Fantasy Football Sleepers Week 1
With each new fantasy football season comes the scrambling to find those hidden gems who can help lead you to fantasy glory. After all the preparation and drafting are done fantasy managers immediately turn their focus to where they think the strengths of their lineups lie and where they may have gone wrong. As fantasy enthusiasts, we can’t help but second-guess ourselves, and wonder if we’re making the right decisions. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Below are some names to know as you approach the season. Players who may be going overlooked but find themselves in a Week 1 situation that could lead to fantasy production. None of them are sure things. If they were they wouldn’t be sleepers. These are simply players with a good chance of out-producing their projections and could finish the week ranked higher than expected.
Week 1 Fantasy Sleepers
Start Stat %, Via Sleeper
Geno Smith (QB)
Seattle Seahawks vs. DEN (27% Start)
Geno Smith’s 2023 season was a disappointment by most metrics. While he wasn’t without value, it was a far cry from his 2022 season that saw him finish in the top five at the position. However, Week 1 could be a good chance for Smith to find that 2022 form again. The Denver Broncos have an All-Pro cornerback in Patrick Surtain but he can’t guard all the receivers at once. Whether he chooses to shadow DK Metcalf or moves around in coverage, Smith should be able to pick apart the rest of the passing defense. On paper, Smith has one of the best trio of wide receivers in the league in Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, not to mention TE Noah Fant. New Offensive Coordinator Ryan Grubb is a creative offensive mind and should have fun orchestrating a very talented group of skill players. Expect them to run more plays and be more explosive. This all sets up wonderfully for a bounce-back campaign for Smith in 2024, starting with Week 1.
Jaleel McLaughlin (RB)
Denver Broncos @ SEA (7% Start)
Javonte Williams is the lead back in Denver. But I expect McLaughlin to have a significant role as early as Week 1. In 2023, no team targeted the running back position (29.8%) more than Denver. While Williams can take on part of that role, the departure of Samaje Perine leaves 50+ targets up for grabs. This means an expanded role for McLaughlin, giving him a higher floor than in 2023. This week will also mark the debut of rookie signal-caller Bo Nix. Sean Payton and the coaching staff should do everything they can to limit mistakes and take the pressure off their young QB. This means there could be a lot of work for Williams and McLaughlin. This bodes well for fantasy success against a Seahawks defense that was 31st in the league against the run last season. If McLaughlin is available in your league, snatch him up now, because he could be a popular addition come Week 2.
Rico Dowdle (RB)
Dallas Cowboys @ CLE (10% Start)
The Browns defense was a top-five unit in 2023 and they show no signs of slowing down in 2024. This could make it difficult for the Cowboys to move the ball down the field as the Browns slow the game down. If this happens and the Cowboys are forced to rely on their run game more than expected, Dowdle could have a sneaky good week. Dowdle already showed he can produce when given the chance with four games of 12 or more points in 2023. He was also more effective per touch than Tony Pollard, who has since departed for the Music City. This is a crowded backfield, in theory, but if Dowdle is kept off the field by an aging and declining Ezekiel Elliott or the newly acquired Dalvin Cook, then he probably shouldn’t have been drafted in the first place. The reality is the Cook signing probably says more about Elliott than Dowdle.
Darnell Mooney (WR)
Atlanta Falcons vs. PIT (2% Start)
It wasn’t that long ago (2021) that Darnell Mooney put together a 1,000-yard season while catching passes from Andy Dalton and Justin Fields. After suffering a season-ending injury in 2022 and having to compete with star wide receiver DJ Moore last season, Mooney has become the forgotten man. But Mooney has moved on to greener pastures and will be part of an offense loaded with talent with an upgrade at QB in Kirk Cousins. He will have to contend with Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and even Bijan Robinson for targets, but Cousins has supported multiple fantasy-relevant players in the past. Mooney is the clear No. 2 WR in this offense and will face a Steelers defense that was middle-of-the-pack against the pass in 2023 and with their focus on shutting down the more elite options, Mooney could find himself open a lot. Plus, it’s fun to roster Mooney if for no other reason than you can name your team The Full Mooney. You’re welcome.
Michael Wilson (WR)
Arizona Cardinals @ BUF (1% Start)
With all the talk surrounding Marvin Harrison Jr. and Trey McBride, the other pass-catchers in Arizona are getting overlooked. Wilson showed in 2023 that he can have an impact, even finishing in the top six at the position in a Week 4 contest against San Francisco. Now with Hollywood Brown and Zach Ertz both gone, Wilson will be one of the better familiar options for QB Kyler Murray. He will also benefit from Zay Jones serving a five-game suspension. Arizona may be the Harrison Jr. and McBride show all season long. But it feels more likely that if Arizona hopes to win games someone will have to emerge behind them as another reliable target. That player could be Wilson and with Murray finally back to full health, it may start this week as they try to keep up with Josh Allen and a potent Buffalo passing attack.
Taysom Hill (TE)
New Orleans Saints vs. CAR (9% Start)
This one feels wrong, but as a Swiss-Army knife type of player who can play multiple positions, there are many ways Hill can hurt an opponent. It’s that flexibility that makes him a tight end cheat code. Hill can be frustrating at times. He will have weeks where he finishes as the overall TE1 and other weeks where he completely disappears. But there are reports that his role this season could be bigger and more consistent and with a declining Alvin Kamara, Hill could be the second-leading rusher on the team, with a major role in the red zone. In Week 1 he’ll face off against a Carolina team that found it difficult to put points on the board which may give Hill more rushing work than expected. Hill is impossible to predict. He can score by passing, catching, and running. But it’s that unpredictability that makes him a sleeper. And who knows? Maybe he’ll do all three at the same time. With Hill anything’s possible.
