If you’re like us, the beginning of football season is one of the most exciting times of the year. Maybe your team has made some great moves in the offseason and is gearing up for a big year, or maybe you’ve devised the perfect strategy to finally hold the championship trophy for your fantasy football league.

Fantasy football turns into a lifestyle for hundreds of thousands of individuals come football season, and this year there are plenty of sleepers to take your game to the next level. Didn’t get the first pick? Did somebody else take your go-to guy? There’s no need to worry! There are plenty of players that could give your team the championship-caliber boost it needs without sacrificing those precious early-round picks.

Jakobi Meyers, wide receiver, New England Patriots

Wade Bowman, Assistant Sports Editor:

Jakobi Meyers had a breakout campaign a year ago, stepping up into the No. 1 wideout spot for a struggling New England offense. The term “breakout campaign” is used loosely, however, with Meyers only accumulating 729 yards on 59 receptions and no touchdowns on the year. Regardless, things are changing by the minute for the Patriots, who just released former league MVP and starting quarterback Cam Newton to make room for the Mac Jones era in New England.

From a fantasy football perspective, the Patriots are a complete unknown coming into this year with Jones stepping up into the starting quarterback role without taking the majority of the first-team reps this offseason. Meyers’ potential for production rides on Jones’ shoulders, but that shouldn’t be too alarming for those who have watched Jones’ successes in Bill Belichick’s offense during the preseason. Meyers still has a lot of room to grow, and with a rookie quarterback calling the shots for the Pats this year, it will provide a ton of opportunity for him to do so in a more nurturing environment.

Currently ranked as the No. 64 wideout for fantasy football this year, Meyers’ average draft position (ADP) comes in at pick No. 178 on the dot. This is a perfect bang-for-your-buck scenario to get a receiver that will see a high volume of targets this year without any real competition for looks outside of Nelson Agholor. In deeper leagues, stashing Meyers is a must. It may take some time for Jones to get comfortable in a pro-football pocket, but once he does Meyers is sure to make a huge impact in New England.

Nyheim Hines, running back, Indianapolis Colts

Wade Bowman, Assistant Sports Editor:

For those of you that are familiar with our Pack Pros content, Nyheim Hines is a guy that exceeds expectations regularly. I know what you’re thinking, “it’s Jonathon Taylor’s backfield, Hines is just a backup!” But in deeper leagues, he is a guy that should absolutely be scooped up in the late rounds.

I understand the concern, Taylor looked fantastic throughout last season and will likely be the lead back in Indianapolis for years to come, but Hines is still a very viable option for fantasy. With the return of Marlon Mack from injury, touches for the NC State product will see a reduction from last season, but Hines has proved that he makes the absolute most out of the opportunities given to him over the course of his professional career.

Hines’ primary utility comes from his exceptional pass-catching ability paired with his explosive speed, making him the perfect two in the Colts’ one-two punch out of the backfield. Per Fantasy Pros, Hines checks in at RB47 with an ADP of No. 138 overall, making him a fantastic value pick in those late throwaway rounds.

Corey Davis, wide receiver, New York Jets

Wade Bowman, Assistant Sports Editor:

The Jets? Yuck. Listen, I get it, at 2-14 the Jets were one of the worst teams in football a year ago and despite drafting Zack Wilson to be the new face of the franchise, they are likely going to suck again. Fortunately for fantasy football players, that doesn’t matter. A young gunslinger coming into an offense with nothing to lose makes for an ideal situation for the newly acquired Corey Davis, who came into his own as a professional receiver a year ago.

Last year with the Tennessee Titans, Davis posted 984 yards on 65 receptions with five touchdowns. While those numbers don’t exactly jump off the page as WR1 material, Davis is primed to be one of the best second options at wideout this year in fantasy football if he can replicate that level of production. His numbers from a year ago should serve as a floor for his production this year as opposed to a ceiling, with Davis being the clear WR1 in New York this season. That’s a position he was never able to achieve in Tennessee, with A.J. Brown being the clear favorite target for Ryan Tannehill for most of Davis’ career.

Coming in at WR42 with an ADP of No. 107 overall, Davis has fantastic value in the middle rounds. It will take some time for Wilson to get comfortable with a pro-style offense, but that shouldn’t steer anyone away from picking Davis up.

Tristan Tucker, Managing Editor:

I’m co-signing on this pick. I’ve selected Davis in every league I’ve been a part of so far. Well, at least until News Editor Avery Davis demanded that I trade him away in our Technician editorial board draft.

Jonnu Smith, tight end, New England Patriots

Tristan Tucker, Managing Editor:

Currently marked as TE13, Smith finds himself in a unique situation, with New England housing a brand-new set of receivers and another viable tight end in Hunter Henry. But while Henry is good for middle-of-the-field sets, Smith gives more dynamism than most of the rest of the Patriots’ receivers. According to ESPN’s Matt Bowen, Smith ranked fourth in the NFL in yards after the catch.

Although it would seem on the surface that Smith has competition, the reality is that while new and exciting, the Pats’ receiving room is still vastly unproven save for Smith. The 26-year-old tight end was one of the best at his position last season and still has room to grow and as mentioned, is more explosive than any other pass-catcher in that offense. Smith has a very high ceiling as a starting tight end and is typically available in the later rounds of drafts, allowing you to stack up elsewhere before snagging him.

Rashod Bateman, wide receiver, Baltimore Ravens

Wade Bowman, Assistant Sports Editor:

There are legitimate fantasy concerns when it comes to receivers in the Ravens’ pass-deficient offense, but something about this year has me extremely optimistic for Lamar Jackson and company. The Ravens have adopted one of the most run-heavy offenses in NFL history, but that hasn’t stopped Jackson from excelling in the passing game, even leading the league in passing touchdowns in his stellar MVP season.

After a down year for Jackson in the passing game last season, the addition of Rashod Bateman in the 2021 NFL Draft should help the former MVP return to form. Bateman had an absolutely ridiculous 2019 campaign at Minnesota, posting 1,219 yards on 60 receptions with 11 touchdowns. His absurd 20.3 yards per reception established his presence as an elite deep threat with plenty of skills that can transfer to the NFL.

The No. 27 pick in this year’s draft is fresh off of a groin surgery that could see him miss the first few games of the season. With an ADP around 211 and coming in as Fantasy Pros’ WR74, Bateman will be there in the later rounds of your draft and may not even get drafted at all. If you’re willing to play the long game, and have free space on your bench, Bateman is absolutely worth a look purely for his explosive style of play that could pair well with Jackson’s ability to zip the ball downfield.

Russell Gage, wide receiver, Atlanta Falcons

Tristan Tucker, Managing Editor:

This is a pretty boom-or-bust sleeper, but is someone absolutely worth targeting late in drafts if you’re looking for a high-upside receiver. Gage looked solid playing behind Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley and Hayden Hurst last season, putting up 786 yards and four touchdowns on the year. And according to head coach Arthur Smith, Gage will be playing in even more positions than last year, with his potential for versatility shown in his big touchdown pass to Ridley.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DvQGP1BbDU

With Jones gone, Gage has an opportunity to increase his targets, even with rookie Kyle Pitts now in the picture. While Gage could end up having production that more closely mirrors last season, there is a non-zero chance that he plays himself into weekly flex consideration, and possibly much higher.

Jameis Winston, quarterback, New Orleans Saints

Wade Bowman, Assistant Sports Editor:

Experienced fantasy players completely understand why former Tampa Bay quarterback Jameis Winston deserves a spot on this list and in your lineup. Winston posted arguably the most absurd season stat line ever in his final campaign with Tampa, posting 5,109 yards, 33 passing touchdowns and 30 interceptions.

In his five-year stint as the starter for the Buccaneers, Winston managed to exceed 250 fantasy points three times and was always a solid option to start for your team in any given week. An issue that plagued his ability on the field and in fantasy was turnovers, which has hopefully been remedied by sitting behind all-time great Drew Brees for a year and getting a new perspective on the game.

The former first overall pick currently sits with an ADP of 158 coming in at QB23, a fantastic value for the potential he holds. His situation has certainly changed, shifting to a methodical Sean Peyton offense from an all-out air-raid system in Tampa, but Winston’s lack of fear to throw the home run pass is an extremely valuable asset in fantasy football. For smaller leagues, Winston will serve as the ideal streamer should your quarterback face any injury issues but in deeper or two-quarterback leagues, Winston should absolutely be rostered.

Javonte Williams, running back, Denver Broncos

Tristan Tucker, Managing Editor:

I know, I know. It’s a cardinal sin to draft a Tar Heel. Look, both Williams and fellow rookie back Michael Carter are primed to see a huge workload in their first seasons. I stuck with Williams here because it seems like he has the best opportunity to stand out from the jump. While offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur seemed to take a liking to veteran back Melvin Gordon III last season, Gordon has been dealing with a groin injury this summer and he’s not getting any younger.

The Broncos invested major draft capital in Williams by taking him in the second round of April’s draft, and he has looked the part of an electric component in the backfield during training camp. We all know what Williams can do on the ground, but he also has significant pass-catching abilities, picking up 305 receiving yards and three touchdowns last season at Chapel Hill.

San Francisco 49ers rookie back Trey Sermon also deserves some consideration here. Between the three rookie backs, at least one will boom. Williams has the second-easiest strength of schedule for running backs and has an ADP of 63. Carter has an ADP of 90 and Sermon an 80. You can get all of them pretty late in your drafts, and any would be well worth the value.