Week 1 Fantasy Football: 6 Sneaky Sleepers to Help You Win

Thursday Night Football was a disaster for fantasy football gamers if they didn’t use Marshawn Lynch, Percy Harvin, Russell Wilson or Randall Cobb. In fact, Harvin didn’t score and despite two scores, Wilson wasn’t all that amazing, either. Cobb would have been spare without the touchdown, while Lynch was the only truly dominant fantasy player on a night where dominance was the key word in a Seattle victory.

But this was just the first game of what should still be a glorious week of NFL and fantasy football action. With two more full days between us and another slew of meaningful NFL games, let’s scour the fantasy realm for some sneaky fantasy sleepers that could put up some solid numbers in week one:

Tony Romo, QB, Dallas Cowboys

Romo isn’t normally a sleeper in any sense of the word, but people take one look at his matchup (49ers) and sit him immediately. However, it’s better than it looks, as Romo has tons of weapons, is at home and this normally stout Niners group is missing both Navorro Bowman and Aldon Smith. Romo should air it out and get solid numbers.

Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Oakland Raiders

MJD actually faces a tough Jets run defense, but their secondary is so banged up I think there’s a good chance things even out. He also has a rookie QB throwing passes, so he should get 4-5 dump off passes, at a minimum. Seen as an over the hill back on a terrible team, MJD could surprise a bit in week one.

Brandin Cooks, WR, New Orleans Saints

Kenny Stills is banged up and may not play, potentially putting the rookie receiver in a big role in his pro debut. Atlanta is far from a scary matchup, too, so the versatile Cooks could be active in his first game ever.

Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee Titans

Hunter isn’t an official starter, but KC’s secondary is a bit shaky and he can crush it in the red-zone or take it the distance on a slant. As long as he gets a few chances, he’ll make an impact.

Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

Same here for Kelce, and in the same game. The Chiefs are playing without Dwayne Bowe and their normal starting tight end isn’t very good. Kelce killed it in the preseason and absolutely needs to be on the field at least half the time in week one. Tennessee’s defense isn’t great, either, giving Kelce a chance to put up numbers in week one.

Detroit Lions Team Defense

We won’t give you a kicker (ha!), but how about a solid defense worth using? The Lions already can sniff out the run and put pressure on the quarterback, but the icing on the cake is facing Eli Manning the a pathetic Giants offense. Things could get ugly in a good way for this Lions defense.