Welcome in, everybody. The Dynasty startup season is now in full swing, and I wanted to look at some sleepers for the upcoming season. For one reason or another, the players we will look at today have fallen under the consensus radar. I will use our own DFF AccuRankings to highlight a few guys I believe will significantly outperform current rankings.
Miles Sanders
Miles Sanders is coming off a career year in which he totaled 1,347 yards on 279 touches and 11 touchdowns. Yet there seems to be a stigma attached to him. Currently ranked as the RB29, he is primed for a better year than last.
Carolina drafted a rookie QB to lead their team and put together a less-than-ideal receiving core. As a result, the Panthers could rely heavily on the run game this season. In his rookie season, Sanders caught 50 receptions on 63 targets. Since then, his receiving work has gradually decreased every year. I suspect that is more of a product of a shifting offensive philosophy than his inability to catch.
I expect Sanders to be a three-down back getting the majority of receiving and goal-line work, with Hubbard making a few guest appearances in the backfield. A value of around two second-round rookie picks should be enough to acquire Sanders. He has the potential to finish as an RB1 this year and is well worth the investment.
James Conner
A big-time survivor of the 2023 NFL Draft, James Conner remains one of the most undervalued assets in fantasy. He is coming off a season in which he averaged 15.4 fantasy points per game (PPG). Arizona failed to add any other running backs via the draft or free agency, leaving Keaontay Ingram as the meaningful competition for touches.
There’s some concern about his injury history and for good reason. Conner is heading into his seventh year, and the 28-year-old has yet to finish an entire season in the NFL. Although he’s been plagued by injuries yearly, he has been reasonably productive. He’s scored at least 12.7 fantasy PPG every year since his rookie season. With a current rank of RB37, Conner is a smash pick in the middle-to-late rounds of drafts. I have acquired Conner more than once for a single second-round pick in ongoing leagues.
Nathaniel “Tank” Dell
That’s right. I’m throwing out a rookie this time. Tank Dell was a dynamic playmaking wide receiver at the University of Houston last season. It could just be off-season talk, but word on the street is that fellow rookie quarterback CJ Stroud was pounding the table, asking the Texans to draft Dell. Houston is an offense lacking weapons, with mid-level competition for targets in Robert Woods, Nico Collins, and John Metchie. I honestly think any of these guys could end up breaking out. However, my money is currently on Dell.
Admittedly, I usually fade players under 5’10”. However, he received third-round draft capital and is ranked behind players like Cedric Tillman, Josh Palmer, and Donovan Peoples-Jones. Last season, Dell led the nation in yards and touchdowns with 109 catches for 1,398 yards and 17 touchdowns. A future late second or early third-round pick should be enough to get a deal done for Dell, and I wouldn’t be against adding a throw-in player. If your rookie drafts have not been completed yet, I would be comfortable drafting him early in the third round. Acquiring him is a gamble, but it’s a worthy investment at his current cost.
Chigoziem Okonkwo
I usually like to draft a top-5 tight end, but I find myself acquiring more and more Chigoziem Okonkwo. The fourth-round pick out of Maryland finished the 2022 season with a 33.3% target rate, ranking second amongst tight ends. Okonkwo also had 2.61 yards per route run (YPPR), leading all tight ends and second league-wide, behind only Tyreek Hill.
Unfortunately for fantasy owners, he only averaged eight routes per game. However, that problem is presumed to be fixed. Tennessee let Austin Hooper walk in free agency, leaving behind 16.4 routes per game. The absence of Hooper leaves Okonkwo as the primary tight end in Tennessee. I would comfortably pay a mid-to-late second-round pick for him. If he can perform similarly this upcoming season on a full workload, we could see a new addition to the elite tight end ranks.
These players listed above have certainly been causing a stir amongst bookmakers, with many of the best betting bonuses in 2023 focused on them. Bookies don’t hype players lightly, so picking up any of these should let you get ahead of your league mates.
I find true enjoyment in sharing my experience and helping others. So, I’m always more than willing to answer any fantasy football questions via Twitter @FF_Reez. Thanks for reading! #DFFArmy #AlwaysBeBuilding
