It's a bittersweet feeling when it's time for my final sleepers column. That generally means that the preseason is over, and we're done doing drafts. But it also indicates that the season is here, and real games can finally begin. So let's bleeping go.
This is Sleepers 4.0, which is my all-star sleepers for 2024. These players are selected after pick No. 120 overall based on the CBS Sports Average Draft Position data.
Many of these players are on my Fantasy teams, and I'm excited for their potential this season. I'm expecting these sleepers to be difference makers and become Fantasy starters as the year goes on.
Quarterbacks
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Lawrence was a bust last season when his Fantasy points per game dropped from 20.3 in 2022 to 19.0 in 2023, especially when many people (myself included) thought he'd have a breakout campaign. But this season, the cost for Lawrence is much cheaper with an ADP in Round 10, and he's a great No. 2 quarterback to stash on your bench. His receiving corps has been remade with Calvin Ridley and Zay Jones gone, and the replacements might be an upgrade in first-round rookie Brian Thomas Jr. and Gabe Davis joining Christian Kirk and Evan Engram. The offensive line has been upgraded also, and Lawrence looked good in the preseason finale against Atlanta with two touchdown passes to Evan Engram on his only two drives. You can stash Lawrence on your bench to open the season, but he could emerge as a weekly starter sooner rather than later.
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Everything surrounding Levis is better this season with an improved offensive line and upgraded weapons in Calvin Ridley, Tyler Boyd and Tony Pollard joining DeAndre Hopkins, Chigoziem Okonkwo and Tyjae Spears. Brian Callahan might be an upgrade at head coach also, especially with Bill Callahan coaching the offensive line, and Levis is free on Draft Day with an ADP of 166.1. As a rookie last season, Levis struggled in a bad situation for the Titans, but we saw his upside in his first NFL game in Week 8 when he torched the Falcons for 238 passing yards and four touchdowns for 34.6 Fantasy points. He won't do that every week, but he looked sharp in his preseason finale against New Orleans. He completed 7-of-8 passes for 118 yards, and his lone miss was an overthrow to Ridley in the end zone. Levis should be one of the better surprises this year.
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Other sleeper quarterbacks to consider: Matthew Stafford, Kirk Cousins, Aaron Rodgers, Bo Nix, Justin Fields
Running Backs
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Jonathon Brooks (knee) could be out for the first month of the season, which means Hubbard will be Carolina's starter for the foreseeable future. The risk is he's a part-time starter to open the year, and then Hubbard could lose his job entirely when Brooks is healthy. But the reward is Hubbard could be the best running back in Carolina all year if Brooks suffers a setback, or the Panthers could be cautious with their rookie rusher. Last season, Hubbard took over for an ineffective Miles Sanders and had seven games in a row with at least 11.1 PPR points from Week 12 through Week 17, including two outings with at least 20.2 PPR points. Carolina's offense should improve this season with a better offensive line and the addition of coach Dave Canales. Hubbard is the perfect target at his ADP of 133.9, but I would draft him as early as Round 9. He's a great target if you like using a Hero-RB or Zero-RB approach.
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Aaron Jones will be the first Minnesota running back drafted this season, and his ADP is 57.3. But I'm worried about Jones, who is 29, and he missed six games last season with lower-leg injuries. I plan to pass on Jones in most leagues and wait for Chandler, whose ADP is 141.2. And there was a Yahoo report at the beginning of August that suggested Chandler and Jones could be "headed for a pretty clear split-backfield rotation." If that happens then Chandler is a steal at his cost. Last year, Chandler was the best running back for the Vikings to close the season after Alexander Mattison struggled. In his final eight games, Chandler had six games with double digits in carries, and he averaged 12.9 PPR points over that span. I'm excited to see what Chandler could do if he got a full-time role, and that could happen if Jones struggles with injuries again in 2024.
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Irving landed in a good place in Tampa Bay as the No. 2 running back behind Rachaad White. That makes Irving a lottery ticket if White were to miss any time, and Irving is one of my favorite late-round targets with an ADP of 160.7. Hopefully, for White's sake, Irving doesn't have a big role in the passing game, but he just caught 56 passes for 413 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games for Oregon last season. And he has consecutive years of more than 1,000 rushing yards as well. White also hasn't been the most effective rusher the past two years, averaging 3.7 yards per carry in consecutive seasons. Now, Irving is small at 5-foot-9, 192 pounds, so he'll probably be a change-of-pace runner for the Buccaneers. But it wouldn't be a huge surprise if Irving's role increases as the year goes on, and he's looked good in the preseason as well. I love stashing Irving on my bench, and he could emerge as a viable Fantasy option down the road.
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We heard reports out of Denver this offseason that McLaughlin, not Javonte Williams, would be the best running back for the Broncos this year. Williams has looked the part in training camp and the preseason, and he seems poised for a big season. But McLaughin is also expected to have a big role, and he's easily worth his ADP (145.1). As a rookie in 2023, McLaughlin had a limited role with 76 carries for 410 yards and one touchdown and 31 catches for 160 yards and two touchdowns on 36 targets. He had three games with at least 10 total touches, and he averaged 16.0 PPR points per game over that span. His 5.4 yards per carry was also tied for second in the NFL of running backs with at least 50 carries, trailing only De'Von Achane (7.8). It would be fun to see what McLaughlin could do with an increased workload, but he can still be successful in tandem with Williams. The Broncos should lean on Williams and McLaughlin enough that McLaughlin could be a flex option as early as Week 1.
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Other sleeper running backs to consider: Trey Benson, Blake Corum, Antonio Gibson, Jaylen Wright, Elijah Mitchell
Wide Receivers
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The Jaguars have 200 targets to replace with Ridley and Zay Jones gone, and Thomas could fill a big role for Jacksonville right away. His big-play potential has been on display this preseason since he had a 41-yard catch against the Chiefs and a 38-yard reception from Lawrence against Atlanta. Thomas, 21, is considered a raw prospect coming out of LSU, but he's oozing with potential. In 2023 for the Tigers, Thomas had 68 catches for 1,177 yards and 17 touchdowns, and hopefully Lawrence makes him a primary target this season. He's my third-favorite rookie receiver this season behind Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers, and I love Thomas' cost with an ADP of 123.9. He's worth drafting as a No. 4 Fantasy receiver, but he could emerge as a top-30 option early in the year.
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Shakir will likely be my favorite Bills receiver to draft this year, and he might be my favorite overall sleeper. While Keon Coleman has more upside, and Curtis Samuel might be a favorite for offensive coordinator Joe Brady since the two were together in Carolina, I like the potential of Shakir in his third season. And his ADP (125.6) is fantastic value for his upside. Shakir didn't do much for most of his sophomore campaign playing behind Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, but Shakir stepped up at the end of the season when Davis was hurt and Diggs struggled. Starting in Week 18 when Davis was injured at Miami, Shakir had six catches for 105 yards on six targets. And then in two playoff games against Pittsburgh and Kansas City, Shakir had 10 catches for 78 yards and two touchdowns on 12 targets. Josh Allen trusts Shakir, and I expect him to set career highs in all receiving categories. Shakir might not be a star, but he can be a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues this season.
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The Chargers must replace 320 targets with Keenan Allen, Austin Ekeler, Gerald Everett and Mike Williams gone. Several players were brought in to replace those guys, including rookie Ladd McConkey and veteran D.J. Chark, and the Chargers offense won't be as pass happy as last season under new coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman. Palmer might be the new No. 1 receiver for Justin Herbert, and he averaged 12.6 PPR points per game last season in the eight outings from when Williams tore his ACL in Week 3. I'm excited to see what Palmer can do in a featured role, and hopefully Herbert (foot) will be 100 percent all season after he missed time in training camp. While the pass volume in Los Angeles will come down -- the Chargers averaged 671.5 passes the past two years -- Palmer can still emerge as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues. And his ADP is great for his value at 134.4.
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While Fantasy managers are chasing a repeat performance from Jayden Reed (ADP of 82.9) or the potential of Christian Watson (93.0), the best value for the Packers receivers might be Doubs (136.2) or even Dontayvion Wicks (162.9). I love both, but let's focus on Doubs here. Last year, Doubs was mostly touchdown-dependent for much of his Fantasy production, scoring eight times. He averaged 10.3 PPR points per game but had nine games with 11 or more PPR points. However, only two of those games came when he didn't find the end zone, and he had 12 games with 37 yards or less and just three games with at least five receptions. He got more involved in the playoffs with 10 catches for 234 yards and a touchdown on 12 targets in two games, and hopefully, he can build off that performance. The good news for Doubs is he'll be on the field a lot, and he's drawn plenty of positive reviews this offseason. I'm hopeful he'll be a third-year breakout in 2024.
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Other sleeper wide receivers to consider: Ja'Lynn Polk, Darnell Mooney, Brandin Cooks, Adonai Mitchell, Greg Dortch
Tight End
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Johnson just came off the PUP list last week after having foot surgery in June, and hopefully there's no issues during the season. He was able to play in the Saints' preseason finale against Tennessee, so he should be ready for Week 1. There's the chance for Johnson to be No. 2 in targets for New Orleans behind Chris Olave, and offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak's system should be beneficial for Johnson this year. Last season, Johnson closed the year on a high note with at least 11.8 PPR points in three of his final four games, including three touchdowns over that span. He also had three games last season with at least seven targets, and he averaged 15.4 PPR points in those outings. He currently doesn't have an ADP on CBS, so he's a great late-round flier as a No. 2 tight end with upside. It wouldn't surprise me if Johnson is a low-end starting Fantasy tight end by the end of the year.
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If you can stash a second tight end on your bench with upside then take a flier on Sinnott this season. He currently doesn't have an ADP on CBS, but he's someone I draft whenever I have a deep roster. It wouldn't surprise me if Sinnott is second on the Commanders in targets this season behind Terry McLaurin, especially with Jahan Dotson recently getting traded to Philadelphia. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels should love throwing the ball to Sinnott, and he should emerge as a viable Fantasy option as the season goes on. First, he has to prove he's a better talent than the 34-year-old Zach Ertz, who has missed 17 games due to injury over the past two seasons. And then Sinnott has to prove he deserves getting the ball. At Kansas State last year, Sinnott had 49 catches for 676 yards and six touchdowns, and he could turn heads this year in his rookie campaign. He was a second-round pick in the NFL Draft for a reason, and I'm excited to see what he can do if Daniels leans on him this year.
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Other sleeper tight ends to consider: Luke Musgrave, Hunter Henry, Tyler Conklin, Greg Dulcich, Jonnu Smith
