The 2022 season ended with a bang in a great Super Bowl contest as the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles. However, those who play dynasty fantasy football know the season never ends. Identifying potential trade targets as buy-low or « buy before the breakout » options is key to staying competitive every season.

Whether a player suffered an injury, had a disappointing year, is viewed as past their prime, or is set up for more opportunities, there are several dynasty sleepers ready to help your dynasty team in 2023. This article won’t feature any 2023 rookies who are yet to be drafted. Instead, we’ll focus on players who are already in the league that can reasonably be acquired this offseason via trade or on waivers.

With all that said, let’s dive into the top dynasty sleepers heading into 2022!

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Top Quarterback Dynasty Sleepers

Trey Lance, San Francisco 49ers

Some people would disqualify Lance from being a « sleeper » since he was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, but if the Lance manager in your league is worried about his future, take a stab at trading for him.

Brock Purdy was excellent at what he was asked to do last season, but the 49ers traded a massive haul of picks to move up the draft board for Lance to raise the ceiling of the offense. Does Purdy bring an element to the table that Jimmy Garoppolo hasn’t over the last half-decade? Even if the answer is yes, draft capital wins out and I expect Lance to be the starter for Week 1, regardless of Purdy’s health.

Lance is a dual-threat QB with some of the best weapons in the NFL, so buy him if he’s available via trade. He’s worth acquiring in single-QB leagues and superflex leagues and has QB1 upside in 2023.

Bailey Zappe, New England Patriots

It’s difficult to call any quarterback a « sleeper » in fantasy, so Zappe might be a stretch, but he’s worth stashing or acquiring. In four games of action. Zappe completed 65 of his 92 passing attempts (70.7 percent) for 781 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions. He won both of his starts against the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns but struggled in relief of Jones in Week 7 against the Chicago Bears.

Meanwhile, Mac Jones posted a 6-8 record as a starter, completing 288 of his 442 passing attempts (65.2 percent) for 2,997 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He regressed in every statistical passing category, but a lot of the struggles are attributed to the change from Josh McDaniels to Matt Patricia as offensive coordinator.

Again, I’m a big believer in draft capital wins out, but there’s plenty of buzz that Jones’ and head coach Bill Belichick’s relationship soured in his sophomore season. If anyone has the guys to bench or move on from a first-round QB, it’s Belichick.

To be clear, Jones should fully be expected to be the starter in 2023, but in deeper leagues and superflex leagues, Zappe should be stashed until at least next offseason in case there’s any merit to the rumors. Zappe will have a low ceiling in a run-first offense with limited weapons, but in superflex formats, any starting QB is valuable.

Top Running Back Dynasty Sleepers

Jerome Ford, Cleveland Browns

Kareem Hunt will likely be on a new team in 2023, so the RB2 role is up for grabs behind Nick Chubb in Cleveland. While D’Ernest Johnson is still on the roster, Ford should be the favorite to take over that role if the team doesn’t bring anyone else in.

Ford was a big-time recruit who originally went to Alabama before transferring to Cincinnati. In his senior season as the Bearcats made it to the College Football Playoffs, he rushed 215 times for 1,319 yards and caught 21 passes for 220 yards for 2o total touchdowns. After running a 4.46 at the NFL Combine, Cleveland selected him in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. There’s a good chance he was drafted to be Hunt’s eventual replacement.

He only rushed for 12 yards during his rookie season, so his trade price should be cheap. Behind one of the league’s best offensive lines in an emerging offense, he could have solid flex value in deeper leagues as Hunt did.

Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh Steelers

Warren showed a ton of promise as the breather back to Najee Harris in his rookie season, so he could see his role expand in 2023. Warren rushed 77 times for 379 yards (4.9 YPC) and one rushing touchdown, adding 28 receptions for 214 yards. He posted three 20-plus yard yards, while Harris had just one rushing play of 20-plus yards.

He outpaced Harris by 1.1 yards per rush attempt and 2.0 yards per reception. Obviously, his sample was smaller as he handled 208 fewer touches, but there was quite a noticeable difference in the explosiveness each guy had last season. Ultimately, Warren finished 12th among running backs in True Yards Per Carry (4.7), fifth in Juke Rate (40 percent), fifth in Yards Created Per Touch (3.82), and 16th in Breakaway Run Rate (6.5 percent). All data per PlayerProfiler.com.

A lot of Harris’ struggles could be chalked up to lower-body injuries he dealt with all season, but isn’t that another reason Warren should get more involved? Harris has already accumulated 694 touches in his two-year career, so it’d make sense to lessen the burden on him and incorporate an explosive backfield mate more often.

If nothing else, Warren should be stashed as a top handcuff option, but there’s a good chance he has standalone value and flex appeal in 2023, assuming the Steelers don’t bring in more competition.

Pierre Strong Jr., New England Patriots

Strong posted an incredible 7.13 yards per carry on 630 rushing attempts (4,495 rushing yards) during his four-year career at South Dakota State, but he also caught 63 passes and scored 43 total touchdowns. Despite having Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson on the roster, the New England Patriots drafted Strong in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. A fourth-round selection doesn’t guarantee a future role, but it’s more significant draft capital than a late day-three flyer on a player.

New England likely selected Strong to share the backfield with Stevenson when Harris leaves town, which is likely this offseason since Harris is a free agent. Patriots running backs can be frustrating to trust in fantasy football, but Strong shouldn’t be too tough to acquire and will at least be a premium handcuff to Stevenson.

The Patriots are a run-first team, but when they do pass, running backs are targeted early and often. Strong is a well-rounded back and is another player who should see a real role in an offense in his sophomore season. You won’t have to invest a ton of resources into getting him, so any « Patriots running back » uncertainty doesn’t apply here.

Strong rushed 10 times for 100 yards and caught all seven of his targets for 47 yards in his rookie season. Not a bad start, efficiency-wise.

Top Wide Receiver Dynasty Sleepers

Rondale Moore, Arizona Cardinals

Moore has left a bad taste in fantasy managers’ mouths since he’s missed 12 games in his first two seasons. However, Moore was far more productive when he was on the field in 2022 than people give him credit for. From Week 5 to Week 10, Moore commanded at least eight targets in five of the six games and posted at least 68 receiving yards in four of the six games. He posted a WR6, two WR16s, a WR24, and a WR34 finish during that stretch and operated more as a downfield weapon.

With Christian Kirk out of town from his rookie season and DeAndre Hopkins on the trade block, Moore finally has the chance to be the clear No. 2 wide receiver in Arizona opposite Marquise Brown. Moore was an electric prospect with sub-4.3 speed (Pro Day) and his value has never been lower after a sluggish start to his career.

With Kyler Murray (torn ACL) set to miss a chunk of the 2023 season, Moore managers are likely ready to sell the 22-year-old wideout. While it’s true Moore’s upside could be limited with a backup quarterback leading the Cardinals’ offense, we’re playing the long game in dynasty. Take the discount for a potential top-24 upside in 2023 or 2024. Again, his value will likely never be lower than it is right now.

Send offers for Moore before Hopkins is traded.

Nico Collins, Houston Texans

Like Moore, Collins might have a huge hurdle for his production removed this offseason. Brandin Cooks has made it clear he wants to be traded since he doesn’t want to be a part of a rebuild, so there’s a good chance he finds a new home in 2023.

Meanwhile, Collins is coming off of a solid season in the context of the Texans’ offense. He played in 10 games, catching 37 of his 66 targets for 481 yards and two touchdowns. He ranked 27th among all wide receivers in target rate (24.3 percent) and second in contested catch rate (66.7 percent).

It’s no secret he wasn’t a game-changer in 2022, but with Houston set to add a first-round quarterback like CJ Stroud or Bryce Young to its offense, he could be in for a breakout season in year three. Houston could bring in another wide receiver in the 2023 NFL Draft and will get John Metchie (illness) back, but Collins is the most established receiver in the building if Cooks isn’t in the same offense next season.

Collins is more of a deep league target since a top-24 wide receiver season isn’t likely in his range of outcomes, but he’s a player to monitor as the offseason moves along. The quarterback play in Houston can only go up from here.

Elijah Moore, New York Jets

Moore takes the cake for the most disappointing season among wideouts in 2022, which means it could be a perfect time to target him in dynasty. Moore regressed in all statistical categories from 2021 to 2022, despite playing in five more games. However, we can’t just erase what he did in his rookie year.

As a first-year player, Moore caught 43 passes for 538 yards and five touchdowns in just 11 games (six starts). He posted a 141-yard game with a touchdown as a rookie, catching passes from Joe Flacco.

While Garrett Wilson flourished in 2022 and is now viewed as the team’s No. 1 wideout, the Jets are looking to upgrade its quarterback position and there should be room for several fantasy-relevant players in the New York offense. Whether Derek Carr, Aaron Rodgers, or a rookie is leading the offense in 2023, it can’t get worse than a quarterback committee of Zach Wilson, Mike White, and Joe Flacco.

Moore reportedly had a sour relationship with offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, but he’s now out of town, so hopefully, he can be reintroduced to the offense next season. It’s worth noting Corey Davis will likely be a cap casualty this offseason, too.

There’s certainly a risk that Moore simply regressed because his rookie season was an outlier, but the risk of acquiring him is worth the chance at juicy upside.

Top Tight End Dynasty Sleepers

Chigoziem Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans

Okonkwo posted a respectable 32 receptions for 450 yards and three touchdowns as a part-time tight end in his rookie season with Tennessee. Tight ends are always tough to navigate in fantasy, but Okonkwo could be the next explosive player at the position with a boom-week upside.

Among tight ends, the Maryland product ranked first in yards per route run (3.26) and yards per reception (14.1), second in targets per route run (33.3 percent) and yards per target (9,1), and 11th in average target distance (7.9 yards).

The Titans fired general manager Jon Robinson and offensive coordinator Todd Downing, so there could be a philosophy change coming in 2023. Even if the Titans’ offense is still a run-first offense, Okonkwo could post a TE1 season as soon as next year if his role is expanding. He was arguably the most efficient tight end as a rookie, so the sky is the limit moving forward.

Jelani Woods, Indianapolis Colts

Woods is another athletic specimen at the tight end position, scoring in at least the 82nd percentile in Speed Score, Burst Score, Agility Score, Catch Radius, and the 40-yard dash.

Jelani Woods PlayerProfiler.com Workout Metrics

Woods was a third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, which is respectable draft capital for the position. The Colts are another team who are looking to add the franchise quarterback of the future and Woods should transition to more of a full-time player in 2023. He’s a big-bodied red zone target with rare athleticism, so he’s worth acquiring as will be as cheap as tight ends with upside come.

Irv Smith Jr., Free Agent

Outside of Dalton Schultz, Evan Engram, and Mike Gesicki — Smith Jr. is arguably the best free-agent tight end this offseason. Injuries cost Smith his entire 2021 season and nine games in 2022. The Vikings acquired T.J. Hockenson at the trade deadline, marking the end of Smith’s tenure in Minnesota.

We can’t expect a top-five season among tight ends for the former second-round pick, but he could have a resurgent year in the right offense like Evan Engram and Gerald Everett had in 2022.

If Smith signs a high-octane offense like the Los Angeles Chargers, Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals, or Miami Dolphins, it’s wheels up for the speedy pass-catcher. He can be easily acquired as things stand, so picking him up before he signs with a team could be a savvy move.

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