Fantasy Football ‘23: Deep Sleeper Rookies
Hyatt Could Be a New Favorite for Danny Dollars
(Published August 29, 2023)
WRITTEN BY: Alec Siegel
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Welcome to the unpredictable world of rookie sleepers. Most fantasy players who play in season-long Redraft leagues (as opposed to Dynasty or Devy leagues) are aware of the rookies who were taken in Rounds 1 and 2 of the NFL Draft, and who have a chance to make an immediate splash in fantasy. Well, every year we also get a few less heralded rookies who surprise, and as somebody who enjoys college football more than the NFL, and follows it closely, I try to learn sleepers beyond sleep. I’m going to hit on 5 rookie sleepers who were drafted in the lower or middle rounds and that I think have a chance to be special at some point this season. Think Kareem Hunt, James Robinson, Dak Prescott and Amon-Ra St. Brown. I’m talking about guys who might not even get drafted in a typical 12-team league, and could be sitting on waivers as the season gets underway. File their names away.
***MORE 2023 SLEEPERS FROM THE PIGSKIN PAPERS: Fantasy Sleepers '23. ***
The Deuce Might Get Loose in Big D This Season
RB
While running backs keep getting devalued by NFL teams, it’s still a critical position in fantasy football, due to scarcity, so here I’ll give you a guy that I think could see opportunities as the season wears on. That’s Deuce Vaughn (Kansas State, 6th Round Pick), who is only 5’5” but who could be a beast for the Dallas Cowboys. Don’t let the height fool you, because with his low center of gravity, shiftiness, and speed, he’s difficult to take down. His dad Chris Vaughn is a Cowboys’ scout - fun fact. My biggest takeaway from watching Vaughn, besides his agility and speed, is his hands. He had 116 receptions through 3 years of college ball, which is likely to translate to the NFL. He racked up nearly 2,000 scrimmage yards in his final year of college ball and is clearly more than just a gadget player. He has natural talent and it’s been showing in preseason and training camp, and it looks like he has already passed Malik Davis on the depth chart. That leaves him in competition with Rico Dowdle for touches. My last note is this -the Cowboys have had 2 excellent RB producers in fantasy for several years, and it's unlikely that they will overwork Tony Pollard. Whoever emerges as the primary backup to Pollard could put up decent numbers, and that could be Vaughn. You can get him very late in drafts.
Don’t Sleep on Justyn Ross
WR and TE
Let’s move from RBs to pass catchers. I know it’s often difficult for a later round (or undrafted) guy to even get snaps as a rookie, assuming they make the team, but here are some that I think can have an impact for their offense and your fantasy team.
First is Justyn Ross, who went undrafted in 2022, signed with the Chiefs, and then spent all of last season on IR, making him a rookie this year. You probably haven’t heard Ross’s name much since the 2019 College Football National Championship. The Clemson Tiger put up an outstanding 12 catches for 301 yards and 3 TDs in just two games in the 2019 CFP. After his great freshman season it was pretty quiet for Ross at Clemson due to a congenital spinal fusion, a serious injury that sidelined him for the entirety of his junior season. The talent is clearly there as he was projected to be a first round pick alongside his college teammate Trevor Lawrence going into their junior year, but injuries are a part of the game, and now he finds himself competing for a roster spot on a team with a suspect WR room. In his first preseason game he had 2 catches for 29 yards and a TD, and he added another TD (and an impressive one at that) in the final preseason game, likely cementing a roster spot in the process. One thing that keeps turning my head is how Patrick Mahomes talks about him - he recently called him a “different player” as compared to the rest of the Chiefs’ WRs, citing him combination of size (6’4”) and fluidity. Ross is without question a flier, but given who his QB and HC are, it’s a dart worth throwing at the end of your draft.
My next receiver is Jalin Hyatt, the Tennessee Volunteer who was the Biletnikoff Award winner in 2022 and a unanimous All-American. He put up 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns in just 12 games. What you see is what you get with Hyatt - he has blazing speed and reportedly clocked in at 24 MPH during Giants’ training camp which would make him the fastest player in the NFL. You can say what you want about his route running and the lack of sophistication of the offense he played in at Tennessee, but his speed is the real deal. It’s a joke that he landed in the third round considering all he did this past year. Hyatt had a poor performance in his first preseason game with just one catch for -4 yards, but bounced back with a 33-yard TD in the next game. Daniel Jones has been looking for a go-to weapon for his entire career and reports are that the connection has been great with Hyatt in training camp. Like the Chiefs, the Giants also have a suspect WR room and he can easily climb to the first team offense and be a great downfield option for Jones. It’s a great swing to take as he’ll be available in most leagues for free.
Darnell: The Biggest Washington Since the Monument
My last pass catcher is Tight End Darnell Washington. I know - rookie TEs rarely put up good fantasy stats and especially those who aren’t walking into a clear starting role. The Georgia product was picked late in the third round by the Pittsburgh Steelers. All I can say about this guy is wow. He’s massive at 6’7”, 265 pounds and has ridiculous athleticism. He ran a 4.64 40 at the combine and also had a 31 inch vertical. Guys that big should not be able to move like that! A big factor for rookie pass catchers seeing playing time is that if they are good at blocking, they will see more snaps as a result. Washington won’t supplant Pat Freiermuth as the starter but he’ll carve out some kind of role and could be a red zone threat with his size. The Steelers and Mike Tomlin have used 2-TE sets in the past and I think Washington will do more as a rookie than people are expecting. He’s free in drafts, and should be on your waiver-wire speed dial.
Others to Watch
I wasn’t able to mention all of the rookie sleepers that I think can produce useful fantasy production this year. Here are some more that have a chance: Hendon Hooker (QB, Lions), Puka Nacua (WR, Rams), Xavier Hutchinson and Tank Dell (WRs, Texans), Eric Gray (RB, Giants), Sean Tucker (RB, Buccaneers), and Luke Schoonmaker (TE, Cowboys).
Alec Siegel
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