Although we rely on big-name players to guide our fantasy football teams to victory, knowing how to locate the sleepers in a given week could be what pushes your team over the edge. With Week 15 of the NFL and fantasy football playoffs on the horizon, here are some sleepers to keep in mind when setting your lineups.
Top Fantasy Football Sleepers in Week 15
Brock Purdy, QB, San Francisco, 49ers
Brock Purdy is now 2-0 in the NFL and won his first game as a starter after beating Tom Brady and the Buccaneers on Sunday while completing 16 of 21 passes for 185 yards and three touchdowns.
With Monday Night Football still to play, Purdy sits as the QB8 in fantasy. Even without Deebo Samuel, the 49ers should have a favorable matchup against the Seattle Seahawks in what should be a higher score in contests, given the play of Geno Smith. Keep an on his oblique injury, but Purdy is a sleeper if you need a QB for Superflex leagues.
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Russell Wilson, QB, Denver Broncos
Although he is undoubtedly not a sleeper by name, Russell Wilson’s play on the field put many people to sleep. Before Week 14, the last time Wilson finished higher than QB20 was back in Week 6. But on Sunday, Wilson had his best game yet as a Bronco, completing 23 of 36 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns with an interception and tacking on an additional 57 rushing yards against the Chiefs.
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It was the first time he recorded multiple passing touchdowns while also setting a season-high in rushing yards. Like Purdy, monitor Wilson’s status for Week 15, as he left the game with a concussion. Still, assuming he suits up, I’d favor Wilson to have another decent outing against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 15.
Jerick McKinnon, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
Week 14 was Jerick McKinnon’s best day of the year. Although he only had 22 yards on six carries, McKinnon caught seven of his nine targets for a team-high 112 yards and two touchdowns against the Broncos, finishing as the RB1 on the week with 32.4 PPR points.
McKinnon has been the Chiefs’ third-down back all season and saw a ton of action when the Broncos were mounting their comeback, which makes sense as McKinnon typically plays more in closer games.
With that said, McKinnon led Isiah Pacheco 25-24 on early downs and total plays at 39 to 29. Pacheco is still the RB1 on this roster, but in what should be a blowout against the Texans, McKinnon will have some sleeper appeal in deeper formats in Week 15.
Chuba Hubbard, RB, Carolina Panthers
Although D’Onta Foreman saw 50% more carries than Chuba Hubbard (21 to 14), Hubbard was far more efficient (5.3 ypc) and matched him with 71 rushing yards and additionally found the end zone. Hubbard also caught all three of his targets for 25 yards to lead all offensive players on the Panthers with 18.9 PPR points in their 30-24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.
While we shouldn’t expect Hubbard to suddenly start out-carrying Foreman, he’s going to have Flex appeal heading into the fantasy football playoffs. And it could start this week in a matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, followed by a game against the Detroit Lions in Week 16.
DJ Chark, WR, Detroit Lions
With six receptions on seven targets for 94 yards, DJ Chark has now recorded 90+ receiving yards in back-to-back games. Not only that, Chark’s touchdown on Sunday gave him two in his last three games, and his 21 PPR points have him sitting as the WR8 on the week in PPR scoring.
Chark looks fully recovered from an ankle injury that sidelined him for several weeks in the middle of the season. Jameson Williams has started to see some more snaps, yet that came at Josh Reynolds’ expense instead of Chark’s.
Next week’s matchup against the Jets won’t be the easiest, but Chark will be in Flex territory, likely for the remainder of the season.
Elijah Moore, WR, New York Jets
Hey, welcome back, Elijah Moore. Sunday against the Bills was unquestionably Moore’s best day this year. He set career highs in both targets (10) and receptions (six) while recording 60 receiving yards, as he took over as the No. 2 following the loss of Corey Davis (concussion).
It’s been a roller coaster year for Moore. In the four games since his benching, Moore has caught 12 of 22 targets for 148 yards and a touchdown. That might not sound like much, yet between Weeks 1 through 6, he only had 16 receptions on 30 targets for 203 yards and no scores.
Mike White got his you-know-what kicked and suffered multiple rib injuries, so we’ll have to double-check on his status when he gets closer to game time. But if Davis cannot suit up, Moore will be in the low-end WR3/Flex range as a sleeper against the Detroit Lions.
Chigoziem Okonkwo, TE, Tennessee Titans
A couple of years ago, one of my better calls was that it was going to be the Jonnu Smith breakout season. And it was for quite some time until a Taylor Lewan ACL tear forced Smith back in line due to his blocking prowess.
Since then, the Titans have yet to get any production out of the tight end position. That is until now, as rookie Chigoziem Okonkwo out of Maryland looks like the next Smith or Delanie Walker for Tennessee.
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After recording 68 yards on four of five receiving against the Philadelphia Eagles (TE8), Okonkwo caught all six of his targets against the Jaguars for 45 yards and scored his first touchdown since Week 4. His 19 PPR points have him sitting as the TE3 with Monday Night Football still to play.
While I’m sure he could remain a highly volatile option, it’s hard not to look at him as a high-end TE2 to add this point. If Derwin James cannot play next week (quad), Okonkwo is absolutely a sleeper for fantasy. He would also be a starter again in Week 16 against the Houston Texans, assuming he has another positive outing.
Juwan Johnson, TE, New Orleans Saints
When it comes to tight ends, unless they have elite volume — which very few do — you’re hoping for a touchdown. When it comes to finding the end zone, few were on a hotter streak than the Saints’ Juwan Johnson, who scored five times between Weeks 7 and 11.
Johnson didn’t do anything against the 49ers and left the game due to an ankle injury, which forced him to miss Week 13. With that said, the Saints also had a bye last week, meaning Johnson will have had nearly three weeks for his ankle to heal. If he’s active, Johnson is a sleeper against the Falcons, who sit 19th in DVOA to the position.