Fantasy Football Penny Stocks: Deep Stashes Who Could Become League Winners
Finding Deep Sleepers For Fantasy Football
In today's age there really is no such thing as a true "sleeper" for fantasy football. With so much access to advanced statistics, matchup data, and detailed scouting reports, a compelling case can be made for almost any player on an NFL roster to be a fantasy-relevant asset. Yet, this oversaturation of information can sometimes be a bit of a burden, as the never-ending supply of input regarding these sleeper candidates can often bury those with the most legitimate claims to the label. Moreover, the true upside of a "sleeper" often has that player maxing out their utility at the same level as others who you may call disappointments, though the "sleeper" will be praised for their output due to the unexpectedness of their supposed breakout, which in reality has them going from below average to average. In this sense, finding an average talent in a pool filled with fringe players makes the fantasy manager look smart when in reality their team is not really much better off. Rather than focusing on these types of deep sleepers, this article will be geared towards finding players from those brackets who could legitimately win your fantasy team some games.
Damien Harris, New England Patriots
Yes, the Patriots backfield is an absolute mess right now. The team has recently added veteran Lamar Miller to a backfield that already featured Harris, 2018 first-round pick Sony Michel, receiving back James White, Rex Burkhead, and undrafted rookie J.J Taylor. Considering Harris logged only four carries in his rookie campaign, it would be hard to blame anyone for being apprehensive about spending a draft pick on him, particularly in a shallower league. However, if we look a bit further into the context of Harris's situation, the former Alabama star actually has a legitimate path to RB2 status this season if a few things go in his favor.
Many draftniks viewed Harris as the top running back in the 2019 draft class, as his sturdy frame and relatively well-rounded skillset led many to believe that he had plug-and-play starter potential. It was very telling that the Patriots elected to use their third-round pick in that draft to take Harris, as the team had taken Michel in the first round just one year earlier. With Michel (foot) and Miller (ACL) both on the PUP list, Harris has been seeing a large share of the workload thus far in training camp, reportedly impressing in that capacity. If Harris can hold onto his role as the lead power back for New England he could be in-line for a very heavy workload this season, particularly with the team presumably transitioning to a more run-heavy, option-style playbook with Cam Newton under center. Depending on what happens with Michel and Miller, it could very well be Damien Harris's time to shine, and you can grab him as the RB55 in non-PPR formats.
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Alexander Kurpeski
A self-proclaimed "cat person" with an affinity for pass-catching running backs and slot receivers, Alex is a well-traveled writer whose work can be found on sites such as 3CoSports and Dynasty Nerds in addition to FantasyData and BettingData. Follow him @AlexKurpeskiNFL on Twitter for more great content!