Let’s break down the term “post-hype sleeper” before diving into these players. “Post-hype” just refers to a situation in which each player had a significant level of hype for fantasy football, as recent as last season, that isn’t getting the attention they once did in 2024. “Sleeper” is a term often overused, but generally describes a player that most fantasy football managers are underestimating and often drafting later than they maybe should or not at all; they’re “sleeping” on them.
So, a post-hype sleeper is a player getting drafted later than they maybe should be after an abundance of hype in a previous season or seasons. Identifying a post-hype sleeper, and more importantly, getting the pick right, can be a league-winning moment for your team. Padding your roster of early-round studs along with post-hype sleepers could at least put you in a strong position to make the playoffs. Let’s look at a few post-hype sleepers you may want to invest in when on the clock later on in drafts that could pay off big time during the 2024 season.
Post-Hype Sleepers Worth the Investment in 2024
Kyle Pitts, TE, Atlanta Falcons
There is no better player to begin the post-hype sleeper discussion with than Kyle Pitts. The 2024 season is very much a “if not now, then when?” year for Pitts. After logging career-high targets (110), receptions (68), and the second-most receiving yards ever by a rookie tight end (1,026) in 2021, Pitts has just 149 targets, 81 receptions, and 1,023 receiving yards combined in two seasons since.
Entering the 2024 season, Kyle Pitts is typically coming off of the board just outside the top-five players at the tight end position. It’s not a drastic change from his Average Draft Position in years past, but there’s reason to believe he could not only finish inside the top five but perhaps even higher.
Kirk Cousins is the best quarterback Kyle Pitts has had as a pro. That statement is even with consideration to Cousins coming back from a torn Achilles. Pitts himself is in a much healthier place entering this season after perhaps returning too early last season from a 2022 season-ending knee injury.
In what should be a more competent offensive scheme, with an emphasis on getting the ball to the best players, Pitts should see plenty of enticing matchups while defenses also match up with Bijan Robinson and Drake London. Kyle Pitts is a post-hype sleeper you can feel good about investing in before a significant tier break in tight end talent as your draft progresses.
Calvin Ridley, WR, Tennessee Titans
After serving a one-year gambling suspension in 2022, Calvin Ridley returned to football in 2023 to the Jacksonville Jaguars as Trevor Lawrence’s presumed WR1. Before the 2023 season, Ridley insisted he is still a “1,400-yard type of player.” All things considered, the hype for Ridley’s return was real. However, Ridley yielded a modest 76 receptions for 1,016 yards, eight touchdowns, 13.0 fantasy points per game, and a disappointing WR29 finish in fantasy football.
Calvin Ridley is now a Tennessee Titan after signing a four-year, $92 million free agency deal this off-season. While it may seem like an overall downgrade for Ridley, there’s reason to invest in him for the fantasy football season, especially in the seventh round or so.
As of early August, Ridley’s biggest competition for targets, DeAndre Hopkins, is dealing with a knee injury that should hold him out of the remainder of the preseason. Even if Hopkins is ready for Week 1, he is 32 years old providing a little extra concern that he can stay on the field all season.
The Titans’ new head coach, Brian Callahan, and offensive coordinator, Nick Holz, both come from pass-heavy teams, the Cincinnati Bengals and Jacksonville Jaguars respectively. Calvin Ridley feels like a lock for 130 or more targets in 2024, as he did with the Jaguars (136) in 2023.
Lastly, quarterback Will Levis is entering just his second season and first as the clear-cut starter. He ranks third in air yards per attempt last season amongst quarterbacks who played eight or more games. Ridley ranked seventh in air yards amongst all receivers last season. With a high target volume and as a downfield threat, Ridley could rack up major fantasy points as a post-hype sleeper with plenty of receptions and plenty of big plays this season.
Tony Pollard, RB, Tennessee Titans
It seems like the entire world of fantasy football is out on Tony Pollard for the 2024 season. Most fantasy football managers are feeling burned after drafting Pollard as a top pick last season though resulting in a brutal RB23 finish. However, with a change of scenery, while expected to maintain a workhorse role, Pollard presents an opportunity to draft a post-hype sleeper running back in the seventh round or so.
Pollard is coming off of most fantasy football draft boards as an RB3 right now. That’s behind players like D’Andre Swift, Zamir White, Raheem Mostert, and Najee Harris. I’m not making the argument that Pollard should get drafted ahead of each of them, but I probably would in most scenarios.
Remember when Tony Pollard broke his leg in January of 2023? I do and we probably shouldn’t have set expectations so high for him even though he was technically ready for Week 1. Though he wasn’t quite himself until Week 11, Pollard did go on to play in all 17 games.
While I do like Tyjae Spears, Pollard is joining the Titans on a three-year, $24 million free-agency deal. Head coach Brian Callahan comes from Cincinnati where Joe Mixon handled an average of 304 touches per season over the last three. Pollard just managed a career-high 307 in 2023. I expect him to handle the bulk of touches in Tennessee. With his pass-catching upside, Pollard should post steady RB2 numbers with weekly RB1 upside.
Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Commanders
Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels will be the 11th different starting quarterback for Terry McLaurin since his 2019 rookie season. Regardless, McLaurin has at least 1,000 receiving yards in each of the last four seasons. Despite the surprising statistical success, McLaurin has not had a fantasy finish higher than WR21 since 2020 and has been outside the top 24 in each of the last three seasons.
McLaurin and his approximate seventh-round Average Draft Position, like the aforementioned Calvin Ridley, fits right into the post-hype sleeper discussion. If you believe Jayden Daniels is the best quarterback McLaurin has had yet, then drafting McLaurin is an easy investment. His ADP suggests he would be starting in your flex spot depending on how you build your roster!
Kliff Kingsbury is the offensive coordinator for the 2024 Washington Commanders. He has a track record of success with mobile quarterback, Kyler Murray, which only bolsters the expectations for Jayden Daniels. Terry McLaurin is the obvious WR1 on what should be an offense that sits in the middle, even the top half, of the league in total pass attempts. Drafting McLaurin as a post-hype sleeper has far better odds to positively impact your 2024 roster, especially with where he’s getting drafted.
Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, New England Patriots
Rhamondre Stevenson finds himself coming off of most 2024 fantasy draft boards as a mid-to-low-end RB2. Last season, some teams, especially those investing in wide receiver early on, drafted Stevenson as their team’s RB1. Needless to say, the significant drop in value already puts the “post-hype” in “post-hype sleeper” with Rhamondre Stevenson.
The New England Patriots enter the post-Bill Belichick era with Jerod Mayo as the new head coach, but more importantly, for fantasy football, Alex Van Pelt as the offensive coordinator. Van Pelt joins the Patriots after four seasons in the same role with the Cleveland Browns. Under Van Pelt, the Browns have finished inside the top eight in rush attempts per game in all four seasons. That includes three top-five finishes, including each of the last two.
Although veteran Jacoby Brissett is expected to begin the season as the starting quarterback, there’s always a chance we see third-overall pick Drake Maye take the field at some point. Neither option is convincing enough that the Van Pelt’s offense in New England will shy away from the run.
Rhamondre Stevenson is just one season removed from 210 rush attempts, 1,040 rushing yards, and a 5.0 yards per carry average. That’s while sharing the field with Damien Harris for a good chunk of the 2022 season. His competition for carries in 2024 is Antonio Gibson, Kevin Harris, and JaMychal Hasty. While Gibson does warrant some interest, handing out a four-year, $36 million extension to Rhamondre Stevenson in late June is far more encouraging that he will assume lead-back duties.
Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers
I wanted to include at least one quarterback in the post-hype sleeper discussion. It’s not an accident that I’m burying Justin Herbert at the backend of this piece. The vibes around Herbert for the 2024 season are just…awful. Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are no longer on the roster, head coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman have a history of run-heavy offenses, and Herbert is already dealing with a foot injury.
The silver lining to all of this is that Justin Herbert is extremely cheap in just about every 2024 fantasy football draft format. Until we get good news, or even just a significant update on his foot injury, I don’t expect Justin Herbert to get drafted in 1QB leagues. Imagine saying that a year ago!
Justin Herbert is still a player capable of 4,000 or more yards and close to 30 passing touchdowns. In fact, he logged no less than 4,336 yards in each of his first three seasons while pacing for over 4,000 in 13 games in 2023 before missing the remainder of the season to injury. There is, of course, the strong belief in the Chargers implementing a run-heavy offense. However, how successful can that truly be with Gus Edwards, J.K. Dobbins, and rookie Kimani Vidal?
This Chargers team is likely to play in close games and from behind quite often. Herbert may not duplicate his career average of 39 pass attempts per game, but I don’t think we see such a drastic drop in his workload that makes him completely fantasy irrelevant. I still believe in the talent of Justin Herbert and the pass catchers are just good enough that he can put together a handful of QB1 weeks as a post-hype sleeper this season.
Post-Hype Sleeper Honorable Mentions
Christian Watson enters the 2024 season after discovering muscular asymmetry in his legs. Reports state that a notable 20% difference in muscle mass between Watson’s legs is now down to 8-10%. This could be a game changer in regards to Watson’s reoccurring hamstring injuries. When healthy, Watson has the size, speed, and big play ability to start every week on your fantasy football roster. While the Packers receiver room is crowded, Watson stands out when he’s actually on the field.
Jameson Williams is another post-hype sleeper wide receiver who could be the next big “third-year breakout” at the position. Due to a torn ACL prior to his rookie season and gambling suspension last year, Williams has yet to play in an NFL game in the month of September. Williams is blazing fast and provides a downfield option, as well as speed out of the backfield, for a top-tier Detroit Lions offense.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba should benefit from an offensive coordinator change between his rookie season last year and this upcoming year. The former first-round pick got buried on the depth chart behind DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett in 2023. As a result, he wasted away on fantasy benches for most of the season. With more 3WR sets, and operating in the slot, Smith-Njigba is a major post-hype sleeper in Points Per Reception leagues.
Who are your favorite post-hype sleepers for 2024 fantasy football? Drop some names in the comments below and then make sure to check out our 2024 Fantasy Football Draft Kit for more great rankings and analysis.