Sleepers: 2 Safeties to Target

Photo: USA Today Sports

A fantasy draft is all about obtaining the most value with each selection. Value is available throughout a draft; grabbing it is one of the most important keys to a successful fantasy team. This article specifically targets deep sleeper value (players that can be found later in a fantasy draft). To point out this value, we asked our staff to look deeper than the Top 150 and identify players that should significantly outperform their late draft position. These players should be your targets in the second half of your draft. Thanks to the folks at TheIDPShow.com for the ADP. 

RELATED: See Undervalued Safeties here >>>
RELATED: See Overvalued Safeties here >>>

Here are the players who received the most votes:

• Julian Blackmon, Indianapolis
• Julian Love, Seattle

And here are all of the players mentioned and the reasons why.

Sleepers Receiving 2 Votes

Julian Blackmon, Indianapolis

Kyle Bellefeuil: Blackmon shifted roles for the Colts' secondary last season as the primary box safety for Gus Bradley's defense. With his IDP-conducive role, Blackmon spent 65.1% of his 987 snaps up tight in the box and slot areas, leading to his career-best marks in tackles (88) and tackles for loss (5) over 15 games in 2023. The Colts brought Blackmon back on a one-year deal, and he should slide back into his previous productive role for us IDP gamers. Blackmon looks to be a value again for fade-DB IDP drafters.

Gary Davenport: The list of "sleeper" safeties available to us was rather a long one, so The Godfather decided to confine his picks to safeties he might actually draft—you know, given his years-long propensity for waiting to draft defensive backs. Blackmon shined once moving to the role of Indy's box safety last season—he had more total tackles in 2023 than in the previous two seasons combined, and he was a top-25 fantasy option among safeties in points per game. When I do start looking to grab a defensive back, guys like Blackmon are the players I target.

Julian Love, Seattle

John Norton: After the numbers he's put up over the last two years, I have a hard time calling Love a sleeper, but he meets the requirements for this piece. Love showed his value when he finally got a shot at starting for the Giants in 2022. He parlayed that season into a juicy free agent with Seattle last year, where he was supposed to have entered the season as a backup. All he did was rack up 123 tackles, 7 turnovers, and 10 pass breakups, confirming that 2022 was not a fluke. Now, he will enter the season as the undisputed starter at one of the most IDP-friendly safety spots in the game.

Tripp Brebner: It's hard to call a player who's finished among the top 8 defensive backs in fantasy scoring in consecutive seasons a sleeper. It's harder to explain why Love isn't being drafted among the first 15 safeties by ADP. He'll play alongside Rayshawn Jenkins, who will see more time deep and behind lackluster linebackers. Love's opportunities to attack the line of scrimmage from the box and overhang positions make him an attractive option for any drafter, let alone those who prefer to wait on the position.