Hello! This week’s fantasy football sleepers list isn’t quite as deep as weeks past. The running back position is a glaring abyss in my opinion, and the lack of variance between the lists is an indication of that. I go through the top performers at each key fantasy position and identify those you likely overlooked. Every player listed here is owned in <50% of leagues (ESPN).
Quarterbacks
Trevor Siemian/Saints - The career backup has been thrust into action the last couple of weeks following the injury to Jameis Winston and has done a solid job. Last week he was a top five performer at his position, throwing for nearly 300 yards and two touchdowns. This week coming up the Eagles defense is going to probably have something in store for him.
Mac Jones/Patriots - Likely to be the most contested free agent pick up at the position this week, Jones is going into TNF hot. He crushed the Browns last week with exceptional patience and precision. That patience earned him a top-five performance when it was all said and done. He doesn’t throw for many yards but does get you touchdowns with 13 this season. The Atlanta defense is bad, and he has an opportunity to take advantage of them.
Taylor Heinicke/Washington - A serious drop off from Jones to Heinicke in terms of picking up a QB off of waivers this week. Heinicke did very well against Tampa, totaling over 270 yards of offense and scoring a touchdown. But going into Week 11 against Carolina I would take a step back. The Panthers are one of the top five defenses in the league and could definitely slow down the Washington attack.
Running Backs (PPR)
Rhamondre Stevenson/Patriots - Outside of Mac Jones, I believe Stevenson will be another highly contested waiver pick up this week. He was dominant when given an opportunity to start against the Browns this past week with over 120 total yards of offense on 24 touches. Rhamondre has three double digit performances over the last five weeks of play, and the Atlanta defense will struggle in stopping him.
Matt Breida/Bills - I fear that this is going to be an anomaly that some fantasy football fans will bite on. Breida scored two touchdowns this past week on six touches, totaling 50 yards in the process. Prior to this week he had only played in one game, and had four carries in that contest. This could be the start of something, but I certainly would not be staking a claim on it.
Boston Scott/Eagles - Somebody has to take control in the Eagles backfield on a weekly basis, and last week Scott was the best of the trio. He put up over 100 total yards on 13 touches, rushing for over 7 yards a carry to his credit. This season, the career after thought has averaged over five yards on the ground. I don’t say that to discredit him, but the Eagles really have drafted to replace him despite his sufficient play. The Saints stop the run, and I wouldn’t be adding Scott.
Godwin Igwebuike/Lions - With the injury to Jamaal Williams the last few weeks, Godwin has gotten into the action beyond just his special team's duties. He has put up 114 total yards between the last two games on only eight touches. I don’t know how likely it is he will repeat this performance though once Williams comes back, as he normally is RB4.
D’Onta Foreman/Titans - Only a week after being brought back to the Titans in a desperation move, D’Onta has taken over the lead back duties from Adrian Peterson. In Week 10 he was given 13 touches and totaled 78 yards in the process. I won’t pretend that he was efficient, only averaging 2.7 yards per carry against a stout Saints defense. However, the touches matter. He is getting opportunities and against a worse run defense he could give you some results.
Running Backs (STD)
Rhamondre Stevenson/Patriots
Matt Breida/Bills
Godwin Igwebuike/Lions
Boston Scott/Eagles
Chuba Hubbard/Panthers - The return of Cam Newton gave a boost to the entire offense, as not only McCaffrey went off but Chuba did his part as well. The rookie running back had nine touches in the game and scored a touchdown on one of them. He’s on pace for 975 yards of offense this season.
Honorable Mention: Jermar Jefferson/Lions - The rookie running back was solid once again in spelling D’Andre Swift in Week 10. He is listed separately due to injury, and monitoring his health may be something worth doing this week if Jamaal Williams it out once more.
Wide Receivers (PPR)
Kendrick Bourne/Patriots - Going into this week against Atlanta, it may be worth the risk of adding Bourne. In most cases I would go against it given how New England’s offense has varied week to week. But the Falcons stink. Throughout the season Kendrick has had a double-digit performance four times in ten weeks and is on a rough 55/900 pace for the entire season.
Bryan Edwards/Raiders - Without Ruggs in the lineup, the wide receiver position on the outside is up for grabs to whoever wants it. Hunter Renfrow remains the top threat at the position in the slot, but on the numbers it’s anybody's game. Edwards was targeted four times against the Chiefs on SNF in Week 10, bringing in three of them. One of those targets was a touchdown, and he has been targeted at least four times in every game but one this season. Edwards is on a 40/800 pace this season as a deep threat, averaging over 20 yards a reception.
Ray-Ray McCloud/Steelers - I imagine some Pittsburgh fans were worried about how the offense would operate without JuJu and Claypool. The wide receiver position certainly wasn’t the issue against Detroit on Sunday as McCloud stepped into the slot and did a solid job. Ray-Ray was targeted 12 times, catching nine of them for 63 yards. I wouldn’t anticipate a repeat performance though, unless the injured players do not return next week.
DeAndre Carter/Washington - Another smaller/returner type wideout, Carter was on the field quite a bit this past week for the Football Team. For the second consecutive game, Carter was targeted six times. In this span he has six receptions and 111 total yards with two touchdowns. Upon Dyami Brown returning he may see less reps but it will be something to monitor.
Marcus Johnson/Titans - Following the late announcement of Julio Jones being placed on the IR, the Titans and fantasy owners were scrambling for a replacement on the outside. Johnson took the job and ran with it against the Saints. Marcus had five receptions and 100 yards on 6 targets. The former Colt has shown glimpses in his career of promise, a 35/550 pace in 2019 as an example. His biggest issue is the 50/50 catch rate throughout his career.
Wide Receiver (STD)
Kendrick Bourne/Patriots
Bryan Edwards/Raiders
Jamal Agnew/Jaguars - The gadget player in the Jaguars offense, Agnew is an interesting nut to crack. Last week he did not bring in a single reception, but did rush for 79 yards and a touchdown on three carries. The last three weeks he’s only brought in nine of his 22 targets, but totaled 155 yards and a touchdown in that span. He is on pace for over 600 total yards of offense on 70 touches.
DeAndre Carter/Washington
Byron Pringle/Chiefs - I would not rely on this being a weekly thing for Pringle, but last week he was targeted more than his normal amount. Byron was targeted a handful of times for just the third occasion this season, coming out with four receptions and a touchdown. He’s arguably the 5th or 6th option in the passing game.
Tight Ends
Tyler Conklin/Vikings - One of those tight ends that most fantasy owners are overlooking this season, Conklin has been a solid second tier option all season long. Over the last four games, Conklin has received at least a handful of targets in each contest. Last week he scored two touchdowns on three receptions. He's on a 65/650 pace this year.
Gerald Everett/Seahawks - It’s a dangerous game trying to deal with a Seahawks tight end, and I don’t know if I’d touch Everett even after last week. He was given eight targets and brought in all of them. The issue is that the last three games he was given eight targets in total, despite being TE1 on the team.
Dan Arnold/Jaguars - Down the stretch I am looking at Arnold being a sneaky solid option for a team needing to sure up their tight end slot going into the playoffs. Arnold has developed chemistry with Trevor Lawrence after being dealt to the team earlier in the year. He has been targeted seven times or more four of the last five games, and has produced double digits in each contest. He’s on a 65/750 pace.