Identifying fantasy football sleepers can provide a significant edge in a matchup, particularly for teams projected as heavy underdogs. Unlikely players often become necessary starters due to injuries, bye weeks, or league depth.
Determining if a spot is suitable for a sleeper involves considering the matchup and situation. How is this player being used within the offense? Have they shown flashes of brilliance on the field? Factors like these can set certain sleepers apart. With that in mind, here are our top fantasy sleepers for Week 15, all of whom are available in most leagues.
Isaiah Likely, TE, Baltimore Ravens (at CIN)
Isaiah Likely hasn’t been fantasy relevant this year, other than his big game against the Bengals on Thanksgiving, when he had five catches for 95 yards.
Likely followed that up with 25 yards and a touchdown against the Steelers last week, so perhaps he’s starting to build momentum.
Guess who the Ravens face this week? Yup, the Bengals, putting Likely in a good spot for another spike week.
The Bengals have been historically bad vs. tight ends this season, with Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid as the latest to have strong games against them.
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While Likely has a low floor because Mark Andrews can easily be the one who produces against the Bengals, there’s enough upside here to warrant a start.
Just keep in mind that there’s definitely a boom-or-bust range of outcomes.
Samaje Perine, RB, Cincinnati Bengals (vs BAL)
Samaje Perine is the backup to Chase Brown, but he’s seen decent usage in the last couple of games.
The veteran had six carries for 31 yards, along with one catch for seven yards vs. the Bills. The week before that, Perine had 14 carries for 39 yards and two catches for 15 yards against the Ravens.
While this is nothing more than a desperation FLEX, Perine certainly fits the bill as a sleeper.
The Bengals seem to like Perine in short-yardage situations, so we can’t rule out a touchdown in this projected high-scoring game.
If you’re dealing with injuries in a deeper league, Perine makes a lot of sense.
Isiah Pacheco, RB, Kansas City Chiefs (vs LAC)
Isiah Pacheco has been such a huge bust that he qualifies as a fantasy sleeper for Week 15. I know there hasn’t been much to like here, but hear me out.
Pacheco had nine carries for 30 yards last week, cutting into more of Kareem Hunt’s workload.
Up next for the Chiefs is a must-win game against the Chargers, who were recently gashed on the ground by Saquon Barkley.
Los Angeles is much better at defending the pass, so perhaps Kansas City can get the running game going here.
Like Perine, this is a desperation FLEX in super-deep leagues, but Pacheco makes sense in a game I believe the Chiefs will win, setting him up for a positive game script.
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Tyler Shough, QB, New Orleans Saints (vs CAR)
Here we have a sneaky quarterback streamer in Tyler Shough, who has performed well of late.
The rookie quarterback has put up 18+ fantasy points in three of his last four games. One of those games came against the Panthers, who he’ll face this week. That was a matchup where Shough scored 19 points.
We saw Shough’s running ability on full display in the upset over the Bucs, when he had seven carries for 55 yards and two touchdowns.
Shough now has at least six rush attempts in three consecutive games.
That’s the kind of dual-threat you want to target in a quarterback streamer.
Pat Bryant, WR, Denver Broncos (vs GB)
Pat Bryant is emerging as one of the Broncos’ go-to possession receivers, surpassing Troy Franklin in the pecking order. While Bryant’s fantasy value is mostly in deeper, full-PPR formats, he still qualifies as a sleeper here.
The rookie wideout has 17 targets in his last three games. We may see him continue to get more involved in a game projected to go down to the wire against the Packers.
If you’re in a tight spot in a deeper league, a dart throw on Bryant makes sense. It’s never a bad idea to take a shot on a rookie down the stretch.
