5 Fantasy Football Sleepers for NFL Week 2

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 2
Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jaguars
FanDuel Salary: $7,000
Trevor Lawrence wasn't asked to do much in Week 1, as the Jacksonville Jaguars secured an early double-digit lead against the Carolina Panthers, and their running game was extremely effective. In a Week 2 matchup where the Jaguars are road underdogs -- and the total is approaching 50 points -- versus the Cincinnati Bengals, I'm expecting to see Lawrence air it our more in Jacksonville's revamped offense under head coach Liam Coen.
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Besides not predicting a weather delay to happen again for the Jags, it was a positive development to see Lawrence finish Week 1 as one of three starting quarterbacks who didn't get sacked across his 33 drop backs. Additionally, we shouldn't project the receiver duo of Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter to combine for only 7 receptions for 44 yards on 15 targets like they did in the season opener.
Under new defensive coordinator Al Golden, Cincy's defense was solid in Week 1, but they faced a Cleveland Browns offense that is expected to be a below-average unit in 2025. With the Bengals likely pushing the Jags to put the ball in the air and Lawrence potentially providing more production with his legs, there are worse quarterbacks to turn to than Lawrence in Week 2.
Dylan Sampson, RB, Browns
FanDuel Salary: $5,500
The idea of Dylan Sampson being a viable option in fantasy football in Week 2 is partly dependent on whether or not Quinshon Judkins makes his debut for the Browns. If Judkins is inactive again or is limited in his first action for Cleveland, then Sampson should see a decent workload despite facing an extra-motivated Baltimore Ravens defense that just coughed up 41 points to the Buffalo Bills in Week 1.
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In his NFL debut, Sampson carved out a solid role alongside veteran Jerome Ford, earning a 45.1% snap rate, 33.3% route rate, and 19.0% target share while logging 93 scrimmage yards on 20 touches, per Next Gen Stats. Seeing Sampson garner a 57.7% snap rate in the first half and be heavily involved in the passing attack are certainly positives for his outlook moving forward.
At the moment, the Browns are double-digit underdogs on the road versus the Ravens, which should put them in a negative game script and allow Sampson to be productive as a pass catcher. There are better running backs to start in fantasy football ahead of Week 2, but Sampson is worth considering in leagues that reward points for receptions.
Keenan Allen, WR, Chargers
FanDuel Salary: $6,400
After watching the Los Angeles Chargers take down the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1, one thing is for certain: Keenan Allen isn't going away.
While most of the attention went to Quentin Johnston's two-touchdown performance in the season opener, Allen hauled in 7 of his 10 targets for 68 yards and a touchdown.
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Signing and reuniting with the Chargers in early August, Allen tallied a 61.3% snap rate, 68.3% route rate, and a team-high 29.4% target share in the team's first game of the season. Additionally, Allen posted a formidable 2.43 yards per route run, and his role could expand as the year progresses on a team that has playoff aspirations.
Plus, we could be witnessing a shift in LA's offensive identity under offensive coordinator Greg Roman after the Chargers registered the highest pass rate over expected (+15.2%) in Week 1.
Even with the Bolts being slight favorites on the road against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 2, Allen should remain involved in a Justin Herbert-led offense that seemingly wants to throw more.
Cedric Tillman, WR, Browns
FanDuel Salary: $5,400
Before suffering a season-ending injury in 2024, Cedric Tillman averaged 6.0 receptions, 75.5 receiving yards, and 10.0 targets per game in four of his last five outings while totaling 3 touchdowns in that span. To begin the 2025 season, Tillman continued where he left off last year, finishing with 5 catches for 52 yards and a touchdown in Cleveland's loss to Cincinnati.
Recommending two players from the Browns as sleepers is undoubtedly risky, but there's a non-zero percent chance Tillman is the No. 1 wideout in an offense that is expected to be playing from behind often -- including in Week 2 versus the Ravens. Although Tillman tied two other Browns for the second-highest target share (19.0%) in Cleveland's aerial attack in Week 1, he led the team in snap rate (88.7%), route rate (93.8%), and had the second-highest air yards share (32.1%).
Along with Tillman receiving eight-plus targets in five consecutive games where he's started and finished the game, our projections have Joe Flacco forecasted for the fourth-most completions (23.2) and second-most attempts (35.6) among quarterbacks in Week 2.
At a $5,400 in DFS, Tillman is a solid contrarian value option at receiver, and he's a viable sleeper in deeper season-long leagues.
Hunter Henry, TE, Patriots
FanDuel Salary: $4,900
With the tight end position being extremely volatile outside of the elite options, Hunter Henry continues to go overlooked in fantasy football.
After finishing last season as the overall TE12 in half-PPR formats, Henry appears to be a focal point of the New England Patriots' aerial attack again in 2025.
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To begin the new season, Henry finished with 4 catches and 66 receiving yards on 8 targets against the Raiders. On top of that, Henry's usage was fantastic, as he led the Patriots in snap rate (92.6%) and target share (17.8%) while having the second-highest air yards share (30.7%).
Against the Dolphins in Week 1, rookie tight end Tyler Warren accrued 7 receptions for 76 yards, and the tight ends on the Indianapolis Colts combined for 96 receiving yards. Plus, the Patriots were fourth in pass rate over expected (+9.1%) in Week 1 under new offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, so we could see New England trust Drake Maye to sling the football around more in his sophomore campaign.
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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.