The NFL season is less than one week away, which also means the start of fantasy football. Many owners will be busy this Labor Day weekend, except for the sickos who could not wait until the preseason ended to draft. While hitting on those early-round picks is obviously important, it takes a collective effort to reach fantasy football bliss. There is always a handful of late-round sleepers who emerge, and this season should be no different. Here are five fantasy football sleepers to target in the later rounds of the draft.
Kicking off the fantasy football sleepers list is second-year tight end Terrance Ferguson. If there is any criticism of the Los Angeles Rams, aka the Monstars, it would be the lack of consistent pass-catching threats outside of Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. Ferguson is a strong candidate to fill that void. The former Oregon Duck flourished during training camp while getting more opportunities as Nacua dealt with a groin injury. Ferguson, according to reports, is more comfortable with the playbook this season and thus has seen an expanded route tree.
The 6’5, 250-pounder is a versatile deep threat who could start to put it all together as the season progresses. With that, Ferguson is among the fantasy football sleepers worth a flyer in those early double-digit rounds.
The floor for the New Orleans Saints’ second-year quarterback Tyler Shough was high towards the end of last season, making him a fantasy football sleepers list selection in 2026. In the final five games of 2025, Shough either scored at least two touchdowns or threw for over 250 yards. Now, granted, two were against the New York Jets and Tennessee Titans, but with the third-easiest schedule in 2026 (via Sharp Football Analysis), there are opportunities for a repeat.
The Saints added the versatile Travis Etienne this offseason to go along with Chris Olave and Juwan Johnson, who are coming off great 2025 campaigns. Olave had his first 100-catch season in year four, and Johnson finished among the top-ten in fantasy scoring for tight ends. New Orleans also expects to get eight-overall pick Jordan Tyson back at wideout sometime this season.
With the weapons, schedule, and another year in Kellen Moore’s offense, Shough could be in store for a breakout season. This could be an absolute steal in the later rounds, and perhaps the best among the fantasy football sleepers.
Miami Dolphins TE Greg Dulcich could be the most slept-on player on this fantasy football sleepers list, but all things considered, it makes sense. The former UCLA Bruin appeared in ten games during his 2022 rookie season, posting a stat line of 33/441/2 for the Denver Broncos. Multiple hamstring injuries in 2023 slowed him down, however, resulting in Dulcich being released twice between November of 2024 and August of last year.
Dulcich flashed again last season, posting at least 40 receiving yards in four of the last five games, with inconsistent QB play. While no one knows exactly what will become of newly acquired quarterback Malik Willis, he is widely considered an upgrade from Tua Tagovailoa. That, combined with the fact that the Dolphins have a room full of WR3s or worse, should lead to plenty of opportunities for Dulcich. That alone puts him on the fantasy football sleepers list.
Despite Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty avoiding a serious setback, backup RB Mike Washington Jr. could still have a significant role. Jeanty went down during training camp with an ankle sprain, which is not as serious as the initial scare indicated. Head coach Klint Kubiak is optimistic that their RB1 will be ready for Week One, but Jeanty’s status is still up in the air.
Washington, on the other hand, should be a full go when the Raiders host the Dolphins to open the season. The rookie from Arkansas balled during the preseason, gaining 168 yards on 23 carries for a whopping 7.3 yards per carry. Jeanty will be option one once he is ready, but Washington has earned a role in this offense.
Kubiak showed last year as the Seattle Seahawks’ offensive coordinator that he is willing to utilize RB2. Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet had 221 and 184 carries, respectively, for the defending Super Bowl champions in 2025. The split may not be quite as close for Jeanty and Washington, but the latter could still see his fair share of work. That makes Washington a solid fantasy football sleepers list pick to target on the back end.
Finishing the fantasy football sleepers list is Wan’Dale Robinson, who had his second straight 90-plus-catch season in 2025 and his first 1,000-yard campaign. The four-year pro from Kentucky kept finding ways to get open last season, and with his quickness and 4.44 speed, he can be dangerous in the open field. Even with that, Robinson is not considered a top-40 receiver by many, making him one of the fantasy football sleepers at receiver. Robinson will be in an offense he is familiar with, as his former New York Giants HC Brian Daboll will be his OC with the Titans.
Rookie receiver Carnell Tate is expected to be Tennessee’s WR1, but there could be a bit of a learning curve at the start of the season. Veteran Calvin Ridley should also be in the mix, but at age 31 and coming off a broken fibula, it is hard to predict how he will look. That, combined with the expectation that QB Cam Ward will take a step forward this season, should make for another solid season for Robinson. This fantasy football sleepers list candidate could be another steal, as someone currently going in the back half of most drafts.
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In just a few more days, the games will finally count. The NFL was as anxious as the rest of us, apparently, as the season will start on Wednesday night this year, followed by a Thursday night matchup in Australia. The defending champions will be in action at home per the opening night tradition, as the Seahawks will host the New England Patriots in a Super Bowl rematch.
With that, I would like to advise all fantasy owners not to reach for a player because they are active on opening night. Once upon a time, owners reached for rookie RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, partly because he was involved in the Thursday Night Football opener. While he did have a great game that night, it ultimately did not work out.
Draft smart, strategize, and find those fantasy football sleepers! Good luck to all this season, and hopefully, you will be hoisting that fantasy football championship trophy in January.
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