Week 14 has come to a close, and hopefully, everyone is still chugging along in the playoffs. Whether or not you are, you can keep an eye on this week’s sleeper of the week as you get primed for years to come. This week’s sleeper is definitely in the “stash and wait” category, as his 2020 usage isn’t going to wow anyone. He is paired with a good young quarterback in Justin Herbert. If you haven’t guessed it yet, our sleeper is Donald Parham, the young 6’8″ athletic tight end that set the XFL on fire. Let’s take a look at Parham’s road to fantasy relevance.
College Career
Parham came out of Stetson College in the 2019 draft and went undrafted despite great size and good speed. He popped up on the radar of NFL scouts after a sensational final year at Stetson where he put up a gaudy 85 receptions for 1319 yards and 13 touchdowns. At 6’8″ his size is unmatched in anyone’s secondary. He was a development project in college and was expected to be one in the pros as well. His measurables are nice to look at as well. His agility isn’t his best trait but raw speed is, and at his size, it is very hard not to target him in the red zone.
The Journey
Parham was picked up after the draft as an undrafted FA by the Lions, however, that was short-lived. He was then picked up by the Washington Football Team and added to their practice squad after initially being cut at the end of minicamp. He was cut loose only five days later and did not resurface again until he was drafted in the ninth round of the XFL draft by the Dallas Renegades. With the Renegades, Parham continued to show his outstanding potential and finished as one of the league’s best tight ends putting up 24/307/4 in five games in the XFL.
Shortly after the XFL closed its doors, the Chargers signed Parham in April 2020 to a two-year, 1.3 million dollar contract. This year he has five receptions for 75 yards and two touchdowns. He has only played above 25% of the snaps once this season, and that was in a blowout loss to the Patriots in Week 13 where he had two catches for 21 yds. Parham is fighting for snaps on the current roster, but the team looks invested in getting him on the field.
Future Outlook
Donald Parham may be the best developmental piece you could have on your fantasy roster. He is just starting to scratch the surface of his potential. I could personally watch 5’11 cornerbacks try and cover him all day. It is hilarious. That part aside, he has an excellent situation in Los Angeles with Justin Herbert who is not scared to throw the ball down the field. As we saw back in Week 4, Parham is a tough cover in the endzone.
Or take a look at his only other touchdown of the year.
Hunter Henry is going to be a free agent at the end of the year, and the Chargers could elect not to sign him. If they don’t, Parham would be in line for a much bigger role in an offense that will continue to grow and get better. I am grabbing Parham wherever I can and stashing him as a potential league-winning tight end of the future. He has the size, skill, and hands to be a productive piece on this offense. He also has double-digit touchdown potential. For dynasty owners, it is an important time of the year. Make sure you make it count.
PREVIOUS DYNASTY SLEEPERS OF THE WEEK
Thanks for checking out this week’s Dynasty Sleeper of the Week. I look forward to Week 15 action and finding you some more gems throughout the remainder of the season. Honorable mentions for this week were: Chad Hansen (HOU), Durham Smythe (MIA), Mack Hollins (MIA), and Buddy Howell (HOU). Follow me at @Cmoney52 on Twitter. You can message me or shoot me a tweet if there are players you would like to be featured in this segment.
