10 sleeper picks to score a Week 1 TD and give you additional $1 million fantasy football sweepstakes entries
Yahoo Sports and NBC Sports have teamed up for $1 million fantasy football sweepstakes. Those playing in private Yahoo Fantasy Football leagues will have the opportunity to enter for a chance to win the first-of-its-kind fantasy football sweepstakes.
If any of the players on your fantasy squad score a touchdown in one of the three Week 1 games broadcast on NBC or Peacock — Ravens vs. Chiefs, Packers vs. Eagles or Rams vs Lions — you get an extra entry.
With that in mind, Dalton Del Don has 10 sleeper candidates to score a touchdown to help you earn bonus sweepstakes entries. All of the players mentioned are being drafted late in Yahoo leagues, if at all.
Previously, our analysts also revealed the players most likely to score a TD in one of the three games.
Likely finished as a top-five fantasy tight end three times over the final five weeks with Mark Andrews out last season. He was also the TE8 in Week 18 despite seeing just two targets while Baltimore rested many of its starters.
The Ravens have a glaring weakness at WR2 and utilize their tight ends in the red zone far more than any team in the league, so Likely should have a bigger role this season even with a healthy Andrews. Reports suggest Likely could even be Baltimore’s second receiving option in 2024, and the Ravens should have to pass frequently against the Chiefs.
Steele has emerged as a candidate to take over Kansas City’s RB2 role with Clyde Edwards-Helaire dealing with off-field challenges. Jerick McKinnon is gone, and Deneric Prince was cut.
Steele had a 29% avoided tackle rate in college and has been racking up yards after contact, avoiding an NFL-high 11 tackles on 11 preseason carries. The Chiefs have a healthy implied team point total (24.8), and the physical Steele could easily punch in a short score.
Wicks ranked top-20 in fantasy points per target, fourth in first downs per target and third in receiving DVOA last season, behind only Brandon Aiyuk and Nico Collins. He enters fourth on Green Bay’s deep WR depth chart, but Jordan Love will spread targets around, and Wicks makes the most of his.
Philadelphia should have an improved secondary, but the Eagles allowed the most fantasy points to wide receivers last year, including the second-most touchdowns (27).
Dotson should be Philadelphia’s WR3 after the Eagles exchanged picks for him in a recent trade. He’ll likely see plenty of work out of the slot, where the Packers gave up the eighth-most schedule-adjusted fantasy points last season. Dotson is a top-20 pick who flashed as a rookie, so he’s a sleeper to find the end zone for an offense projected to score 25.5 points.
Parkinson has been ignored at draft tables despite entering 2024 as Los Angeles’ clear new starting tight end. The former five-star recruit signed a $22.5 million contract (with a lot guaranteed) during the offseason and has been getting praise throughout camp. Tyler Higbee has been a major part of L.A.’s offense in the past, but he’ll start the season on the PUP list, and now Parkinson slides into his role.
The Rams led the NFL in yards per play when fully healthy last season, so L.A.’s offense has big potential. Parkinson gets a Lions’ secondary that yielded the sixth-most passing scores (28) last season, and Puka Nacua enters Week 1 returning from an injury.
Raymond is set to take over Detroit’s WR3 role with Josh Reynolds gone, and Jahmyr Gibbs and Sam LaPorta are both entering Week 1 coming off hamstring injuries. Jared Goff has averaged 277.2 passing yards (7.9 YPA) with 44 touchdowns over 17 games in Detroit over the last two seasons. The Rams allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to wide receivers last year, and the Lions have the highest implied team point total (27.3) in Week 1.
Raymond is a sleeper to score against a Rams defense now missing Aaron Donald and with a shaky secondary.
Bonus Quick Hitters:
Demarcus Robinson, WR, Los Angeles Rams
Robinson enters as the favorite to act as L.A.’s WR3 once again in 2024, and he was quietly a top 20 fantasy WR over Weeks 13-17 last season; he saw six targets inside the 10-yard line over that five-game stretch. The Rams used 3WR sets a league-high 95% of the time last year, and Sean McVay offenses are a fantasy goldmine for wide receivers. The Lions were gashed for the third-most touchdowns by wide receivers last season.
Tucker Kraft, TE, Green Bay Packers
Kraft expects to be ready Week 1, and he averaged the sixth-most fantasy points per target among tight ends last season. He has a bunch of competition in Green Bay, but Tucker also has the potential to score a touchdown any given week.
Emanuel Wilson, RB, Green Bay Packers
Wilson totaled 78 yards on 13 opportunities while starting the Packers’ final preseason game, and he likely enters Week 1 as Green Bay’s RB2. AJ Dillon was placed on season-ending IR, and Marshawn Lloyd continues to work his way back from a hamstring injury.
Jordan Whittington, WR, Los Angeles Rams
Whittington was a highly recruited rookie who flashed throughout the preseason. Detroit allowed 22 touchdowns to wide receivers last year, with only the Eagles and Commanders yielding more.
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