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Early Fantasy Football Sleepers for 2024

Zach Charbonnet - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL DFS and Betting Picks

Potential fantasy football sleepers for 2024 early in the NFL offseason. Dave Ventresca details potential sleepers and explains why you should be targeting said players.

One of the best parts of playing fantasy football is finding potential sleepers in the draft. Whenever you hear a league mate exclaim “Who?” after your pick, you know instantly you’ve done something right. That is the kind of edge you want over the rest of your league.

There are sleepers in the draft every year. If you can identify a few, it can propel you to a fantasy football title.

Make sure you keep up to date with all your fantasy football needs by following RotoBaller on X and checking out RotoBaller.com. Here are several early sleepers to target in your 2024 fantasy football draft.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Quarterbacks

Jayden Daniels

Drafted second overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, Daniels will provide fantasy gamers with immediate upside thanks to his rushing abilities.

Quarterbacks with rushing chops have long been fantasy football cheat codes. If you miss out on the top options in your draft, Daniels is a good safety net. He has a solid floor and could be a huge steal in drafts if he hits the ground running.

Deshaun Watson

While he struggled with injuries and overall lousy play, Watson still found a way to be productive in fantasy football last year.

There are still many concerns surrounding Watson. He’s only started 12 games in the last four seasons. However, these concerns are baked into this average draft position (ADP). He’s coming off draft boards as the QB23 in National Fantasy Football Championship (NFFC) leagues. If he stays on the field, Watson can smash this ADP and be a massive value. He’s a good option for managers who prefer to wait on quarterbacks.

 

Running Backs

Zach Charbonnet

Charbonnet is armed with a smashmouth running style that can be difficult for defenders to handle.

He finished higher than running mate Kenneth Walker in Next Gen Stats Rush Yards Over Expectation (RYOE) and Rush Yards Over Expectation Per Attempt (RYOE/ATT). He’s arguably the better back.

A new coaching staff arrives in Seattle this year. They have no loyalty to any of the current players. It’s unclear who this new staff will favor. Charbonnet can provide standalone value if he forces more touches and could eventually emerge as the favored back if he outplays Walker during the season.

Rico Dowdle

To the surprise of many, the Dallas Cowboys did not add a running back during April’s draft. It was an unexpected move after the team let Tony Pollard walk in free agency. This leaves Dowdle in a position to potentially capitalize.

Dallas did bring back former starter Ezekiel Elliott, but he is clearly nearing the end of his career. Elliott’s yards per carry (YPC) have declined each of the last three seasons, culminating with a career-low 3.5 YPC last year. He also finished just 41st in RYOE. Dowdle only carried the ball 89 times last season but showed potential whenever he did receive the ball. He should command a healthy amount of touches. Given Elliott’s age and declining play, we are likely looking at a timeshare in Dallas. Dowdle should be the more effective player. If he plays well enough, he might be able to take over lead-back duties in this offense.

 

Wide Receivers

Dontayvion Wicks

Wicks flashed potential in his debut season with the Packers. He certainly looked the part as his route-running acumen turned heads throughout the year.

In limited action, Wicks posted some impressive advanced metrics. He checked in with a 23% targets per route run (TPRR) along with a 2.31 yards per route run (YPRR), per Fantasy Points Data Suite. This comes in a small sample, but it’s the kind of data you love seeing from a rookie. Green Bay’s receiving room is crowded, yet it’s unclear who will eventually emerge as the top option.

With an NFFC ADP of 161.03, Wicks is a good flier pick at the end of drafts. He should only improve going forward and can become a go-to option in this offense. With a little luck, he can become Jordan Love’s top target.

Ja'Lynn Polk

New England had been looking to make a significant investment in the wide receiver position all offseason. After losing out on Calvin Ridley in free agency, they turned around and spent the 37th overall pick on Polk in last month’s draft. He enjoyed a nice senior year at the University of Washington. Polk totaled over 1,100 receiving yards and scored nine touchdowns in the air. His underlying data was also strong as he touted a solid 2.42 YPRR in 2023, per Pro Football Focus (PFF). He's likely to have a large role right away.

This is a team in desperate need of pass-catchers. There’s a clear opening for someone to emerge as the Patriots’ WR1. Polk has talent and draft capital in his corner. He can be a solid WR3 or flex option in PPR leagues.

 

Tight Ends

Pat Freiermuth

After a TE8 finish in 2022, he struggled with injuries and inconsistent play last year. A TE30 finish was the ultimate result. With Diontae Johnson no longer in the picture, there is room for Freiermuth to reenter the fantasy scene.

After George Pickens, Freiermuth is the next-best pass catcher in Pittsburgh’s offense. The team did select Roman Wilson in Round 3 of the NFL Draft. However, he is a very raw prospect and is unlikely to make an immediate impact in Year 1.

When it comes to tight ends, we typically want to aim for players who are one of the top two options in the passing game. Freiermuth checks this box. If you miss out on tight end early, the fourth-year veteran is a good bounce-back candidate to target later in drafts.

Greg Dulcich

Coach Sean Payton has talked multiple times about Dulcich filling the “joker” role in Denver’s offense. We have previously seen Jimmy Graham experience a high level of success in this role. While he’s not Graham, Dulcich can flourish in Payton’s offense.

The Broncos shipped Jerry Jeudy off to Cleveland. The only major addition they made to the receiving room was selecting Troy Franklin in Round 4 of the draft. He projects more as a speed-based flanker, so it’s uncertain how large of a role he’ll have in the offense.

There are targets up for grabs here. It’s unclear who will be rookie Bo Nix’s No. 1 option. The third-year tight end could eventually emerge as a safety blanket for the rookie signal-caller. Dulcich just needs to stay healthy, and he could be a surprise breakout at the tight end position.



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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Tyler Soderstrom

Returns to A's Lineup
Tyler Warren

Sidelined on Wednesday with Toe Injury
Jaylen Waddle

Questionable for Week 3 Against Buffalo
Joe Burrow

Bengals Not Closing the Door on Joe Burrow Returning This Year
CFB

LaNorris Sellers to Play Against Missouri?
Kyle Tucker

Progress has "Plateaued"
Isaac Paredes

has "Outside Chance" to Return This Weekend
CFB

Kaidon Salter Expected To Start for Colorado on Saturday
Willson Contreras

Goes on 10-Day Injured List, Done for Season
Justin Fields

Ruled Out for Week 3 Due to Concussion
Jayden Reed

Out Indefinitely After Foot and Shoulder Surgery
Washington Commanders

Preston Smith Signs With Commanders
Trey Jemison III

Joins Knicks on Two-Way Contract
Kevin McCullar Jr.

Signs New Two-Way Deal With Knicks
Matt Ryan

Returns to Knicks on Exhibit 10 Contract
New York Knicks

Alex Len Signs Exhibit 9 Deal With Knicks
Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Expected to Take on Larger Offensive Role With Hawks
Thomas Sorber

Undergoes Surgery
Dominic Canzone

Has Five-Hit, Three-Homer Game Tuesday
Cal Raleigh

Sets Single-Season Home Run Record for a Switch-Hitter
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Undergoes Clavicle and Foot Surgeries, Out for Foreseeable Future
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to Miss Rest of Regular Season
Zach Neto

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Hand Injury
Yordan Alvarez

Out on Tuesday, Dealing With "Significant" Ankle Sprain
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Vikings Place Aaron Jones Sr. on Injured Reserve With Hamstring Injury
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Diego Pavia Refutes Report of Seeking Seventh Collegiate Season
Christian Kirk

Expected to Return in Week 3
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Diego Pavia Seeking Another Year of Eligibility
Tarik Skubal

on Track to Start Thursday
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Kevorian Barnes Questionable Against SMU
Bo Bichette

has Short-Term Knee Injury, Could Return for Postseason
Tosan Evbuomwan

Joins Knicks
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Kai Jones Links Up With EuroLeague Team
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Returns to Spurs
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Rejoins Timberwolves
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Moves to Brooklyn
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Sets Franchise Strikeout Record On Monday
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To Receive MRI For Sprained Left Ankle On Tuesday
Willson Contreras

Exits Early Monday With Right-Biceps Tightness
Yordan Alvarez

Exits With Ankle Sprain
Brock Bowers

Officially Active on Monday Night
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Day-to-Day With Ankle Injury
Logan O'Hoppe

Activated Off Seven-Day Injured List
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Denton Mateychuk Dealing With Groin Issue
Bo Horvat

Fine for Training Camp
Kirby Dach

on Track to Be Ready for Opening Night
Jose Altuve

Returns Against Rangers
J.J. McCarthy

Expected to Miss 2-4 Weeks With High-Ankle Sprain
J.J. McCarthy

Likely Out for Week 3 With High-Ankle Sprain
Jean Silva

Gets Finished For The First Time In His Career
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Unlikely to Play in Week 3 Due to Hamstring Injury
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Returns To The Win Column
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' Week 3 Status in Doubt
Rob Font

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Wins His Second UFC Fight
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Rafa Garcia

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
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Dealing with Wrist Injury
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Gets Back In The Win Column
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Suffers Second-Round TKO
Alexander Hernandez

Extends His Win Streak With A Brutal TKO
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Suffers First-Round Knockout
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Shines In His UFC Debut
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Earns his First Bristol Cup Series Victory
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Chase Briscoe

Collects his Third Top-10 Finish at Bristol
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Strong Top-Five Bristol Performance Advances him to the Playoffs
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Dennis Schroder Named EuroBasket MVP
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Giants to Promote Bryce Eldridge
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Progressing in Recovery
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Receives New Offer From Warriors
Kenneth Walker III

Bounces Back with Big Week 2 Performance
Bijan Robinson

Rushes for 143 Yards in Week 2
Justin Fields

Currently in Concussion Protocol
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Bengals Calling Around to Available Free-Agent Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow

to Undergo Surgery, Out at Least Three Months
Emil Heineman

Aiming to Take the "Next Step" This Season
Braeden Cootes

Good to Go for Camp
Ivan Fedotov

Blue Jackets Acquire Ivan Fedotov From Flyers
Garrett Crochet

Punches Out 12 in Win
Cole Ragans

to Return on Wednesday
George Kirby

Strikes Out 14 in Win
Quentin Grimes

Still Not Close to a New Contract Agreement
Joel Embiid

"Looking Slender, Spry and in Positive Spirits"
Ty Gibbs

Has Arguably his Best Career Drive, but Only Finishes 10th
Chase Elliott

Despite Crashing Out at Bristol, Chase Elliott Advances to Round of 12
Austin Dillon

Misses Round of 12 After Extremely Mediocre Bristol Run
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Fails to Advance to Round of 12
Josh Berry

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Ryan Williams Explodes In Return To Field
CFB

Drew Allar Plays Mediocre Game In Blowout Win
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Jeremiah Smith Impresses In Win
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Sam Leavitt Shines As Arizona State Rebounds From Week 2 Loss
Ivan Demidov

Turning Heads in Rookie Camp
NHL

Calvin de Haan Signs With Swedish Team
Samuel Girard

Skates With Non-Contact Jersey
Mackenzie Blackwood

Dealing With Injury Ahead of Training Camp
Spencer Knight

Signs Three-Year Extension With Blackhawks
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May have Another Solid Run at Bristol
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Kyle Busch

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Is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Too Risky to Consider Rostering at Bristol?
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Could be A Solid Value Option For Bristol DFS Lineups
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NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not as Strong at Bristol as Other Short Tracks
Alex Bowman

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Ross Chastain

has Never Led at Bristol but Has Been Pretty Consistent
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Josh Berry

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Austin Simmons Listed As Game-Time Decision Against Arkansas
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Antonio Williams Out Against Georgia Tech
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CJ Bailey Flashes Again in Win Over Wake Forest
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Jaxson Moi a Game-Time Decision for Tennessee on Saturday
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