While the end of August is associated with kids going back to school, it also means the 2024 fantasy football season is nearly upon us. While some fantasy gurus have already drafted their teams well before the action begins, others are still waiting for their drafts as they continue to plan who to select.
It’s also important to hit on your early picks, however, it’s equally as crucial to find some diamonds in the rough. After all, many fantasy football leagues have been won by a hidden gem or two, meaning it’s never a bad idea to target players who your league-mates might be overlooking.
With that in mind, here are five fantasy sleeper picks you won’t want to miss this year.
Note: All references to fantasy rankings refer to PPR formats
5 Fantasy Football Sleeper Picks 2024
1. RB Rico Dowdle, DAL
With Tony Pollard heading to the Tennessee Titans this offseason, the Dallas Cowboys opted to bring back veteran running back Ezekiel Elliott this summer. The 29-year-old rusher tallied a career-low 955 scrimmage yards with five touchdowns while playing for the New England Patriots last season, ending the year as the RB30.
But while Elliott might be the lead back in Big D to begin the 2024 season, I’d keep an eye on his backup, Rico Dowdle, as a potential fantasy sleeper.
After all, Dowdle played well in Mike McCarthy’s offense last season. The ex-South Carolina RB tallied 361 rushing yards and two TDs on 89 carries while also catching 17-of-22 targets for 144 yards and another two scores. He was also the RB18 and RB23 in the two games where he saw double-digit carries, proving that he can step up with an expanded workload.
According to Fantasy Pros, Dowdle is currently the RB45 in PPR with an average draft position (ADP) of 150.0, meaning he’s typically still on the board in the 12th/13th round in 12-man formats. Considering how Elliott isn’t getting younger, that could be quite the steal of a late pick if you can pull it off.
2. WR Khalil Shakir, BUF
Star playmaker Stefon Diggs is gone, meaning Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen must pass to someone this season. While he has some decent options around him, one who could win you your fantasy football league is third-year wideout Khalil Shakir.
Shakir continues to improve with each passing season and the 2023 campaign highlighted that trend. The former Boise State WR caught a whopping 39 of his 45 targets (86.7%), turning those opportunities into 611 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Although Shakir ended the year as the WR61 in PPR, he was the WR49 from Week 11 to 18 and even hit the 100-yard mark in twice during that stretch. That’s without mentioning how he posted a solid 10-75-2 stat line across the Bills’ two postseason matchups.
Shakir is currently the WR50 with a 133.8 ADP, which is incredibly shocking. He has the potential to be a league-winner this season, so be sure to grab him before someone else in your league does.
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3. QB Kirk Cousins, ATL
This NFL offseason saw several quarterbacks change teams, including Kirk Cousins. After spending the last six seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, the experienced signal-caller joined the Atlanta Falcons on a $180 million contract spread across four years.
As he prepares to make his Falcons debut, Cousins is currently the QB19 with a 143.4 ADP, meaning he’s usually taken about 100 or so picks after the upper-echelon of QBs. Having said that, fantasy experts and managers could be underrating the 36-year-old at this stage of his career.
Cousins might not be what he once was after tearing his Achilles last season, but he still averaged 310.7 PPR points in his last three full seasons as Minnesota’s starting QB. That’s without mentioning how he was also the QB6 last season before suffering his campaign-ending injury in Week 8.
I’m not saying that Cousins will put up Patrick Mahomes-like fantasy numbers. That just won’t happen. However, he’s still a solid option for managers who are looking to stock up on other positions early in. Surrounded by weapons like Drake London, Darnell Mooney, Bijan Robinson, and Kyle Pitts, Cousins should have enough weapons to finish in the QB10-15 range if all goes to plan.
4. TE Hunter Henry, TE
Was the New England Patriots’ offense horrendous last season? Yes. Does Hunter Henry deserve to be the TE22 with a 188.8 ADP? Absolutely not.
While I understand being low on the Patriots this season, let’s not pretend like Henry is washed. After a disappointing 2022 campaign, the ex-Arkansas pass-catcher rebounded with 42 receptions for 419 yards and six touchdowns in 14 games last year. Even though it was far from his best performance, it was still good enough to see him finish as the TE19 in PPR.
Henry is now entering his fourth season with the Patriots, so I expect him to be even more comfortable than before. It also helps that quarterbacks Drake Maye and Jacoby Brissett are clear-cut upgrades over the Mac Jones-Bailey Zappe tandem. Throw in the fact that there are even more weapons to take attention away from Henry and it’s easy to see how the veteran TE just might outperform his ADP.
If you can’t draft a big name like Travis Kelce or Sam LaPorta, sticking with Henry — a juicy sleeper pick — could be the way to go.
5. WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, KC
A few weeks ago, your teammates would’ve ridiculed you for drafting JuJu Smith-Schuster. After all, the former Super Bowl-winning wideout struggled to produce with the Patriots last year, finishing as the WR96 in PPR after tallying just 260 receiving yards with a touchdown on 29 catches across 11 games. He continued to struggle into the preseason, resulting in New England waiving the 27-year-old two weeks ago.
But Smith-Schuster’s stay in the unemployment line didn’t last long. The former USC Trojan was immediately scooped up by the Kansas City Chiefs, marking his return to the franchise after spending the 2022 season with them. That was his best performance in the last five years as he posted a 78-933-3 stat line as the WR27.
The Chiefs’ WR room is currently loaded with the likes of Marquise Brown, Xavier Worthy, and Rashee Rice, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t any room for Smith-Schuster. The veteran wideout already has established chemistry with Mahomes and the duo could rekindle that flame if that latter has issues connecting with any of the newcomers.
It might take some time to get things going again, however, Smith-Schuster could be a solid fantasy sleeper pick to stash on your bench.
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