Fantasy Football: 6 Sleepers for Week 1

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 1

Geno Smith, QB, Seahawks

FanDuel Salary: $7,000

The Seattle Seahawks will open the season at home against the Denver Broncos, giving Geno Smith a solid matchup to begin the year. After throwing for 4,282 yards and 30 touchdowns in 2022, Smith totaled only 3,624 passing yards and 20 passing touchdowns in 2023.

The good news is that Smith has a new offensive coordinator, Ryan Grubb, who helped the Washington Huskies field one of the best aerial attacks in college football in recent years. While Kenneth Walker III is certainly a formidable play in a home game where the Seahawks are favored by nearly a touchdown, this could be the last time we get Smith at this salary in DFS if the aerial attack looks better than it did last year.

Denver's defense was a below-average unit in 2023, allowing the fifth-most FanDuel points per drop back (0.48) and the sixth-highest completion percentage over expected (0.03), per NextGenStats. Aside from adding John Franklin-Myers via trade along the defensive line, the Broncos are essentially leaning on All-Pro cornerback Pat Surtain II with veteran safety Justin Simmons departing.

Ahead of Week 1, our projections have Smith putting up the most points among quarterbacks with a salary of $7,000 or lower in DFS. For those who need to stream a quarterback or are looking for a low-salary QB to use in DFS, Smith is a viable option versus the Broncos.

Chuba Hubbard, RB, Panthers

FanDuel Salary: $5,600

Rookie running back Jonathon Brooks will miss the first four games of the 2024 season as he remains on the non-football injury list due to a torn ACL he suffered in his final collegiate season with the Texas Longhorns. Until Brooks can return, Chuba Hubbard is slated to handle the majority of the backfield work for the Carolina Panthers.

Despite the Panthers handing Miles Sanders a four-year deal before last season, Hubbard led the team in rushing success rate (37.8%), rushing yards over expected per attempt (0.19), adjusted opportunities per game (19.2), and route rate (41.1%). Being that new head coach Dave Canales comes from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers where he had Rachaad White handle 336 touches in 2023, Hubbard shouldn't see much competition until Brooks is healthy.

Even though the Panthers are 3.5-point underdogs and the total is set at 41.5 for Sunday's divisional bout versus the New Orleans Saints, Hubbard's rushing yards prop is set higher than Alvin Kamara's. Additionally, Hubbard has the shortest anytime touchdown scorer odds (-105) in the Panthers-Saints matchup.

At the moment, our projections have Hubbard racking up 65 rushing yards on 16 attempts while he's being given the best chance of scoring a touchdown (0.33) among running backs with a salary of $5,600 or lower. Getting a back with a three-down role at this salary makes Hubbard a sleeper candidate in DFS and season-long leagues, regardless of the middling road matchup against the Saints.

Jameson Williams, WR, Lions

FanDuel Salary: $5,800

Someone needs to step up in the Detroit Lions' aerial attack alongside Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta, and the team is hoping Jameson Williams is prepared to ascend into star status in 2024. Since being taken in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, Williams has failed to live up to expectations due to injuries and other factors.

Across 15 games (including the playoffs) last season, Williams posted only a 9.5% target share and 1.30 yards per route run, but his 21.9% air yards share was second on the team behind Josh Reynolds. Reynolds is no longer on the Lions, and the need for a vertical threat in a Jared Goff-led offense is still evident following a collapse in the second half of the NFC title game against the San Francisco 49ers.

In Week 1, Williams and the Lions will square off against the Los Angeles Rams in a rematch of last season's NFC wild card contest. Goff threw for 277 yards in last year's meeting, and the Rams aren't a defense we should be avoiding despite them adding a handful of notable players during the offseason via the draft and free agency.

Whenever playing Williams, the hope is for him to get deep targets down the field that potentially result in a long touchdown. He's a boom-or-bust play in any fantasy format. That being said, Sunday night's showdown between the Lions and Rams carries the highest total (51.5), and Williams is expected to take on a larger role than he did last year, so maybe the floor will be better than what we've seen from him previously.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seahawks

FanDuel Salary: $5,200

Whenever a player disappoints in fantasy football, people tend to stray away from targeting them the following season. Along with believing Geno Smith is in store for a bounce-back year, I think Jaxon Smith-Njigba can put together a breakout campaign for the Seahawks in 2024.

An injured wrist limited Smith-Njigba to begin his rookie season in 2023, and he finished with 63 receptions, 628 receiving yards, and 4 receiving touchdowns in 17 games. Ryan Grubb -- the new offensive coordinator of the Seahawks -- featured three talented receivers in his offense at Washington, and he figures to do the same for Seattle with D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Smith-Njigba.

Despite competing for targets with Metcalf and Lockett -- who combined for a 45.3% target share in 2023 -- Smith-Njigba can close the gap or even surpass Lockett in usage this season. Lockett will be turning 32 years old near the end of September, and he's seen his yards per route run drop in each of the last three seasons, falling from 2.35 in 2021 to 1.61 in 2023.

Smith-Njigba led the Seahawks in slot rate (69.0%) a season ago (according to PFF), and he'll likely draw Ja'Quan McMillian in coverage on Sunday. McMillian is the projected starting nickelback for the Broncos in Week 1 after he allowed 41 receptions for 469 yards and 8 touchdowns on 67 targets in coverage last year.

Jermaine Burton, WR, Bengals

FanDuel Salary: $4,800

With each day that passes, it seems less likely that Ja'Marr Chase is going to be available for the Cincinnati Bengals in their season opener versus the New England Patriots. If Chase misses out on Sunday's contest, Jermaine Burton is an interesting rookie wideout to consider in deeper leagues and as a salary-saving option in DFS.

While I've already spoken about Burton as a player to stash ahead of Week 1, Cincinnati's initial depth chart has him listed as the direct backup to Chase. Even though Week 1 depth charts can be misleading at times, Burton's big-play ability can help him get on the field sooner rather than later.

During his final collegiate season with the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2023, Burton had the 6th-most yards per reception (20.5) and 25th-most yards per route run (2.75) on the 3rd-highest average depth of target (20.2) among college wideouts with 50-plus targets. Andrei Iosivas is listed as a starter alongside Chase and Tee Higgins, but Iosivas may lack upside at the position.

Higgins will undoubtedly become the go-to target for Joe Burrow if Chase is ruled out in Week 1. At the same time, Chase's absence would give Burton an opportunity to showcase his skill set and potentially earn playing time moving forward.

Colby Parkinson, TE, Rams

FanDuel Salary: $4,700

Instead of deploying one of the elite tight ends, some may elect to either stream a TE in season-long leagues or save salary at the position in DFS. With limited salary-saving options at tight end, Colby Parkinson is a potential dark horse to have a solid role in Week 1.

While Parkinson has totaled only 57 catches, 618 receiving yards, and 4 receiving touchdowns so far in his four-year career, the Rams signed him to a three-year, $22.5 million contract in the offseason, indicating they have decent-sized plans for him. Parkinson will start at tight end for Los Angeles amid Tyler Higbee's absence as Higbee recovers from a season-ending knee injury.

Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp will certainly have plenty of targets funneled to them with Matthew Stafford under center, and Parkinson is like most tight ends -- he's touchdown dependent. Parkinson has +320 odds to score a touchdown in Sunday's game at the Lions, giving him better odds than Demarcus Robinson -- who is the current No. 3 receiver on LA's depth chart.

Just a season ago, Detroit's defense surrendered the 6th-most receiving yards and 12th-most receiving touchdowns to tight ends. For those looking to get exposure to the potential high-scoring Rams-Lions matchup on Sunday Night Football -- a game that is included on the main slate on FanDuel -- Parkinson is worth taking a chance on if you need to save salary or if you're double-stacking Stafford.

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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.