What Is a “Sleeper” In Fantasy Football?

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Are you new to the world of fantasy football? If so, you may have heard the term “sleeper” being thrown around in conversations. But what exactly is a sleeper?

In this post, I’ll explain what a sleeper is and how it can be used to your advantage in fantasy football. 

What Is a Sleeper? 

A sleeper is an NFL player who is not well known but has the potential to produce unexpected results for you in your fantasy football league. A sleeper can be any player that isn’t expected to do much in real life, but in fantasy football, they are seen as hidden gems.

For example, a wide receiver that was drafted late or undrafted could be seen as a sleeper because they can outperform their draft position and become one of your best players.  

Why Are Sleepers Important? 

Sleepers are important because they can make or break your fantasy football team. While everyone else is focused on drafting the top-tier players, you can use sleepers to fill out your roster with players that could enter into starting spots if they perform better than expected. This way, you don’t have to rely solely on high-profile names to carry your team, and you can build depth at every position.   

How Can I Find Sleepers? 

Finding sleepers takes research and effort, but it doesn’t have to be too complicated. An excellent place to start is by looking at preseason rankings from experts like ESPN or Yahoo Sports and seeing which players are being overlooked due to various factors like injury history or lack of playing time.

Once you’ve identified some potential sleepers, monitoring their progress throughout the preseason and their role within their respective teams’ offenses or defenses is important. This will give you an idea of how likely they will outperform expectations once the regular season begins.  

When Should You Draft Sleepers?

The best time to draft a sleeper in fantasy football is typically late in the draft. This is because this point has already drafted most top-tier players, so you can usually find good value with a sleeper pick.

However, it’s important to do your research beforehand and make sure the sleeper you’re targeting is actually worth drafting. You don’t want to waste a late-round pick on a player who isn’t going to produce much for your team.

Conclusion

Finding sleepers for your fantasy football team boils down to researching before the draft and paying attention during the season. It can take some work, but if done correctly, it can give you an edge over other owners in your league by giving you access to talent that most people will only know about once it’s too late.