I hope my dynasty sleepers haven’t disappointed anyone too much but I’m fairly certain I’ve got one here just about everyone can appreciate, even if it’s just a cool story. 

This edition of Dynasty Sleeper of The Week features a player who came all the over to the United States from Chile for a chance to play in the National Football League.

Sammis Reyes (TE – WAS)

SLEEPER HISTORY

Sammis Reyes took an unconventional path to become an NFL tight end, but this isn’t the first unconventional story of a player making it at the position. Reyes, the first-ever Chilean-born NFL player, began his athletic career as a youth member of the Chilean basketball team. He was recruited to a school in Miami, FL, and left Chile by himself at the age of 14 to play basketball in the United States. Reyes signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball at the University of Hawaii but broke his hand, forcing him to miss his freshman season. He later dropped out and moved back to Florida to recover from injuries after the release of the head coach who recruited him. Reyes’ basketball career ended when Chile failed to qualify for the 2019 FIBA World Cup. 

Reyes, in an unexpected and likely unprecedented turn of events, applied and was accepted to the National Football Leagues International Player Pathway Program despite knowing almost nothing about the sport. He received a three-year contract after 10 short weeks in the program with Washington, due to his athletic performance. At 6’5” 265 pounds he ran a 4.65 40-yard dash, good for the 73rd percentile but even more impressive were his speed score (107.4) which fell in the 84th percentile, and his burst score (132.5) which fell within the 97th percentile. He’s an athletic freak with major potential once he has a few years under his belt to truly understand the sport and position he’s playing.

SLEEPER HERE AND NOW

Weighing in at 6’5” 265 pounds, Reyes constantly received recommendations to give it a shot and play football. Fortunately, that’s exactly what he did. Although he’s new to the sport, he’s got the drive. He spent late nights studying the playbook trying to catch up due to his lack of experience. He eventually showed enough through training camp and preseason to earn a spot on the 53-man roster. 

He’s got the size and speed for the position. Even Head Coach Ron Rivera indicated he could be a major part of their plans going forward: “He’s got the body for it; he also has the mindset,” Rivera said. “When you watch him and see him, the way he prepares, the way he studies and gets himself ready to do things, he’s done it the right way.”

Reyes wasn’t activated until Washington’s starter, Logan Thomas, suffered a back injury, but his snap rate has increased each week since he played his first snap in Week 5. He played 58% of the snaps in Week 8, marking his first week over 50%. He’s only seen the field for special teams plays but he’s certainly still going through the learning process.

DYNASTY ANALYSIS

Not only is Reyes a dynasty sleeper but he’s also a dynasty stash. You’re not expecting any kind of fantasy production from him in the short term but dynasty is a long-term game. I’m not expecting anybody to hold a player for five years, but I’d stash an uber-athletic tight end for a season or two and determine if he’s worth the roster spot after that. We have to practice patience with some sleepers. I mean Reyes was literally working for DoorDash before applying for a chance to play in the NFL so we have to allow him some time to grow.  This guy should be on your waivers so cost shouldn’t be of concern. 

Reyes wields elite athleticism sheathed in untapped potential which is something worth rostering. Logan Thomas is 30 years old so I’m sure the Washington Football Team is preparing for the future. If Ron Rivera is interested, so am I.

Thank you for reading. If you have any thoughts or questions and would like to discuss them, you can reach out to me on Twitter @WillieBeamanDFF. 

You can read previous articles in this series here:  Pharaoh Brown, Demetric Felton, Mekhi Sargent, Jaelon Darden, Derrick Gore, Tyree Jackson, Kylen Granson