It’s not always easy to know exactly what makes a Dynasty Fantasy football sleeper. As anyone who has played in the Dynasty League knows, there are many opinions about players. One man’s treasure is often found to be another man’s trash in trade negotiations. But the fact that it is not clear who is actually sleeping does not reduce the need to find him. So, for this exercise, I used the Dynasty League Football One Quarterback ADP and looked for players outside the top 100. At least one of these guys is starting to move up the draft boards, but I wanted to include him in case anyone missed the memo. I only included one rookie, because I just published the rookie list.
Jonathon Brooks, RB, Panthers
DLF ADP: 113
This one is obvious. I’m using the July ADP, but if we fast forward to the August ADP, Brooks might not even qualify. The former second-round pick is finally healthy, more than 19 months removed from his second ACL tear. The Panthers have big plans for Brooks this year, at least as a 1B to Chuba Hubbard. But if Brooks is truly back to his old self, I expect him to take the lead job away from Hubbard. Brooks has a three-time profile and a better pedigree than Hubbard. He also just turned 23, so if he hits it wouldn’t be surprising to see Brooks as the leading rusher midway through the season.
De’Zhaun Stribling, WR, 49ers
DLF ADP: 146
This is a bit of a mea culpa. I laughed so hard when the 49ers took Stribling 33rd overall. I thought it was another classic draft mistake by the 49ers. That may have been the case. But the drumbeat is getting stronger in San Francisco, with Brock Purdy praising the rookie. Christian Kirk has already been injured in camp, Mike Evans turns 33 in August, and Ricky Pearsall has an injury history dating back to his college days. Whether Stribling is good enough to justify his draft fee may be irrelevant, especially at this cost.
Cam Ward, QB, Titans
DLF ADP: 167
With this ADP, Ward is the 23rd QB on the board in the Royals’ first draft. That seems pretty crazy for last year’s first pick. Everything has gotten better for Ward this offseason. Brian Daboll should be better at offensive coordinator, Carnell Tate has improved to WR1, and Wan’Dale Robinson has improved to WR2. Unless Ward is just a complete fluke, he should take a big step forward in Year 2. There’s also an explosion if Daboll’s tendency to make his quarterback’s designed rushing attempts continues.
Tank Dell, WR, Texans
DLF ADP: 178
Like Brooks, Dell just needs to stay healthy to be a huge success at his current cost. In his last 17 healthy games, Dell caught 70 passes for 922 yards and six touchdowns. As a rookie, he was WR13 in PPR Fantasy points per game before his injury. He has a good relationship with CJ Stroud and like Brooks, he has had a year and a half to get back to full health. The Texans receiver room is filled with Nico Collins, Jayden Higgins, and Jaylin Noel and Dell is my second favorite on the team if he can stay on the field. You might be able to get him a rookie third-round pick right now. That won’t be the case if he stays healthy in camp.
Greg Dulcich, TE, Dolphins
DLF ADP: 184
Dulcich remains on waivers from other Dynasty leagues. You shouldn’t. A common trait found in surprising strong late seasons is that they finish first or second in their league on target. Dulcich appears on a team without a proven WR1 or WR2, meaning he could lead the Dolphins in targeting. He was very efficient last year, ranking second only to Dalton Kincaid in yards per carry, and it might surprise you to know that he’s actually six months younger than Kincaid. And he’s 60 picks cheaper than Kincaid in recent ADP.
