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Jackson highlights three fantasy football wide receiver sleepers for PPR leagues. Which wide receivers have extra PPR value for 2024 fantasy football drafts?
The 2024 NFL season is fast approaching, and fantasy football drafts are taking place earlier than ever before. Now is a great time to draft, especially while there are tons of undervalued players and sleepers available in the middle or late rounds.
PPR leagues have become more popular each season, and it's important to identify which players could have additional value in these setups versus standard or half-PPR leagues. We'll highlight three of those players in this article.
Who are three fantasy football wide receiver sleepers for PPR leagues? Let's dive into two underrated sleepers for traditional leagues and one deep-league sleeper that can be acquired near pick No. 200.
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Ladd McConkey, Los Angeles Chargers
McConkey was selected just outside the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft and became the second pick of the Jim Harbaugh era in L.A. The Georgia product caught 119 passes for 1,687 yards and 14 touchdowns in 39 collegiate games. He added 216 yards and four touchdowns on 13 carries as a rusher. His production profile is far from impressive, but it's worth noting he shared a field with Brock Bowers, Adonai Mitchell, Jermaine Burton, George Pickens, and James Cook during his time in Athens, and he dealt with injuries in the 2023 campaign.
Despite the mediocre raw numbers in college, the dynamism and athleticism he demonstrated during the pre-draft process propelled him into an early Day 2 pick. He recorded a 4.39 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine and registered an above-average burst score at 186 pounds.
Ladd McConkey said 🤫 @GeorgiaFootball pic.twitter.com/IT6XVTYxF3
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) November 13, 2022
While McConkey is unlikely to be a full-fledged superstar at the position, he could reasonably be the Chargers' target leader in 2024. Quentin Johnston was a flawed prospect who flamed out as a rookie, Joshua Palmer is a solid veteran but has a low ceiling, and D.J. Chark is a chunk-play specimen rather than a target earner. This could set up McConkey to eat underneath in the new-look L.A. offense led by Justin Herbert.
Herbert and McConkey have developed a strong chemistry early in the offseason, and Herbert praised the rookie for his ability to pick up the playbook. Although many believe the Chargers offense will be a bottom-dwelling unit or not have enough passing volume to support fantasy pass-catchers, it's difficult to envision a scenario where Herbert's WR1 is not at least a mid-range WR3.
Given McConkey's price outside the top 40 wideouts in PPR setups, make sure to leave at least one draft with him on your roster.
Curtis Samuel, Buffalo Bills
Although Curtis Samuel has seemingly been a "sleeper" candidate every season of his NFL career, his move to Buffalo gives him a higher ceiling than in prior years. The former college running back enjoyed his best campaign in 2020 under offensive coordinator Joe Brady, who now calls the shots on offense for the Bills.
During that season, Samuel caught 77 passes for 851 yards and three touchdowns and rushed 41 times for 200 yards and two scores. Brady knew how to utilize his skill set with Teddy Bridgewater at quarterback, so adding him to the offense as one of Josh Allen's primary weapons is exciting.
There's reason to be excited about Dalton Kincaid, Keon Coleman, and Khalil Shakir, but Samuel, who signed a three-year $24 million contract this offseason, is going to have a legitimate role. Expect him to be used heavily as a gadget player and in the short and intermediate passing attack. Although the Bills offense seems to be trending down after losing Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, we have to think Allen is great enough to elevate the unit as a whole, meaning Samuel could enjoy more touchdown upside than any point in his career.
In Samuel's final year as a Commander, he registered a 22.5% target rate (34th among qualified wideouts) and drew 15 red zone targets (eighth). As long as he commands playing time, these metrics could translate to fantasy success in a better situation.
Curtis Samuel was wide open 👀 @CurtisSamuel4__#CHIvsWAS on Prime Video
Also available on #NFLPlus https://t.co/YCeYJnyJmB pic.twitter.com/70WH4GwwrJ— NFL (@NFL) October 6, 2023
Since Shakir is the only wide receiver on the roster that has caught a pass from Allen in a game, who is to say Samuel isn't the highest-scoring Bills' wide receiver in 2024? Samuel is being priced around the WR50 spot, so that's a scenario worth rolling the dice on.
Jalen Tolbert, Dallas Cowboys
Do the Cowboys believe in Jalen Tolbert, or are they simply being negligent in improving its wide receiver room? Either way, the third-year pro should occupy at least the No. 3 wide receiver role in an explosive offense.
.@dak finds @Jalen8Tolbert in the back of the end zone!
📺: #DALvsWAS on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/X0vcyHUoyR pic.twitter.com/gJ5XGkvAjf— NFL (@NFL) January 7, 2024
Michael Gallup is out of town, and Brandin Cooks has looked well beyond his prime over the last two seasons. The six-time 1,000-yard receiver hasn't reached the 60-catch or 700-yard marks over the last two years. Among qualified wide receivers last season, Cooks ranked 64th in target share (14.3%), 72nd in target rate (16.1%), 76th in yards after catch (125), 66th in yards per route run (1.3), and 56th in route win rate (46.1%). His eight touchdowns made his season look better than it was, but there's a great chance he's simply not close to the same player as he was in his prime.
If Cooks regresses further, Tolbert could step into the WR2 role behind All-Pro wideout CeeDee Lamb. Lamb is a target hog and tight end Jake Ferguson is a solid target-earner, but given the weak running back room in Dallas, the offense should remain a high-flying pass-centric attack.
Tolbert has hauled in just 24 receptions for 280 yards and two touchdowns during his career, so he's highly unlikely to break out and become a 1,000-yard receiver. However, he could reasonably be a solid flex option for deep-league fantasy managers. Shallow-league fantasy gamers can likely ignore him in drafts and simply follow his progress, but he's available around pick 200, so he can be picked as a late-round flyer in deeper setups.
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