2019 Fantasy Football – 15 Sleepers (Sept. 1):
This is a list of my favorite 2019 fantasy football sleepers – underrated players who are going way later than they should. The Average Draft Position (ADP) is found on FantasyFootballCalculator.com.
The sleepers from 2018 were a hit, as some of the top players on the list were Phillip Lindsay, Chris Godwin, Kenny Golladay, George Kittle and Patrick Mahomes.
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Devin Singletary, RB, Bills. ADP: 11.05.
LeSean McCoy has been regressing the past couple of seasons, so we could see Devin Singletary eat into his workload as the season progresses. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if Singletary were starting by the end of the year, especially given the rumors that McCoy could be traded or released. Singletary is a very talented running back, and he was impressive in his preseason debut. He’s well worth his mid-11th-round ADP.
Update on Sept. 1: The Bills have released LeSean McCoy, which will raise Devin Singletary’s ADP. However, you could be drafting in a league where people are incompetent enough to use fantasy magazines, so Singletary could still be obtained for great value.
For more fantasy football sleepers for 2019, check out this video:
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Justice Hill, RB, Ravens. ADP: 12.02.
Mark Ingram is Baltimore’s starting running back, and I expect things to remain that way, barring injury. However, the Ravens are going to run the ball A LOT this year, and there will be games where two backs receive 20-plus touches. Justice Hill, a fourth-round rookie, is the favorite to be Ingram’s direct backup. Also, if Ingram were to get hurt, Hill could reach RB1 territory, given how dominant Baltimore’s ground attack is.
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Darwin Thompson, RB, Chiefs. ADP: 9.04.
Damien Williams hasn’t been able to stay healthy, so this could open the door for Darwin Thompson to start. Thompson was tremendous in his NFL debut against the Bengals in the preseason. Andy Reid, who has praised Thompson, is not afraid to feed the ball to rookie running backs, so Thompson is someone I’ll be targeting late in fantasy drafts.
Update on Aug. 20: I’ve moved Thompson up to No. 1 in the wake of this report (and the fact that he’s being drafted two rounds later than Devin Singletary):
Darwin Thompson has officially leapt Carlos Hyde on the depth chart, according to the Kansas City Star. Even better, Thompson is getting goal-line work with the first-string offense. This is obviously huge for his fantasy outlook, which I was bullish on before this report. Make sure you get Thompson on your fantasy roster, as his potential in Kansas City’s high-powered offense is through the roof.
Update on Sept. 1: I’m not as bullish on Darwin Thompson in the wake of the LeSean McCoy signing. I still think Thompson is still worth a pick in the late rounds because of his talent and potential, but I would no longer consider him in the middle of the draft.
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Dare Ogunbowale, RB, Buccaneers. ADP: Undrafted.
Dare Ogunbowale has been very impressive in the preseason, both as a runner and a receiver. I just added him to the sleepers list because Bruce Arians praised him extensively. Arians said Ogunbowale was a stellar pass protector, which is huge. That could mean he’ll see the field on third down at the very least. However, given that Peyton Barber and Ronald Jones are both underwhelming, there’s a non-zero chance that Ogunbowale will become Tampa’s starting running back at some point this season. Ogunbowale is someone I’d recommend drafting in the final round of any league you’re in, as his fantasy upside is through the roof.
As an aside, if you’re having trouble spelling Ogunbowale, here’s an easy way to learn how to do it correctly: Take out the “O” at the beginning of his last name, and you have Gun, Bow and Ale – three things that Daryl Dixon likely has on his person at all times. I’m a fan of O’Gun, Bow & Ale this season, and I’m going to try to have him on most of my fantasy rosters (though I imagine that by typing this, my league mates will make sure to steal him from me.)
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Geronimo Allison, WR, Packers. ADP: 9.08.
Geronimo Allison was one of my top sleepers last year, ranking as the No. 23 fantasy receiver. He was off to a good start – 19 catches, 289 yards, two touchdowns in his first four games – but then was lost for the year with a groin injury. Allison, who will be used in the slot, could have a nice season in 2019.
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Buddy Howell, RB, Texans. ADP: Undrafted.
Despite the Texans trading for Carlos Hyde, Buddy Howell is the Texan running back I’m most interested in aside from Duke Johnson in PPR formats. Howell was kept out of the preseason finale, which might mean that the Texans envision him as a part of their offense. Howell is worth selecting in the final rounds of non-PPR fantasy drafts, especially in the wake of the Laremy Tunsil trade.
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James Washington, WR, Steelers. ADP: 9.11.
With Antonio Brown gone, someone will have to catch passes besides JuJu Smith-Schuster. James Washington was selected in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft, so the potential is there to have a breakout 2019 campaign. Washington has been excellent in three preseason games thus far.
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Justin Jackson, RB, Chargers. ADP: 11.06.
Drafting Justin Jackson comes with immense risk in the middle rounds because he’ll be worthless if Melvin Gordon ends his holdout. However, his current ADP makes him worth it. If Gordon holds out into the regular season, Jackson could be a big producer in standard leagues.
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Damien Harris, RB, Patriots. ADP: 12.05.
The Patriots spent a third-round pick on Damien Harris, so they obviously think very highly of him. Sony Michel is the starter, but he had a knee scope earlier in the offseason and is a major injury risk for 2019. It’s possible that Harris could start a handful of games this year.
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Marquez Valdes-Scantling, WR, Packers. ADP: 9.03.
Aaron Rodgers told the media that Marquez Valdes-Scantling has enjoyed a great spring, and other reports confirm that. Valdes-Scantling will at least be the third receiver in Green Bay’s offense, which means he’ll have significant fantasy production as long as Rodgers is healthy. Unfortunately, his ADP has risen enough that he doesn’t provide great value anymore.
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Dion Lewis, RB, Titans. ADP: 13.09.
Dion Lewis is being drafted way too late. Derrick Henry is dealing with injuries, and I have a feeling that his late-season surge was a flash in the pan. The Titans will also have a tougher time running the ball with offensive line coach Mike Munchak gone, so they may need Lewis to do more work as a receiver out of the backfield.
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Tre’Quan Smith, WR, Saints. ADP: 14.09.
The 14th round seems awfully late for Drew Brees’ No. 2 receiver. Tre’Quan Smith is entering his second year, so he’s expected to make a big leap from his rookie campaign in which he registered 427 yards and five touchdowns. I think he can double the former number in 2019.
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Preston Williams, WR, Dolphins. ADP: Undrafted.
Preston Williams was the best player on the field for either Miami or Atlanta in the preseason opener. An undrafted rookie, Williams made some breath-taking catches. He secured a reception when a defender was draped all over him. He snared a one-handed grab for 36 yards. He also made a nice adjustment on a back-shoulder throw and then reeled in a great, leaping catch over cornerback Kendall Sheffield. Perhaps the most impressive play saw Williams make a terrific toe-tapping catch along the sideline, which was ruled a reception after replay review. Williams was amazing, tallying four catches for 97 yards. He hasn’t been as good since, but there’s still a legitimate chance that the 6-foot-5, 218-pound Williams eventually ends up as Miami’s No. 1 receiver.
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Tyler Eifert, TE, Bengals. ADP: Undrafted.
I know, I know, Tyler Eifert will get injured at some point. However, he’s currently going undrafted, and someone besides Tyler Boyd will need to catch passes early in the season while A.J. Green is injured.
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Josh Allen, QB, Bills. ADP: 13.05.
Josh Allen was a huge producer down the stretch last year because of his great scrambling ability. He didn’t do much as a passer, but the Bills added some talented receivers and upgraded the offensive line this offseason. Allen looked much more like a quarterback in his second preseason game, so perhaps this is a sign of things to come.
More 2019 Fantasy Football Articles:
Fantasy Football Rankings
2019 Fantasy Football Rankings:
2019 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterbacks - 8/26 (Walt)
Chet Gresham's Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings - 8/12 (Chet)
2019 Fantasy Football Rankings: Running Backs - 9/4 (Walt)
Chet Gresham's Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings - 8/12 (Chet)
2019 Fantasy Football Rankings: Wide Receivers - 9/3 (Walt)
Chet Gresham's Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings - 8/12 (Chet)
2019 Fantasy Football Rankings: Tight Ends - 8/29 (Walt)
Chet Gresham's Fantasy Football Tight End Rankings - 8/12 (Chet)
2019 Fantasy Football Rankings: Kickers - 5/11 (Walt)
2019 Fantasy Football Rankings: Defenses - 5/11 (Walt)
Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings: Dynasty - 8/27 (Walt)
2019 Fantasy Football Mock Drafts:
2019 Fantasy Football Mock Draft - 8/29 (Walt)
2019 Fantasy Football Real Draft - 8/28 (Walt)
2019 Fantasy Football PPR Mock Draft - 8/22 (Walt)
2019 Fantasy Football Mock Draft - 8/15 (Walt)
2019 Fantasy Football PPR Mock Draft - 8/8 (Walt)
2019 Fantasy Football Mock Draft - 8/1 (Walt)
Fantasy Football Experts Draft - 6/23 (Walt)
2019 Fantasy Football Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft - 5/23 (Walt)
2019 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheets:
2019 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 - 9/4 (Walt)
2019 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 PPR - 9/4 (Walt)
2019 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 Half-PPR - 9/4 (Walt)
2019 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 2-QB - 9/4 (Walt)
2019 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 Touchdown League - 9/4 (Walt)
2019 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Custom - 9/4 (Walt)
2019 Fantasy Football: Dynasty Rankings - 9/4 (Walt)
2019 Fantasy Football Spreadsheets - 9/4 (Walt)
2019 Fantasy Football Articles:
2019 Fantasy Football Stock Report: OTAs, Training Camp - 9/4 (Walt)
2019 Fantasy Football Sleepers - 9/1 (Walt)
2019 NFL Preseason Game Recaps - 8/30 (Walt)
2019 Fantasy Football Stock Report: Preseason Games - 8/30 (Walt)
2019 Fantasy Football Busts - 8/27 (Walt)
2019 Fantasy Football: Wide Receiver Values - 8/20 (Chet)
2019 Fantasy Football: Running Back Values - 8/13 (Chet)
2019 Fantasy Football: Quarterback Values - 8/8 (Chet)
2019 Fantasy Football Round-by-Round Strategy Guide - 8/7 (Walt)
2024 NFL Mock Draft - April 16
NFL Power Rankings - Feb. 22
Fantasy Football Rankings - Feb. 19
NFL Picks - Feb. 12
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