Fantasy Football Sleepers – The NFC East

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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 is Hunter Renfrow. Most fantasy managers didn’t have Renfrow on their radars and the few who drafted him did so late and possibly cut him early. He earned himself a Pro Bowl appearance last season with 103 receptions and nine scores. Savvy fantasy players pounced on his availability and became very grateful for his breakout campaign.

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 East

Dallas Cowboys – WR Michael Gallup

Most fantasy managers have an extra shred of worry when it comes to players coming off of a considerable injury. Michael Gallup had two of them in 2021. One was a meniscus tear and the other was an ACL tear, causing him to miss eight games. Before that, his injuries had been mild and only cost him two games in three seasons. In those three seasons, he averaged 15.6 YPR and scored 13 times. Once healthy again, there’s a lot of promise in Gallup.

First and foremost, a lot has changed with the Cowboys’ receiving corps. Amari Cooper and Cedrick Wilson are both gone. James Washington and rookie Jalen Tolbert were the only noteworthy names to be added to the group. Washington was placed on injured reserve and will miss some time. Once Gallup has fully recuperated, he will immediately step into a prominent role in the passing game.

In 2019, Gallup caught 66 balls and averaged 16.8 YPR, Those are lofty goals in an injury-shortened season, but if he can reproduce those yardage numbers, he’ll be a goldmine in the second half of the 2022 campaign. Last year’s 12.7 YPR and 49.4 yards per game may make some weary, but with ample opportunity in a pass-heavy offense, there’s little chance he doesn’t outshine those numbers in an injury-riddled season.

As the 50th wide receiver off of draft boards, his value is indulgent. On top of that, you can draft him late, just place him in your IR spot (if your league has them) and add a temporary fill-in until he returns. Tyler Lockett and Treylon Burks are being drafted more than a round earlier than Gallup and I’d take him over both of them. By season’s end, Gallup could be a shiny star on your weekly fantasy lineups.

New York Giants – WR Sterling Shepard

Sterling Shepard holds a special place in my heart as a being a reliable and athletic player whenever he’s on the field. The only problem is that he has not been as durable as we would like. He played in only seven games in 2021. Since the beginning of the 2019 season, he’s caught at least six passes in 16 of 29 games and averaged 75.4 receiving yards in those games. When he gets chances, he makes the most of them.

The Giants added rookie Wan’Dale Robinson in this year’s draft and Karadius Toney in last year’s. Both are underdeveloped prospects that the team hopes will become features in their passing game. In the meantime, Shepard is still well-versed in the NFL game. Even with the new offensive scheme under new head coach Brian Daboll, Shepard has had more experience under different regimes that he should still be considered a viable option.

Let’s go back to that 16-game sample size I talked about earlier. Shepard caught an average of 7.3 passes per game for a total of 1,207 receiving yards over that span. Yeah, that’s probably a ceiling, but it’s a full season of games that lends itself to the promise of this pass catcher. I’m not saying he’s gonna surpass 1,200 yards, but it’s definitely not impossible.

If you’re at the end of your draft and want to swing for the fences, Shepard is worth your consideration. At worst, you cut him and move on to the next. However, if he starts out hot and delivers on that potential, you’ve just found a league-winning asset. Personally, I’d take him over Russell Gage and Isaiah McKenzie and not even blink.

Philadelphia Eagles – RB Kenneth Gainwell

In his rookie season, Kenneth Gainwell was lost in a crowded backfield but showed signs of his ability as a pass catcher. He managed 544 total yards from scrimmage, caught 33 out of 50 targets, and scored six times. In games where he played more than 35% of the snaps, he averaged 4.75 receptions and 81 total yards. 

As a player in a run-heavy offense, Gainwell will get his shots to perform. He’ll still be sharing time with Miles Sanders and Boston Scott, but neither of them is the same pass-catching back as Gainwell. Trey Sermon was recently brought in as well, but any time he gets will be in the vacated role of Jordan Howard from last season, which is a big, punishing back used in short-yardage situations. Gainwell has extra value in PPR leagues but should have enough opportunities to garner consideration in standard formats.

Coming in as the 45th running back taken in fantasy drafts, he could turn into a star selection for your team. It’s a crime that Alexander Mattison and James Robinson are being drafted before Gainwell as he’ll get more runs and better production than either of them in 2022.

Washington Commanders – RB J.D. McKissic

The player listed here was originally going to be Brian Robinson Jr. He will miss an unknown number of games after suffering multiple gunshot wounds in a heinous assault. We at the Faceoff Sports Network all wish him a full and speedy recovery!

J.D. McKissic is an unquestionable delight when it comes to PPR formats. After hauling in 80 targets in 2020, he came back down to Earth and caught 43 passes for 397 yards in 2021. For those of you counting, that’s 123 receptions over two years as a running back. Few NFL ball carriers get that kind of work out of the backfield.

With Robinson missing multiple games and the waiving of Jaret Patterson, McKissic is formulated to see a significant workload to begin the 2022 season. Not just in the passing game, but in the running game, as well. Over the last three seasons, he is averaging 4.57 YPC, which was a vast improvement from his days with Seattle. Mash that up with his 7.76 YPR and you’ve got a goliath of fantasy potential.

McKissic isn’t going to be a workhorse running back, but his ability to take a routine reception into orbit makes him a great fantasy asset. If you’ve already drafted, he might be on the waiver wire right now as he was being selected as the 53rd runner off of the board. I value him above the likes of Rachaad White, Isaiah Spiller, and Khalil Herbert who are all running backs being drafted before McKissic. This is a guy you want on your fantasy team!

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