2021 Fantasy Football Sleepers (Sept. 5):
This is a list of my favorite 2021 fantasy football sleepers – underrated players who are going way later than they should (ADP end eighth round or lower.) The Average Draft Position (ADP) is found on FantasyFootballCalculator.com.
The sleepers from 2018 were a hit, as some of the top players on the list were Phillip Lindsay, Chris Godwin, Kenny Golladay, George Kittle and Patrick Mahomes. My top 2019 sleeper was Devin Singletary (prior to the LeSean McCoy release), but the others, aside from Preston Williams, weren’t so great. The 2020 list had some nice hits, with Justin Jefferson being on this page.
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Marquez Callaway, WR, Saints. ADP: 10.11.
Michael Thomas is hurt. Tre’Quan Smith is banged up, and he sucks anyway. Someone will have to catch passes in New Orleans besides Alvin Kamara, and that figures to be Marquez Callaway, who looked good when given an opportunity last year. Callaway had a great preseason debut and was even better in the second game.
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Ty’Son Williams, RB, Ravens. ADP: Undrafted.
Now the No. 2 running back on the depth chart, Ty’Son Williams makes for an intriguing late-round fantasy sleeper. Williams has been incredibly impressive in the preseason. That includes the exhibition finale. Williams rushed for 42 yards on just four carries. He also caught a pass, but lost a yard on the reception.
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Gabriel Davis, WR, Bills. ADP: 13.11.
Gabriel Davis should be going way earlier than the end of the 13th round. He’ll be the No. 2 outside receiver in Buffalo’s high-powered offense this year. He should have a huge season as a result.
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Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, Patriots. ADP: 12.01.
Damien Harris is the heavy favorite to handle most of the workload this year for the Patriots, but it’s difficult to ignore what Rhamondre Stevenson has done this preseason. Stevenson has amazing upside, so it’ll be difficult for the Patriots to keep him off the field.
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Demarcus Robinson, WR, Chiefs. ADP: Undrafted.
Kansas City’s battle for the No. 2 receiving job continued in the preseason finale. Mecole Hardman started ahead of Demarcus Robinson in a two-receiver set, but didn’t see any targets. Robinson, conversely, caught both of his targets for 30 yards. Hardman will be pumped for the start, but as I’ve been saying, he’s not a good receiver. The Chiefs will soon admit this and use Robinson over him. Robinson is going later than Hardman in fantasy football mock drafts, yet he definitely seems like the better option.
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Larry Rountree, RB, Chargers. ADP: Undrafted.
The Chargers have stated that they will use multiple running backs this year. There have also been reports that they love their rookie running back, Larry Rountree, who was outstanding in his preseason debut and solid the following week. He’s someone I want to target in the final rounds.
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K.J. Hamler, WR, Broncos. ADP: Undrafted.
K.J. Hamler looks like a completely different receiver in his second year. The Vikings had no answer for him, as he hauled in two of his three targets for 108 yards. If Courtland Sutton continues to have issues with his knee, Hamler could be in for a strong 2021 campaign, especially if Drew Lock performs like he did in his preseason debut.
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Jakobi Meyers, WR, Patriots. ADP: 13.10.
Despite the money the Patriots threw at Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne this offseason, Jakobi Meyers is their No. 1 receiver. I wasn’t a huge fan of Meyers earlier in the summer because every time Cam Newton scrambles, that’s one fewer potential target or touchdown for Meyers. However, with Mac Jones dominating the preseason, we could see the rookie under center at some point in 2021, which bodes well for Meyers’ fantasy outlook.
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Mike Williams, WR, Chargers. ADP: 9.07.
Mike Williams has disappointed in recent years, but he could finally have his breakout season. The Chargers made massive upgrades to the offensive line, so an experienced Justin Herbert will have enough time in the pocket to connect with Williams often each week.
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Byron Pringle, WR, Chiefs. ADP: Undrafted.
Patrick Mahomes targeted Byron Pringle early and often in OTAs. Someone has to take Sammy Watkins as the Chiefs’ No. 2 receiver, and I’m not a believer in Mecole Hardman. The second wideout could easily be Pringle. If so, he’ll be a viable fantasy option. He’s worth a late-round flier.
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Darnell Mooney, WR, Bears. ADP: 10.10.
The Bears finally have a potential franchise quarterback in Justin Fields. He’ll make good use of Darnell Mooney, who thrived as a rookie last year. Anthony Miller was traded, so it sounds like the Bears have big plans for Mad-Eye Mooney.
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Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Lions. ADP: 14.06.
The Detroit announcers made it clear that the coaching staff was very impressed with Amon-Ra St. Brown. The rookie receiver would have converted on all three of his targets from Jared Goff if a 12-yard reception of his wasn’t negated by a hold. St. Brown finished with two catches for 12 yards. The announcers noted that Goff and St. Brown have nice timing with each other, and that was apparent in the preseason opener.
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Darrel Williams, RB, Chiefs. ADP: 13.10.
Darrel Williams was taken off this list last week because of a Clyde Edwards-Helaire upgrade, but he’s back because the second-year back suffered an injury. It’s unclear how serious it is, but if he misses time, Williams has RB2 potential in Kansas City’s high-octane offense.
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Quez Watkins, WR, Eagles. ADP: Undrafted.
Quez Watkins is the favorite to be the Eagles’ slot receiver, per reports. Watkins has been outstanding in training camp and the preseason, so he seems to be an appealing late-round sleeper.
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Malik Taylor, WR, Packers. ADP: Undrafted.
Malik Taylor had another impressive performance in the preseason finale, catching five passes for 69 yards. I mentioned last week that Taylor has been enjoying a spectacular preseason, and that continued in this contest. We’ll see if Taylor makes the team – it helps that Devin Funchess is out for the year – because if he does, I think he’ll make for a very intriguing final-round fantasy pick. Green Bay’s receiving corps is weak outside of Davante Adams, so Taylor could make a big move up the depth chart in the near future.
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Jake Funk, RB, Rams. ADP: Undrafted.
I’m not a fan of Darrell Henderson or Sony Michel. The Rams like Jake Funk so much that they didn’t give him a single snap in the final preseason game. I think Funk is worth a shot in the final rounds because the Rams could make him the lead back.
More 2021 Fantasy Football Articles:
Fantasy Football Rankings
2021 Fantasy Football Rankings:
2021 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterbacks - 9/1 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Rankings: Running Backs - 9/8 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Rankings: Wide Receivers - 9/5 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Rankings: Tight Ends - 9/5 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Rankings: Kickers - 6/9 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Rankings: Defenses - 6/9 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings: Dynasty - 5/9 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Mock Drafts:
2021 Fantasy Football Mock Drafts - 9/3 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheets:
2021 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 - 9/8 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 PPR - 9/8 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 Half-PPR - 9/8 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 2-QB - 9/8 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 Touchdown League - 9/8 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Custom - 9/8 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football: Dynasty Rankings - 9/8 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Spreadsheets - 9/8 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Articles:
2021 Fantasy Football Stock Report: OTAs, Training Camp - 9/6 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Sleepers - 9/6 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Busts - 8/31 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Value Picks - 8/31 (Walt)
2021 NFL Preseason Game Recaps - 8/30 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Stock Report: Preseason Games - 8/30 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Round-by-Round Strategy Guide - 8/12 (Walt)
NFL Picks - Dec. 11
2025 NFL Mock Draft - Dec. 11
NFL Power Rankings - Dec. 9
2026 NFL Mock Draft - Nov. 29
Fantasy Football Rankings - Sept. 4
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