Finding fantasy football sleepers can be a great way to swing the matchup in your direction. Often, we’re forced to start unlikely players, usually due to injuries, bye weeks, or simply being in a deep league.
Determining if a spot is good for a sleeper involves considering the matchup and situation. How is this player being used within the offense? Have they shown flashes on the field? Factors like these can set certain sleepers apart. With that in mind, find out our top fantasy Sleepers for Week 5. Each player is widely available across all formats.
All sleepers are rostered in fewer than 25% of Yahoo leagues.
Michael Carter, RB, Arizona Cardinals (vs. TEN)
With Trey Benson being placed on injured reserve and James Conner out for the season, there’s a wide-open opportunity in the Cardinals’ backfield.
While some prefer Emari Demercado since he was already active on gamedays, I’m taking the position that his role won’t change much in Benson’s absence. That means that Demercado will remain the preferred option on passing downs and two-minute offense.
It also means that we could see a new early-down runner in Michael Carter.
It’s not like Carter is a complete stranger to this role. After all, he finished the year with 30 rush attempts in his final two games last season.
This type of role would put Carter in the FLEX conversation, especially with the Cardinals as heavy home favorites in a game where they should have the ball often vs. an abysmal Titans offense.
As a widely available potential lead back, Carter is worth picking up immediately.
Sean Tucker, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at SEA)
Bucky Irving is going to miss time, which opens up the door for Sean Tucker to share the backfield with Rachaad White. While White has been terrific this season, we have to acknowledge how impressive Tucker looked last year.
Think back to the Bucs’ blowout win against the Saints, where he put up 192 total yards and two touchdowns. This was always a talented player who only fell in the draft due to health concerns.
I’m betting that Bucky will be out longer than expected, which means that Tucker will have a chance to show what he can do.
While there’s definite risk that the Bucs ride with the veteran White against the Seahawks, Tucker is still a viable sleeper because of his rushing ability. This is a superior runner to White, one that you’re going to want to stash on your bench.
Isaiah Bond, WR, Cleveland Browns (vs. MIN)
Isaiah Bond is a rookie wideout who went undrafted because of a sexual assault charge that was eventually dropped. This is a talented player who now has a chance to make an impact for the rebuilding Browns.
Cedric Tillman is currently nursing a hamstring injury, which put him on injured reserve. Bond is coming off an impressive game against the Lions, where he caught 3-of-6 targets for 58 yards.
With an increased opportunity due to Tillman’s injury, Bond looks like an intriguing sleeper this week.
It also helps that Dillon Gabriel is starting at quarterback. As a backup who had time to throw with the second team, that means Gabriel likely built a rapport with Bond.
With that in mind, it makes sense to give Bond a look in deeper leagues.
Malik Washington, WR, Miami Dolphins (at CAR)
Up next on the sleeper list is Malik Washington, who now becomes the No. 2 wideout in this Dolphins offense with Tyreek Hill out for the season.
Washington put up 1,426 yards in his senior year at Virginia, so this was always an intriguing prospect. With more targets in Hill’s absence, Washington could become fantasy-relevant, especially in deeper, full-PPR formats.
The Dolphins take on the Panthers list week, which isn’t a matchup to fear. If you’re hurting at wideout due to injuries and byes, you could do worse than Washington this week, especially in full-PPR. You could also try out Washington in DFS tournaments.
Oronde Gadsden, TE, Los Angeles Chargers (vs WAS)
The final sleeper on this list is the rookie Oronde Gadsden. The first-year player is in a great spot at home against a porous Commanders defense that got torched down the seams by Tucker Kraft for 124 yards earlier this year.
As an athletic tight end that can win downfield, Gadsden has the type of high-ceiling profile that you want to bet on at such a barren position.
Considering the matchup against the Commanders, Gadsden looks like an interesting sleeper. We’ve seen him catch 7-of-10 targets for 62 yards in the last two games. Prior to that, Gadsden was a healthy scratch, so it’s nice to see that the role is growing.
If you’re still waiting on George Kittle to return or if you took a bust like Evan Engram, take a shot on Gadsden this week.
