Finding sleepers in fantasy football is a difficult task. But if one hits, the outlook of your team can look entirely different. Here are four wide receiver sleepers who could significantly outperform their average draft position in 2023.
Behind in research? Get a trade offer in your dynasty or redraft league? Not sure who to start or sit this week? Leverage PFN’s FREE fantasy tools — our Fantasy Football Draft Kit, Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer and Calculator, and Start/Sit Optimizer! Put the finishing touch on your A+ draft with 1 of our 425+ fantasy football team names.
Wide Receiver Sleepers To Target in Fantasy
Adam Thielen, Carolina Panthers
It’s weird to see Adam Thielen in the sleepers category, especially considering he was an annual fixture in the top five rounds of fantasy drafts in each of the past six years.
Coming off a down year relative to his standards (70 receptions, 716 yards, six touchdowns), Thielen finished as the WR36 overall in PPR formats. Now entering his age-33 season and with a new team, Thielen has been overlooked by many fantasy players this year.
Thielen’s current ADP is a late 12th-round pick in 10-man leagues and a 10th-round pick in 12-man leagues. That’s excellent value for a trusty wideout who was a reliable target for years in Minnesota.
Every rookie quarterback needs a safety blanket. For Bryce Young, that should certainly be Thielen, the most proven pass catcher on Carolina’s roster. In fact, the duo even combined for a touchdown in the Panthers’ last preseason game.
Quick math: Bryce Young + Adam Thielen = 6️⃣
📺: #DETvsCAR on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/624TrfDUF6 pic.twitter.com/MQFZAkNfTM— NFL (@NFL) August 26, 2023
Thielen may not have the upside of some other wideouts, but he almost certainly will outperform his ADP. In the later rounds, he’s certainly one of the best possible picks.
Jayden Reed, Green Bay Packers
A second-round pick by the Packers this past April, Jayden Reed has not been getting the same attention that several of his draft classmates have been this summer.
However, Reed looks poised to be a Day 1 contributor for Green Bay, a team with little certainty atop its wide receiver depth chart outside of second-year veteran Christian Watson. Reed was already getting reps with the Packers’ first-team offense. His volume could increase even more following a hamstring injury to Green Bay’s current No. 2 wideout, Romeo Doubs.
Reed was a preseason standout for the Packers, too, and even connected with Jordan Love for a 20-yard touchdown against New England.
General manager Brian Gutekunst told reporters that Reed “came in a little bit more polished than I think any of us expected,” high praise for the rookie.
Jordan Love throws a TD to Jayden Reed 🙌
📱: Stream #NEvsGB on #NFLPlus https://t.co/L9mPiySmuK pic.twitter.com/fi6pVYsHZn
— NFL (@NFL) August 20, 2023
Reed is certainly worth taking a flier on with one of your final picks. In some leagues, he might go undrafted, but it’s hard to imagine he’ll be on the waiver wire for too long once the season begins.
Rashod Bateman, Baltimore Ravens
One year ago, Rashod Bateman was on almost every “fantasy breakout” list possible. The former Minnesota star was on his way to doing just that before initially injuring his foot in Week 4, an ailment that ultimately sidelined him for the remainder of the season following Week 8.
Clearly desperate to upgrade its receiver room, the Ravens signed Odell Beckham Jr. in free agency and spent a first-round pick on Boston College standout Zay Flowers. The early returns on both players have been promising, leaving Bateman with the most competition for targets he’s had in his three-year professional career.
However, Bateman’s talent is legit. He was worthy of a first-round pick in 2021; injuries have been the only thing that’s slowed him down. If Bateman can stay healthy, he could easily finish as Baltimore’s top receiver — especially considering neither Flowers nor Beckham has firmly established themselves as Lamar Jackson’s No. 1.
There are a lot of mouths to feed in Baltimore; star tight end Mark Andrews has yet to even be mentioned. But with no clear pecking order in the receiver room, Bateman has the upside to finish a lot higher than his current ADP.
Marvin Mims Jr., Denver Broncos
The first draft pick of the Sean Payton era in Denver required trading up. The Broncos sent No. 68 overall and No. 138 to Detroit in exchange for No. 63 and No. 183, moving up five spots in the second round to draft Oklahoma standout Marvin Mims Jr.
Since Mims arrived in Denver, several events have led to him ascending up the depth chart.
KJ Hamler was released with a non-football injury after being diagnosed with the heart condition pericarditis.
Tim Patrick, who missed all of 2022 with a torn ACL, will also miss the entirety of the 2023 campaign with a ruptured Achilles tendon. And most recently, Denver’s top wideout, Jerry Jeudy, is currently out indefinitely with a hamstring injury.
Mims is the next man up, currently slated to start alongside Courtland Sutton until Jeudy can play. But Mims’ elevation on the depth chart is not just by default, either. The rookie has shined throughout training camp and the preseason. His ability to stretch the field is something no receiver on Denver’s roster besides Jeudy can do.
He was ruled down …
But heckuva play by the rook, @marvindmims!
📺: 9NEWS pic.twitter.com/dUs2LHF68w
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) August 27, 2023
Mims is going undrafted in most leagues. However, he has significant upside in Denver’s system, especially considering the opportunities Denver’s receivers have early in the season.
I personally took a late-round flier on him. You should, too.