There are people scouring the internet right now for late-round draft targets. If you play in a deep fantasy football league, the usual candidates listed for sleepers simply don’t cut it, and you’re stuck wondering who in the world to draft in the final rounds.
At Pro Football Network, we do the research so you walk into your 14-team or 16-team league confident that you’re going to assemble the best roster possible! With that in mind, here are the PFN consensus deep sleepers for fantasy football in 2023.
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What Deep Sleepers Should You Draft in Fantasy Football?
If you’re interested in seeing our top sleepers for typical redraft leagues in 2023, we’ve got you covered as well. However, for this exercise, we are looking at players that can only be found outside the top 180 in ADP, which puts them on the radar only in deep formats.
Ty Chandler, RB, Minnesota Vikings
Did you know Alexander Mattison has seen his yards per carry and yards after contact decrease for three consecutive seasons? All rhetorical questions aside, there is no doubt that Mattison will have the inside track to dominate the early-down and short-yardage work to start the season. But who could see more work if Mattison continues to have efficiency issues?
Well, Ty Chandler’s big-play ability (4.38 speed) with a team that runs outside zone at one of the highest rates in the league could give him Flex-worthy upside in the closing rounds of your draft.
– Derek Tate, Fantasy Football Analyst
First of all, are we sure that Mattison is ready to be “the man” in Minnesota?
Yes, he is the Viking to have in a vacuum, but we are talking a late fifth-round pick in early fantasy drafts without a backup that is routinely being drafted … that implies a high level of confidence in a guy averaging a tick over 4.0 yards per carry for his career and has never reached 135 carries in a single season.
MORE: Fantasy Football Preseason Takeaways
Gone is DeWayne McBride, leaving Chandler in the role that Mattison routinely filled behind Dalvin Cook. I don’t think there’s standalone value here, but I do think there is serious volume potential should he find himself in the lead role.
At the end of the day, this is a potent offense that I trust to be in scoring position with regularity. Using a late pick on the clear-cut insurance back behind an unproven starter is worth it.
– Kyle Soppe, Fantasy Football Analyst
With Dalvin Cook gone, someone has to back up Mattison. The presumptive favorite is 2022 fifth-rounder Chandler. Yet, for some reason, earlier this offseason, he was being drafted behind rookie seventh-rounder McBride.
I’ll take my chances on the guy who was on the team last year with better draft capital. None of the Minnesota backups will have standalone value, but if Mattison were to get hurt, someone has to get the ball. We’ll probably see a timeshare with Myles Gaskin, but Chandler is my bet to lead it.
– Jason Katz, Fantasy Football Analyst
Rashid Shaheed, WR, New Orleans Saints
With the Saints lacking WR depth behind Chris Olave, the team turned to speedy UDFA Rashid Shaheed over the latter part of last season. While Shaheed was never a consistent producer, he flashed some serious upside and downfield ability.
He averaged 62.8 receiving yards per game from Week 12 on. If Michael Thomas is once again unable to stay healthy, Shaheed could be the WR2 in a Derek Carr offense. For the price of free, that’s a shot worth taking.
– Jason Katz, Fantasy Football Analyst
Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, New York Giants
“Pin the tail on the Giant receiver” is sweeping the nation, and I’m here for it! This offense is trending in the right direction behind Daniel Jones, and guess what? It’s Wan’Dale Robinson-friendly!
Robinson hauled in 18 of 21 slot targets a season ago, allowing Mr. Dimes to lead the NFL in slot completion percentage, and given the downward trending nature of Jones’ aDOT, Robinson is a natural fit.
The Week 11 torn ACL is a concern, but he returned to practice this week and might well be active in September. He doesn’t make much sense to draft in a shallow league where every roster spot needs to be on the Flex radar, but for deeper leagues that encourage long-term thought, Robinson is a guy I’m picking up late.
– Kyle Soppe, Fantasy Football Analyst
Marvin Mims, WR, Denver Broncos
It’s surprising that Mims’ ADP hasn’t skyrocketed after the news that Jerry Jeudy suffered a hamstring injury in practice. Tim Patrick is out for the year with a torn Achilles, K.J. Hamler was recently released by the team, and both Marquez Callaway and Kendall Hinton did not make the 53-man roster!
This leaves Courtland Sutton, Jeudy, Mims, Phillip Dorsett (just recently acquired), and Brandon Johnson as the only WRs on this depth chart going into Week 1. This either means that Jeudy is healthier than we were led to believe and he will play in Week 1, or Mims is going to have a massive opportunity in front of him right out of the gate.
He’s a rookie WR, which means that we never truly know what to expect from him, but the talent is there on tape. At this point of drafts, you’re looking for players who have a guaranteed role right out of the gate. Mims has that in front of him.
– Kyle Yates, Fantasy Football Director
Sean Tucker, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Let’s start by pointing out the obvious. The Buccaneers’ rushing attack in 2022 was abysmal. They finished dead last in rushing yards, rushing attempts, yards per carry, and rushing touchdowns.
With news that he’s splitting 1st team reps, I’m excited to see Sean Tucker get an opportunity with the Bucs this year
One of my favorite 2023 prospects before the health concerns!
Tucker’s Percentiles in Yards per Team Play
Freshman: 90th🔥
Sophomore: 96th🔥🔥
Junior: 76th 🔥 pic.twitter.com/e7aIBKvshz— Marvin Elequin (@FF_MarvinE) August 26, 2023
Sure, Rachaad White will head into the 2023 NFL season atop the depth chart, but with a meager 3.7 yards per carry in 2022, fumbling once every 59 touches, and never topping 225 total touches in a season during his professional or collegiate career, one should not assume he is the undisputed bell-cow RB for the entire 2023 campaign.
The undrafted free agent from Syracuse, Sean Tucker, topped 240 total touches the past two seasons, has legit big-play ability (pro day 40 time of 4.39), and is a very capable pass-catching option (accounting for 15% of the team’s receptions in 2022).
If not for medical concerns, Tucker likely would have heard his name called on Day 2 of the NFL Draft. Tucker’s three-down skill set is well worth a dart throw late in drafts.
– Derek Tate, Fantasy Football Analyst
Isaiah Hodgins, WR, New York Giants
I really have no idea who will emerge from this crowded and redundant Giants WR room. But last season, Isaiah Hodgins was clearly their best pass catcher. Hodgins averaged 15.2 ppg from Weeks 13-17.
He’s also 6’4”, helping him stand out from the rest of the mostly slot receivers. With a proven ceiling, why not see if Hodgins is the real deal late in fantasy drafts?
– Jason Katz, Fantasy Football Analyst
Chris Brooks, RB, Miami Dolphins
It feels like the Miami Dolphins have expressed interest in every single available veteran RB this offseason. The Dolphins were unable to secure a trade for Jonathan Taylor and lost the Dalvin Cook sweepstakes to the New York Jets.
Meaning we need to turn our attention to the RBs currently on the Dolphins roster. Raheem Mostert is 31 years old and played just one full season in his entire NFL career, Jeff Wilson is on IR, and rookie De’Von Achane is battling a shoulder injury heading into his first season.
There is a strong case to be made that another RB could factor into this backfield sooner rather than later in 2023. Enter Chris Brooks. Brooks is an undrafted free agent who made the initial 53-man roster after a fantastic preseason, which consisted of 104 rushing yards, 39 receiving yards, and three TDs at an efficient per-touch rate.
Brooks profiles as an RB with ideal size for early-down and short-yardage work. He ran very hard in the preseason and looked difficult to get to the ground. In an offense that has been looking for another RB to get into this mix this offseason, perhaps they found one in this rookie from BYU.
– Derek Tate, Fantasy Football Analyst
Gus Edwards, RB, Baltimore Ravens
It’s surprising to see how late Gus Edwards is going in 2023 fantasy drafts. The Ravens never give a running back more than a 50% snap share. Even during Mark Ingram’s RB1 season, he played a hair under half the snaps.
I like J.K. Dobbins this year, but Edwards is still his primary handcuff and one who could have standalone RB4 value on an improved Ravens offense.
– Jason Katz, Fantasy Football Analyst
Hayden Hurst, TE, Carolina Panthers
We could be looking at the answer to the question, “Which late-round tight end was just good enough to justify waiting on addressing the position, loading up elsewhere, and winning your league?”
No, Hurst is not flashy (his yards per catch and aDOT have each dipped in three straight seasons), and no, I don’t expect that to change. But he owns a reliable set of hands (2% career drop rate) in an offense that lacks any sense of consistency among its pass catchers.
Hurst has scored once every 12.6 receptions during his tenure in the league, making a 63-615-5 season very possible for a Panthers team that is going to be trailing plenty. He won’t win you your league with his numbers, but a solid year could help you avoid the position on draft day and select some true difference-makers!
– Kyle Soppe, Fantasy Football Analyst
Hunter Renfrow, WR, Las Vegas Raiders
Calling Hunter Renfrow’s 2022 fantasy campaign a disappointment would be an understatement. After finishing as the WR11 in 2021, Renfrow’s injury-plagued 2022 saw him post career lows in targets (50), receptions (36), yards (330), and touchdowns (2).
Sure, Davante Adams will still dominate the target share, but I still believe Renfrow could be a valuable PPR asset in deeper formats. Jimmy Garoppolo gets the ball out of his hands very quickly, has a grasp of Josh McDaniels’ quick-hitting offense, and Renfrow still has plenty of ability to produce from the slot.
The arrival of Jakobi Meyers could scare some away from thinking of Renfrow altogether, but of these two players competing for the second option behind Adams, Renfrow is the only one who has posted a top-15 fantasy season.
– Derek Tate, Fantasy Football Analyst
Van Jefferson, WR, Los Angeles Rams
Just two short years ago, Van Jefferson averaged 9.9 ppg, finishing as the WR41. That may not excite most fantasy managers, but if you’re digging this deep, you’re probably in a deep league where a WR7 returning WR4 value is pretty useful.
Jefferson’s top competition for the WR2 role behind Cooper Kupp is Ben Skowronek, Tutu Atwell, and rookie Puka Nacua. Suffice it to say Jefferson is the favorite. He had four games of double-digit fantasy points last season. With a healthy Matthew Stafford, there’s legitimate WR3 upside here.
– Jason Katz, Fantasy Football Analyst
Miami Dolphins, DST
Say what? Is a fantasy analyst recommending a D/ST as a value pick?
Looks like I’ll never earn a “fantasy expert” title, but hear me out. My working theory is that the blitz-heavy defense from a season ago will return, even with Vic Fangio replacing Josh Boyer as the defensive coordinator.
Why? Mike McDaniel. He’s an offensive mind who loves scheming, and what is one thing that can wreck a good game plan? Exotic and creative blitzes. Let’s assume I’m right, and Miami continues to bring the heat.
There were 24 qualified quarterbacks last season that project as Day 1 starters in 2023, and here are the bottom five in terms of passer rating vs. the blitz:
20. Russell Wilson
21. Justin Herbert
22. Geno Smith
23. Josh Allen
24. Mac Jones
As is the case with most, I view the D/ST portion of fantasy as highly volatile, so I tend to take it a month (or less) at a time, seeking those with favorable schedules. Well, here is Miami’s start to the season:
- Week 1 at LAC (Herbert, No. 21)
- Week 2 at NE (Jones, No. 24)
- Week 3 vs. DEN (Wilson, No. 20)
- Week 4 at BUF (Allen, No. 23)
How about them apples? Isn’t investing a late pick worth it to see if they continue to be Blitz Beach (I’m workshopping nicknames, and Blitz-ami didn’t really work, open to ideas!) against a string of QBs who struggled in such spots last season?
After this run, they host the Giants and Panthers, two spots that project to be turnover-friendly. Maybe sell high, maybe ride it out … do what you’d like, but grabbing this D/ST is a zag I’m in favor of.
– Kyle Soppe, Fantasy Football Analyst
Michael Wilson, WR, Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are not exactly an offense many fantasy managers are investing heavily in this fantasy draft season, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t value to be found. Rookie WR Michael Wilson has had a dominant first offseason in the NFL and got plenty of run as a starting WR in the team’s first preseason game.
MORE: Best Rookies To Draft in Fantasy Football
Wilson profiles as a physical boundary WR who could fit in as a nice complement to the smaller, speedier WRs on the roster, namely Marquise Brown and Rondale Moore, to contribute in red-zone situations. As the WR98 off the board, he is well worth a dart throw in deeper PPR leagues.
– Derek Tate, Fantasy Football Analyst