Fantasy Football 2022: Ranking Jameis Winston and Top Breakout Sleeper Candidates
Nothing jolts a fantasy football roster awake more than the ascension of a sleeper.
In essence, they are players who outperform preseason expectations. In other words, they yield a greater return than the initial investment.
Pair a batch of rising sleepers with a handful of elites who live up to their early-round draft status and you have the recipe for a league title.
We'll try to steer you in that direction by highlighting (and ranking) our 10 favorite sleeper candidates before diving deeper into our top two.
Top 10 Sleepers
1. Jerry Jeudy, WR, Denver Broncos
2. Miles Sanders, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
3. Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
4. Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons
5. Travis Etienne Jr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
6. Elijah Moore, WR, New York Jets
7. Jameis Winston, QB, New Orleans Saints
8. Tony Pollard, RB, Dallas Cowboys
9. Cole Kmet, TE, Chicago Bears
10. Matt Ryan, QB, Indianapolis Colts
Jerry Jeudy, WR, Denver Broncos
If you've been waiting for Jeudy's breakout the last two years, you're not alone.
The silky smooth route-runner has yet to move the needle since landing in Denver as the No. 15 pick in 2020. He has just three touchdowns to his name—all of which came during his rookie season—and has only hauled in 90 of his 169 targets.
Of course, Jeudy has encountered a lot already in his career, namely spotty quarterback play and a nasty ankle injury this past season. Well, he's healthy now and no longer catching passes from the likes of Drew Lock, Jeff Driskel, Brett Rypien or Joe Flacco. Instead, the Broncos now have nine-time Pro Bowler Russell Wilson running the show, and their offense should erupt with his arrival.
While Denver has other playmakers in the offense—Courtland Sutton, Javonte Williams, Melvin Gordon III—there's no one who should get in Jeudy's way of finding major targets. If anything, those players should pull defensive attention away from the third-year wideout and let him finally shine.
Miles Sanders, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
Sanders is a risk-reward play, so conservative fantasy managers might want to stay away.
If you're open to taking on some risk, though, in hopes of scoring a major payday, the Eagles running back could be your type of player.
He has struggled with injuries and inconsistent involvement so far, and he somehow didn't manage to turn any of his 163 touches into touchdowns last season. He did, however, average a career-best 5.5 yards per carry and caught 26 of the 34 balls thrown his way.
He's a talented player, it's just a matter of staying healthy and getting the right opportunity. Philly's offense should be explosive this season with the arrival of A.J. Brown and continued development of Jalen Hurts and DeVonta Smith. If Sanders secures a prominent role, his numbers should take off.