10 Late-Round Sleepers to Target After Pick 200

Aug 28, 2019

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Much like a six-year-old boy wrist deep in his nose, sometimes it’s important to mine for gold in unexpected places, trying to pick out treasure. In this case, it is the deepest reaches of a fantasy draft. Selecting Patrick Mahomes or Christian McCaffrey is the easy part of the draft, but filling out a roster is key. Inevitably, early-round options get hurt or underperform. That makes the selections later in the draft a big opportunity to find replacements or even better options for weekly lineups.

In many drafts, pick 200 looks like a wasteland and every pick thereafter seems like nothing more than a dart throw. But it’s more important to do research at this stage to find upside picks that have a chance to outplay their draft slot. The goal of this article is to do just that!

If you want to explore more sleepers, check out the 4for4 ADP Bargains Tool.

Chris Thompson, RB, Washington Redskins

In PPR leagues, receiving backs are perpetually undervalued and this offseason is no different. Thompson is being drafted just outside the top 200 (206) largely due to the uncertainty in the Washington backfield and the injury history he has. Thompson has only played 20 of the 32 games over the last two seasons due to leg and rib injuries. When healthy, however, he has averaged roughly four receptions per game along with over 50 total yards per contest. Those numbers, along with his seven touchdowns, would place Thompson as a mid-RB3 and a solid flex option. The Redskins have seen losses at the wide receiver position after Jamison Crowder’s departure and no other running back has the receiving upside of Thompson. His role is secure and the team is likely going to be playing from behind, potentially opening up a good snap share for Thompson.

Jalen Richard, RB, Oakland Raiders

His opinion on vaccinations aside, Richard is a talented back who is very capable as a receiver. In 2018, he finished in the top 30 among PPR running backs, largely due to the 68 catches he hauled in. While Josh Jacobs was added, a notable receiver himself, Richard’s role will largely remain unchanged as a change of pace option. The team did little otherwise to bolster the backfield, mostly just re-signing Doug Martin and then subsequently cut him. It would be nice if Richard had an uptick from the 55 rushes or the lone touchdown, but the receiving ability maintains a nice floor that has the opportunity to rise higher with Martin out of the picture and little else behind Jacobs.