Backup Wide Receivers to Stash in 2024: Fantasy Football Deep-League Sleepers

The 2024 NFL season will be here before we know it, meaning fantasy football is ramping up from this point on. As the popularity of fantasy football has grown, more and more fantasy managers are playing in deep leagues consisting of 14+ teams and/or a ton of additional roster spots.

Drafting a high-ceiling starting lineup is always important, but stashing backups with upside can take your team over the top when injuries happen or bye weeks take place. Most fantasy gamers have heard of "handcuff" running backs, but "handcuff" wide receivers are worth consideration in the late rounds of drafts, too.

In this article, we'll highlight four backup wide receivers to consider stashing in 2024 fantasy football. To be considered a backup, a player must not be listed in the starting lineup of RotoBaller's depth chart page.

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Noah Brown, Houston Texans

When the Texans traded for former Bills superstar wideout Stefon Diggs, it closed the door on Noah Brown being a starter in three-wide sets. However, he has one of the highest ceilings among "handcuff" wideouts in 2024. If Diggs, Nico Collins, or Tank Dell miss brief or extended action this year, Brown should be the next man off the bench.

In Weeks 9 and 10 of last season, Brown stepped up and caught 13 passes for 325 yards and a touchdown. He posted consecutive top-six weeks among fantasy wideouts (PPR). While he was limited to just 10 games, he demonstrated his spike-week upside when given the opportunity.

THIS. PLACE. IS. LOUD. pic.twitter.com/W8wVGhAL70

— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) November 5, 2023

Houston has a crowded wide receiver room behind its three starters, including Robert Woods, Ben Skowronek, and John Metchie III. Skowronek and Metchie have never had the flashes of upside Brown showed last season, and Woods is well beyond his prime entering his age-32 season.

Brown is free in drafts of all shapes and sizes, yet he has a realistic path to providing at least a few top-36 weekly finishes. C.J. Stroud is primed to elevate Houston into an elite passing team, so getting a cheap piece of the offense is never a bad idea.

D.J. Chark, Los Angeles Chargers

With the loss of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams this offseason, the Chargers have one of the worst pass-catching groups in the NFL. Although Quentin Johnston, Joshua Palmer, and Ladd McConkey are projected to start in three-wide sets to begin the season, Chark has a path toward playing time. One of the three wideouts could get injured, or Johnston could fail to show why he was a first-round pick for the second year in a row, causing Jim Harbaugh and Co. to pull the plug on him as their No. 1 wide receiver of the future.

Chark has rarely been a target hog and likely won't be if he sees extra action in 2024, but he has spike-week upside in what should be an effective play-action offense led by one of the best deep-ball throwers in the NFL -- Justin Herbert.

Chark was a non-factor in fantasy football last year, but he registered the seventh-highest average target distance in the NFL (15.4) and scored five touchdowns in the lifeless Panthers offense. Ultimately, Chark is always going to be viewed as a better option in best ball formats, but he could become the "YOLO" ball recipient from Herbert like Williams has been over the last few seasons.

Dalton to DJ 🎯 @Panthers tie up the game in Seattle before taking a 1-pt lead!

📺: #CARvsSEA on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/UQdQ05hqXN pic.twitter.com/nwogSyz536

— NFL (@NFL) September 24, 2023

Given his lack of legitimate target competition combined with having a gunslinging QB and chunk-play skills, he's a solid flyer at cost.

Allen Lazard, New York Jets

Let's face it. Allen Lazard was a complete bust in his first season with the New York Jets. He was also never spectacular with the Green Bay Packers, but he developed solid chemistry with Aaron Rodgers in 2022 and posted 60 receptions for 788 yards and six touchdowns. In 2021, he caught a career-high eight touchdowns while playing alongside Davante Adams.

Rodgers to Lazard for the 25-yard TD! #GoPackGo

📺: #NYJvsGB on FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/EIJdhy1M03 pic.twitter.com/zqxJKVuIpj

— NFL (@NFL) October 16, 2022

The 6-foot-5 veteran won't be a volume monster in 2024, but he could get back to being a legitimate red-zone threat with Rodgers back in action. New York's three starting receivers are likely to be Garrett Wilson, Mike Williams, and third-round rookie Malachi Corley, but Williams is coming off an ACL tear. He could miss the start of the season, and based on history, he's likely to miss a few games when he returns. While Lazard has been labeled as a potential cut candidate, the organization will be in a better spot to release him next offseason. He's heading into Year 2 of his four-year, $44 million deal.

Lazard is a long shot to produce fantasy-friendly numbers this year, but given his previous relationship with Rodgers, Williams' injury, and the fact that he's free in drafts, there's no risk in stashing him.

Dontayvion Wicks, Green Bay Packers

While Dontayvion Wicks has become a popular sleeper around the fantasy football world -- he's technically a backup. Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, and Jayden Reed are more established and are likely the three starters in Week 1, but Wicks demonstrated plenty of ability in 2023 as a fifth-round rookie out of Virginia.

Dontayvion Wicks puts the Packers ahead!

📺: #CHIvsGB on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/X0vcyHUoyR pic.twitter.com/Y1fZ4ntm17

— NFL (@NFL) January 7, 2024

The 22-year-old ran just 281 routes (89th most), but he scored the 58th-most fantasy points per game. He also ranked 24th in yards per route run (2.07), 11th in yards per target (10.0), 25th in yards per reception (14.9), and 10th in route win rate (54.4%). (Data via PlayerProfiler.com)

In a small sample, he flashed excellence, and he's tied to an ascending offense led by 2023 breakout quarterback Jordan Love.

Meanwhile, Watson has missed 11 games through his first two NFL seasons, Doubs isn't impressive in any efficiency metric, and Reed was utilized more as a gadget player than an actual downfield route runner. Wicks has multiple paths to playing time in his sophomore campaign, and having as many pieces of Love's passing game as possible is a good idea considering how cheap each of the Green Bay receivers are in early fantasy drafts.

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