2023 fantasy football sleepers: Deuce Vaughn, Elijah Moore and more staff picks

The NFL landscape doesn’t maintain the status quo for very long, especially as training camps and preseason action heats up. That’s why it’s time to update our staff sleeper picks, as the first iteration was rolled out all the way back in July. With the benefit of a few weeks of practice reports — not to mention preseason game performances, roster additions, injuries, etc. — it only makes sense we check in with The Athletic fantasy football staff to see what new perspectives they have in regards to fantasy football sleepers. Alright, let’s get to it…

Desmond Ridder, QB, ATL

He rushed for 2,180 yards and 28 touchdowns at Cincinnati. Atlanta will operate maybe the most run-heavy offense in the league, so he’ll be a part of that. The Falcons also have Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and Bijan Robinson as pass targets, so Ridder benefits from top-flight help. It’s why he ranks 22nd in my QB draft guide. — KC Joyner

Deuce Vaughn, RB, DAL

I never expected to write up Vaughn, as I assumed the hype (talent, team, fans) would have him as an RB3/4, possibly higher. Well, Vaughn is outside the Top 65 in ADP, regularly going undrafted, and I’m shocked. Yes, Vaughn is diminutive in size, but not in talent. He is as explosive as it gets and a serious threat as a receiver. Tony Pollard is in store for a big season, sure, but Ezekiel Elliott is vacating 231 carries. Those won’t all go to Pollard (424 carries? I think not!). Vaughn will get a smattering of carries, and if you add that to his receiving game threat, you have the makings of the next J.D. McKissic, Tarik Cohen, or any number of half-PPR/PPR running backs with RB3/4 value. Vaughn getting 7-8 touches a game and a mere 7.0 YPT, combined, would have him finish with a stat line of 127-for-956. Additionally, half of those are likely receptions, adding another 30+ points, or around 125 points before touchdowns — the equivalent of RB37 last year. It’s easy to see why he’s worthy of an RB4 value pick and shouldn’t be going off he board in the last round, or not at all. — Jake Ciely

Jerome Ford, RB, CLE

We aren’t far removed from Cleveland having two top fantasy running backs in the same backfield. And while I’m not here to argue that Ford is Kareem Hunt’s equal, I am here to argue that he’s the best option not named Nick Chubb to carve out a role in the Cleveland backfield. The Browns offensive line is a Top 2 unit, and while Chubb will handle the vast majority of the work, I expect Ford to carve out the third-down role, getting a bump in PPR formats. If his hamstring is OK (and if not, Jordan Wilkins is interesting in a deep kind of way), Ford can have standalone value in leagues. — Michael Waterloo

Mecole Hardman, WR, NYJ

The Jets’ depth chart, as far as I see it, is Garrett Wilson and then “field,” and while everyone is playing the “Allen Lazard came over with Aaron Rodgers!” card, does that mean anything? Lazard’s career-high in GB was 100 targets for 788 yards — it’s not like they’ve thrown up multiple 1000-yard seasons together. Hardman and Lazard have played the same number of games in their careers (57) and Lazard has 2,236 yards to Hardman’s 2,088. Hardman’s not that far behind for having been kind of, sort of, buried on the depth chart in KC. — Nando Di Fino

Justyn Ross, WR, KC

Being drafted directly between Curtis Samuel and Chase Claypool in fantasy leagues, Ross is the only one of these receivers who has the best quarterback in the NFL throwing him passes. A standout receiver at Clemson, Ross only fell in the draft due to a neck injury suffered in 2021. Before this injury, Ross was the main target for Trevor Lawrence. Now, after a season of rehab, he has the chance to be the same for Mahomes. While Travis Kelce is the main target for the Chiefs, he is getting older and the team must find new blood to eventually take over the role left when Tyreek Hill was traded the previous offseason. Neither Marquez Valdes-Scantling nor Skyy Moore has the talent of Ross, who could turn into an elite deep ball receiver in the NFL if he remains healthy. At WR73, and pick 212, I am willing to take a risk on this deep sleeper. — Dominick Petrillo

Elijah Moore, WR, CLE

Elijah Moore was a highly touted breakout candidate in 2022, only to be underutilized and misused by the Jets. He finished his rookie season as a WR3 — overcoming the dumpster fire that was the Jets QB situation to show flashes of brilliance and big-play ability. Moore gets a fresh start with a Cleveland Browns team that plans to use him all over the field and is expected to shift to a more pass-centric offense. At the cost of WR53, he’s practically free and could bounce back in a big way. — Jay Felicio

John Metchie, WR, HOU

I’ve picked up Metchie as my final skill position player in four 12-teamer drafts already, and I’ll keep investing in him in my upcoming drafts if those leagues let me. How many receivers going outside the Top 60 at the position offer legit first-round talent and an opportunity to be the alpha receiver for his team? The go-to WR role for the Texans is currently unfilled, and I’m not betting on a 31-year-old Robert Woods, who was a complete non-factor in Tennessee last season, or Nico Collins, who has spent the past two seasons as a wallflower in this offense. Coming back from the adversity of an ACL injury and a battle with Leukemia, give me the feel-good story that is Metchie. — Brandon Funston

Nico Collins, WR, HOU

Collins has yet to catch 40 passes or hit 500 receiving yards in a season. But his target share with Davis Mills last year was north of 24 percent, and someone is going to have to emerge as the No. 1 wide receiver for a Texans team that will probably be playing from behind approximately 107 percent of the time. If that guy is Collins, he’ll be an absolute steal with an ADP in the 50s among wide receivers. — Gary Davenport

Luke Musgrave, TE, GB

Betting on rookie TEs has proven to be pretty risky historically. That said, I think there’s a strong case for profit potential in Packers rookie Luke Musgrave. Camp hype surrounding the NFL draft’s 42nd overall pick was already starting to swirl. That was before Musgrave logged a 100% snap share with the starters in an exhibition game, so you can expect the touting to continue. Couple in the late-round price, an uninspiring positional landscape, plus the possibility for target share and there’s a feasible pathway to a Top 8 TE finish from the last round of drafts. — John Laghezza

Irv Smith, TE, CIN

Post-hype sleeper? He still has the skills and youth we loved last year (and the year before that…), but he’s now in a new high-powered offense that has featured the tight end in a fantasy-friendly manner. Smith was lauded as a fast, athletic pass-catcher with good hands and good after-the-catch ability, who isn’t a slouch as a blocker. We have seen meager glimpses of his potential in Minnesota, but a torn ACL ruled him out of 2021 and a high ankle sprain derailed his 2022 season. Smith probably isn’t the key to unlocking your fantasy championship, but if you wait on TE, he’s one I don’t hate stashing at the end of drafts. — Renee Miller

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