Fantasy Football: 3 Deep Sleepers for NFL Week 1

If you're in a deep league or are playing some large-field NFL DFS tournaments on FanDuel this week, you'll probably need some deep sleepers on your squad.

Here are some players who are on the majority of waiver wires but need to be on your radar this week.

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

Fantasy Football Deep Sleepers for Week 1

Xavier Legette, WR, Panthers

FanDuel Salary: $4,800 | Yahoo! Roster Percentage: 19%

Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers will start the year at the Jacksonville Jaguars. It's a nice draw for Young, who has the opportunity to shred Jacksonville's weak defense. The Panthers have a 21.5 implied team total.

Tetairoa McMillan -- the eighth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft -- is getting a lot of love, but what about Carolina's first-round pick from 2024? Xavier Legette could have had a better preseason, but changes to Carolina's receiving room should have him on our deep sleeper radar.

Not only did the Panthers trade Adam Thielen last week, but Jalen Coker has ended up on the IR with a quad injury. Coker is expected to be sidelined for four-to-six games, thus opening an opportunity for Legette to earn a nice role in the offense.

Past McMillan and Legette, the Panthers have uninteresting pass-catching options in David Moore, Hunter Renfrow, and Jimmy Horn Jr. The sophomore figures to be second in line for targets on an offense that has one of the easiest matchups of the week, and that should stand for something. It's up to Legette to be productive in his role, but despite a meh rookie showing, he's still just one year removed from being deemed a first-round talent.

Brenton Strange, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars

FanDuel Salary: $5,000 | Yahoo! Roster Percentage: 21%

Let's stay on this Jaguars-Panthers game since we could have a shootout on our hands. Young and Trevor Lawrence each get to face a poor defense as they look start the new year on the right foot, which leaves us with a close spread (3.5) in favor of Jacksonville and a decent total (46.5).

Brenton Strange popped a few times last season and could be worth a look this week now that Evan Engram is out of town.

Strange posted 60-plus receiving yards in three out of eight games sans Engram last season. He scored twice across the four games where Lawrence was in and Engram was out. The 2023 second-round pick enters a nice situation this season as the lead tight end in a Jaguars offense that could be productive under Lawrence. A date with the Panthers could be fruitful, as they coughed up a league-high 11 touchdowns to tight ends a season ago.

Strange's touchdown odds don't present him in the best way, but I do see value in backing Strange to score at +380 odds.

Chris Rodriguez Jr., RB, Commanders

FanDuel Salary: $4,300 | Yahoo! Roster Percentage: 8%

The Washington Commanders' backfield situation is unclear heading into 2025 following the departure of Brian Robinson.

2025 seventh-round draft pick Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Austin Ekeler are rostered in 78% and 76% of leagues, respectively, but there's a chance neither see goal line work on Sunday. Instead, head coach Dan Quinn said Chris Rodriguez Jr. could be the team's goal-line back.

Rodriguez currently carries +260 touchdown odds, which is something I do not necessarily want to bet. But in a contest against the New York Giants where the Commanders' offense could go nuclear, I at least think we can deem Rodriguez as a viable deep sleeper.

Washington averaged 30.4 points per game at home last season, and their insistence on taking a unique approach to the ground game could lead to flukiness in the right way for Rodriguez. He's not primed for a large workload and could end up being a total non-factor, but for someone who is rostered in just 8% of leagues, he has a decent path to scoring this weekend.

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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.