Fantasy Football Sleepers – NFC West

What is a ‘sleeper’ in fantasy sports? Basically, it is a player who exceeds their average draft position (ADP) over other players from the same position with a similar draft cost. An example of this from 2021 would be Cordarrelle Patterson, who was undrafted in most leagues before his tremendous start to the season and finishing as a top 10 running back. 

To help you out with identifying a number of athletes who could fall into the ‘sleeper’ category, I will list one player from each NFL team that could provide a huge boost for your squad at a nicely discounted price. We’ll go by divisions for this article so you can more easily access these spicy picks.

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals – RB Darrel Williams

Arizona started the 2021 campaign as the hottest team in the league, winning their first seven games and scoring more than 30 points in six of them. With the fiery Kyler Murray under center and the resurgence of James Conner being just a couple of pieces of their early success, the Cardinals aim to duplicate that result with less of a late-season drop-off.

There were a number of pronounced moves made in Arizona this offseason. Christian Kirk and Chase Edmonds have both moved on to Jacksonville and Miami, respectively. Marquise Brown and Trey McBride are both additions that could have a serious impact in the now and the future. Under the radar, Darrel Williams came into the fold after leading the Chiefs 2021 offense in carries, rushing yards and rushing scores. He’s still clearly behind Conner on the depth chart, who has never amounted to more than 215 carries or achieved 1,000 yards in a season. It’d be nice to see Conner get a full load of work but it’s not likely to happen.

Eno Benjamin is the only other notable running back on the roster but despite the glowing reports from camp, off-the-field issues kept him out of games in 2021. If he gets complacent again, he won’t play again. Williams is also a better pass catcher than Conner, which puts the majority of third down and passing roles in his capable hands.

With an ADP firmly entrenched in the 12th round, I’ve been gobbling up shares of him like candy. He’ll get a very nice share of more than 150 touches in 2022, pushing him past the likes of Marlon Mack, Isaiah Spiller, and Raheem Mostert who are all running backs being drafted one or two rounds earlier. I am absolutely in on Williams this year and you should join me in the spoils.

Los Angeles Rams – RB Darrell Henderson

With Cam Akers missing the majority of the 2021 season, Darrell Henderson played well as the Rams’ starting running back. In the first eight games, he averaged 15.8 touches and 81 total yards while scoring seven times, which was on pace for 1,377 total yards and 14.8 touchdowns. It’s very unlikely that Henderson will see numbers like those in 2022, but he could get more work if Akers struggles. 

After winning the Super Bowl, the Rams didn’t feel the need to make a lot of moves. Odell Beckham and Robert Woods are gone, but they didn’t play together long after Woods’ ACL injury. Allen Robinson was brought in to tandem with Cooper Kupp. They drafted Kyren Williams out of Notre Dame, but he’s going to be a project for the future. Henderson and Akers have been described as “two starting running backs,” by coach Sean McVay – a hint that they may deviate from having one workhorse runner in 2022.

In the history of the NFL, we’ve never seen a running back suffer a torn Achilles and return to their previous output level. If Akers can’t get back to the degree of production he previously showcased, Henderson’s role could expand to near-workhorse levels.

Henderson is currently being drafted behind other “handcuff” running backs like Alexander Mattison and Ronald Jones. Even with a healthy and solid Akers, there could very well be enough work for the former 3rd round pick to forge ahead in fantasy standings. A 9th-round ADP is a bargain for this Los Angeles ball carrier.

San Francisco 49ers – RB Trey Sermon

Trey Sermon did not have a great introductory year in the NFL. However, he did score in his first start and ran for 89 yards in his second start. Injuries and Eli Mitchell torpedoed the rest of the season for him. There is still some promise with Sermon. After all, they traded up to draft him ahead of Mitchell in 2021 and I’m going to hold onto that promise.

The 49ers seem to be moving on from Jimmy Garoppolo in order to let Trey Lance run the offense. Lance showed to be an elite scrambler in college, like Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. That typically means we’ll see less passing from the quarterback and a lot more runs and options. This works in favor of Sermon as he never showed to be a pass-catching threat in college. He is more of a downhill running back, punching himself between the tackles to make yardage rather than using speed and agility to bend around the ends of the offensive line.

From what history has shown us with San Francisco running backs, there’s not just one guy to take the bulk of the work. As the season progresses, a number of backs will lead the team in carries, sometimes from week to week. It’s one of the things that makes head coach Kyle Shanahan so unique and keeps them ahead of the curve.

As a player with an ADP in the 14th round, there are two likely results for Sermon: a huge value or a wasted pick. He’s absolutely worth taking a shot on and could end up as a season-winning selection if the cards fall right. If he doesn’t show anything in the first couple of weeks, you just cut him and move on.

Seattle Seahawks – TE Noah Fant

Tight ends in the NFL are often associated with the “3rd-year breakout” season – the season they hit their stride. Noah Fant didn’t really do that, but he was a solid fantasy option at the position. He improved on his receptions and catch ratio for the second consecutive year and scored a career-high four times. Now that he’s gone to Seattle, he’s in a position to make a name for himself.

Fant was forwarded to Seattle as part of the Russell Wilson trade with a familiar signal caller, Drew Lock. There is a bit of a position battle between Lock and Geno Smith, at the moment. With an established relationship, Lock would seem the better fit for Fant. Either way, the former Hawkeye should be a focus of the passing game. Fant would be the most pronounced tight end Smith has ever worked with in the NFL. He falls in line behind D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett as the clear next-best option for targets. There’s a good chance that Seattle has to rely on the passing game to make things happen on offense.

Fant is another player with a disrespectful ADP, coming in as the 25th tight end drafted back in the 14th round. Obviously, not yet knowing who will be commanding the offense is part of the reason for the late selection. The fact that Fant comes in behind Kyle Rudolph and Robert Tonyan in fantasy drafts is just silly.

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