When the term "sleeper" comes up in fantasy leagues, it can elicit an eye-roll or two. We get it. Your mileage may vary on where these players fit in your draft plan, but for us, it's all about value relative to draft position.
The Rotoworld Football crew put together their list of 2026 sleepers below, which runs the gamut from familiar names to ones where you have to scroll down a bit in your draft room. Stay tuned for our "bust" selections later this week.
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Let's count the number of third or fourth-down snaps that Woody Marks played last year: It was 34. Dare Ogunbowale was getting third-down work for the Texans over Marks in most situations last year. Now I'm supposed to believe that the Texans, who traded a fourth-round pick for David Montgomery and gave him a new contract, are going to split third-down snaps off to a guy that did little empirically last year and who they clearly didn't trust? I'm sure Marks will have a role here, and I'm sure Montgomery won't play 85 percent of the snaps. But he might play 80, and the volume role in an offense that wants to run has me very optimistic that Montgomery will smash his RB20-ish ADP as long as he stays healthy. - Rivers McCown
As the resident Keaton Mitchell truther, I have no choice but to tout him as a sleeper for this upcoming season. Mitchell has been one of the most explosive players in the league since making the Ravens as a rookie UDFA in 2023. His career 6.8 yards per touch, which comes on a limited 140-touch sample, is tied for the highest in the league among 84 RBs with 140 or more touches, and now he has a chance to work with a coach who will value his abilities both as a runner and a pass-catcher in Mike McDaniel. Mitchell was underutilized during his time with the Ravens. Despite a college profile that included 60 receptions over three seasons, Mitchell managed just 19 receptions in three seasons with the Ravens and was used almost exclusively as a runner. Early training camp reports have suggested he will be much more involved in the passing game, which could make for a decent floor in PPR leagues, especially if he operates at the clear No. 2 back behind Omarion Hampton. - Zachary Krueger
#mitchell #Ravens #Third #last
The Rotoworld Football crew put together their list of 2026 sleepers below, which runs the gamut from familiar names to ones where you have to scroll down a bit in your draft room. Stay tuned for our "bust" selections later this week.
GET YOUR FREE ROTOWORLD FANTASY FOOTBALL DRAFT KIT HERE!
Let's count the number of third or fourth-down snaps that Woody Marks played last year: It was 34. Dare Ogunbowale was getting third-down work for the Texans over Marks in most situations last year. Now I'm supposed to believe that the Texans, who traded a fourth-round pick for David Montgomery and gave him a new contract, are going to split third-down snaps off to a guy that did little empirically last year and who they clearly didn't trust? I'm sure Marks will have a role here, and I'm sure Montgomery won't play 85 percent of the snaps. But he might play 80, and the volume role in an offense that wants to run has me very optimistic that Montgomery will smash his RB20-ish ADP as long as he stays healthy. - Rivers McCown
As the resident Keaton Mitchell truther, I have no choice but to tout him as a sleeper for this upcoming season. Mitchell has been one of the most explosive players in the league since making the Ravens as a rookie UDFA in 2023. His career 6.8 yards per touch, which comes on a limited 140-touch sample, is tied for the highest in the league among 84 RBs with 140 or more touches, and now he has a chance to work with a coach who will value his abilities both as a runner and a pass-catcher in Mike McDaniel. Mitchell was underutilized during his time with the Ravens. Despite a college profile that included 60 receptions over three seasons, Mitchell managed just 19 receptions in three seasons with the Ravens and was used almost exclusively as a runner. Early training camp reports have suggested he will be much more involved in the passing game, which could make for a decent floor in PPR leagues, especially if he operates at the clear No. 2 back behind Omarion Hampton. - Zachary Krueger
#mitchell #Ravens #Third #last
2 months ago
