Fantasy Football: 6 Sleepers for Week 16

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, sleepers are NFL players that may be flying relatively under the radar in a particular field. That could be an under-rostered player in season-long leagues, a player with an exciting matchup in a given week, or even a potential star just ahead of their true breakout.

In any case, we all need to find a sleeper from time to time. Whether you're a fantasy football hipster looking to roster an exciting new player before your league-mates hear about him, a daily fantasy manager looking for a lower-salary player to fill out a lineup loaded with studs, or even just a manager in a pinch due to byes or injuries, we have you covered. We'll be bringing you six fantasy sleepers each and every week throughout the season.

Fantasy Football Week 16 Sleepers

Nick Mullens, QB, Minnesota Vikings

FanDuel Salary: $7,000

The Minnesota Vikings are in a prime spot to put some points on the board this week, putting Nick Mullens in a great position to score some fantasy points; their 21.75-point implied total ranks eighth-best on FanDuel's main slate.

The Detroit Lions -- their Week 16 opponent -- have been generous to opposing quarterbacks, allowing the fourth-most fantasy points per game to the position (20.2). The Lions' offense has oftentimes forced their opponents to try and aggressively keep pace on the scoreboard which makes them one of the most fantasy-friendly defensive units in the league.

It's never fun to trust a backup quarterback in fantasy football, but we've at least seen Mullens get it done in the past. In addition to scoring almost 20 fantasy points last week in his first start since 2021, he was capable of putting up fantasy-relevant numbers in both the 2018 and 2020 seasons. He's competent enough to get the ball into his playmakers' hands -- and Minnesota has an enviable amount of playmakers.

All of Justin Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson, Jordan Addison, and K.J. Osborn are on track to be at full health for this one, giving Mullens plenty of receiving options to choose from. He and Jefferson connected on an encouraging amount of their 10 opportunities last week and could take that connection to the bank against a Detroit defense allowing the eighth-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers.

Curtis Samuel, WR, Washington Commanders

FanDuel Salary: $6,500

Curtis Samuel is seeing an almost shocking amount of volume in the Washington Commanders' offense this year -- and especially of late. Their high-volume passing attack -- which leads the league in pass attempts with 545 -- peppers Samuel with targets close to the line of scrimmage, making him kind of a low-key PPR machine in fantasy. He's been pretty productive with those targets lately, too, averaging 6 catches for 68.7 yards and 0.7 scores over his last three outings.

Samuel's services could be in high demand this week against the New York Jets' elite defense. The Jets get pressure on opposing quarterbacks at the second-highest rate in the league while blitzing them at the second-lowest rate. It's a pretty lethal combo that has led to them allowing the third-lowest yards per play (4.7 yards) average in the league. Against that kind of pass rush and with linebackers and safeties dropping back into coverage, you can expect Samuel to see a ton of work in the quick-passing-game in Week 16.

It's also worth noting that running back Brian Robinson (hamstring) is still not practicing this week. Samuel's outburst of production over the last three weeks has mostly overlapped with Robinson's injury and absence, which makes sense considering Robinson's utilization in the short passing game. Robinson had been averaging almost three targets per game prior to his injury, meaning his injury made a not-insignificant impact on the team's passing game in addition to their running back rotation. If Robinson misses a second straight full game, Samuel should continue seeing a slight bump in his expected receiving work.

Treylon Burks, WR, Tennessee Titans

FanDuel Salary: $5,200

Tennessee Titans 2022 first-round pick Treylon Burks has not filled the A.J. Brown-sized hole in the team's offense so far, but there's time yet for the second-year wideout. The former Arkansas Razorbacks star has had his development hindered by injuries, but is healthy now and is starting to play a hefty number of snaps in the Titans' offense. He even nabbed an impressive 37-yard catch in the team's Week 15 loss to the Houston Texans.

Burks was expected to handle the WR1 role for his team this summer until the addition of DeAndre Hopkins late in the offseason. Hopkins obviously became the team's top target, pushing Burks out of the foreground. With Hopkins hogging a massive target share in Tennessee's run-first offense, Burks has been left to fight for scraps in the passing game beside players like Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Kyle Philips, and Chris Moore. It's made him an unreliable player for fantasy football purposes, but he might get bankable volume this week after the team added Westbrook-Ikhine to the injured reserve. With Philips also sidelined by a hamstring injury, Burks will have less competition for targets behind Hopkins and could top his own personal record for targets in a game (8).

The Titan's Week 16 opponents might help him get there as well. The Seattle Seahawks have allowed opposing wideouts to average the sixth-most fantasy points per game (30.5) this season. Their vulnerability in the secondary and Tennessee's thinned out receiver group should help Burks get more targets and turn them into yards more efficiently than usual, setting him up for a potential career day.

Dontayvion Wicks, WR, Green Bay Packers

FanDuel Salary: $5,400

Dontayvion Wicks has been having a low-key fantastic rookie season.

The Green Bay Packers' fifth-round pick has quietly tallied 491 receiving yards and a score on his 31 catches this year and popped off for a career-best 97 yards in Week 15. Fellow rookie Jayden Reed has deservedly earned plenty of praise for becoming an immediate contributor for Green Bay in his first season, but Wicks has been consistently producing for the team right alongside him. In fact, Wicks' 2.00 yards per route run actually leads all Packers receivers and tight ends, which could be a sign that the best is yet to come for the Virginia alum.

Wicks could get his chance to shine in Week 16. The Packers could be without Reed as the 2023 second-round pick deals with the chest and toe injuries that forced him to take an early exit in Week 15. If Reed does miss the game, Wicks could become a featured part of the passing game. He has already been more productive than second-year teammate Romeo Doubs lately; since the team's early bye, Wicks has caught 396 yards while playing one fewer game than Doubs, who has caught 339 yards.

He could be in for a breakout this week against the Carolina Panthers.

Chase Brown, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

FanDuel Salary: $5,200

Chase Brown doesn't seem like he's going away anytime soon. The Cincinnati Bengals' offense has given him an average of 10 touches per game since he emerged as an option, and he's been a solid pairing of lightning to Joe Mixon's thunder.

The Bengals might need to rely on the run more heavily than ever this week against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Star receiver Ja'Marr Chase has already been ruled out with a shoulder injury, which could seriously impact the team's ability to move the ball through the air. Fortunately, the Steelers have allowed the seventh-most rushing yards to opposing running backs this year, which should help the Bengals keep drives moving even without their star receiver.

Chase hasn't just been a downfield threat, though; he has also been the Bengals top option in the screen game, leading his team with 24 targets off of screen passes. Brown's ability to produce efficiently on those plays -- like on his 54-yard house call against the Indianapolis Colts -- could make him the team's go-to player in the Bengals' screen game in Chase's absence.

Given that the Bengals have called the fourth-most screens in the league, that could help Brown put up fantasy-relevant receiving numbers this week.

Hunter Henry, TE, New England Patriots

FanDuel Salary: $5,300

If you've been unaware of what Hunter Henry has been doing lately, I couldn't blame you. The New England Patriots have played some unwatchable football this year and have produced few fantasy-relevant outings at all, but Henry has quietly re-established himself as a potential fantasy option at the tight end position over the last two weeks and could have a great matchup against the Denver Broncos on Sunday Night Football.

Henry has caught 10 passes for 106 yards and 3 touchdowns in his last two games. That's really good. The Patriots' offense has scored the fewest points in the NFL and has made frighteningly few trips to the red zone, but when they do make it to that area of the field it's clear that Henry is their go-to guy. He has more receptions within the 10-yard line (3) than the rest of the team's active players combined (2). They've gotten a little better of late, scoring more points over their last two games (38) than they had over their previous four games combined (30).

Henry could also benefit from a potentially soft matchup. The Broncos have almost completely turned things around since their utter collapse against the Miami Dolphins earlier this year but are still allowing significantly more fantasy points to tight ends (13.6 per game) than any other defense in the league. They seem to have an especially hard time covering the position in the red zone -- where Henry thrives. That makes this a pretty solid matchup for him in spite of the Patriots' offensive woes.

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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.