Fantasy Football Sleepers Week 2
The first week of fantasy football has come and gone, so on to Week 2. Finding sleepers who will make good on that promise is difficult. But when we are able to uncover an overlooked player with value, very few things can make a fantasy manager happier. Everyone has their view of what qualifies someone to be a sleeper. To me, a sleeper is someone who is not heavily started (but may be heavily rostered) and has a good chance to outperform their weekly ranking. I also use a 50% start rate or less for my benchmark to qualify someone as a sleeper. Here are several players who I think could reward those managers who are brave enough to thrust them into their lineups.
Week 1 Fantasy Sleepers
Start Stat %, Via Sleeper
Matthew Stafford (QB)
Los Angeles Rams @ ARI (26% Start)
Matthew Stafford isn’t likely to find his way into many starting lineups in Week 2. But if you’ve lost your starter to injury (see Jordan Love) or your starting quarterback underperformed in their first outing (see Brock Purdy, Dak Prescott, and Jared Goff), Stafford may be a suitable replacement. Against Detroit, Stafford completed 34 of 49 passes for 317 yards and one touchdown. This performance was enough to make him a top-12 quarterback. This week he will go up against an Arizona defense that allowed Josh Allen to finish as the overall QB1. Stafford does not have the rushing floor of Allen, and he just lost one of his top targets in Puka Nacua, but if he throws it nearly 50 times again he should be able to produce low-to-mid QB1 numbers making him a solid spot start.
Jameson Williams (WR)
Detroit Lions vs. TB (40% Start)
Jameson Williams has found it difficult to get much of anything going in his short career, but he might be turning a corner. During Sunday Night Football, Williams caught five of nine targets for 121 yards and one touchdown. He even added 13 yards on the ground. It’s possible that this will be the best fantasy performance Williams musters all season, but it could also be a sign of things to come. Beyond Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta, the Lions have been looking for another pass catcher who can contribute. Williams could become that guy. In Week 2, Williams will have a tougher matchup when he faces the secondary of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But Goff and the Lions should be a tougher challenge than the Commanders were in their first matchup. Of course, this all depends on Williams being available. An ankle injury currently limits him, so keep an eye on his status.
Brandin Cooks (WR)
Dallas Cowboys vs. NO (13% Start)
Brandin Cooks is not an exciting choice, but after posting four catches for 40 yards and a touchdown against the Browns on Sunday, there could be a path to fantasy relevance. The yardage may be underwhelming but Cooks was heavily involved in the offense, playing on 79% of snaps and garnering seven targets. If the team trusts him then it may be time for fantasy managers to do so as well. The fact that he was able to find the end zone only serves to bolster his value. But perhaps the biggest reason to get behind Cooks as a potential sleeper is the lack of a consistent No. 2 option in the Dallas passing game. With tight end Jake Ferguson dealing with an MCL sprain Cooks may become that option.
Brian Robinson (RB)
Washington Commanders vs. NYG (44% Start)
All off-season all we heard was how Brian Robinson Jr. should be downgraded because of the addition of Austin Ekeler to the Commanders’ backfield. But it appears that may have been an overreaction. Against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Robinson saw work in the running game (12 carries for 40 yards and a touchdown) and in the passing game (three receptions for another 49 yards.) This was good for 17.9 PPR points and a top-12 finish. Robinson seems to be the lead back in this backfield and should continue to take on that role. This could bode well in Week 2 when the Commanders face the New York Giants, who allowed Aaron Jones to run for 94 yards on 14 carries (an average of 6.7 yards per carry) and one touchdown. Say what you will about Robinson, but I think he has more upside than Jones. You should feel free to fire him up.
Tank Bigsby (RB)
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. CLE (2% Start)
Coming into the season the distribution of carries in the Jacksonville backfield was a bit of a mystery while also being somewhat divisive. In one corner were those who thought that Travis Etienne was going to be a workhorse running back. In the other corner were those of us who believed the reports coming out of camp that Tank Bigsby looked like a new and improved running back and would have a role from Day 1. You can’t base anything completely on one game but against the Miami Dolphins, Bigsby received 12 carries and turned them into 73 yards. In Week 2, he’ll face the Browns who allowed a past-his-prime Ezekiel Elliot to run 4.0 yards per carry and find the end zone. Bigsby could easily outperform his ranking this week.
Colby Parkinson (TE)
Los Angeles Rams @ ARI (26% Start)
The Rams like to utilize their tight ends. Tyler Higbee has been productive several times throughout his career in this offense. But Higbee is out with a knee injury which could pave the way for Colby Parkinson. In his first action of 2024, Parkinson played 88% of the snaps and caught four of five targets for 47 yards. Those numbers will not jump off the stat sheet at you but it does point to solid involvement in an offense that passes the ball a lot. That involvement could grow with the news that star wide receiver Puka Nacua will be sidelined for at least four weeks with a knee injury. Cooper Kupp may be hyper-targeted, but Parkinson should also be involved and if you’re underwhelmed with your tight end or always planned and need a streaming option then Parkinson is a great choice.
