2022 Dynasty Fantasy Football Summer Sleeper Series: Recapping DLF’s Sleeper Picks
Throughout this off-season, we here at DLF rolled out our Summer Sleeper series, where we highlighted one sleeper from each NFL team. Now that the preseason has officially come to a close, and the regular season is about to begin, with teams cutting down to their official 53-man rosters, we thought it would be a fun exercise to look back at our sleepers and see how they fared through cut-down day.
Although this is a quick run-through with updates, the initial articles are linked on the team names if you want to see the full breakdown of each player.
Arizona Cardinals – Antoine Wesley, WR
Update: Wesley made the 53-man cut, but he is – at best – the Cardinals’ WR4. When DeAndre Hopkins returns, he’ll be bumped down to WR5 – if he isn’t the player who gets released to make room for Hopkins.
Atlanta Falcons – Auden Tate, WR
Update: Despite the Falcons being absolutely barren in the receiver room, they still cut the once promising Tate and didn’t even bother to add him to their practice squad. This looks like the end of the line for the Florida State product.
Baltimore Ravens – Gus Edwards, RB
Update: Placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list to start the season, we won’t see Edwards on the field until week five at the earliest. There is a world where he comes on late due to injuries ahead of him, and could be a valuable piece for some teams in the fantasy playoffs.
Buffalo Bills – Jamison Crowder, WR
Update: Crowder’s roster spot always seemed safe, even if his specific role in the offense is a little murky at this time. The current Bills’ depth chart has Crowder listed behind Isaiah McKenzie, but this is a fluid situation to keep an eye on.
Carolina Panthers – Terrace Marshall, WR
Update: Rumored to be on the roster bubble, Marshall remains safe as one of seven receivers on Carolina’s 53-man roster. It’s now or never for everyone on this team and in the front office, so this is likely Marshall’s last chance at making a name for himself that lives up to the hype from a year ago.
Chicago Bears – Byron Pringle, WR
Update: In what could be arguably considered the league’s worst receiving corps, Pringle had an inside shot at making the team from day one following new GM Ryan Poles over from Kansas City. Pringle showed flashes of talent at times with the Chiefs, and he’ll never have a better opportunity to show his receiving skills again with Darnell Mooney, Equanimeous St. Brown, N’Keal Harry, Dante Pettis, and rookie Velus Jones competing against him for targets.
Cincinnati Bengals – Chris Evans, RB
Update: Evans is one of three Bengals’ running backs, and there were early rumors that Samaje Perine might be cut, and Evans was in line to take the passing down work away from starter Joe Mixon. The arrow is pointing upwards.
Cleveland Browns – Jacoby Brissett, QB
Update: First, we saw Deshaun Watson with a not-so-bad suspension, then we saw him end up with a much-worse suspension. The ongoing drama was good news for one person, and one person only – Jacoby Brissett. Now, Brissett has the starting gig locked up for at least 11 games this season and becomes a decent bottom-of-the-roster-stash in superflex leagues.
Dallas Cowboys – James Washington, WR
Update: Washington fractured his foot and was placed on injured reserve. Unfortunately, for him, by the time he comes back, there’s a good chance he’s buried behind CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup, and Jalen Tolbert with no clear path to fantasy relevancy.
Denver Broncos – KJ Hamler, WR
Update: Hamler looks to be the Broncos’ starting slot receiver, and the unfortunate season-ending injury to Tim Patrick opens up even more opportunities for the third-year speedster. Everyone in this offense seems to be trending up with the arrival of Russell Wilson at quarterback.
Detroit Lions – Jamaal Williams, RB
Update: Williams has always been a capable role player out of the backfield. He’s the clear No 2 in Detroit behind D’Andre Swift, but even in that role last year, he was fantasy relevant on occasion and will likely continue to be again this year.
Green Bay Packers – Josiah Deguara, TE
Update: These receivers stink. The Packers have surrounded Aaron Rodgers with nothing in the passing game, so I guess there is a path for Deguara to catch some balls as the FB/TE option, who will probably get more snaps than he deserves. It’s not hard to imagine a world where Deguara gains Rodgers’ trust and ends up as a viable tight end option once the bye weeks kick in.
Houston Texans – Brevin Jordan, TE
Update: Still listed behind Pharaoh Brown on the depth chart, few people would argue against Jordan being the higher-upside option. As of this writing, the Texans only have five wide receivers on their roster, the fewest in the NFL. Based on the team’s roster construction, one could assume the tight ends will be heavily involved in the passing game. Jordan has been a sleeper option for many for a couple of years. Given the tight end landscape, why not him?
Indianapolis Colts – Parris Campbell, WR
Update: In camp, Campbell was outplayed by rookie Alec Pierce, but as the deep-ball, big-play threat, Campbell will still have a role. For fantasy, Campbell is probably a better option in best ball leagues, as I can’t imagine a point in the season where you would ever plug him into your lineups with any confidence. Nevertheless, he’s worth keeping an eye on, but keep your expectations in check.
Jacksonville Jaguars – Laviska Shenault, WR
Update: Recently traded to the Carolina Panthers, maybe a change of scenery will do the trick for the once-promising prospect. Now on the same team with the aforementioned Terrace Marshall, it’s hard to imagine a world where they can both emerge as sleeper weapons on that offense. If I were a betting man, I’d probably lean towards Marshall based entirely on his familiarity with the team and system, whereas Shenault is coming in as the new guy two weeks before the season kicks off.
Kansas City Chiefs – Ronald Jones, RB
Update: For some reason, the Chiefs kept four running backs and a fullback on their roster. Even more incredible was that Jones was one of those running backs. Often circulating in the rumor mill as a player likely to get cut – especially after the emergence of rookie Isiah Pacheco – Jones managed to cling to his roster spot. Unfortunately, being arguably the worst part of a four-back committee is no good for fantasy.
Las Vegas Raiders – Zamir White, RB
Update: My biggest fear is that the presence of new coach Josh McDaniels turns this backfield into the Patriots West. The Raiders have made it abundantly clear that they have no long-term plans with current starter Josh Jacobs. A former five-star recruit, White was debatably the best running back in this class if injuries didn’t derail his college career. White has a path to fantasy viability if McDaniels can stay out of his way.
Los Angeles Chargers – Josh Palmer, WR
Update: I love Josh Palmer. In what is expected to be one of the NFL’s best offenses in a division that looks like we’ll see shootouts each and every week, you could do a lot worse than the Chargers’ WR3. Mike Williams has never been a model of clean health, and Keenan Allen has been known to miss a game or two himself. If either were to miss time, Palmer could be a fringe WR1/WR2.
Los Angeles Rams – Kyren Williams, RB
Update: Williams’ stock took a tumble after running a combine-slowest 4.65-second 40-yard dash among running backs. In what is looking like a split backfield between Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson, there will only be crumbs left for Williams. Even if one of the top two backs were to miss time, it’s likely the other would pick up the bulk of the vacated volume, while Williams would only see a slight increase in his role.
Miami Dolphins – Myles Gaskin, RB
Update: Thought to be a roster cut candidate from the moment coach Mike McDaniel arrived in Miami and Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert were brought in, Gaskin somehow has held onto his roster spot. McDaniel, part of the Shanahan coaching tree, will likely ride the hot hand, and if Gaskin flashes from time to time, he may potentially see an increase in work as the season progresses.
Minnesota Vikings – Ty Chandler, RB
Update: Fifth-round pick Chandler was one of five running backs and fullbacks to hold onto a roster spot in Minnesota. Alexander Mattison is the clear handcuff to Dalvin Cook, and Kene Nwangwu likely held his place on the roster due to his special teams contributions. Does that make Chandler the change of pace back? With rumors of Mattison on the trade market, might Chandler be the high-value handcuff behind the oft-injured Cook? He’s definitely worth keeping tabs on.
New England Patriots – Nelson Agholor, WR
Update: The WR4 on a team that kept five receivers isn’t very exciting. It’s even less exciting on the Patriots. They will be happy to spread the ball around equally to all four of their running backs, two tight ends, and five receivers, or maybe even go into a game with a plan in place to throw the ball only three times in the entire game. I’ll never trust a Patriot for fantasy.
New Orleans Saints – Adam Trautman, TE
Update: Trautman is the Saints’ TE1, and on a team that kept four tight ends on their roster, it would imply they intend on using the position. The only knock on Trautman is that the Saints have one of the best wide receiver trios in all of football with Michael Thomas, Jarvis Landry, and rookie Chris Olave. It’s going to be hard for Trautman to demand targets with them on the field. But, on the other hand, he’s likely to have the best matchup on each play too.
New York Giants – Daniel Bellinger, TE
Update: The Giants only kept two tight ends, and the rookie Bellinger is currently sitting atop the depth chart. This probably isn’t a roster full of fantasy gold, but if new coach Brian Daboll can work any magic whatsoever, a rising tide lifts all ships, and Bellinger might be fantasy-viable in year one.
New York Jets – Corey Davis, WR
Update: I’m a bigger Davis fan than most, but with Garrett Wilson now in the picture alongside Elijah Moore, there is no way Zach Wilson is capable of supporting three receivers for meaningful fantasy production.
Philadelphia Eagles – Quez Watkins, WR
Update: When the Eagles traded Jalen Reagor to the Vikings, Watkins officially moved into the starting slot role for Philly. Currently, the Eagles only have four wide receivers on the roster, so they’ll probably make a move to add depth at some point, but Watkins looks to have carved out a role for himself on what is projected to be one of the league’s ascending offensive units.
Pittsburgh Steelers – George Pickens, WR
Update: Have you ever heard of the greatest football player to ever live, George Pickens? Give or take, that has been the narrative so far, and we’ve covered him quite a bit here at DLF as well, adding to the hype ourselves. Regardless of the hype, he’s locked into a role from day one and has nothing but upside at this point.
San Francisco 49ers – Danny Gray, WR
Update: Under Kyle Shanahan, the 49ers have one of the more run-friendly offenses in the league. The team also has a locked-in 1-2 punch at receiver with Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, but Gray could easily emerge as the team’s No 3. But, it remains to be seen how much volume you could expect from that position in this offense.
Seattle Seahawks – D’Wayne Eskridge, WR
Update: Eskridge has locked up the starting slot receiver job for Seattle, playing between DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. The problem is that Geno Smith is his quarterback. Until the QB situation improves, there is no way Eskridge will ever have any fantasy value.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Cyril Grayson, WR
Update: Grayson was let go by the Buccaneers before the 53-man deadline. There is a chance he ends up on their practice squad, but with Tampa Bay’s additions of Julio Jones and Russell Gage, there is little chance Grayson will ever have any fantasy relevancy.
Tennessee Titans – Austin Hooper, TE
Update: Hooper is my favorite late-round target. A veteran who has caught more than 70 balls twice in his career, he’s a steal in drafts. With dozens of questions at wide receiver, the Titans may need to lean on Hooper heavily to start the year. He had back-to-back finishes as TE6 in 2018 and 2019, and there’s no reason he can’t be a top-12 option at the position again. He might be the best name among the entire summer sleeper series.
Washington Commanders – Cole Turner, TE
Update: With five tight ends on the roster, I believe the Commanders have the most in the NFL. It’s always difficult for rookie tight ends to make an impact; that is even more so the case when Logan Thomas and John Bates are ahead of you. However, Thomas is aging and coming off a significant injury, and Bates is unproven, so there is a path for Turner to get a shot if everything breaks his way in 2022.
Overall, the DLF team successfully projected players to target in the Summer Sleeper series. According to my count, only two of 32 didn’t make the 53-man roster cuts (Tate and Grayson), and one more got traded (Shenault). Ten of the 32 sleepers are listed as starters (in three wide receivers, one running back, and one tight end sets). I think two (Pickens and Hooper) of 32 could be impactful enough to be top-15 at their position and lead teams to the fantasy playoffs and beyond. Collectively, this was a very solid group of sleepers. Hopefully, you were able to acquire a few, and they’ll pay dividends for you throughout the season.
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