“Shore Thing Sleepers” isn’t your ordinary fantasy football start/sit article. Instead, it highlighted lower-valued players that provided starting-caliber production for a specific week. These players were usually near the end of your bench or even on the waiver wire/free agency. With the NFL Draft now in the rearview and best ball drafts already underway, they highlight some of their favorite post-NFL Draft rookie 2023 fantasy football sleepers.
(Average Draft Position [ADP] data courtesy of Underdog Fantasy delivered via 4for4)
Post-NFL Draft 2023 Fantasy Football Sleepers
Jayden Reed (WR, Green Bay Packers) | 190 Overall ADP (WR81)
Jayden Reed surprised many by attaining second-round draft capital in the 2023 NFL Draft as the sixth WR drafted. His landing spot with the Green Bay Packers will provide an immediate opportunity for Reed to compete for starting snaps. Christian Watson is locked in as the Packers’ WR1, but Reed could ascend to the second option in the WR pecking order as early as Week 1. The Packers did spend four additional picks on pass-catchers, but three of those are later-round WRs and a TE. The top four targets for Jordan Love (besides Aaron Jones) are Watson, Reed, Romeo Doubs and rookie TE Luke Musgrave.
Reed showed a solid success rate in college versus all coverage types, including an impressive 87th-percentile 77.8 percent success rate versus press coverage. The 5 foot-11, 191-pound WR ran out of the slot 45 percent of the time at Michigan State University, likely where he will spend most of his time early in the NFL. But that 45 percent rate shows his versatility to line up all over the field, and he showed success across a diverse route tree in college. Reed also checks other advantageous boxes, with a 4.45 40-yard dash time and a breakout age of 18. Deeper routes are Reed’s weak point, but he should find immediate success in the NFL as a low Average Depth of Target (aDOT), high-target volume WR for the Packers. – Scott Rinear
Chase Brown (RB, Cincinnati Bengals) | 168 Overall ADP (RB53)
Usually, day-three NFL Draft capital can be a death knell for a rookie running back. However, Chase Brown isn’t any rookie running back. The University of Illinois standout showed a true three-down skillset in 2022, totaling over 350 touches. Despite his high usage, Brown still averaged five Yards Per Carry (YPC) and excelled against his toughest Big Ten opponents. The Canadian-born back also showed out at the NFL Combine, running a 4.43 40-yard dash (92nd percentile) and scoring an 89th percentile speed score and 95th percentile burst score.
Brown landed with the Bengals and looks to slot in as the RB2 on the depth chart immediately. Samaje Perine held this role last season. While only starting two games, Perine totaled nearly 400 yards on 95 carries and caught 38 of his 51 targets for a combined six TDs. This was good enough for Perine to finish as the Points Per Reception (PPR) RB34. Joe Mixon has only stayed healthy for an entire season twice (2019, 2021) and averages three missed games per season. Additionally, Cincinnati police charged Mixon with aggravated meacing last month, and his long-term future with the team remains uncertain. This makes Brown a must-have RB handcuff that could even have stand-alone PPR RB3 value at his ceiling. Currently going in the 14th round, Brown is one of the most-appealing post-NFL Draft 2023 fantasy football sleepers. – Seth Woolcock
Thanks for reading our post-NFL Draft 2023 fantasy football sleepers. Check out more of our fantasy football and other written content here at In-Between Media, or head over to our YouTube channel to get your fix via video.