X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Deeper PPR Lineup Sleepers for Week 1 (Less Than 20% Owned)

With Week 1 of the new NFL season already underway, it is probably unlikely that your fantasy football team is plagued by injuries, unless you drafted several players that got hurt this preseason. Your team should be healthy and at full strength going into Week 1.

Either way, there's always room to scour the waiver wire and I'm here to try and identify some deeper fantasy football PPR sleepers for Week 1. There are some interesting names still floating around on most waiver wires that may provide a solid start this week, if needed, especially for those playing in deeper PPR leagues. Let's take a look.

Editor’s Note: RotoBaller's NFL Premium Subscriptions are your secret weapon. Sign up now and get access to our in-house developed tools including the DFS matchups tool, lineup sleepers/streamers tool, live expert Q&A chats, DFS lineups picks newsletter, ADP draft sleepers tool & much more. 

 

Deeper PPR Sleepers & Sneaky Starts for Week 1

Benny Cunningham (RB, STL) – Owned in 10% of Fleaflicker leagues

To start the season, the St. Louis Rams are home against the punishing defense of the Seattle Seahawks. At first glance, this may not seem like a good matchup for Cunningham, going against one of the top defenses in the league. However, Cunningham is going to get plenty of snaps this week.

The team’s first-round pick, Todd Gurley, is still sidelined since he tore his ACL last season at the University of Georgia and second-string back Tre Mason has an injured hamstring. Coach Jeff Fisher has already announced that Mason is more than likely going to be a game-time decision, but if he doesn’t practice this week, he can almost be ruled out before Sunday, meaning Cunningham will get the start.

In 16 games last year, Cunningham ran for roughly 250 yards and caught 45 passes for another 350 yards. He also found the endzone four times. These numbers were almost strictly as a third-down and situational back. In a PPR league, there is no reason to believe that he is not going to bring in a minimum of four passes if he gets the start. New quarterback Nick Foles is known to throw the ball deep, but he may not have the opportunity to against the “Legion of Boom.” He may be forced to check the ball down a lot.

Prediction (if he starts): 35 rushing yards, 1 rushing touchdown, 5 receptions, 35 receiving yards

 

Allen Hurns (WR, JAC) – Owned in 18% of Fleaflicker leagues

Does anyone else remember how last season started for the Jacksonville Jaguars? They pushed the Philadelphia Eagles to the limit in the opener behind the play of Hurns. In his first career game, the former Miami Hurricane blew up for  110 yards and two TDs on four catches. This production came against Philadelphia, which is supposed to be one of the better defenses in the league

Fast forward to this season opener and the Jags are set to play the Carolina Panthers. If he was a running back, I would say bench him. But, since he's a wideout I say play him if you need him. Carolina’s secondary is questionable at times and Hurns’ speed may be able to do some damage.

Additionally, Hurns will benefit from both Marqise Lee and Julius Thomas being sidelined with injuries to start the season. Both of them would normally see a lot of targets, but with both out we can expect Hurns and Allen Robinson to do most of the work on the outside.

Prediction: 4 receptions, 75 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdown

 

Benjamin Watson (TE, NO) – Owned in 15% of Fleaflicker leagues

Again, some people will call this move questionable, but I'll remind you this is only if your team is desperately in need of a spot start. Watson was once relevant in the passing game a long time ago, and had a somewhat valuable fantasy season in 2010 with the Cleveland Browns, finishing with 68 catches for 763 yards and three TDs.

This is not to say that he will finish this year with those numbers, but he may have a good game this week against the Arizona Cardinals, who gave up the fourth-most fantasy points to tight ends last season.

We have heard it all: Jimmy Graham, Kenny Stills and Pierre Thomas are all gone and the team is moving more towards running the ball. However, it is still uncertain if pass-catching specialist C.J. Spiller is going to play this week. If he misses the game, Watson could be in for a couple more targets, considering Mark Ingram is not much of a receiver out of the backfield.

It is hard to say if Watson will have the opportunity to score any touchdowns this week, or this season, since Josh Hill will more than likely come in and be the goal-line tight end. Regardless, Watson should see enough targets in this transition offense to make for a valuable spot start this week in PPR leagues

Prediction: 5 receptions, 40 receiving yards

 

NFL & Fantasy Football Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-0" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]

 




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Zach Brzykcy25 mins ago

Has Left Leg Injury
Wade Meckler34 mins ago

Exits With Undisclosed Injury
Jose Herrera42 mins ago

Exits Early On Sunday
Las Vegas Raiders8 hours ago

Raiders Agree To Three-Year Extension With Adam Butler
Kansas City Chiefs8 hours ago

Trey Smith Signs Franchise Tag
Tomoyuki Sugano8 hours ago

Strong Again, Strikes Out Five In Three Innings
Kyle Tucker8 hours ago

Hits First Cactus League Home Run
Clay Holmes9 hours ago

Strikes Out Eight In Grapefruit League Win
Matt Manning9 hours ago

Optioned To Triple-A Toledo
Chicago Bears9 hours ago

Bears Eyeing Drew Dalman
Erasmo Ramírez9 hours ago

Erasmo Ramirez Expected To Miss Extended Time
Cincinnati Bengals9 hours ago

Cody Ford Returning To Cincinnati
Aaron Rodgers10 hours ago

Seattle Expected To Pursue Aaron Rodgers
Atlanta Falcons10 hours ago

Jake Matthews Extended By Atlanta
Dallas Cowboys10 hours ago

Markquese Bell Back With Dallas
Gerrit Cole10 hours ago

Recommended For Tommy John Surgery, Awaiting Second Opinion
Jarrett Stidham10 hours ago

Staying On With Denver
Austin Hooper11 hours ago

Sticking With New England
New England Patriots11 hours ago

Harold Landry III Signs With New England
New York Jets11 hours ago

Jamien Sherwood Returning To New York
Ben Simmons11 hours ago

To Miss Road Trip
Justin Fields11 hours ago

Wants To Test The Market
Jabari Walker12 hours ago

Cleared For Sunday
DK Metcalf12 hours ago

Steelers Acquire DK Metcalf From Seattle
Luka Garza12 hours ago

Available On Sunday
Deni Avdija12 hours ago

Remains Out On Sunday
Josh Allen12 hours ago

Bills Reach Agreement On Record-Setting Deal
Rudy Gobert12 hours ago

To Play On Sunday
Gary Trent Jr.12 hours ago

Returning On Sunday
Dallas Goedert12 hours ago

Philadelphia Expecting Fourth-Round Pick For Dallas Goedert
Kyle Kuzma12 hours ago

Available On Sunday
Walker Kessler12 hours ago

Remains Out On Sunday
Davante Adams12 hours ago

Signing With Rams
Andre Drummond12 hours ago

Cleared For Sunday
Miami Dolphins13 hours ago

Miami Showing Interest In Joey Bosa
Sam Darnold13 hours ago

Steelers Looking Into Sam Darnold
Aaron Jones13 hours ago

Back With Minnesota
Jose Alvarado13 hours ago

Available Versus Memphis
Rudy Gobert13 hours ago

A Game-Time Decision On Sunday
CJ McCollum13 hours ago

Sitting Versus Memphis
Zion Williamson13 hours ago

Out On Sunday Night
Michael Grove14 hours ago

To Miss 2025 Season
Marcus Hogberg14 hours ago

Activated From Injured Reserve
Nicky Lopez14 hours ago

Reassigned To Minors
Connor Ingram15 hours ago

Re-Enters Player Assistance Program
Travis Jankowski15 hours ago

Optioned To Minors
Aaron Gordon15 hours ago

Doesn't Return To Sunday's Loss To OKC
Connor Hellebuyck15 hours ago

Taking On Hurricanes Sunday
Tommy Pham15 hours ago

Exits Early On Sunday
Nikola Jokić15 hours ago

Nikola Jokic's Elbow "Fine" After Loss To OKC
Dairon Blanco15 hours ago

To Play On Sunday
Frederik Andersen15 hours ago

Faces Jets Sunday
Daniil Tarasov15 hours ago

Starts Against Rangers Sunday
Luke Kunin15 hours ago

Set For Blue Jackets Debut Sunday
Dmitry Orlov15 hours ago

Out On Sunday
San Francisco 49ers16 hours ago

San Francisco Releases Maliek Collins
Detroit Lions16 hours ago

Detroit Letting Go Of Za'Darius Smith
Carlos Estévez17 hours ago

Carlos Estevez Could Make Spring Debut Late Next Week
Sandy Alcantara17 hours ago

Marlins Don't Have Innings Limit For Sandy Alcantara
Luis Rengifo17 hours ago

Now In Question For Opening Day
Jared Young17 hours ago

Austin Warren Optioned to Triple-A
Spencer Strider17 hours ago

Getting Close To Game Action
Jurickson Profar17 hours ago

Dealing With Bone Bruise
Triston Casas17 hours ago

Returns From Illness
Amen Thompson18 hours ago

In A Walking Boot, Needs An MRI
LeBron James18 hours ago

Anticipated "To Miss At Least 1-2 Weeks"
Steven Stamkos22 hours ago

Nets Hat Trick On Saturday
Zach Hyman22 hours ago

Tallies Three Points In Victory
Dustin Wolf22 hours ago

Shuts The Door On Canadiens On Saturday
Valeri Nichushkin22 hours ago

Leads The Way On Saturday
Vitek Vanecek22 hours ago

Shines In Florida Debut
Roope Hintz23 hours ago

Exits Early On Saturday
Chase Elliott23 hours ago

Is Chase Elliott Worth Rostering At Phoenix This Week For DFS?
Joey Logano23 hours ago

Will Be A Top Contender To Win At Phoenix
Denny Hamlin23 hours ago

Is Difficult to Recommend As A DFS Option
Carson Hocevar24 hours ago

Is Not An Ideal Driver To Add To Phoenix DFS Lineups
Brad Keselowski24 hours ago

Is A Solid DFS Choice For Phoenix Lineups
Austin Cindric24 hours ago

Could Be Worth Using In Phoenix Tournament Lineups
Kyle Busch1 day ago

Should Fantasy Players Roster Kyle Busch At Phoenix?
Michael McDowell1 day ago

Is Michael McDowell Worth Rostering For Phoenix DFS Lineups?
Ty Gibbs1 day ago

Is A DFS Recommendation Despite Inconsistent Track History At Phoenix
Austin Dillon1 day ago

Is Austin Dillon Worth Rostering In DFS For Phoenix This Week?
Cole Custer1 day ago

Is An Underrated DFS Value Pick For Phoenix Lineups
Tyler Reddick1 day ago

DFS Value Likely Hinges On How Much He Leads
Chase Briscoe1 day ago

Despite Strong Phoenix Record, Chase Briscoe Qualifies Inexplicably Poorly
NASCAR1 day ago

Bubba Wallace's Phoenix Record Is Not Great
John Hunter Nemechek1 day ago

Is Only A Cash-Game Consideration At Phoenix
Daniel Suarez1 day ago

Seeks To Prove Himself At Phoenix After Embarrassing Austin Crash
Josh Berry1 day ago

Could Run Well At Phoenix
Erik Jones1 day ago

Qualifies Well At Phoenix But Rarely Finishes Well
Noah Gragson1 day ago

The Most Underrated DFS Option
Shane Van Gisbergen1 day ago

Likely Too Inexperienced To Run Well At Phoenix
Ricky Stenhouse Jr1 day ago

. One Of The Weakest DFS Options
LeBron James1 day ago

Exits Saturday's Game Early With Groin Strain
Kristaps Porzingis1 day ago

To Miss Another Game
LeBron James1 day ago

Suiting Up Versus Boston
Jrue Holiday1 day ago

Returns On Saturday
Jakub Dobes2 days ago

Starts For Canadiens Saturday
Chris Kreider2 days ago

Returns To Action Saturday
Vitek Vanecek2 days ago

Ready For Panthers Debut Saturday
Jiri Kulich2 days ago

Misses Saturday's Contest Due To Illness
Carson Soucy2 days ago

Makes Rangers Debut Saturday
Cam York2 days ago

Sits Out Saturday's Game
Kevin Lankinen2 days ago

Stops 37 Shots On Friday
Mark Stone2 days ago

Tallies Goal, Two Helpers In Victory
Magomed Ankalaev3 days ago

Challenges For Light-Heavyweight Title At UFC 313
Alex Pereira3 days ago

Set For Fourth Title Defense
Rafael Fiziev3 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Justin Gaethje3 days ago

Set For A Rematch
Ignacio Bahamondes3 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Jalin Turner3 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Iasmin Lucindo3 days ago

Looks For Her Fifth Win In A Row
Amanda Lemos3 days ago

Looks To Return To Win Column At UFC 313
Mauricio Ruffy3 days ago

Returns To Action At UFC 313
King Green3 days ago

Opens Up UFC 313 Main Card
Sahith Theegala5 days ago

Looking To Keep Spark From Last Event Alive At Bay Hill
Robert MacIntyre5 days ago

An Interesting Play At Arnold Palmer Invitational
Max Homa5 days ago

Hoping His Course History At Bay Hill Can Help Turn Season Around
Tommy Fleetwood5 days ago

Looking To Get Back Into Good Graces At Bay Hill
Michael Kim5 days ago

One Of The Hottest Players In Golf Heading To Bay Hill
Xander Schauffele5 days ago

Making Long-Awaited Start Since Rib Injury At Bay Hill
Sepp Straka5 days ago

Needs Accuracy At Arnold Palmer Invitational
Collin Morikawa5 days ago

Looking For Better Form On And Around The Greens At Bay Hill
Justin Rose5 days ago

May Be Worth Avoiding This Week
Maverick McNealy5 days ago

Tries To Go One Step Further At Bay Hill
Shane Lowry5 days ago

Has Potential To Contend At Bay Hill
PGA5 days ago

Sungjae Im Trying To Snap Out Of Golfing Funk
Jacob Bridgeman5 days ago

Looking To Build Off Momentum At Arnold Palmer Invitational
Joe Highsmith5 days ago

Steps Up After Cognizant Classic Win
Max Greyserman5 days ago

Be Wary Of Max Greyserman At Bay Hill
Davis Thompson5 days ago

Very Iffy For Arnold Palmer Invitational
Tony Finau5 days ago

And Bay Hill Could Be A Battle
Cam Davis5 days ago

A Question Mark Heading To Arnold Palmer
Sam Burns5 days ago

Could Stick Around At Arnold Palmer
J.J. Spaun5 days ago

Could See Success At Bay Hill
PGA5 days ago

Byeong Hun An Seeks Answers And May Not Find Any
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF