The word "sleeper" gets thrown around a lot in the world of fantasy football, to the point where an actual definition may vary from person to person. In general, in my eyes, sleepers are players who may be flying relatively under the radar in a particular field.

In any case, we all need to find a sleeper from time to time. Whether you're a season-long fantasy football manager looking to roster a potential breakout player before your league-mates, someone playing NFL DFS on FanDuel who needs a spike week from a low-salaried player, or even just a manager in a pinch due to byes or injuries, we have you covered.

Here are some fantasy sleepers who could have a big week this week.

We'll reference our NFL projections. All NFL odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

Fantasy Football Sleepers: Week 15

Jameis Winston, QB, Browns

FanDuel Salary: $7,000

There is always going to be risk playing Jameis Winston in any fantasy format, but the volume is there for him to exceed expectations in any matchup. Winston has now made six starts for the Cleveland Browns this season, and he's attempted 41-plus passes in five of those contests.

While Winston has registered -0.10 expected points added per drop back (via NextGenStats) across his six starts, he's averaging 315.3 passing yards and 2 passing touchdowns per game, and he's been aggressive with a 9.3-yard average depth of target in that span. In terms of fantasy results, Winston has finished as the QB12 or better in four of his six starts, which includes a QB1 output in Week 13 against the Denver Broncos.

Besides Sunday's clash between the Browns and Kansas City Chiefs being played at the second-fastest pace among games in Week 15, the Chiefs' defense has looked susceptible against the pass recently. Kansas City is permitting the 11th-most fantasy points per game to QBs while ranking 22nd in pressure rate (32.0%) and 21st in completion percentage over expected (+0.01%).

With the Browns playing at home and needing to keep pace with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, I expect Winston to put the ball in the air plenty -- which could be viewed as a positive or negative due to Winston's volatility.

Sincere McCormick, RB, Raiders

FanDuel Salary: $5,800

Upon hiring Antonio Pierce as their full-time head coach before the 2024 campaign, the Las Vegas Raiders wanted to establish an identity of being a run-centric, physical team. Even though the Raiders are averaging the fewest rushing yards per game (79.1) entering Week 15, they may have found a potential solution to their rushing woes.

In the Week 14 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sincere McCormick made his first start of the season, and he performed well in an expanded role. Aside from having an elite name, McCormick produced an impressive 2.03 rushing yards over expected per attempt, a 60% rushing success rate, and 89 scrimmage yards per game on 17 touches and a 59.4% snap rate versus the Bucs.

Despite McCormick facing a stout Atlanta Falcons run defense (they are giving up the seventh-fewest fantasy points per game to RBs) in Week 15, the volume is likely going to be there for McCormick -- especially with the Raiders dealing with injuries at the QB position. Additionally, Zamir White has recently been placed on injured reserve and Alexander Mattison has been dealing with an ankle injury that has forced him to miss three straight games.

Even if Mattison returns this week, there's no reason for the Raiders to play him over McCormick down the stretch. If Isaac Guerendo is ruled out for the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night, then Patrick Taylor becomes another viable sleeper option at RB this week.

Quentin Johnston, WR, Chargers

FanDuel Salary: $5,900

There are multiple factors that could determine the level of confidence I have in playing Quentin Johnston in Week 15 against the Buccaneers. For starters, the status of Ladd McConkey is something that we'll need to pay close attention to after the rookie wideout was unable to play for the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 14 versus the Chiefs due to knee and shoulder injuries.

Amid McConkey's absence in Week 14, Johnston hauled in 5 of his 7 targets for 48 yards while recording the second-highest target share (24.1%) and air yards share (25.8%) on the Chargers. In addition to that, Johnston caught the lone receiving touchdown for Los Angeles, adding to his team-high total of seven receiving scores this season.

The matchup is a favorable one for Johnston and the wideouts on the Chargers with the Buccaneers coughing up the 10th-most fantasy points per game to the position. Tampa Bay's defense is also allowing the third-most receptions (179) and ninth-most receiving yards (2,033) to WRs, paving the way for LA's aerial attack to be effective on Sunday.

While McConkey being ruled out would provide a boost for Johnston, the second-year pass catcher can still be a boom-or-bust option in season-long or DFS formats in Week 15.

Hunter Henry, TE, Patriots

FanDuel Salary: $5,000

A lack of touchdowns is one of the only things preventing Hunter Henry from being a top-10 TE in fantasy right now. Entering Week 15, Henry is TE15 in fantasy points per game (7.4) and TE12 overall (96) in half-PPR formats despite having just one touchdown to his name in 13 starts for the New England Patriots.

The volume and usage Henry is logging for the Pats since Drake Maye became the starting signal-caller in Week 6 suggests he should have more touchdowns under his belt. Over the last eight games with Maye getting him the ball, Henry is registering team-high metrics in target share (22.1%), red-zone target share (29.4%), receptions per game (5.3), and receiving yards per game (53.8) while not having a touchdown in five straight appearances.

Comparatively, Austin Hooper (Henry's backup) has two touchdowns since Week 6 -- both coming in back-to-back games before New England's bye week in Week 14 -- despite earning just a 10.7% target share and 6.5% red-zone target share during that sample. It's only a matter of time before Hooper's scoring opportunities start bouncing in the direction of Henry.

While the Arizona Cardinals surrender the fourth-fewest fantasy points per game to TEs, Henry's volume and rapport with Maye make him a viable option in most matchups due to the TE position being tough to predict.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.