12 Deep Dynasty League Sleepers for Fantasy Football: Undervalued Trade and Draft Targets (2026)

June 29, 2026

Austin's 12 top deep-league dynasty fantasy football sleepers, trade targets, and draft targets. His 2026 dynasty fantasy football outlook and expert advice.

Dynasty is a form of fantasy football that has been rising in popularity over the years. Not only is it a year-round game, but it also lets fantasy players act like an NFL general manager, making draft picks and trades that shape the roster's long-term future.

Finding diamonds in the rough is perhaps the most rewarding part of this process. Players like Malik Willis, Michael Wilson, and Kenny Gainwell could be acquired for extremely little a year ago and have rewarded managers with real value heading into 2026.

Let’s look at 12 deep-league dynasty sleepers that could be one of those stories when we look back on this upcoming season a year from now.

Deep-League Sleeper Dynasty Quarterbacks

Shedeur Sanders, Cleveland Browns

For how popular (or infamous) he is to most fans, it's kind of ridiculous to say anyone is sleeping on Shedeur Sanders. The dynasty community might be the last ones in that category.

Quarterback will always be a challenging position for this sort of prognostication because there are only 32 jobs, and there's a certain pedigree and draft capital required to hold down one -- especially with 2027's class of passers looking absolutely loaded.

As a fifth-round pick, Sanders is already behind the eight ball in that regard. But it's definitely possible the former Colorado quarterback's popularity could boost his dynasty value.

If Sanders comes out on the other side of the Browns' quarterback competition with the job and has even a pedestrian season while the Browns exceed expectations as a team, there will certainly be debate.

2 finding 12 on the rollout 😮‍💨@ShedeurSanders x @dl_boston5 pic.twitter.com/oqtgKcib7Z

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) June 11, 2026

I mentioned Sanders as a dynasty quarterback sleeper last month, and I get some are entirely out on him. His 2025 stats for a tanking squad were pretty unsightly.

There's just a non-zero chance he's the Browns starter in 2027, though, which isn't the case for a majority of signal-callers outside the top 30 in RotoBaller's dynasty rankings.

Drew Allar, Pittsburgh Steelers

2026's rookie quarterback crop yielded virtually no "sleepers." No one is napping on first-rounders Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson, and Carson Beck will do well to not play Arizona into a position to draft his replacement.

In that regard, Drew Allar is easily the best-positioned quarterback outside of the top two to acquire outside the top 25 of rookie drafts or at the end of startups.

Allar is expected to sit the entire team as coach Mike McCarthy says he's "uninstalling" everything that he learned at Penn State.

Aaron Rodgers' swan song campaign could be a shield to protect Allar if the Steelers are picking in the 20s -- as is historically the case. Per FOX Sports, Pittsburgh's projected win total from oddsmakers is 8.5.

Especially for quarterback-needy squads, Allar costs nothing. The fact that he was so poor in his final college season, mustering just 6.9 yards per attempt, is likely why.

Don't doubt McCarthy's track record with quarterbacks like Rodgers, Alex Smith, and Dak Prescott, though. It's quite possible he gets the best of the prospect's rocket arm.

Deep-League Sleeper Dynasty Running Backs

DJ Giddens, Indianapolis Colts

Finding opportunity at running back is just half the battle. There's no position in fantasy football where opportunity can be better projected. It's just whether a player's talent can deliver.

I find no tailback more fascinating as a potential handcuff than DJ Giddens. Giddens touched the ball just 26 times as a rookie, so there's no on-field basis to get excited about him.

It's not the best look that Ameer Abdullah beat him out for passing game work, but Giddens was likely a casualty of Jonathan Taylor's stellar 2025 season, where the Pro Bowler played all 17 games and posted 1,963 scrimmage yards. Any reserve would have suffered.

Giddens is just 22.8 years old entering his sophomore campaign, and Taylor's injury history -- missing 16 games in three seasons prior to last year -- suggests an opening might not be far away.

The fifth-round pick in 2025 has to beat out seventh-round rookie Seth McGowan for touches after Abdullah and Tyler Goodson were let go in free agency. I expect his progression and experience to give him an advantage.

LeQuint Allen Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars

Bhayshul Tuten mania is at an all-time high, and several believe in bruiser Chris Rodriguez Jr. in the Jaguars' backfield. Don't ignore this sleeper, though.

Both Tuten and Rodriguez have a sketchy -- at best -- history as receivers out of the backfield.

Tuten failed to catch 30 passes out of the backfield for a third consecutive campaign, dating back to his time as Virginia Tech's full-time starter. Rodriguez has caught just six passes in three seasons.

LeQuint Allen Jr.'s target share was 14.0% in his final year at Syracuse, and he made an immediate imprint as a third-down back with 10 catches (on 11 targets) for 54 yards in extremely limited snaps.

Conventional wisdom in this backfield, at the moment, seems to be that Tuten is getting a larger share of the passing game. Don't rule out Allen, averaging 4.1 yards per tote a year ago, actually just getting a larger chunk of the running game and uglying up this three-way committee.

From there, who knows? Could an injury create a role he never gives back? Stranger things -- to less likely candidates -- have happened.

Tahj Brooks, Cincinnati Bengals

There's a less appealing version of the same argument for Giddens in Cincinnati.

Tahj Brooks got just 17 touches in 2025 behind Chase Brown and -- to a much more surprising degree -- Samaje Perine. Perine posted 84 carries and 21 targets last year.

Brown played 17 games, which just left minimal room at the inn for a third option. The question becomes what might happen if the starter were to miss significant time? Could Perine, 30, inherit a full game's workload?

For whatever reason, there seems to be a consensus that the tailback is "too slow" to be a legitimate option for the Bengals after 2.8 yards per carry in an extremely limited sample. Maybe, but we have anything but certainty.

However, at this point, Cincinnati didn't draft a running back in 2025. Only Gary Brightwell and Jamal Haynes follow him on the depth chart. Texas Tech's all-time leading rusher could be a second-year breakout out of nowhere.

Deep-League Sleeper Dynasty Wide Receivers

Tre' Harris, Los Angeles Chargers

The most obvious breakout candidate on this list is L.A. Chargers wide receiver Tre' Harris.

Harris' minimal production in 2025 wasn't his fault. Behind Ladd McConkey, Keenan Allen, and Quentin Johnston, Harris had to slowly dig out any role at all -- and it was largely for his blocking skills:

New: Tre' Harris only had 4 catches for 27 yards vs. Miami-but it was his best all-around performance to date. Harris was impactful as a run blocker and played the most snaps in the WR room.

Harbaugh: "He graded out as the highest receiver in the game."https://t.co/zMPRPQxUXG

— Alex Insdorf (@alexinsdorf99) October 15, 2025

With Allen no longer in the picture, McConkey (35th in RotoBaller's dynasty rankings) and Johnston (124) are regarded more highly than Harris (136th). I'm not sure it's far-fetched to think the latter could still lead the team in targets.

Remember, this is a player who is the only Power 4 player to top 5.00 yards per route run (YPRR) on at least 200 routes. We're talking about a huge college production now attached to quarterback Justin Herbert and playcaller Mike McDaniel.

Regardless of position, Harris is my favorite buy in dynasty right now.

Tutu Atwell, Miami Dolphins

Something unexpected is going to come out of the Dolphins' wide receiver room, and I'm betting on Tutu Atwell.

Atwell's height (5'9") is probably what works against his perception with dynasty managers. He's not a big guy. However, he wasn't totally excluded from a decent role due to his stature, logging 21 games over the last four years where he saw at least 60% of the snaps:

The former Ole Miss star will never be a monster in the red zone with his frame, but just one touchdown in 21 games of extensive playing time is rotten luck.

Ultimately, I'm looking at the floor of 9.0 PPR points in each of the last three seasons when he's regularly seen the field, which would have ranked him as a top-55 wideout in PPG extrapolated to a full season.

Coming from the Rams, Atwell's situation is probably worse, but he's also likely to see a significant snap share and no longer competing with prime Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua for targets.

Even if you don't believe in his long-term outlook, he's a player you might be able to acquire for nothing and flip for a pick. Those are the sort of tiny moves that build dynasty contenders in the long run.

Treylon Burks, Washington Commanders

Treylon Burks has a chance to be an all-time example of "hold your talent" in dynasty leagues.

The former top-5 pick (in 2022 rookie drafts) busted out of his NFL landing spot with the Titans. Injuries plagued his tenure, and he was considered nearly out of the NFL before a tryout with the Commanders.

Even if Burks never accomplished anything again, he had the comeback moment of a lifetime last fall against Denver:

Was this TD by Treylon Burks the catch of the year?

🎥 @SNFonNBC pic.twitter.com/ByWsAlYVW2

— Bussin' With The Boys (@BussinWTB) February 21, 2026

Overall, Burks played in eight games, amassing 10 catches on 22 targets for 130 yards and that touchdown for a Washington offense that mostly lacked Jayden Daniels in 2025.

It was enough, though, to be part of the Commanders' plans at wideout when letting Deebo Samuel Sr. walk in free agency.

As days continue to pass without a Brandon Aiyuk deal, the former first-rounder is in a gaggle with rookie Antonio Williams, Jaylin Lane, Luke McCaffrey, and Dyami Brown for a wide-open WR2 job in Washington. He seems to be making a run for it:

Snagged it 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/6MANiWutpx

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) June 2, 2026

Tai Felton, Minnesota Vikings

If there's one thing the Vikings have continually proven they do well, it's draft wide receivers. Tai Felton could be a diamond in the rough if they're right again.

Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen, Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Jalen Nailor all showcased skills well beyond the slot in which they were drafted. Here's Felton, a third-round pick in 2025, who is largely ignored in dynasty, per his RotoBaller dynasty ranking of 371st overall.

Perhaps closest to Nailor two years ago, it'll take a little imagination to see Felton on the field. Jefferson, Addison, and the newly acquired Jauan Jennings are ahead of him on the depth chart, but the latter two have had immense trouble staying on the field.

Remember, Felton averaged 2.35 YPRR at Maryland in his senior season. He only got three targets last year, but caught all of them for 25 yards. Will Nailor's departure for Las Vegas open up a larger sample?

Deep-League Sleeper Dynasty Tight Ends

Gunnar Helm, Tennessee Titans

Last year, Brenton Strange and Theo Johnson were athletic, well-regarded prospects who got a chance and made something of it. Gunnar Helm is this year's version.

After the Titans let Chig Okonkwo walk in free agency, Helm sits relatively unopposed for passing down snaps, competing with Kylen Granson and Daniel Bellinger in that role. Both have fewer than 100 career catches in at least three NFL seasons.

The former Texas standout infamously sprained his ankle at the combine in 2025, spiraling from a potential Day 2 pick to an early fourth-rounder. He was 24th at the position last year (min. 20 targets) in YPRR (1.45).

Even if you're not a long-term believer, it's probably just a wise investment to look to get Helm now and dump him after a year. Strange kept his job. Johnson didn't. It's a low-risk roll of the dice who can function as a spot starter

Noah Gray, Kansas City Chiefs

Though the Chiefs have had a lot of needs to address in a miniature rebuild around Patrick Mahomes' record contract, they still aren't addressing tight end. It's time to ask if they're just comfortable with Noah Gray as the succession plan.

Gray caught five touchdowns alongside Travis Kelce in 2024 but had a quiet 2025. He logged at least 60% of the snaps in just four games as Kelce was healthy, but there were still really encouraging metrics.

He was 22nd among tight ends (min. 20 targets) in yards after catch per reception (5.3) and 31st in average depth of target (6.2). There's a verticality to his game:

Yes way, Noah Gray 🔥

📺: #KCvsNYJ on NBC⁰📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/cLJQ8MOopx pic.twitter.com/eyHuyuZomZ

— NFL (@NFL) October 2, 2023

Unfortunately, the former Duke contributor has an extremely sheddable contract beyond 2027, so there's a chance he gets usurped. He's also entirely free on waivers in many leagues, though.

Justin Joly, Denver Broncos

Amid a 2026 NFL Draft class that featured a run of blocking tight ends, Justin Joly was on an extremely short list of receiving threats beyond Kenyon Sadiq and Eli Stowers that might end up fantasy-relevant. His landing spot amplified that.

The Broncos' first pick came in Round 3, so spending a fifth-rounder on Joly might hold a bit more weight for them than another squad.

As a reminder, he caught 92 passes for 1,150 yards and 11 touchdowns for an inept N.C. State Wolfpack passing game. Two years ago, this was competing with KC Concepcion for targets, as well.

Evan Engram did not stay healthy in 2025 -- again -- and only reeled in 50 passes, losing his starting spot to Adam Trautman in certain weeks. It's a very similar "wide-open" situation to the one Oronde Gadsden II emerged from a year ago.

The rookie is a dark horse who goes in the final round of most rookie drafts and largely goes undrafted in startups.

More Fantasy Football Analysis