We live in the golden age of fantasy football information. You can find any statistic, metric, or article on a player or topic in a matter of seconds. Because of that, there aren’t really “sleepers” anymore. At least not like there were 15 or 20 years ago. Fantasy managers nowadays are sharper, and most of them know the players available in drafts — even the ones going late or completely undrafted.
For this exercise, I focused on players outside the top-12 rounds in seasonal leagues. These guys aren’t complete unknowns; rather, they are cheaper players who could outperform their draft cost if things break right.
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Awaken a Sleeping Giant? You Might…
Keaton Mitchell | RB, Los Angeles Chargers
If you look up “speed” in the dictionary, you’ll likely see a picture of Keaton Mitchell next to it. The former undrafted free agent looks like he’s shot out of a cannon once he gets downhill with his 4.37 speed. He’s weaponized quickness packed into a 5-foot-8, 179-pound frame.
Sadly, Mitchell just hasn’t had many opportunities to showcase his skills. Due to injuries (and being stuck behind Derrick Henry and Justice Hill while in Baltimore), Mitchell has logged only 121 carries across three seasons. In that small sample size, though, he’s averaged an absurd 6.3 yards per carry. For perspective, De’Von Achane is the current leader among active running backs with at least 300 rushes at 5.6 yards per carry.
Keaton Mitchell‘s Advanced Metrics
Guess who coached Achane in Miami and helped turn him into a fantasy superstar? That’s right, it’s Mike McDaniel.
After getting let go in Miami, everyone’s favorite barista-looking play designer landed the Chargers’ offensive coordinator job this offseason. McDaniel is a wizard when it comes to the run game. He knows how to maximize speedy players and get them into advantageous positions. Heck, the guy coaxed a 21-touchdown season out of 31-year-old Raheem Mostert a couple years back. That’s how you know he’s good.
Obviously, Mitchell is not going to be the lead back; that’s Omarion Hampton‘s job. But McDaniel is going to draw up some creative ways to get Mitchell the ball in space and use that game-breaking explosiveness to stress defenses.
There’s a chance Mitchell gets steamed up if he has some highlight-worthy plays in training camp. For now, though, he’s usually coming off the board at the end of Round 13 with an ADP of 155.5, per FantasyPros. If he balls out and turns into a West Coast version of Achane, Mitchell could easily outperform his draft cost.
Malik Willis | QB, Miami Dolphins
Speaking of the Dolphins, let’s talk about their new starting quarterback.
Malik Willis followed head coach Jeff Haley from Green Bay to South Beach this offseason and signed a three-year, $67.5 million deal that included $45 million guaranteed. None of that really matters for fantasy except for the fact that he’s being handed the keys to the offense for 2026, with potential for a longer leash if he can keep Miami out of the cellar.
Here’s why he’s such a bargain at his current QB21 price tag: over the past two seasons, Willis has finished first and second in fantasy points per dropback. He’s only started three games in that span, so the sample size is small, but Willis has shown he can produce at an elite level when he’s on the field.
Last season, he averaged an astronomical 1.35 fantasy points per dropback. The next closest was Josh Allen at 0.75. In 2024, Willis’ 0.84 mark was second only to Lamar Jackson‘s 0.87. The guy prints fantasy points.
Where Willis really shines, though, is with his legs. In his six career starts, he has averaged 44.8 rushing yards per game. Over a 17-game pace, that’s 762 yards.
I recently researched how often quarterbacks who rush for more than 500 yards in a season finish as a QB1 in fantasy. Per Dynatyze data, there have been 56 quarterbacks who have topped that mark since 1999. Of that group, 45 (80%) finished as a top-12 quarterback. Even better, 50% of the time, they finished inside the top five.
So, you can essentially go through your draft loading up at running back, wide receiver, and tight end before grabbing Willis, who has an excellent chance at finishing as a QB1, in Round 13 or 14.
As a backup in single-QB formats or as a QB2 in Superflex leagues, that’s a no-brainer. Click on Willis late and reap the benefits of his rushing ability.
Jalen Nailor | WR, Las Vegas Raiders
Here’s a fun challenge for you: run up to someone like you’re Billy Eichner and ask them to name a Raider receiver. Bet they can’t. And truthfully, it’d be hard to blame them. Stop me when you recognize someone: Tre Tucker, Jack Bech, Dont’e Thornton, Malik Benson… I give up.
That said, one guy who I think could pay dividends this year is Jalen Nailor. The 27-year-old signed with the Raiders after four seasons with the Vikings, giving him a chance to earn a larger role. In Minnesota, he was buried behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. In Las Vegas, the “competition” is much less fierce.
The numbers won’t knock your socks off, but Nailor is coming off career highs in targets (53), receptions (29) and yards (444). He does his best work inside, running the 11th-most slot routes among all receivers last season.
Jalen Nailor‘s 2025 EPX
Don’t expect a Jaxon Smith-Njigba-like ascension for Nailor just because he’s now playing for Klint Kubiak. Brock Bowers is the undisputed No. 1 target for this offense. Heck, Ashton Jeanty might be No. 2, and he’s a running back.
Still, there’s a significant receiver role there for the taking, and if we follow the money, Nailor should get first crack at it. He’s versatile to play all over, and he’s not just a player who can only catch quick-hitters. Nailor is surprisingly effective in 50/50 ball situations. Last season, he had a 72.7% contested catch rate on 11 targets, the fifth-best among all wide receivers.
Last season, Kubiak’s offense ranked ninth in passing yards and second in yards per attempt. No matter how badly fantasy managers want it to happen, everything can’t go to Bowers. A receiver from this team will have some WR3 viability, and I’m betting on Nailor.
Chigoziem Okonkwo | TE, Washington Commanders
If you’ve been reading my work this offseason — or listened to The Podfather’s most recent Mind of Mansion episode when I was a guest, which you should check it out if you haven’t already — then you know I’ve been pounding the table for Chigoziem Okonkwo since he signed with the Commanders.
I just think he’s the right player in the right place at the right time.
Okonkwo has a superior athletic profile and ran a 4.52 40-yard dash at the 2022 NFL combine. Unfortunately, that athleticism hasn’t had a chance to shine through thanks to some pedestrian quarterback play.
Chigoziem Okonkwo‘s Career Stats
Over four seasons, Okonkwo has caught passes from end-of-career Ryan Tannehill, second-round bust Will Levis, six-career-start Malik Willis, journeyman backup Joshua Dobbs, and rookie-year Cam Ward. A Murderers’ Row of quarterbacks, that is not.
Now, he gets to catch passes from Jayden Daniels, who’s shown across two seasons that he likes to lean on his tight ends. Ertz had a 25% first read target share in 2025, fourth-best among tight ends. In Daniels’ rookie season, that number was down at 21%, but Ertz also commanded a 29.4% red zone target share to help even things out.
Back to Okonkwo, who is a durable and reliable player — he’s never missed a game in his pro career. And surely, he’s got more juice than Ertz, who’s nearly a decade older. With Terry McLaurin being the only proven pass-catcher in this offense, there’s a high probability of Okonkwo stepping up and becoming Daniels’ No. 2 target.
To me, Okonkwo’s the perfect backup tight end to grab late in drafts. Big-time target volume awaits him, assuming Washington doesn’t add a veteran slot receiver like Deebo Samuel or Stefon Diggs. Even if it does, Okonkwo is the unquestioned TE1, and it shouldn’t take long for him to earn Daniels’ trust in the short and intermediate areas of the field.
He has low-end TE1 upside — like Ertz the past two seasons — and that’s exactly why I want to take shots on him with one of my final picks in drafts.
Zachariah Branch | WR, Atlanta Falcons
First rookie on the list, and it’s someone who finds themselves in a decent landing spot with a potential starting quarterback who loves to check the ball down. Assuming Tua Tagovailoa wins the job in Atlanta, I think Zachariah Branch has some sneaky upside in full-PPR formats.
Drafted in the third round back in April, Branch is electric with the ball in his hands. He has 4.35 straight-line speed and possesses enough wiggle to break away and take any catch to the house.
Zachariah Branch‘s Advanced Metrics
In 2025 — his only season with Georgia — Branch broke the school record with 81 receptions, turning those into 811 yards and six touchdowns. He’s also a weapon in the return game. Across three collegiate seasons, Branch averaged 13.3 yards on punt returns and 19.3 yards on kickoff returns. As a freshman at USC in 2023, he returned one of each for a touchdown.
If Tagovailoa is under center, expect quick passes to be a dominant part of the playcalling. Last season, he ranked 33rd in air yards per attempt at 6.8. In 2024, that number was even lower at 5.7, which ranked 40th among quarterbacks.
Drake London and Kyle Pitts will get their fair share of targets, but Branch could eat on quick screens, slants and mesh routes as an easy-button target for his quarterback. He’ll likely see single coverage on every snap, as defenses account for London, Pitts and even Bijan Robinson out of the backfield.
Right now, Branch is competing with Olamide Zaccheaus for that slot role. If he wins the job, I’m bullish on his ability to make an impact.
With an ADP of 181, Branch is practically free. However, my interest is only in leagues where you get a full point per catch or return yardage bonuses because — at 5’9” and 177 pounds — I don’t think he has much scoring potential unless he breaks a few long ones.
Jordan James and/or Kaelon Black | RBs, San Francisco 49ers
This is less to do with these young running backs themselves and more to do with starter Christian McCaffrey.
He’s now 30 years old and coming off a season in which he registered 413 touches, the most by a player since DeMarco Murray’s 449 in 2014. If you include the playoffs, that total balloons up to 450.
Any way you slice it, it’s a ton of work for an older back, one who is entering the 2026 season with 2,453 career touches.
That’s why I’m imploring all fantasy managers to take a shot at second-year man Jordan James and rookie third-round pick Kaelon Black. Grab one of them late. Heck, if you have deeper benches, take both and let the depth chart sort itself out.
The first two times McCaffrey led the league in touches, he missed most of the following season. That kind of workload takes a toll. No guarantee that happens this time, but I’d rather be ahead of the game and roster his backups rather than blowing my FAAB on them when they become the hottest commodities in fantasy.
Early reports out of training camp had James working as the No. 2 back, but he suffered a fractured rib in practice. Keep an eye out to see if Black pushes for that spot and leapfrogs James while he’s out.
Black currently has an ADP of 171, so he’s going in the Round 15 range. Meanwhile, James doesn’t even have any ADP data on FantasyPros, so he’s not even being selected in most drafts.
Remember these guys when you’re down to your final pick or two, especially if you spent a first-round pick on McCaffrey. The contingent upside is enormous should anything happen to fantasy’s reigning No. 1 scorer.
George Holani | RB, Seattle Seahawks
When the Seahawks selected Jadarian Price 32nd overall, it looked like George Holani SZN was over before it ever really began. However, if early training camp reports are to be believed, the third-year back out of Boise State may have some fantasy usefulness after all.
Holani is currently being mixed in with the first-team offense during install periods and position drills, rotating with Price. The Seahawks reportedly like his pass-blocking and receiving abilities, skills that could help him see the field more in Year 3.
George Holani‘s Advanced Metrics
A former undrafted free agent, Holani barely saw the field until after Zach Charbonnet tore his ACL in the playoffs. The postseason belonged to Kenneth Walker, who won the Super MVP award, but Holani was the No. 2 back and subbed in for roughly one-third of the snaps, mostly on third downs.
If Holani can earn a decent chunk of the early-down carries, he may carry some FLEX appeal early in the season. Perhaps Seattle wants to ease their first-round back into the offense and not throw too much at Price early on.
Still, Price was a first-round selection for a reason and draft capital usually wins out in these situations. I’d be remiss, though, if I didn’t mention that Seattle does have a history of starting late-round running backs over high draft picks. Remember Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny? I know, different regime, but worth noting. Fantasy managers, don’t forget.
You can take Holani with your last pick and see if he does anything of note in Week 1. If not, just toss him into the free agent pool and move on. But if he hits, you might have yourself a playable running back for practically nothing, and we know how difficult those can be to find sometimes in fantasy.
Wolf Trelles-Heard is a fantasy football analyst for PlayerProfiler.
