It's time for Sleepers 3.0, and these are players who have either impressed me in the early part of training camp or reaffirmed my belief in them from the offseason. I have drafted several of these guys already and plan to over the next few weeks.
For this version of sleepers, we can use the CBS Sports Average Draft Position and these are players currently being selected after pick No. 120 overall as of Aug. 8. I'll also do one more version of sleepers at the end of the month right before the majority of drafts take place.
Love was a bust in 2024 when he averaged 18.9 Fantasy points per game and scored more than 20 points just seven times. He battled knee and groin injuries, and that led to his production falling from 22.5 Fantasy points per game in 2023. He wants to run more this season, which should help, since he had 50 carries for 247 yards and four touchdowns two years ago compared to 25 carries for 83 yards and a touchdown last year. And the addition of first-round rookie receiver Matthew Golden is a huge plus. Love is a great quarterback to wait for on Draft Day.
I love the setup for Lawrence with the additions of coach Liam Coen and receivers Travis Hunter and Dyami Brown. Along with Brian Thomas Jr. and Brenton Strange, this has the potential for a standout group, and Coen just helped Baker Mayfield have a breakout season in 2024 as the offensive coordinator in Tampa Bay. Lawrence has to stay healthy after being limited to 10 games last season due to a shoulder injury, and he could surprise Fantasy managers with his mobility (he has two seasons on his resume with at least 334 rushing yards). He's another great quarterback to wait for on Draft Day this year.
Other sleeper quarterbacks to consider: J.J. McCarthy, Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr.
Blue suffered a bruised heel in practice Thursday, which is something to monitor, but he should be fine for the start of the season. And he could prove to be the best running back for the Cowboys this year given that his main competition is Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders. The fifth-round rookie from Texas has already earned first-team reps in practice, and Blue should be the most explosive Dallas running back. He also had 42 receptions for 368 yards and six touchdowns in 2024 for the Longhorns, so he could be a nice surprise in PPR. Blue should see his ADP rise if healthy, and I would draft him as early as Round 8.
Tuten is part of a crowded backfield in Jacksonville, but he might offer more upside than Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby. You might have to be patient with Tuten until he starts getting increased touches, but he's the running back this new regime selected in the fourth round of the NFL Draft, while Etienne and Bigsby were inherited. At Virginia Tech in 2024, Tuten had 183 carries for 1,159 yards and 15 touchdowns in 11 games, and he combined for 50 catches, 324 yards and four touchdowns in the past two seasons in the passing game. Tuten will be on a lot of my rosters this season, and potentially in the starting lineup for my Fantasy teams by the middle of the year.
At the time of publication, James Cook has missed multiple practices due to "business" related to his contract. I don't expect Cook to miss any games in the regular season, but Davis is now someone I would target as early as Round 10 in all leagues. Last year, Davis played one game without Cook, which was Week 6 at the Jets, and Davis had 20 carries for 97 yards and caught three passes for 55 yards on three targets for 18.2 PPR points. Davis had three games in 2024 with double digits in carries, and he scored at least 13.7 PPR points in each outing. He could be a star if Cook were to miss any games this year.
New Jets offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand was in Detroit last season, and Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery proved to be a dynamic duo for the Lions. The Jets would love to recreate that level of success with Breece Hall and Allen, who would play the Montgomery role as the physical presence in the backfield. I wouldn't expect double digits in touchdowns, but Allen is a potential red-zone threat at 6-foot-1, 235 pounds. And if something were to happen to Hall then Allen would be the featured back in what should be a run-heavy offense. I love drafting Allen as early as Round 10 in all leagues.
Other sleeper running backs to consider: Trey Benson, Jerome Ford, Tyjae Spears, Jaylen Wright and Jacory Croskey-Merritt
DeMeco Ryans told me at the NFL Owners Meeting that he's excited to see Kirk in the slot for the Texans, who acquired him via trade from the Jaguars. That should make Kirk a prominent target for C.J. Stroud, and Kirk should be the No. 2 receiver in Houston behind Nico Collins. Kirk will face competition from rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, but Kirk should prove to be a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues. In 2024, Kirk struggled with the Jaguars at 8.9 PPR points per game before suffering a season-ending collarbone injury in Week 8. Before 2024, Kirk had averaged at least 12.2 PPR points per game in three seasons in a row and four of the past five years with Jacksonville and Arizona, including a career-best 14.2 PPR points per game in 2022. I love stashing Kirk on my bench with a pick in Round 10 in all leagues.
Burden struggled with a hamstring injury this offseason, but he's healthy now and should be the slot receiver in Chicago. That should be a prominent role in Ben Johnson's offense, which is where Amon-Ra St. Brown mostly played in Detroit when Johnson was the offensive coordinator. We could still see D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze line up in the slot, but Burden ran 75 percent of his routes from the slot at Missouri, according to ESPN, and it should be where he's most effective. Of course, we need Caleb Williams to support Moore, Odunze, Burden and Colston Loveland, which might not be easy. But Burden's role could make him popular for Williams and Johnson, and I would draft Burden in Round 10 in all leagues.
Douglas is having a strong training camp, and he should be the slot receiver for Josh McDaniels, which is a prominent spot for the Patriots' offensive coordinator. McDaniels has gotten tremendous production during his career from slot receivers like Wes Welker, Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola, and it would be great if Douglas is next in line. Now, before expectations get out of control, Douglas has a lot to prove before he's at that level, and Drake Maye isn't Tom Brady. But based on where you can draft Douglas -- I would select him as early as Round 11 -- the upside is immense. We'll see how Stefon Diggs, Kyle Williams and TreVeyon Henderson factor in as newcomers, but Douglas should be a go-to option for Maye. And if he plays in the slot then Douglas could emerge as a starter in three-receiver leagues this year.
It appears like Joe Flacco will be Cleveland's starter in Week 1, which is great for Tillman, Jerry Jeudy and David Njoku. And I love drafting Tillman as early as Round 12 in the majority of leagues. Tillman flashed huge upside last season when Cleveland traded Amari Cooper to Buffalo, and in the first four games without Cooper, Tillman scored at least 18.1 PPR points in three of those outings with 24 catches for 302 yards and three touchdowns on 40 targets. He ended the season on injured reserve with a concussion, but hopefully he'll be injury free this year and able to produce at a high level. There's concern about this passing game if Flacco gets benched, which could happen sooner rather than later, but Tillman will hopefully connect well with whoever starts out of Kenny Pickett, Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel. I wouldn't be surprised if Tillman is a consistent starter in three-receiver leagues this year.
Other sleeper wide receivers to consider: Rashid Shaheed, Romeo Doubs, WanDale Robinson, Marvin Mims and Jack Bech
I thought Kincaid would be a top-five Fantasy tight end last season, but he struggled and averaged just 7.8 PPR points per game. He dealt with injuries in both knees, including a torn PCL, but he still played in 13 games and finished with only 44 catches for 448 yards and two touchdowns on 75 targets. The reason I liked Kincaid last season was Buffalo's lack of weapons in the passing game, and that still qualifies this year. Khalil Shakir and Keon Coleman have plenty of potential, and the Bills like new additions in Josh Palmer and Elijah Moore. But none of those guys are dominant, and Kincaid might be a star. He's not worth drafting as a top-10 Fantasy tight end, but he's a good flier with a late-round pick this year.
The preseason reports for Pitts have been positive, and quarterback Michael Penix Jr. continues to praise Pitts whenever possible. He's also benefited from Darnell Mooney (shoulder) being hurt, which could potentially linger into the regular season. But even with Mooney healthy, there's a chance for Pitts to help Fantasy managers this year, and he's only worth a late-round flier at this point of his career. We know he's been a huge disappointment since his rookie campaign in 2021 when he had over 1,000 receiving yards, and he averaged 8.1 PPR points per game or less in three seasons in a row. That said, there's reason for optimism given his talent, and Penix clearly believes in Pitts. If he struggles to start the season then you can cut him without hesitation. But if he hits then you might have a league winner on your hands, which would be a nice surprise.
Other sleeper tight ends to consider: Zach Ertz, Hunter Henry and Brenton Strange
