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 field.

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: Week 12

Anthony Richardson, QB, Colts

FanDuel Salary: $7,500

Even though some wouldn't consider Anthony Richardson a sleeper entering Week 12, he's still rostered in only 57% of leagues on Yahoo. After having to watch Joe Flacco toss four interceptions across two starts, Richardson was named the starter in Week 11 for the Indianapolis Colts, and he showed why he still has plenty of potential in a win against the New York Jets.

Richardson completed a season-high 20 of his 30 passing attempts for 272 yards and a touchdown while he added 32 rushing yards and 2 rushing scores on 10 rushing attempts to conclude Week 11 as the QB4 with 28.1 fantasy points. It was a positive sign to see Richardson be semi-efficient through the air, and he always presents a lofty ceiling in fantasy with his rushing upside.

It will certainly be tough for Richardson to replicate his success with Indy taking on the Detroit Lions in Week 12. At the same time, Sunday's Colts-Lions showdown carries the week's highest total, and Richardson is always a threat to find the end zone with his legs.

FanDuel Research's Austan Kas mentioned Richardson as one of his favorite streaming options at quarterback, and he's even more enticing when you consider that six teams are on a bye week. If you're someone who has Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, or Kirk Cousins, go check if Richardson is available in your league.

Christian Watson, WR, Packers

FanDuel Salary: $6,100

Recommending a wideout from the Green Bay Packers isn't for the faint of heart, as the leading receiver on the team tends to change each week. However, it's tough to completely ignore Christian Watson following his explosive performance in Week 11.

In a narrow win over the Chicago Bears, Watson hauled in all 4 of his targets for a whopping 150 yards. Furthermore, Watson logged the second-highest target share (23.5%) and highest air yards share (76.5%) on a team-high 24.5-yard average depth of target in Week 11, per NextGenStats.

Since Watson entered the NFL in 2022, he's been one of the biggest boom-or-bust options at wide receiver, but this past week was an example of what could happen when his deep targets materialize. Despite getting only four targets versus the Bears, Watson finished Week 11 as the WR10 in half-PPR formats.

While the San Francisco 49ers are giving up the 10th-fewest fantasy points per game to receivers (24.7), they just surrendered a total of 201 receiving yards to D.K. Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba in Week 11. It's also worth noting that the 49ers are permitting the eighth-highest average depth of target to wideouts (11.7), so there's a chance for Watson to have another notable outing if Jordan Love can connect with him on a few downfield passes.

Quentin Johnston, WR, Chargers

FanDuel Salary: $6,100

Saying that Quentin Johnston's rookie campaign in 2023 was a disappointment is putting it lightly. As a first-round pick, Johnston finished last year with only 38 receptions, 431 yards, and 2 touchdowns on 67 targets.

Fast forward to this season and Johnston is showing signs of development as a go-to vertical target for Justin Herbert -- who is playing out of his mind right now. Throughout the eight games he's been active this year, Johnston is registering an 18.7% target share, 27.8% air yards share, and 2.01 yards per route run on a healthy 13.0-yard average depth of target.

Additionally, Johnston leads the Los Angeles Chargers in that eight-game sample in end-zone target share (28.6%), which has resulted in him scoring six touchdowns entering Week 12. It's only a matter of time before Johnston begins putting up more consistent yardage outputs with Herbert and the Chargers gradually becoming more of a pass-centric offense.

Johnston couldn't ask for a much better matchup this week as LA will face a Baltimore Ravens defense on Monday night that is allowing the most fantasy points per game (36.0), most receiving yards (2,084), and second-most receiving touchdowns (16) to wideouts. Baltimore is also sitting at 26th in deep yards per target (11.6) and 23rd in pressure rate (31.7%), which undoubtedly improves the chance of Johnston and Herbert coming up with a couple of explosive plays.

Hunter Henry, TE, Patriots

FanDuel Salary: $5,200

Even though Hunter Henry hasn't shown much of a ceiling since Week 2 when he was the TE2, his role on the New England Patriots continues to pique my interest. Since Drake Maye became the starting signal-caller for the Patriots, Henry has been a solid starter in fantasy -- aside from his 14-yard outing in Week 10 against the Bears.

Across the last six weeks with Maye under center, Henry is recording team-high marks in target share (21.0%) and receiving yards per game (51.8), along with a 21.1% air yards share and 1.78 yards per route run. Henry's 29.6% red-zone target share and 20.0% end-zone target share in the last six games suggests he should probably should have more than one receiving touchdown in that span, as well.

Similar to most weeks, the Patriots are underdogs to the Miami Dolphins in Week 12, so New England should be in a negative game script. Ahead of Sunday's AFC East clash, Miami's defense is ceding the 14th-most fantasy points per game to tight ends (9.2).

To help our case even further, the Dolphins are also permitting the highest target rate to tight ends (22.9%) this season. With Henry earning five-plus targets in five of his last six contests, you could do a lot worse than the veteran tight end this week.

Will Dissly, TE, Chargers

FanDuel Salary: $5,100

Considering how well Justin Herbert has been playing in recent weeks, I want to continue getting exposure to LA's aerial attack, and that includes Will Dissly. Despite being known as a run-blocking tight end for most of his previous tenure with the Seattle Seahawks, Dissly has emerged as a preferred pass-catching option for Herbert.

Since the Chargers had their bye week in Week 5, Dissly is registering the second-highest target share on the Chargers (21.7%) with 2.07 yards per route run, 4.7 receptions per game, and 44.5 receiving yards per game over the last six weeks. Dissly is also posting a team-high 26.3% red-zone target share in that sample, which should lead to more touchdowns moving forward.

Despite Dissly's usage on the Chargers, he is still rostered in only 41% of Yahoo leagues. That number will likely continue to expand after Dissly takes on the Ravens on Monday Night Football.

Aside from being a dismal unit against wide receivers, Baltimore's defense is also giving up the most receptions (67), 2nd-most receiving yards (736), and 10th-most fantasy points per game (10.8) to tight ends. FanDuel Research's Annie Nader mentioned Dissly as a top streaming option in Week 12, and it's easy to agree with that recommendation when there are a handful of teams on a bye week.

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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.