Fantasy Football Week 1 Cheat Sheet: Deep Sleepers Who Could Emerge

Some players go undrafted in fantasy leagues and then become top waiver-wire pickups after Week 1. Managers who dig deep into the free-agent pool may find these gems before they put together breakout performances.

Many deep sleepers list as secondary playmakers on depth charts. Some of them will take a backseat to star players for most of the season.

However, managers should pay attention to matchups and starters who may have limited workloads because of injuries. With those factors at play, you'll see unheralded names finish top 10 in fantasy scoring at their respective positions.

For those willing to make early roster changes, we've highlighted three players available in at least 75 percent of Yahoo leagues who are capable of producing high-end fantasy numbers in Week 1.

Emmanuel Sanders, WR, Buffalo Bills (23 Percent Rostered)

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While wideout Stefon Diggs will likely draw Pittsburgh Steelers lead cornerback Joe Haden, Emmanuel Sanders could put together a solid outing against Cameron Sutton, who may mirror him since he's a versatile defender capable of lining up on the boundary and in the slot.

Managers may feel uneasy about Sanders in his first game on a new team, but the veteran wideout seemed to pick up Brian Daboll's offense during the preseason. He talked about his adjustment period with Matt Parrino of Syracuse.com.

"It was uptempo, no huddle, slinging the ball around," Sanders said. "It was fun. ...When the bullets were flying, I was kind of like, 'What's going on here?' because we huddle up in practice and we go. But now, I see how it's going to be. It's going to be an exciting year for sure."

With a solid grasp of the offense and a big-armed quarterback in Josh Allen, Sanders may put up big numbers in his Bills debut. Over the past few years, he's been consistent, recording at least 61 catches and 726 yards in each of the last three campaigns. He could jump off to a good start in a decent matchup against a starter who's far less experienced than him.

Sammy Watkins, WR, Baltimore Ravens (9 Percent Rostered)

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The Baltimore Ravens will go into their season-opening Monday Night Football matchup short-handed at wide receiver.

The Ravens placed rookie first-rounder Rashod Bateman (core-muscle surgery) and Miles Boykin (hamstring) on injured reserve. Also battling a hamstring issue, Marquise Brown just returned to practice as a full participant last week. Watkins missed some practice time with an undisclosed injury, but he rejoined the team after a brief absence. 

With two wideouts on the sideline and another getting back to full speed, Sammy Watkins could play a big role against the Las Vegas Raiders.

According to ESPN's Jamison Hensley, Watkins stood out as "the best" wide receiver early in training camp. 

Watkins played in offensive coordinator Greg Roman's system during his time with the Buffalo Bills between 2015 and 2016. He presents a threat to the Raiders defense, which is under new direction with Gus Bradley. 

Under Roman, the Ravens have relied heavily on the ground attack, but Watkins, who can line up out wide or in the slot, can exploit favorable matchups in the passing game.

Keep in mind, the Raiders have a rookie safety in Tre'von Moehrig. Secondly, cornerback Trayvon Mullen had an inconsistent 2020 performance, allowing a 62.1 percent completion rate and five touchdowns in coverage. Vegas will likely start rookie fifth-rounder Nate Hobbs in the slot.

Devontae Booker, RB, New York Giants (8 Percent Rostered)

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The New York Giants have slowly ramped up running back Saquon Barkley's offseason routine as he attempts to make a comeback from a torn ACL.

Over the last two weeks, Barkley took live reps and participated in a full-contact practice for the first time, per ESPN's Jordan Raanan. 

Based on the Giants' precautionary measures, Barkley will likely take the field in a reduced role for the season opener against the Denver Broncos, which would make Devontae Booker a shrewd pickup. 

Though Broncos head coach Vic Fangio has built a solid reputation as a defensive wizard, his run defenses have ranked 16th and 25th over the last two seasons. Big Blue may find some success on the ground with a combination of Barkley and Booker. The latter could get touches in the red zone while the former works his way back to 100 percent.

Last season, Booker served as a solid backup in the Las Vegas Raiders backfield, rushing for 423 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 4.5 yards per carry. He's a good ball-carrier with strong sleeper potential in Week 1.