Austin Ekeler, maybe you need a push to get Jackson into your lineup. 

Obviously, Melvin Gordon's absence is a boost to the fantasy values of Jackson and Ekeler, so it's a matter of how much volume Jackson will get on a weekly basis. This week could be a busy one for Jackson when the Los Angeles Chargers take on the Indianapolis Colts. 

Even though you can do worse than going from Andrew Luck to Jacoby Brissett, it's still a significant downgrade for the Colts. Brissett will face a defense that ranked top 10 in both yards allowed and points allowed in 2018. Even though the Chargers lack a true home-field advantage, it's still a road game for the Colts, and that adds another challenge. 

Believing in Jackson this week is based on the idea that game flow will be in his favor. If the Chargers can control the game and keep a lead into the second half and fourth quarter, Jackson could be the one who sees an uptick in carries, especially if the league is significant.

This timeshare won't always be easy to manage, so while the fantasy value of Ekeler and Jackson could fluctuate on a weekly basis, Jackson is set up as a solid flex play on Sunday.

Chris Thompson, RB, Washington Redskins

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If you're seeing Thompson's name and wondering why a post-hype bust is being called a sleeper, think about who the Washington Redskins are putting on the field this weekend. 

Instead of Dwayne Haskins, Washington will start journeyman Case Keenum at quarterback. Could that have something to do with the continued absence of left tackle Trent Williams? That's a strong possibility, but it may also be linked to the lack of established weapons available in the passing game.

Jordan Reed, who's easily the best option in the receiving corps, may not be able to play as he works his way back from yet another concussion. The listed starters for the Redskins WRs are Terry McLaurin, Trey Quinn and Paul Richardson Jr. McLaurin and Quinn are rookies and Richardson has 115 receptions in five seasons.

Keenum could lean on Thompson's ability to contribute as a receiver out of necessity. Head coach Jay Gruden said the team will start Darius Guice, but he doesn't know if two or three more backs will be active, according to Mike Jones of USA Today. Gruden wouldn't commit to Adrian Peterson as one of the active backs.

In addition to the lack of established depth in the receiving corps, Thompson's role could be large if game script goes against the Redskins. The Eagles offense looks like a dangerous one, and if the Redskins play from behind, Thompson could rack up receptions.

Thompson is a decent reach in PPR leagues.

Dion Lewis, RB, Tennessee Titans

Mark Zaleski/Associated Press

Much like Chris Thompson, Lewis could benefit from his offense trailing in the second half.

By the end of last season, the Tennessee Titans offense ran through Derrick Henry and basically only Henry. Expectations are high for the 25-year-old with more of the same expected, although those plans could fall apart as early as this weekend.

The Titans travel to Cleveland to take on the Browns in a matchup that looks lopsided on paper. By adding Odell Beckham Jr. to go along with Jarvis Landry, David Njoku and Nick Chubb, Baker Mayfield has a wealth of options around him. Even if you have some faith in the Titans defense, it will be hard for their offense to keep up if Henry is the focal point.

For as much love as Henry rightfully received at the end of last season, his ceiling is limited by an almost non-existent role in the passing game. He has just 39 receptions on 50 targets in three seasons. Lewis racked up 59 catches last season and had at least 32 in two other campaigns.

If you're not a believer in the Titans, Lewis is probably a hard sell, which is understandable. If you expect the Browns offense to cook in Week 1, he can be used as a flex, specifically in PPR leagues.

John Brown, WR, Buffalo Bills

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It's easy to forget because of how much the Baltimore Ravens offense evolved under Lamar Jackson, but Brown was actually WR16 through the first seven weeks of 2018. Unfortunately, he was WR98 from Weeks 8-17, so he fell off the fantasy radar in a big way.

Brown escaped Baltimore to sign with the Buffalo Bills, which makes him one of the top options for Josh Allen. Even though he completed just 52.8 percent of his passes, Allen was tied for sixth with 12.3 yards per completion. Brown will now provide him with a significant upgrade to the Bills receiving corps. 

That could be relevant in the team's opener against the New York Jets. 

Brown's speed could be a problem for New York's secondary. Only the New Orleans Saints gave up more fantasy points to wide receivers last season. It wouldn't take more than a big play or two for him to pay off as the last player in your lineup. 

Regardless of the format, you should seriously think about making Brown one of your starters for Week 1.

Darren Waller, TE, Oakland Raiders

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Now that we know Antonio Brown isn't expected to be with the Oakland Raiders for Week 1, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Waller may already be one of the hottest waiver-wire pickups. But if you still have the ability to grab him before Sunday, he could pay immediate dividends.

Outside of any Hard Knocks hype, Waller seemed to have an early lead for the starting tight end spot and never lost it after the Raiders signed him off the Baltimore Ravens practice squad last November. But Brown, Ryan Grant, Tyrell Williams and Hunter Renfrow were all offseason additions, which means no one had a head start developing chemistry with Derek Carr.

Brown's absence likely gives Williams the biggest boost. But at a position with a lack of reliable fantasy options, Waller has to get immediate lineup consideration for Week 1 when he faces the Denver Broncos. The Broncos have one of the better defensive units in the league but ranked in the bottom 10 against fantasy tight ends in 2018.

If you get one decent week out of Waller, picking him up will be worth it. He could pay much bigger dividends if Brown's absence lingers or is permanent.

All stats, unless otherwise noted, courtesy of NFL.com and Pro Football Reference.