Don’t doze when it comes to these fantasy sleepers
Iwould love to be paid to sleep. It would be my dream job. I’m so good at sleeping I can do it with my eyes closed. I recently got eight hours of sleep. It only took me three days. What makes a good sleeper in Fantasy Football? A “sleeper” is defined as someone that becomes unexpectedly successful or important after a period of being unnoticed or ignored. But the following gentlemen have not gone unnoticed by me. Sleepers awake!
BEN ROETHLISBERGER, QB
Big Ben will probably be the only household name you’ll see on this list. Yes, he’s older, slower and is developing an uncanny resemblance to Will Ferrell, but he’s still got some fire in that jelly-belly of his. He finished the 2020 season as the 14th best QB, but he is going undrafted in many fantasy leagues. This makes no sense because his top three WRs are being taken by Round 7. Ben’s preseason outing last week was spectacular: 137 yards, eight completions and two touchdowns in one quarter of work. Ben puts the steel in the Steelers and has done so for 18 years. Make sure you steal this Steeler before your draft ends.
QADREE OLLISON, RB
Mike Davis averaged 40 rushing yards a game last year for the Panthers, a very pedestrian total. He didn’t sniff a 100-yard game. He only scored 6 rushing TDs. Davis is jumping off draft boards in Round 5. And I don’t believe for a second that he will last four games as the starter in Atlanta. Enter Qadree. The third-year pro has been rotating in with the first-string offense in camp. He is bigger, leaner and more explosive than Davis and it will not surprise me when he ends up as the primary back. Ollison rushed for 2,859 yards in college at Pitt with 50 receptions and 32 TDs. According to Falcons RB coach Desmond Kitchings, the door is wide open to win the starting RB job. Let sleeper Qadree rest up on your roster for a month. By Week 5 it’s Olli Olli Ollison-free!
CHUBA HUBBARD, RB
If you want to really make the owner of probable first pick Christian McCaffrey furious, draft Hubbard before he does. Hubbard is McCaffrey’s backup, better known as a “handcuff” in fantasy jargon. When McCaffrey went down in Week 3 last year, backup Mike Davis came in and finished as the 12th best RB in fantasy. That’s the massive value of
Hubbard, and he’s a much better player than Davis. Chuba led the nation in rushing at Oklahoma State as a sophomore with over 2,000 yards. This Canadian rookie is faster than McCaffrey and there will be little to no drop-off in run game production if he becomes the default starter in Carolina. Hubba Bubba Chuba.
TYRELL WILLIAMS, WR
If you follow Fantasy Billboard you know how I feel about the Detroit Lions. They are the kitty-cats of the NFL. It’s not surprising when superstars like Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson retire early from the Motor City. I expect the Lions to be trailing in most of their games. They will have to throw the ball. A lot. Last year they put the ball in the air almost 600 times. 2021 will be no different. Williams signed a one-year, $4 million deal and has had all the looks of a No. 1 WR this preseason. He has a 1,000-yard season on his resume with the Chargers in 2016. I think he’s good for that many yards again and at least 80 catches. Detroit will still be wretched this year, and with the volume I anticipate going Tyrell’s way, I’d be Lion if I didn’t think he’d benefit.
JAKE KUMEROW, WR
Before the start of the 2020 season, Packers QB Aaron Rodgers praised Kumerow, calling him the second best WR on the team behind All-Pro Davante Adams. Green Bay cut Kumerow the very next day. The Packers’ loss is the Buffalo Bills’ gain. Jake has been the star of the Buffalo camp. With Stefon Diggs and Cole Beasley dinged up, Kumerow has been catching everything in sight. He had a TD and an amazing toe-tapping reception in last week’s preseason game at Chicago. Josh Allen threw TDs to 12 different Bills last year. I fully expect Kumerow to have a big role because Buffalo uses a lot of four WR sets. If Diggs, Beasley, or Emmanuel Sanders miss any playing time, Jake could vault himself to be the Bills’ second-best receiver. Just ask Aaron Rodgers.
BLAKE JARWIN, TE
The Dallas Cowboy super sleeper from 2020 went down with a torn ACL in Week 1, dashing the hopes of many who thought he was the second coming of Jason Witten. Blake’s replacement, Dalton Schultz, stepped in and had a great year, finishing 11th amongst TEs. The fully recovered Blake is still the better talent and is currently listed No. 1 on the Cowboys’ depth chart. His rapport with QB Dak Prescott before his injury was “amazing” according to owner Jerry Jones. He had 31 catches and three TDs in 2019 and was given a huge $22 million contract. That’s starter money. He will not be on the Cowboys’ bench, and he shouldn’t be on yours.
DONALD PARHAM JR., TE
You’ve never heard of The Donald? Well then you must not be a fan of the Stetson University Mad Hatters. His three-year college stats: 180 catches, 2,591 yards and 20 TDs. Parham is one of the tallest players in the NFL at 6-8. You could say the sky’s the limit for this human skyscraper. He surprisingly runs a 4.6 40-yard dash. TE Hunter Henry signed with the Patriots this year, but before he left, Henry praised Parham as a man with “a lot of talent who moves really well for how big he is.” Henry finished 12th in scoring in 2020 because QB Justin Herbert loves to throw to his tight ends. Parham had 10 receptions and 159 yards for the Chargers last season, including three TDs. Jared Cook, 34, is the main competition for playing time. At that age, it’s time for Cook to take a nap while super-sleeper Parham awakes. Lastly, I always wonder what sheep count to fall asleep. Their friends, I guess.
Share your creative fantasy team names on my Twitter feed @fantasybillboa7 and get a shout out in the Daily News! The winners for this week are: SuperNovas (Villanova, Pa.), The Undertakers (Wall, N.J.) and The Junior Mints (Manhattan).
Next Week: Last Minute