There was a time when a fantasy player could find unknown players who were ready to explode. These unrecognized players were dubbed "sleepers" because the rest of your leaguemates were not yet awake to them.
Related: See Quarterback Sleepers here >>>
Related: See Wide Receiver Sleepers here >>>
Related: See Tight End Sleepers here >>>
And we also got our fantasy stats out of the newspaper.
Today, the stats are instant, and everyone knows about everyone. As such, the definition of a sleeper has evolved. To be clear, we define sleepers as players who we think will perform better than most expect and be undervalued at their average draft position.
Our staff recently gathered to offer up their sleepers. Here they are.
Running Back Sleepers from Jason Wood
Nick Chubb, Cleveland
Chubb is rehabbing from a significant knee injury and is unlikely to be ready for Week 1. While that warrants a discount, there's no indication Chubb won't be back on the field for a significant portion of the season, and the team has given no indication Chubb won't step back into the lead role as soon as he's able. The Browns have a great offensive line and should have favorable game scripts most of the time, making Chubb a potential playoff winner for you if you've already got him on your bench to start the season.
Javonte Williams, Denver
Preseason news can lead to head fakes, and many of us fell prey to OTA reports that he was in danger of being cut. Since training camp has gotten underway, the tone has done a complete 180-degree turn. Williams is in phenomenal shape, head coach Sean Payton has openly praised him (after being critical in prior commentary), and he's been running with the first team convincingly.
Gus Edwards, LA Chargers
"He's the bell cow, the goal-line guy, the finisher." That's what GM Joe Hortiz said about Edwards when the Chargers signed him to a two-year deal early in free agency. He's the perfect fit for Greg Roman and Jim Harbaugh's offensive philosophy, and he should be in line for double-digit scores, at a minimum. While I think the Chargers will run enough to have a full-blown comitttee, there no evidence Edwards isn't in line to be the 1A to J.K. Dobbins' 1B; and that's giving Dobbins a ton of credit for finally staying healthy.
Tyrone Tracy Jr., NY Giants
Drafting Devin Singletary makes little sense, to me, because the Giants offensive line remains one of the league's worst, they have a quarterback who won't keep opposing defenses honest, and Singletary isn't a playmaker beyond what's there for the taking. Tyrone Tracy is a three-down dynamo with legitimate receiving chops and would be well-suited to step into the lead role if injuries open the door. I won't pay RB2 prices for the Giants tailback, but I will use a late-round flier on the same opportunity.
Running Back Sleepers from Bob Harris
Zamir White, Las Vegas
Over the past five seasons, Josh Jacobs has carried the load for the Raiders. He led the league in rushing in 2022, accounting for nearly 80 percent of the team's carries. He was on pace for a similar percentage last season before sustaining a quad injury. This opened the door for White, who responded by averaging 114.3 yards from scrimmage per game across the team's final four contests. White was RB9 over that stretch. Nonetheless, he's available in the seventh round of your drafts as RB23.
James Conner, Arizona
Conner, who made the Pro Bowl in 2021 when he ran for 15 touchdowns (with 18 total scores that season), is coming off a career year. Despite missing four games on injured reserve with a knee injury, he rushed for 1,040 yards and seven touchdowns on 5.0 yards per attempt. His rushing total and yards per carry were career highs. He also caught 27 passes for 165 yards and two scores. This season, he's targeting a second-straight 1,000-yard rushing output. Only 82 players have rushed for at least 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons since 2000. Conner is currently being drafted as RB21 at the tail end of Round 6. His worst finish in three seasons with the Cardinals is RB19. His best finish was RB5 in 2020.
Devin Singletary, NY Giants
Last year, Singletary was expected to serve as the backup to Dameon Pierce in Houston. But Pierce struggled, and a three-game absence due to an ankle injury opened the door for Singletary. As the Texans' starter from Weeks 9 through 18, Singletary rushed for 715 yards, which ranked third in the league. Now he takes over a Giants backfield with a tremendous need. Last season, Barkley averaged 17.6 carries and nearly three catches a game over the 14 contests he was on the field. Singletary is RB31 in our rankings, which is in line with his RB33 ADP. Grabbing Singletary as an RB3 gives you a depth player with a solid role -- and maybe some upside if last year's production was more indicative of his abilities than we realize -- in Round 9. That seems like an easy call.
Running Back Sleepers from Jeff Haseley
Zach Charbonnet, Seattle
At his current draft position, Charbonnet represents excellent upside as a handcuff to Ken Walker III, but he also can earn more playing time outright. Plus, he is the Seahawks' better receiver out of the backfield.
Chase Brown, Cincinnati
The likelihood that Chase Brown handles more than 50% of the load in the Bengals backfield is increasing daily. At worst, he will be part of a committee approach on a productive offense.
Javonte Williams, Denver
Based on reports from Broncos camp, there is a strong indication that Williams is performing well and is focused. It was expected that he would be the primary choice for the Denver backfield, but the lingering question was to what extent he has recovered from his ACL injury two years ago. It appears that can be put behind him now.
Dameon Pierce, Houston
The Texans have stated that Pierce will be part of the offense, forming a one-two punch with Joe Mixon. Since Mixon is currently dealing with a hamstring injury, Pierce is the one getting the reps and building rapport with the offense. If Mixon is forced to miss games, Pierce would take on a much larger role.