5 Fantasy Football Sleepers for NFL Week 8

The word "sleeper" gets thrown around a lot in the world of fantasy football, to the point where an actual definition may vary from person to person. In general, in my eyes, sleepers are players who may be flying relatively under the radar in a particular week.

In any case, we all need to find a sleeper from time to time. Whether you're a season-long fantasy football manager looking to roster a potential breakout player before your league-mates, someone playing NFL DFS on FanDuel who needs a spike week from a low-salaried player, or even just a manager in a pinch due to byes or injuries, we have you covered.

Here are some fantasy sleepers who could have a big week this week.

We'll reference our NFL projections. All NFL odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

Fantasy Football Sleepers for Week 8

Jaxson Dart, QB, Giants

FanDuel Salary: $7,400

There are reasons to be skeptical of Jaxson Dart's fantasy football outlook in Week 8. For starters, he's facing the Philadelphia Eagles for the second time in the last three weeks (this time on the road), and the New York Giants are coming off an embarrassing loss to the Denver Broncos where they held a 19-0 lead with under six minutes remaining.

On the other hand, Dart has exceeded expectations, and he finished Week 7 as the QB3 in fantasy points (29.4) despite facing one of the best pass defenses in the NFL on the road.

Plus, Dart has been the QB4 in fantasy points per game (22.6) since becoming the starting signal-caller for the Giants in Week 4, and his floor/ceiling combo is raised by him garnering the third-most designed rushing attempts per game (3.7), sixth-most rushing yards per game (29.7), and fifth-highest red-zone rushing share (26.3%) among quarterbacks with 140-plus drop backs this year, via Next Gen Stats.

Joe Flacco, QB, Bengals

FanDuel Salary: $7,300

While things could come crashing down for the Joe Flacco-led Cincinnati Bengals passing attack at any moment, the early results have been encouraging.

Across his first two weeks with the Bengals, Flacco is the QB9 in fantasy during that span, and he concluded Week 7 as the QB6 versus the Pittsburgh Steelers with 342 passing yards and 3 touchdowns.

Up next for Flacco and Cincy's offense is a New York Jets squad that is 28th in schedule-adjusted pass defense and could be without All-Pro corner Sauce Gardner on Sunday.

With the Jets ranking 27th in fantasy points per drop back allowed to quarterbacks (0.55) and 20th in pressure rate (32.5%), Flacco has a stellar opportunity to continue strengthening his rapport with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins in Week 8.

Tez Johnson, WR, Buccaneers

FanDuel Salary: $5,700

Sadly, it appears that Mike Evans' historic streak of recording 1,000-plus receiving yards in 11 consecutive seasons to begin his career is going to come to an end after the veteran wideout suffered a broken clavicle in Week 7. Although rookie Emeka Egbuka and veteran Chris Godwin (whenever he returns from injury) will be the primary pass-catching options in Evans' absence, rookie Tez Johnson is proving to be an effective vertical threat in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offense in recent weeks.

With Evans and/or Godwin sidelined in the last two games, Johnson has tallied the third-highest target share (16.4%), second-highest air yards share (23.9%), and second-most downfield targets per game (targets of 10-plus yards; 4.0) on the Bucs during that span.

Johnson just tallied 4 catches, 58 yards, and a touchdown on 9 targets in Week 7, and he'll square off against a New Orleans Saints team this week that is coughing up the sixth-most fantasy points per target (1.61) and seventh-most yards per route run to wide receivers (1.72).

Harold Fannin Jr., TE, Browns

FanDuel Salary: $5,200

Harold Fannin Jr. had a disappointing performance in Week 7 despite being in a fantastic spot against a woeful Miami Dolphins defense with David Njoku sidelined for the Cleveland Browns. That being said, the weather conditions didn't favor the passing game in the Browns-Dolphins clash, and there's a chance Fannin gets to show out as the starting tight end if Njoku is ruled out against the New England Patriots.

Although Fannin finished with only 4 receptions for 36 yards last week, he still paced Cleveland's offense in snap rate (83.0%), route rate (73.9%), and target share (27.8%). Even if Njoku returns, he could be limited in his first game back, and the Patriots are sitting at 26th in target rate (21.6%) and 31st in yards per route run allowed to tight ends (1.88).

Cade Otton, TE, Buccaneers

FanDuel Salary: $5,500

In addition to Tez Johnson being a player who could see increased usage amid Tampa Bay's injuries on offense, it's clear that Baker Mayfield trusts Cade Otton whenever the Bucs are shorthanded.

When the Buccaneers were without both Mike Evans and Chris Godwin in Week 8 through Week 10 last season, Otton tallied 17-plus fantasy points in two of those three contests, and he was productive in Week 7's defeat to the Detroit Lions.

Otton hauled in 7 of his 9 targets for 65 yards in Week 7, and his 5.5-yard average depth of target this season makes him a viable underneath option for Mayfield behind an injured Bucs offensive line.

There could be a boom-or-bust label attached to Otton due to the Buccaneers having other pass catchers who could step up, but it's worth noting that the Saints are 23rd in fantasy points per target (1.61) and 21st in yards per route run allowed to tight ends (1.43).

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.