Finding sleepers becomes increasingly difficult as fantasy football draft season progresses. Training camp reports, preseason performances, injuries, and depth-chart changes quickly push previously overlooked players up draft boards, sometimes eliminating the value that made them sleepers in the first place.
These six players are beginning to generate more attention as we move closer to the regular season, but I don’t think the market has completely caught up yet. De’Zhaun Stribling, Tyrone Tracy Jr., Tyjae Spears, Cyrus Allen, Caleb Douglas, and Denzel Boston all have realistic paths to roles significantly larger than their current ADPs suggest. Some will continue climbing over the next few weeks, which makes now the time to target them before their prices rise even further.
De’Zhaun Stribling, WR, San Francisco 49ers
De’Zhaun Stribling entered the NFL as an older prospect, but nearly everything else about his profile points toward a receiver capable of contributing immediately. The 6-foot-2 rookie posted consecutive 800-yard seasons to finish his collegiate career while scoring 23 career touchdowns and dropping just 1.8% of his targets in 2025. His athletic testing was equally impressive, highlighted by a 4.36-second 40-yard dash and a 9.88 Relative Athletic Score. Stribling then immediately translated those traits to the NFL in his preseason debut, turning eight targets into seven receptions for 63 yards before San Francisco pulled him midway through the second quarter. The production has also carried over from training camp, where Stribling has consistently generated positive reports since returning from early hamstring tightness.
The opportunity is what makes Stribling one of my favorite late-round receivers. Ricky Pearsall is already expected to miss the season, while San Francisco has also dealt with injuries throughout a veteran receiving corps that hasn’t exactly been known for durability. The return of Deebo Samuel creates additional competition, but Stribling doesn’t need to open the season as a full-time starter to outperform his current price. His combination of size, speed, yards-after-catch ability, and versatility fits what Kyle Shanahan wants from his receivers, and the 49ers are already giving him signs of increased trust. Stribling is talented enough to capitalize if another opportunity opens, making him exactly the type of receiver I want to stash before the rest of the market catches up.
Tyrone Tracy Jr., RB, New York Giants
Tyrone Tracy Jr. has become somewhat forgotten after Cam Skattebo’s emergence, but we’ve already seen what he can provide when given a significant workload. From Weeks 10 through 18 last season, Tracy averaged 18.7 touches and 95.5 total yards per game while finishing as the RB14 in fantasy points per game. His efficiency wasn’t spectacular, ranking 27th among qualified running backs in explosive run rate and 31st in yards after contact per attempt, but he doesn’t need to be an elite runner to provide fantasy value. Tracy’s background as a college wide receiver gives him additional receiving upside, and his ability to handle significant volume has already been demonstrated at the NFL level.
Skattebo should eventually lead this backfield when fully healthy, but that’s far from guaranteed entering the season after the ankle injury that ended his 2025 campaign. New York’s preseason opener only added more uncertainty, with Tracy leading the backfield in snaps while Skattebo played just four. That doesn’t mean Tracy has suddenly overtaken him, but it does reinforce why drafting the cheaper back makes sense. If Skattebo is limited early or misses games at any point this season, Tracy has already shown he can immediately step into an RB2-level workload. At his current price, fantasy managers aren’t paying for standalone production; they’re buying one of the more proven handcuffs available late in drafts.
Tyjae Spears, RB, Tennessee Titans
Tyjae Spears has always been more effective as a receiver than a traditional between-the-tackles runner, but his preseason usage suggests Tennessee may finally be willing to expand his role. Spears caught 45 of 50 targets last season while playing primarily behind Tony Pollard, yet still managed multiple RB1 weeks despite rarely controlling the backfield. He opened this preseason with 35 rushing yards on just four attempts, including a 25-yard run, while continuing to be involved as a receiver. More importantly, Spears and Pollard essentially split the first-team snaps evenly, creating legitimate questions about whether the gap between the two backs is nearly as large as their fantasy prices suggest.
That’s where Spears becomes extremely interesting. Pollard is being selected roughly 90 picks earlier despite the first glimpse of Tennessee’s offense looking much closer to a committee than a traditional starter-backup arrangement. Nicholas Singleton could eventually complicate the backfield further, but Spears’ receiving ability gives him the clearest path to maintaining a role regardless of game script. He doesn’t need to completely overtake Pollard to outperform his ADP. If this develops into anything close to a 50/50 backfield, Spears could provide weekly flex value while also carrying significant upside if Pollard misses time. At his current cost, I’d much rather take the discount and bet on the cheaper side of this backfield.
Cyrus Allen, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
Cyrus Allen is one of the deepest sleepers on this list, but any young receiver beginning to earn opportunities in a Patrick Mahomes offense deserves attention. Allen is coming off a breakout final collegiate season in which he scored 13 touchdowns before testing well at his Pro Day with a 4.47-second 40-yard dash and an 11-foot broad jump. He has continued generating buzz since arriving in Kansas City and received five targets in his preseason debut, the most of any Chiefs player. Allen caught only two of those opportunities for 20 yards, but the target volume and his involvement with the starting receiver group mattered considerably more than the final box score.
Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy are firmly ahead of him, so Allen isn’t someone I’m expecting to immediately become a weekly fantasy starter. The intrigue comes from the competition behind them. Kansas City still needs someone to establish himself as its third receiver, and Allen is already pushing his way into that conversation alongside Jalen Royals and Tyquan Thornton. Late-round picks should be spent on players whose values could change dramatically if their roles grow, and catching passes from Mahomes provides Allen with exactly that type of ceiling. He’s still essentially free in most drafts, but another strong preseason performance could quickly change that.
Caleb Douglas, WR, Miami Dolphins
Caleb Douglas landed in one of the best situations possible for a rookie receiver. Miami invested a third-round selection in the 6-foot-3 wideout after he finished his final collegiate season with 54 receptions, 846 yards, and seven touchdowns. Douglas brings a combination of size, vertical ability, and blocking that gives him a realistic path to staying on the field immediately. His preseason debut provided the first indication that Miami feels the same way, as Douglas opened the game alongside Malik Washington with the starting offense and was immediately involved in the passing game.
The Dolphins’ lack of established receiving talent is ultimately why Douglas belongs on the sleeper radar. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are gone, leaving behind an enormous amount of vacated opportunity and no proven replacement capable of demanding targets. Douglas doesn’t need to emerge as an elite receiver to become useful in fantasy; he simply needs to secure a full-time role in one of the weakest depth charts at the position. Rookie receivers drafted this late rarely have such a straightforward path to meaningful snaps, and Miami’s decision to invest a Day 2 pick in Douglas only strengthens his case. If he continues running with the starters throughout the preseason, his current ADP is going to become increasingly difficult to justify.
Denzel Boston, WR, Cleveland Browns
Denzel Boston’s combination of college production and physical profile makes him one of my favorite rookie receivers available late in drafts. The 6-foot-4 receiver finished his final season with 881 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns while converting around 70% of his contested opportunities. He also averaged 2.44 yards per route run and finished his collegiate career with strong dominator and target-share marks despite playing alongside other NFL-caliber talent. Boston’s size separates him from the rest of Cleveland’s receiving corps and gives him an obvious role as the team’s primary boundary and red-zone receiver.
We received an encouraging look at that role during Cleveland’s preseason opener. Boston played 10 of the Browns’ first 11 offensive snaps and remained on the field when Cleveland shifted into 12 personnel, a strong indication that the coaching staff views him as more than a rotational rookie. He also caught a 15-yard pass on the opening drive while working alongside the starters. Jerry Jeudy, KC Concepcion, and Harold Fannin Jr. will create competition for targets, and Cleveland’s quarterback situation isn’t ideal, but Boston doesn’t need massive volume to become fantasy relevant if he’s consistently receiving high-value opportunities near the goal line. At approximately WR60, fantasy managers are paying almost nothing for a receiver who could realistically establish himself as Cleveland’s top outside option.
