4 Fantasy Football Sleepers for NFL Week 9

The word "sleeper" gets thrown around a lot in the world of fantasy football, to the point where an actual definition may vary from person to person. In general, in my eyes, sleepers are players who may be flying relatively under the radar in a particular week.

In any case, we all need to find a sleeper from time to time. Whether you're a season-long fantasy football manager looking to roster a potential breakout player before your league-mates, someone playing NFL DFS on FanDuel who needs a spike week from a low-salaried player, or even just a manager in a pinch due to byes or injuries, we have you covered.

Here are some fantasy sleepers who could have a big week this week.

We'll reference our NFL projections. All NFL odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

Fantasy Football Sleepers for Week 9

Sam Darnold, QB, Seahawks

FanDuel Salary: $7,300

Among quarterbacks with 200-plus drop backs this season, Sam Darnold has the sixth-most expected points added per drop back (0.17), via Next Gen Stats, though he is QB21 in fantasy points per game entering Week 9. Despite that being the case, Darnold scored 20-plus fantasy points in back-to-back weeks before scoring only 9.6 points against a stout Houston Texans defense in Week 7, and the Seattle Seahawks are coming out of their bye week.

Immediately out of their bye week, the Seahawks will face a Washington Commanders squad that has fallen to 28th in schedule-adjusted pass defense and 28th in fantasy points per drop back allowed (0.56) to quarterbacks. At the moment, Darnold is only rostered in 42% of leagues (via Yahoo), and our Riley Thomas has him listed among the best quarterbacks to stream in Week 9.

Kareem Hunt, RB, Chiefs

FanDuel Salary: $5,900

The Kansas City Chiefs' rushing attack has been largely ineffective this season, and they've split the workload between Isiah Pacheco, Kareem Hunt, and rookie Brashard Smith. But with Pacheco week-to-week with a knee injury, Hunt and Smith figure to get boosts in an offense that is rolling right now.

While Smith is certainly the more explosive player, Hunt has been the preferred short-yardage back for the Chiefs, and he's led the backfield in red-zone snap rate (44.6%) and red-zone rushing share (29.5%) so far while he scored twice in the red zone in Week 8. The Buffalo Bills are a run-funnel unit (26th in schedule-adjusted run defense and 4th in schedule-adjusted pass defense), so both Hunt and Smith could be viable options in Week 9 if you're dealing with injuries or are desperate at the running back position.

Kayshon Boutte, WR, Patriots

FanDuel Salary: $5,900

There's certainly a chance regression hits the New England Patriots' deep passing game at some point, but it's tough to ignore just how cerebral Drake Maye has been in his sophomore campaign, especially when it comes to pushing the ball down the field. According to PFF, Maye has the highest adjusted completion percentage (78.3%) on deep throws (throws of 20-plus yards) among quarterbacks with 20-plus said attempts, and he also has six touchdowns to no interceptions in those situations.

Whenever Maye has looked down the field, Kayshon Boutte has been a popular target, leading the Patriots in route rate (67.5%), air yards share (28.7%), and average depth of target (17.4 yards) while hauling in a career-best five touchdowns already. Even though Boutte can be volatile in fantasy due to him being reliant on making explosive plays through the air, the Atlanta Falcons are 28th in air yards over expected (122.3) and deploy man-coverage at the 12th-highest rate (29.0%), which should create plenty of one-on-one opportunities for Boutte.

Alec Pierce, WR, Colts

FanDuel Salary: $5,700

Alec Pierce is another wideout who does a lot of his damage down the field and can be an inconsistent fantasy football option, but he's in an Indianapolis Colts offense that is atop the league in schedule-adjusted pass offense and schedule-adjusted rushing offense. Alongside Michael Pittman Jr., Pierce is on the field plenty, earning the second-highest route rate (78.3%), second-highest target share (18.1%), and highest air yards share (46.4%) among Indy's wideouts this season.

Pierce was on his way to a notable performance in Week 8 before Jonathan Taylor and the rushing attack took over in a blowout win over the Tennessee Titans, but the upcoming matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 9 has a total in the 50s and a narrow spread. In addition to the Steelers sitting at 28th in target rate (21.0%) and 24th in yards per route run allowed (1.71) to wide receivers, there isn't a team coughing up more fantasy points per game (32.8) to wideouts who are lined up out wide (per RazzBall) than Pittsburgh.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.