Trashman’s Favorite 2023 Fantasy Football Sleepers

Trashman’s Favorite Sleepers

They could be boom or bust, but you won’t give up much to get them. These are my favorite sleepers at each position going into fantasy drafts…

QB: Sam Howell, Commanders
Howell has been crowned the starter in Washington, effectively beating out veteran Jacoby Brissett, a QB who made few errors in his 11 starts for the Browns in 2022 – He was 9th in interception rate(1.6) among qualified QBs. Howell was actually my favorite QB from the 2022 Senior Bowl, displaying a soft touch and unflappable demeanor. He’ll have a bevy of talented pass-catchers at his disposal, including a RB in Antonio Gibson who can take Howell’s dump offs and turn them into fantasy gold.

RB: Khalil Herbert, Bears
I know, we love Roschon Johnson, but the Bears feel like they have a solid back in Herbert, and they’re not wrong. Herbert is extremely efficient with his touches, averaging 6.2 YPC while he was healthy in 2022. Johnson will probably eventually eat into his touches, but Herbert will still get action as long as he’s healthy. His efficiency keeps his floor up, even if he were to cede some starters’ touches. Herbert played well ahead of D’Onta Foreman this preseason, so I don’t see him as much of a threat. On an improved offense, Herbert’s ceiling is as high as it will probably ever be.

WR: Tank Dell, Texans
If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll know I’ve been singing Dell’s praises since the Senior Bowl. He had a lackluster 40 time, considering his size, at the Combine, but his electric outings at joint practice with the Dolphins that I saw with my own two eyes, and his stellar play in the preseason has me all in on the guy. I think he’ll lead the Texans in receiving yards and receiving TDs. Believe the hype.

TE: Juwan Johnson, Saints
Johnson has been a favorite target of Derek Carr this preseason, which comes as no surprise to anyone familiar with Carr’s boring but effective dink and dunk playing style. Heavily targeted in 11 on 11s in practice thus far, Johnson is also an effective red-zone weapon, scoring 7 TDs on 42 grabs last season with much less stable QB play. Wait for your TE and scoop up Johnson late.

DST: Seattle Seahawks
Seattle had a pretty abysmal run defense last year, but the addition of PFF’s top-rated LB in 2022, Bobby Wagner will help shore that up. The Seahawks are also getting veteran S Jamal Adams back after losing him in Wk1 of the 2022 season to a torn quad. They had a decent secondary last year, but rookie shutdown corner Devon Witherspoon is the piece that should put Seattle in a much better situation in 2023. It also doesn’t hurt that they’ll play both the rebuilding Cardinals and now lackluster Rams twice this season. The Seahawks make for a legit streaming defense for at least 4 of their first 6 games to start the season.

21 Comments

  1. ↓ Post By gway22

    Tough Keeper option. 10 team 1/2 pt PPR. I can keep 2 of these guys, little but of nuance in the keeper rules: You get 1 keeper drafted between rounds 4 and 6 kept in the 4th, and 1 more keeper drafted in rounds 7 or later kept in the 7th. If you have 2 guys drafted after the 7th you can use 1 in the 4th. Example: Chris Olave was an 8th rounder so I can keep him in round 7, or in round 4.

    So Olave is a no brainer to keep, but a couple scenarios of where I can keep him. but after that my options are:

    -Keep Burrow in round 4 and Olave in round 7

    -Keep Olave in round 4 and Christian Watson in round 7

    -Keep Miles Sanders in round 4 and Olave in round 7.

    -Keep JK Dobbins in round 4 and Olave in round 7

    1. ↓ Post By gway22

      Alternatively I can keep Olave in round 7 and no one in round 4 and have an open pick

    2. ↓ Post By Alex Dunlap

      Olave and Watson for me

  2. ↓ Post By HebrewHammer

    Crushed it with the Ultimate Cheat Sheet! I need to drop 2 of these guys to pick up a defense and kicker (12 team PPR): Roschon Johnson, Jameson Williams, Kendre Miller, or Deuce Vaughn. Also would you drop a third guy to pick up Marvin Mims Jr.? Note: I also have Amon-Ra St. Brown so not sure it’s worth holding on to Williams through his suspension. Thought?

    1. ↓ Post By Alex Dunlap

      Think I would have to drop Jameson and Deuce. Tough to choose, those are all guys we like.

      1. ↓ Post By HebrewHammer

        Thanks!

  3. ↓ Post By mendelbaum

    Trade question. I send Najee Harris and Cam Akers for Cooper Cupp. PPR

    QB fields
    RB
    Ekler
    N Harris
    Dobbins
    Akers
    swift
    Ro Johnson
    Ken Miller
    Antonio Gibson

    Wr
    AJ Brown
    Amari cooper
    Lazard
    Jameson W

  4. ↓ Post By mendelbaum

    Edit…swift headed the other way not Akers

    1. ↓ Post By Alex Dunlap

      I think that deal is fine.

  5. ↓ Post By SkolVikes

    Urgent Keeper question. Have to have it selected by Aug 31. Only can keep 1. 12 team PPR 1QB, 2RB, 3WR, TE, 2Flex. QB’s get 6pts for TD’s. Need to choose between these guys in a $200 auction league. Burrow $5 – Amari Cooper $6 – Miles Sanders $12- Kenneth Walker $6 – AJ Brown $34. Please Help.

    1. ↓ Post By Alex Dunlap

      Think I would have to keep KW3 for $6

  6. ↓ Post By Chief58

    Trade question. PPR. Would you trade Miles Sanders for Jonathan Taylor? I have Ekeler, Barkley and Aaron Jones and could park Taylor in an IR spot and pick up Jaylen Warren or Tank Bigsby.

    Thanks

    1. ↓ Post By Alex Dunlap

      Given your depth I don’t think it’s a terrible gamble. I think it would be fine, but just realize there is some risk. I think he is healthy, but we never know how these things can go, and it’s really a risk tolerance question more than a pure fantasy analysis question.

  7. ↓ Post By Incognito

    Glitch?? I think the update sheet for the standard/.5ppr is the same as the PPR sheet.

    1. ↓ Post By Alex Dunlap

      Looks like it updated the STD sheet with PPR on accident last night, sorry about that, it is fixed.

  8. ↓ Post By DEBATIME

    14 team draft question;
    doing some mock drafts for this weekend for a 14 team league that i am in. I have the 5 spot . There have been multiple times where i start with Tyreke and then the sheet gives me Waddle in the second.
    if this scenario comes up Should I take next best player or roll with the expresso shot WR stack?

    1. ↓ Post By Alex Dunlap

      I think it is OK to adjust a little bit with that kind of thing. I don’t love drafting two guys on the same team at WR even though sometimes it does represent the best value. If you went that route, you’d really have to go get Tua and just be all in and I’m not sure that’s the best plan.

  9. ↓ Post By gerrycouey@hotmail.com

    Drafted Justin Fields….should I pick up Sam Howell as well? would you drop Jeff Wilson or Gainwell? my other rbs
    are Gibbs, Bijon, Rashaad White and Jaylon Warren..ppr

    1. ↓ Post By Alex Dunlap

      I’m not sure Howell is a priority pickup when you already have Fields

  10. ↓ Post By Papi Kraut

    League with 5 WR max (3start max)
    AJ Brown
    Amari Cooper
    Mike Evans
    Brandon Aiuk
    Sky Cooper

    Would you consider dropping Sky for Tank Dell?

  11. ↓ Post By yodize@gmail.com

    I just subscribed and sent an email to support but looks like an auto generated reply that suggested asking in the comment section. Was just wondering how to get the cheat sheet in excel format to upload to FP for mocks? I watched a video on how to do it but all I can download is a pdf. Also, once I create the cheat sheet in FP, will I be able to use it for my live yahoo draft which will be synced with FP?

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