Fantasy Football: 5 Sleepers for Week 2

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 2

Jordan Mason, RB, San Francisco 49ers

FanDuel Salary: $5,500

We need to get this one out of the way -- Jordan Mason is not an "under the radar" play if you've been paying any attention, but his tame $5.5K salary makes him the closest thing we have to a must-roster should Christian McCaffrey (calf) sit out again in Week 2.

Mason was slotted into a starting role for the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night after a late CMC scratch. He handled 28 carries for 147 rush yards and one score, totaling a seismic 24.7 FanDuel points.

He managed 5.3 yards per carry against a ninth-ranked New York Jets rush defense (per numberFire's metrics), one that entered the season with a first-ranked defensive line (per PFF). It wasn't just a role change that has Mason on our radar.

Identical to last week, McCaffery has been a limited participant in practice this week. Adam Schefter reports there is "a strong possibility" he sits again on Sunday opposite the Minnesota Vikings.

In turn, the market is handing Mason -165 odds to score a touchdown this weekend. He likely won't handle anywhere close to 28 carries again, but Minnesota's 30th-ranked defensive line offers him an opportunity to keep up his efficiency.

If CMC sits, 70 to 80 yards and a touchdown score are very much in play for Mason on a Niners team that touts a 26.5-point total. That's something we'll want to get in on at $5.5K, even if everyone and their mother rosters Mason.

Demarcus Robinson, WR, Los Angeles Rams

FanDuel Salary: $5,200

It felt wrong to mention someone who is likely to carry a massive rostership rate this week when the topic at hand is sleepers. So, here's someone with high potential this Sunday who won't draw the masses to such a degree as Mason will if CMC is out.

Demarcus Robinson has been around for the Los Angeles Rams. He logged 4 touchdown scores via an 11.8% red zone target share a season ago, even with Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp crowding the wideout room. He also averaged a shining 14.3 yards per catch in 2023.

Then on Sunday, we saw Robinson handle seven targets for 43 yards. His usage was made even more intriguing with a 95.9% route rate and a 16.7% red zone target share. Even still, that's not enough for Robinson to stand out at a $5.2K salary -- that is until we heard word about Nacua's knee injury.

The Rams placed Nacua on the IR, and he is expected to miss at least four games. A few Rams get a DFS bump as a result, including Robinson.

This weekend, Robinson will slide into a role as Matthew Stafford's WR2. Nacua was handed 160 targets (sixth-most in NFL) in 2023, and a portion of that share should be gifted to Robinson, especially since the Rams were already working on getting him involved on offense.

The kicker? Los Angeles will visit the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. Arizona entered the year with the worst-ranked defensive line, secondary, and linebacker unit (per PFF) and currently shake out as numberFire's fourth-worst defense. In turn, the Rams tout a 23.5-point implied total this weekend despite Nacua's injury.

Brandin Cooks, WR, Dallas Cowboys

FanDuel Salary: $5,600

Let's target another lower-salaried wideout who could benefit from a key injury this weekend.

I'm not the world's biggest Brandin Cooks fan, but I can't argue that his usage on a powerhouse Dallas Cowboys offense garners at least some attention.

Cooks was targeted seven times for 40 yards and one touchdown in Dallas' 33-17 win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. He put up notable numbers even in the face of an eighth-ranked Cleveland pass D (per numberFire) that entered 2024 with a sixth-ranked secondary (per PFF).

Now, he and Dallas will move on to face a New Orleans Saints group that is fresh off the heels of the tamest competition of all, the Carolina Panthers. The Saints have a good defensive unit, but the Cowboys are still being fed a 26.5-point total with -122 odds on the over. That puts Cooks in a spot to eat up some yardage, especially since Jake Ferguson (knee) might be out this weekend.

Ferguson was a DNP in practice on Wednesday. While Ferguson's injury was initially believed to be worse than reality, I wouldn't be surprised if Dallas plays it safe with him this early on in the season. Ferguson was targeted five times in Week 1 and logged 50.0% of the team's red zone looks. A season ago, he handled a 16.9% target share and a 23.6% red zone target share.

Cooks carries plenty of risk, but if Ferguson is out, I'd consider working this $5.6K-salaried wideout into my lineup, as he could be playing second-fiddle on an offense that has the second-highest (tied with two teams) implied team total on Sunday's main slate.

Allen Lazard, WR, New York Jets

FanDuel Salary: $4,500

I think Aaron Rodgers might like Allen Lazard.

The Green Bay Packers-turned-New York Jets duo connected six times during Monday night's game, resulting in 89 yards and a pair of touchdowns for Lazard. He put up an unforeseen 23.89 FanDuel points in Week 1.

Lazard's $4.5K salary for this week states the obvious: last Monday's game is expected to be an outlier performance. Will Lazard continue to average 14.8 yards per catch and receive 50.0% of red zone looks on an offense that also features Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall? No, not even close.

With that said, I don't think we should overthink this too much. When a player is handed nine targets, we have to flag that, particularly given Lazard's ultra-low salary and Rodgers' clear-cut affinity toward him.

The Jets will take on a pretty strong Tennessee Titans defense this weekend, though New York is still being offered a 23.5-point implied total.

Past Wilson, Lazard, and Hall, there were only three other total targets to speak of for New York on Monday. As New York's offense continues to get acclimated under Rodgers, I have no problem taking a chance on the wideout he feels most comfortable with.

Hayden Hurst, TE, Los Angeles Chargers

FanDuel Salary: $4,600

The tight end position in DFS is a wasteland.

Sam LaPorta ($7,900) carries an offensively high salary, Travis Kelce ($7,400) has usage concerns, and no one really knows how to handle Mark Andrews ($6,800) after seeing him log only two targets in Week 1. You are well within your rights to fade the top-salaried tight ends. Isaiah Likely ($5,800) seems like the obvious choice, but he'll likely draw a massive rostership rate after going wild with 24.6 FanDuel points in Week 1.

Given these concerns, we want to find a modest-salaried sleeper candidate at tight end. Is a Hayden Hurst ($4,600) revenge game loading?

Hurst was a non-factor with the Carolina Panthers a season ago, but he could be in for a fun week now that he'll face his fantasy-friendly former team.

The Panthers surrendered 47 points to the Saints in Week 1. They're a squad we'll look to beat up on all season. According to numberFire, they have the third-worst overall defense and the fifth-worst pass D. Last week, they allowed two tight ends on the Saints -- Foster Moreau and Juwan Johnson -- to reach the end zone.

Hurst, meanwhile, ran 76.9% of the routes in his first game with the Los Angeles Chargers. He was targeted three times for 33 yards, including a 20.0% red zone target share. He's a sneaky candidate to score this weekend, and a date with the Panthers might provide him with his best matchup of the season.

Gear up for NFL season! Customers who bet $5 will get a free trial of NFL Sunday Ticket from YouTube & YouTube TV! This promo expires September 22nd. See here for full terms and conditions.

Interested in playing NFL DFS? Head over to FanDuel’s daily fantasy football lobby to see all the offerings for this week's slates.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!

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.