Fantasy football season is right around the corner, and ahead of your drafts, it's crucial to have a gameplan for how you want to build your team. As is usually the case, the wide receiver position is the deepest spot of them all heading into the 2024 season, so finding value where you can at a loaded position is going to be incredibly important.
That's where sleepers come into play. Finding wide receivers who are getting undervalued by other fantasy owners could be the key to winning your leagues this year, so it's important to look a bit deeper beneath the surface and see which players are flying under the radar. That's what we have set out to do here at ClutchPoints, so without further ado, let's take a look at the top ten fantasy football wide receiver sleepers for the upcoming season.
10. Wan'Dale Robinson, New York Giants
The New York Giants are going to need somebody to step up in their offense alongside star rookie Malik Nabers, and as of right now, it looks like Wan'Dale Robinson is their best bet to do so. A 2022 second-round pick, Robinson put together a solid body of work in 2023 (60 REC, 525 YDS, 1 TD) even though the offense was marred by inconsistency with Daniel Jones missing most of the year. With Jones back and a star in the making in the Nabers who can take some attention off of him working on the other side of the field, Robinson could be set for a breakout campaign if things go right for the Giants, and he's worth using a late-round pick on if he's on the verge of going undrafted.
9. Ja'Lynn Polk, New England Patriots
The New England Patriots biggest upgrade to their wide receiver corps this offseason came in the form of Ja'Lynn Polk, who was drafted in the second-round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Polk just put together an extremely impressive senior campaign with Washington (69 REC, 1159 YDS, 9 TD), and he figures to have an immediate role in the Pats offense. While Kendrick Bourne will conceivably be the team's top wide receiver, Polk could emerge alongside him, and he has built a strong rapport with fellow rookie Drake Maye under center, although it remains to be seen if he'll be a Week 1 starter. Regardless of who is New England's starting quarterback, chances are they will be looking Polk's way frequently, which could result in a strong fantasy football campaign for him.
8. Michael Wilson, Arizona Cardinals
There's a lot of attention on the Arizona Cardinals offense, and for good reason, as Kyler Murray, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Trey McBride look like a lethal trio in the passing game. But not to be overlooked is second-year wide receiver Michael Wilson, who put together a solid rookie campaign last year for the Cardinals (38 REC, 565 YDS, 3 TD). Wilson figures to slot in as Arizona's second wide receiver behind Harrison, and while he and McBride will likely see the lion's share of targets, there will be an opportunity for Wilson to make some big plays throughout the year. After he had some explosive performances last year (7 REC, 76 YDS, 2 TD in Week 4 against the San Francisco 49ers) it's reasonable to expect Wilson to take another step forward this season in the Cardinals new-look offense.
7. Darnell Mooney, Atlanta Falcons
Darnell Mooney has had a bit of a strange career, as he seemed to put together a breakout campaign in 2021 (81 REC, 1055 YDS, 4 TD), only to completely fall out of favor in the Chicago Bears offense. He now finds himself with the Atlanta Falcons, and while there are playmakers abound in this offense (Drake London, Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts), a second wide receiver to take some of the attention off of London is needed. That's seemingly where Mooney can fill in, although he admittedly didn't do a great job filling that role in 2023 behind D.J. Moore on the Bears (31 REC, 414 YDS, 1 TD). There's reason to believe that Mooney can find his footing with the Falcons, but he's definitely a guy you want to draft in the later rounds, as you could get burned if you take him too early.
6. Mike Williams, New York Jets
Injuries have plagued Mike Williams' career to this point, and the same was true in 2023, as he suffered a torn ACL in the Los Angeles Chargers third game of the season. Prior to that, Williams had gotten off to a hot start for LA (19 REC, 249 YDS, 1 TD), and there's no doubt that if he can stay healthy, he's one of the best deep threats in the league. Fantasy football owners seem to be forgetting that, because Williams is largely getting overlooked in drafts this year. Assuming he can stay healthy, he could form a lethal trio with Aaron Rodgers and Garrett Wilson. The injury concerns are real, but Williams is healthy heading into the season, and if he can stay that way, he could put together a huge debut campaign with New York.
5. Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are in a strange spot, as they almost have too many options in the passing game. Michael Pittman Jr. is the clear cut number one option, but behind him lurks Josh Downs, Adonai Mitchell, and Alec Pierce. Downs should have the inside track to land that number two spot and be the team's top slot receiver after his strong rookie campaign (68 REC, 771 YDS, 2 TD), but he has been dealing with an ankle injury as of late that has made his Week 1 status cloudy. Still, Downs should be healthy and on the field at some point this season, and he figures to be a PPR machine once again. With a more consistent option in Anthony Richardson under center and a year of experience under his belt, Downs could make a big jump forward this season.
4. Jayden Reed, Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers offense didn't really have a true number one wide receiver last year with Christian Watson struggling to stay healthy, but it didn't matter. If there was a number one wideout, though, it was probably Jayden Reed, whose penchant for big plays immediately made him a fantasy football favorite everywhere (64 REC, 793 YDS, 8 TD). The bevy of options in Green Bay's passing game has resulted in pretty much all of their receivers getting overlooked, but Reed could truly take a star turn this season if things go his way. He's already got a great relationship with Jordan Love under center, and while he can't be counted on to score eight touchdowns again, it's safe to expect Reed to continue to make big plays, while also seeing an uptick in volume compared to last year.
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3. George Pickens, Pittsburgh Steelers
George Pickens broke out in a big way last season, and yet he's not getting the respect he deserves in fantasy football circles this year. There are several reasons why that's the case, as Diontae Johnson (more on him in a second) got traded to the Carolina Panthers, and the Pittsburgh Steelers completely overhauled their quarterback room. Regardless of who ends up under center, whether it be Russell Wilson or Justin Fields, they are going to need someone to throw to. As he proved in 2023, Pickens is their top option (63 REC, 1140 YDS, 5 TD), and he will likely see a massive uptick in volume as a result. In PPR leagues, that could make Pickens one of the best wide receivers in the NFL, and if his murky offensive situation makes him fall down the board, he is absolutely worth drafting in the middle rounds.
2. Diontae Johnson, Carolina Panthers
Speaking of Diontae Johnson, he finds himself in a unique new situation with the Carolina Panthers. They have a young quarterback in Bryce Young who is desperately looking for a top target to emerge, and he may have that now in Johnson. We just saw Adam Thielen have an incredibly productive season with the Panthers (103 REC, 1014 YDS, 4 TD) despite their relatively abysmal offense, and that figures to be the role Johnson employs moving forward. The former Steelers star put together an eerily similar campaign back in 2021 (107 REC, 1161 YDS, 8 TD), and while his volume was low in 2023, that was due to Pittsburgh's shaky quarterback situation and the emergence of Pickens. Johnson could have an explosive debut season with Carolina, making him well worth a mid-round pick.
1. Khalil Shakir, Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills offense looks quite barren compared to what we saw just a few months ago. Josh Allen is still under center, but gone are the likes of his top targets in Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. The wide receiver room is filled with question marks, but if there's one guy who can be relied upon, it's Khalil Shakir. As the third option behind Diggs and Davis, Shakir was sneaky good in 2023 (39 REC, 611 YDS, 2 TD) and he suddenly finds himself leading the Bills wide receiver depth chart. There's going to be a ton of volume up for grabs in Buffalo's offense, and Shakir figures to benefit the most of any of their pass catchers. He's certainly not the flashiest name available, but Shakir could end up being the steal of the draft if he can build off of his 2023 campaign.
