Deep fantasy football sleepers to target late in drafts

It gets sparse in the double-digit rounds in drafts. Here are the players I am targeting at this point in the pre-season.

All of these players have an ADP of 133 or higher (PPR format) at the time of writing, meaning they are going after the 11th round in standard 12-team drafts. By this time, you generally will have a QB, a TE, and depth at both WR and RB. At this point forward you are thinking about high-upside picks.

Everyone on this list has question marks. If they didn’t, they would not be available this late in the draft. On the flip side, they do not carry the burden of a high pick, and if they don’t pan out in the first couple of weeks you can drop them for the new hotness on the waiver wire.

Little commitment and only high upside. That’s what you want at this point in the draft.

Here we go.

Isiah Pacheco (RB, Chiefs)

Don’t let the draft capital deter you. Andy Reid has been unafraid to roll out running backs drafted late in the past. See Spencer Ware in 2016, a 6^th-round pick. Isiah Pacheco offers the Chiefs exactly what touted first-rounder Clyde Edwards-Helaire never could: explosive, chunk plays.

This is something that’s been absent from the RB room since Kareem Hunt was cut. CEH may be built like a bowling ball, but he lacks speed, and speed is an essential ingredient to the Chiefs’ offense. This is why they had to mix in Jerick McKinnon last year. This is why they went out and signed Ronald Jones and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. The offense lacks speed with the departure of Tyreek Hill, and this is not exactly a squad that wants to slow down the game and take their time going down the field.

Enter Pacheco whose 40-yard dash was tied for the fastest of any running back at the combine. Does he have an uphill battle with CEH and Jones in front of him? Yes. But right now, even the general manager Brett Veach views this RB room as an open competition for touches. Don’t be discouraged by the fact that CEH was a first-round pick. He has disappointed on the field the past two years, and his high draft capital can sustain him at the top for only so long.

The upside shouldn’t even need to be said. A running back getting a high share of carries on a Mahomes- and Reid-led offense. One that is explosive in open space and who can catch the ball. One can argue that Andy Reid has been searching for Hunt replacement since 2018. He may have finally landed him.

Parris Campbell (WR, Colts)

I know. 

I get it.

I don’t like mentioning him any more than you do. Believe me when I say this. Parris Campbell can barely stay healthy, and we have been here before. The camp hype, the pre-season fever. The hopes and dreams were crushed by a serious injury early in the season.

But I have to bring him up. I’d be doing everyone a disservice if I didn’t. The Colts love him, and he’s running as the second receiver on what’s going to be a very good offense. Indianapolis finished as the 9^th best scoring offense last year, and that was with Carson Wentz under center. Now they get a boost at quarterback with Matt Ryan. The passing game will be much better this year, and someone has to start opposite of Michael Pittman. 

Also, let it be said that the Colts have little depth at the WR position. They lost Zach Pascal and replaced him with a rookie. After Pittman there’s going to be a large opportunity for downfield targets and, so far, the Colts have picked Campbell to be the man to take advantage of that.

K.J. Hamler (WR, Broncos)

This guy is fast. Like bullet train fast. He was unable to run the 40 at the combine due to a hamstring injury, so then-Broncos GM John Elway clocked him on a kick return he had in college and, with a running start, came in sub-4.00 seconds.

Yikes.

K.J. Hamler is coming back from an ACL tear that occurred early last season, but he has progressed very well from the injury. He is dedicated to the craft and even worked with Tyler Lockett after the Broncos acquired Russell Wilson as he sees himself in a similar role in Denver. This isn’t too far to imagine, as both he and Lockett share similar talents.

Jerry Jeudy may be listed as the starter right now in Denver, but there’s been — how should I put this — persistent disappointment with him. It’s easy to question whether he can make the impact on the field that they’d drafted him for. Hamler himself is a high draft pick, and if he can continue to get separation from defenders ala Lockett, he may be finding himself getting a lot of those beautiful bomb touchdowns from Wilson.

DeVante Parker (WR, Patriots)

I just like how there’s a talented No.1 receiver available this late in the draft for a second-year quarterback who will improve upon his rookie season. That’s so nice. On my team, DeVante Parker goes.

Julio Jones (WR, Buccaneers)

There are instances of wide receivers putting up 1000-yard seasons after the age of 32. Generally, they’re top-end talents like Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens, Larry Fitzgerald, and Anquan Boldin — the kind that will have their bust displayed in Canton and give tearful speeches as they don a gold jacket. You know, current and future Hall of Famers like Quintorris Lopez “Julio” Jones. They just needed talent at quarterback to sling them the ball.

Rice had Rich Gannon.

Owens had Tony Romo.

Fitzgerald had Carson Palmer.

Boldin had Colin Kaepernick.

And now Julio Jones has Tom Brady — AKA the GOAT.

Grab him late wherever you can.

Evan Engram (TE, Jaguars)

One of the tight ends on this team is going to have a respectable year, and that’s all that matters when you draft a tight end this late. Right now, Evan Engram is running ahead of Dan Arnold and even HC Doug Pederson said that Engram is “going to be a big part of the offense for us.” This is not a take of a beat reporter watching from the bleachers. This is from the lips of the man dictating the direction of the offense.

Let’s take a trip down memory lane here. During Pederson’s time in Philadelphia, the Eagles led the NFL in TE fantasy points and TE target share. Tight ends have always had a prominent role in Pederson’s Eagles offense and that’s not going to change in 2022.

The reason why no one is drafting Engram? That’s easy. We’ve been burned. Not one, not twice, but multiple times. Who hasn’t had Engram on their team only for it to end in bitter disappointment?

He will not disappoint this season as long as he can stay healthy and keep his distance from the other TEs in the room. That’s a Doug Pederson guarantee.

Daniel Jones (QB, Giants)

I just have to put him on here. First, the Giants are going to have a much better offense this year. (If you have not already, see my article on the absolute certainty with bottom-5 offenses improve when an offense-minded head coach takes over)

Second, what if Brian Daboll uses Daniel Jones the same way he used Josh Allen in Buffalo? This is a question that needs to be asked because they are of a similar build. Both are 6’5”, over 220 lbs., and have the ability to tuck the ball and run. Just have a look at Josh Allen’s ridiculous red zone rushing attempts:

Daniel Jones has averaged 3 attempts inside the 10 during his three years in the league. If he gets half—just half—of what Josh Allen received under Daboll’s tenure, his 10-zone attempts will double.

Oh, and he will be running behind a much-improved offensive line this year. 

And quarterbacks who run are the premier fantasy football cheat code, even if they’re not elite pocket passers. 

I will let this one simmer.