Fantasy Football: 6 Sleepers for Week 17

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 17

Bo Nix, QB, Denver Broncos

FanDuel Salary: $7,600

Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos hit the road to face the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17 on Saturday, and things shape up pretty well for Nix as a result.

Nix has tallied 25 and 23 rushing yards in his last two games and has thrown for at least 263 yards in four of his last five matchups.

The Bengals rank 30th in rushing success rate allowed to quarterbacks on the year.

Nix has averaged 20.7 fantasy points per game against teams below-average by pressure rate. Cincinnati is 20th, via NextGenStats.

With playoff seeding implications on the line, Nix should continue to run, and he should be able to continue his productive passing output, too.

Alexander Mattison, RB, Las Vegas Raiders

FanDuel Salary: $5,700

Alexander Mattison and the Las Vegas Raiders are on the road against the New Orleans Saints this week, but that means they'll be indoors and actually favored against the reeling Saints.

Last week, Mattison wound up playing a 56.7% snap rate for the Raiders but actually had a 62.5% first-half snap rate and a 66.7% red zone snap rate (though that was just 2 of 3 snaps).

Mattison ended up with only 56 scrimmage yards but had 12 carries and 7 targets (one of which was downfield -- or over 10 air yards).

That's a really enticing role for a back against such a weak rush defense (New Orleans ranks 30th in adjusted rush defense, via numberFire's metrics).

Mattison is rostered on only 50% of Yahoo! teams and has a path to production for those in need of a pulse at RB this weekend.

Jalen McMillan, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

FanDuel Salary: $5,900

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are facing the Carolina Panthers this week.

Carolina ranks 30th in adjusted pass defense, per numberFire's metrics, through Week 16's action. Additionally, the Bucs' implied team total is 28.5, ranking them first among all teams playing Thursday through Monday.

Can Jalen McMillan, who is rostered on fewer than 50% of Yahoo! rosters, convert? I think so (obviously, else I wouldn't be keying on him as a sleeper), and here's why.

McMillan has seen his role start to stabilize in recent weeks. He has single-game target shares of 25.0%, 23.1%, and 16.3% over the last three games with a route rate above 80.0% in all three.

McMillan has averaged 6.7 targets and 63.7 receiving yards in this split but has a lot of underlying potential for more.

He has averaged 78.8 air yards per game and 4.0 downfield targets (10-plus yards) with a 40.0% end zone target share in this three-game split. Yes, even on a team with Mike Evans.

Points should be expected within this offense, McMillan's money-zone role is pristine, and he's getting downfield work.

Romeo Doubs, WR, Green Bay Packers

FanDuel Salary: $5,600

Romeo Doubs is -- in a lot of ways -- the closest to a constant that the Green Bay Packers have at wide receiver this season.

He has an 82.1% route rate in his active games. Nobody else is above 70.7%. Doubs also leads the wideouts in target share (18.0%) in active games, albeit for 43.5 yards per game and 5.1 targets.

The Packers do face a Minnesota Vikings team that is sixth in adjusted pass defense, but this game has the makings of a fantasy-friendly one: the total is high (48.5), the spread is tight (Vikings by 1.5), and there's a roof.

As a result, let's monitor the health of Christian Watson (knee). Without Watson, Doubs stands to benefit by seeing more targets while on the field a lot.

Jalen Coker, WR, Carolina Panthers

FanDuel Salary: $5,100

On the other side of that Bucs/Panthers game, Jalen Coker is very likely to be available in your league, as he is rostered in just 5% of Yahoo! leagues.

Coker, though, has elevated his role in the Panthers' offense.

He missed Weeks 12, 13, and 14 but has otherwise had snap rates of 89.7%, 86.0%, and 83.1% in his three active games since Week 10 with single-game target shares of 32.0%, 22.2%, and 20.8%.

In this sample, Coker's overall target share is 25.0%, and he's been targeted on 30.0% of the team's red zone plays and 42.9% of their end zone targets.

With a matchup against a Bucs defense that is 28th against the pass and 11th agains the rush, Coker should see some good volume this week.

Chig Okonkwo, TE, Tennessee Titans

FanDuel Salary: $5,400

Chig Okonkwo (22% rostered) has a chance to be a fantasy hero in Week 17, but there still is a bit of risk with his role.

Okonkwo is undergoing a role resurgence.

In Week 16, he had his highest snap rate of the year (84.2%), highest route rate (85.7%), highest target share (33.3%), and highest yardage output (81).

Okonkwo now has two straight games with double-digit targets (10 and 11, respectively) and faces a Jacksonville Jaguars team that is 32nd in adjusted pass defense.

In four full games of Mason Rudolph under center, Okonkwo has a 17.6% target share and 45.8 yards per game.

New to FanDuel Sportsbook? You’ll receive $250 in Bonus Bets if your first bet of $5+ wins! See here for full terms and conditions. Learn about today’s other offers at FanDuel Sportsbook Promos.

Interested in playing NFL DFS? Head over to FanDuel’s daily fantasy football lobby to see all the offerings for this week's slates.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!

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.