32 fantasy football sleepers, one from every NFL team

The Cardinals are a tough team to gauge when it comes to fantasy value. With DeAndre Hopkins out for the first six games, multiple players have the opportunity to put up big numbers. However, if we are taling about a fantasy sleeper, the best pick is TE Zach Ertz. Ertz’ production should stay steady all season and what makes him great is his value. You can land him in later rounds but get high-end production. In 11 games with the Cardinals he had 56 receptions. He had 74 receptions for 763 yards and five touchdowns in 2021. If we take his Arizona production and project that over a 17-game season, he has 87 receptions, 887 yards and the five scores. For a guy you can land in the late rounds, Ertz will be a reliable and productive player to have on the roster. – Jess Root, Cards Wire

Outside of RB Cordarrelle Patterson and TE Kyle Pitts, there aren’t many encouraging fantasy options on this Falcons team. However, rookie RB Tyler Allgeier has sneaky upside if fantasy owners can afford to be patient early on. Patterson may be the starter but Atlanta doesn’t use him like a traditional running back, which will allow Allgeier to get more reps. The fifth-round pick is a true between-the-tackles runner, and was a touchdown machine at BYU (23 rushing touchdowns in 2021). Allgeier scored two touchdowns in Atlanta’s preseason finale against the Jaguars. The rookie could end up playing a major role on the Falcons offense this season. – Matt Urben, Falcons Wire

While a No. 1 receiver likely wouldn’t classify as a fantasy sleeper, Bateman is just that on a Ravens offense that’s known for running the football. Bateman takes over as the top option in the wide receiver room after the trade of Marquise Brown to the Arizona Cardinals, and is expected to take a big leap heading into his second NFL season. The former University of Minnesota star has shown a connection with QB Lamar Jackson during training camp, and his savvy route running as well as contested catch ability could mean a big year is in store for the wideout. – Kevin Oestreicher, Ravens Wire

McKenzie’s appearance is for two reasons. At the top, he’s unknown. Last season he was a blip on the fantasy radar because he had a 100-yard outing against the Patriots. The reason why he even played is also the second reason McKenzie is under the radar. He only started that game because Cole Beasley ended up on the COVID list. Beasley is remembered in Buffalo for his strong COVID opinions. Unfortunately for him that overshadowed his time with the Bills. But fortunately for your fantasy team, many forget Beasley on the field and how he earned a second-team, All-Pro honor in Buffalo. Yes, the Bills have Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis–But this is Josh Allen’s offense. The QB is going to be throwing the ball around a lot and McKenzie is going to get a hefty number of targets every week. – Nick Wojton, Bills Wire

We picked a tight end (Dan Arnold) for this exercise last summer and, uh, that didn’t go well at all. Not only did Carolina trade the poor fella to the Jacksonville Jaguars after three games, but Arnold also didn’t “break out” in his new home either. Plus, Panthers tight ends have formed a fantasy pit of despair of late—combining for just 1,400 receiving yards and six touchdowns over the past three seasons. Regardless, we’re taking a leap of faith in Tremble, whose athleticism and upside as a pass catcher should help translate into a leap of his own in Year No. 2. We’ll also trust new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo, who was quite adept at getting his tight ends involved during his time with the New York Giants. – Anthony Rizzuti, Panthers Wire

A lot has been made of the lack of weapons for quarterback Justin Fields heading into a pivotal Year 2. Outside of Darnell Mooney, there’s no proven option at wide receiver. Which is why tight end Cole Kmet has the potential to have a breakout year in Chicago. Fields and Kmet have developed a nice rapport this offseason and through the summer, and it’s certainly an under-the-radar connection to monitor this year. With questions surrounding Fields’ supporting cast, the Bears are hoping Kmet can be a reliable target in the middle of the field. As the Bears transition to a new offense, Kmet is one of the players who most serves to benefit from Luke Getsy’s scheme. We caught a glimpse of Kmet’s potential in the passing game this summer, and it’s clear he’s going to be a focal point in this offense. – Alyssa Barbieri, Bears Wire

Hurst, a first-round pick in 2018, has yet to really have a chance to feature in a great passing attack after stops with two teams. That changes in 2022, where he’ll be the guy Joe Burrow looks to constantly if the big three at wideout—Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd—are covered. C.J. Uzomah put up nearly 500 yards and five scores over 16 games last year in the same role, but Hurst might be an even better fit in the vertical game, letting him outplay his ADP. – Chris Roling, Bengals Wire

Browns fans know the tease that Njoku is on the field while most fantasy experts barely consider him at this point. With QBs Jacoby Brissett and Deshaun Watson having high usage rates for their tight ends, Njoku could change both of those narratives in 2022. Cleveland is paying him top dollar to do so this year. The former first round pick is also the clearcut #1 tight end on the team with Austin Hooper cut this offseason and Harrison Bryant the only other viable candidate on the roster at this point. – Jared K. Mueller, Browns Wire

This is a difficult question to answer for a team that finished first in yards and first in points a year ago. The makeup of the offense has changed drastically though, with only CeeDee Lamb and Dalton Schultz available to start the year out of their top five receiving options in 2021. The receiving targets are up in the air beyond that, so there’s a chance that Tony Pollard outplays his RB30 ADP without becoming RB1. But let’s go out on a limb. There were over 440 returns in the preseason, kick and punt, and there were only two touchdowns scored. KaVontae Turpin had them both. Dallas is going to find a way to get the speed demon involved in the offense, so on a team without many surprises, spend that final non-kicker pick on him and see what happens. – K.D. Drummond, Cowboys Wire

Fans outside of Denver are probably familiar with the team’s big-name fantasy prospects – QB Russell Wilson, RB Javonte Williams and WRs Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton – but non-Broncos fans will be less familiar with TE Albert Okwuegbunam. As part of the Wilson trade earlier this offseason, Denver sent TE Noah Fant to the Seahawks, leaving “Albert O” as the team’s top receiving tight end going into 2022. The Broncos did use a third-round pick on TE Greg Dulcich in April, but he’s been nursing a hamstring injury all preseason. Even when Dulcich is healthy, Okwuegbunam will be the favorite to serve as the team’s top TE this fall. Following WR Tim Patrick’s injury, Okwuegbunam will have an opportunity to emerge as Wilson’s third-favorite target behind Sutton and Jeudy this season. – Jon Heath, Broncos Wire

Everyone knows Goff as the starting quarterback, but he’s typically a fantasy football afterthought. Goff could be a real pleasant surprise for fantasy owners looking for a QB later in drafts. The Lions have considerably upgraded Goff’s weaponry and also tailored the offense to ask the veteran to take more chances down the field. That means more yards per attempt, more big plays and (potentially) quite a bit more touchdowns than the 19 Goff threw in 14 games in 2021. Goff has also quietly shown a little more willingness to tuck and run for an occasional touchdown or two in the red zone as well. – Jeff Risdon, Lions Wire

There was temptation to go with running back A.J. Dillon here, mostly because he’s going to be a featured player in the new-look offense – both as a runner and receiver – even as the complementary option to Aaron Jones. But the pick is Lazard, a productive role player who is now going into the 2022 season as the No. 1 receiver for four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers. Lazard, who caught eight touchdown passes in 2021, isn’t going to get Davante Adams’ target share, but he could come close to doubling his number of targets from last season (60). The opportunity is there after the Packers lost Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Getting 100 or more targets from Rodgers is automatic fantasy production. There will be ups and downs, but if all goes right, Lazard has 10-touchdown potential over a 17-game schedule. – Zach Kruse, Packers Wire

The Texans’ run game was atrocious in 2021 with a 3.4 yards per carry and an 83.6 rushing yards per game, both of which were the lowest in the NFL. However, the Texans may have found a former Florida Gator to aide their rushing attack in Dameon Pierce. The fourth-rounder has averaged 6.0 yards per carry in each of his two preseason games. The best work for Pierce came in the preseason finale when he carried six times for 37 yards and capped off an 85-yard touchdown drive with a 1-yard punch-in of his own. Offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton’s scheme emphasizes the run, which means a young talent like Pierce will get his carries, and it could be as soon as Week 1 against the Indianapolis Colts. – Mark Lane, Texans Wire

We all know Jonathan Taylor is atop the draft board in almost all formats but for those who don’t have the 1.01, there’s still a solid consolation prize later in drafts. After a head-scratching lack of usage in 2021, the Colts are looking to get Hines far more involved in the offense, especially as a pass-catcher. Hines has two seasons with exactly 63 receptions and given the drumbeat throughout the year, there’s a strong chance he sets a career high in that area. In those two seasons where Hines caught 63 passes, he finished as the RB18 (2020) and RB28 (2018) in PPR scoring. He’s currently being drafted as the RB45 in PPR formats, making him an incredible value on draft day. – Kevin Hickey, Colts Wire

Jacksonville made huge investments in Trevor Lawrence’s supporting cast in the offseason, but perhaps the most important revelation of the preseason has been rookie receiver Tim Jones, who has been a standout in every exhibition the team played in August. He led the Jaguars in preseason receiving production, and showed a remarkable chemistry with his quarterbacks that should serve him well in the regular season. He’ll be overshadowed by Christian Kirk and Marvin Jones Jr. in Week 1, but Jones has all the makings of an impact performer that just needs a chance to show what he can do with the first string. – John Dillon, Jaguars Wire

Tyreek Hill was mostly known for his ability as a deep threat in Kansas City, but he was also one of the team’s most deadly red zone weapons. In preseason Week 2, Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes went to Fortson not once, but twice in the red zone. They scored touchdowns on both occasions. It’s clear that the trust is there between these two and it was blossoming last season before Fortson’s Achilles injury. With defense’s likely paying attention to Travis Kelce and JuJu