Welcome to Super Deep Sleepers, the next article in our 2024 FFU Fantasy Football Draft Kit. Here we are going to use Fantasy Pros 1/2 PPR 1QB ADP to pick out some great targets who are not only late-round targets but who may be available on waiver wires after fantasy drafts. To see how these players rank in our FFU Consensus Rankings, check out our FFU Rankings Page.
Joshua Palmer, WR (Chargers)
Palmer has always been viewed as a mediocre receiver who had the occasional boom game when the Chargers ran out of healthy bodies, and that may be the case here. Austin Ekeler is gone, Keenan Allen is gone, and the only tangible receiver brought in to replace them was rookie first-rounder Ladd McConkey. McConkey has potential, but profiles more as a slot receiver than a bonafide WR1. This lack of options leaves a massive void in the Charger’s receiving corps and a huge opportunity for Palmer.
This situation is what’s known as an ambiguous wide receiver room. It’s a situation where there is an opportunity for someone to be a stud, and if you can correctly guess which one it will be, you have a potential league winner on your hands. These situations are ideal because you can simply draft “your guy” at a low cost and if he hits you win the lottery. I could easily be convinced that Quentin Johnston is the receiver to target here, but that’s going against the odds. The smart play is Palmer, but at this cost, you can afford to draft whichever Charger’s receiver you believe in and hope for the best. All of them, except McConkey, may even be on your waiver wire after the draft concludes.
Gabe Davis, WR (Jaguars)
Let’s get this out of the way right off the bat. Gabe Davis is not a sleeper pick to make if you are looking for someone with WR1 potential. He could be the Jaguars’s WR1, but he is more likely to be their WR3 behind Christian Kirk and Brian Thomas Jr. Davis is a better pick in best ball, I don’t that is a shocking statement for anyone to read, but if you are desperate for a bye-week or injury replacement, Davis has the upside to step into your lineup in a pinch and produce, as we saw with his four touchdown performance a few years back.
Davis is a decent flier off the waiver wire in fantasy leagues, but consider him the Taysom Hill of wide receivers. He is going to have a handful of league-winning weeks, surrounded by many weeks with no fantasy production. If you are starting Davis, you will be doing so in hopes of catching lightning in a bottle. It is possible though, and it’s certainly priced accordingly.
Khalil Shakir, WR (Bills)
Shakir is projected by many to be the top receiver for the Buffalo Bills, and if that projection turns out to be accurate, Shakir has massive breakout potential. The Bill’s current wide receiver room consists of the injured Curtis Samuel, Khalil Shakir, and rookie first-round pick Keon Coleman. I’m projecting Coleman to be the Alpha WR1 in this offense but there is still late-round value in Shakir as the WR2.
The third-year receiver has slowly been improving since his rookie year and last season he managed to top 600 receiving yards. That production came with him firmly set in the shadow of future Hall of Famer Stefon Diggs. Diggs has now departed for Houston and the Buffalo offense is ripe for a breakout receiver. Even with Coleman as my pick to lead the team in production, Shakir is a great late-round selection who could easily climb into the ranks of the WR3s for fantasy.
Ben Sinnott, TE (Commanders)
Tight-end breakouts are always difficult to project, especially with rookie tight ends. Lately, we have seen some excellent tight ends find their way into top 10 status right from the start of their career. I don’t expect Sinnott to be a fantasy stud right from Week 1, especially with veteran Zach Ertz on the roster and likely capping his production for a time.
At some point, Ertz is going to lose the starting role to Sinnott, whether due to injury or production and that’s when we will see what Sinnott has to offer. Add in the recent trade of Jahan Dotson to the Eagles and there is plenty of room for someone on this roster to be number two in targets behind Terry McLaurin. Sinnott has all the physical tools to be a solid weekly performer and anytime a tight end has a clear pathway to being the second target earner on their team is a time when I want to target that player.
Ja’Tavion Sanders, TE (Panthers)
Sanders is in a similar situation to Sinnott in the sense that he is a rookie tight end who has a clear pathway to being the second target on his team. Much like the Commanders, the Panthers seem to have a defined WR1 and not much else. Diontae Johnson should easily be the WR1 for Carolina, but the second most targeted Panthers could easily be Sanders.
This roster is currently filled out by aging Adam Thielen, rookie Xavier Legette, and last year’s disappointing rookie Jonathan Mingo. This is yet another ambiguous group of pass-catchers on an offense surrounded by uncertainty. If sophomore quarterback and 2024 first-overall draft pick Bryce Young can make even a small step forward, Sanders could be a great late-round selection, especially given how unreliable the tight end pool typically is.
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