8 Fantasy Football Sleepers for Week 13

With Thanksgiving week now upon us, many of us are preparing for the final weeks of the fantasy football season, attempting to claw our way into the playoffs. As the season winds down, we're often forced to swing for the fences with some sleepers who may not have been on our radar earlier in the year. Fortunately, there's a fairly good selection of players available in most leagues who have a chance to cash in this week.

For the purposes of this list, we'll limit sleeper selections to any player with less than 75 percent ownership on Yahoo's fantasy football platform. Additionally, I'll select two super-sleepers, with under 10 percent ownership, to help out those of you who may be playing in deeper leagues. All references to betting totals and spreads are from the NCAAF odds.

Sam Darnold, QB, New York Jets

Yahoo Ownership: 47 percent

After a two-week stretch in which he tossed seven interceptions against the New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars, it was easy to write off Sam Darnold. Surprisingly, he's bounced back and is averaging 21.95 fantasy points per game in four outings since those struggles. In fact, excluding that disaster against the Patriots (-6.7 fantasy points), Darnold is averaging 19 points per game on the season. This week, Darnold draws the Cincinnati Bengals, who have allowed at least 16 fantasy points to every starting quarterback they've faced except Mason Rudolph. In this matchup, Darnold appears to have a safe floor and a high ceiling, making him one of the best options available.

Bo Scarbrough, RB, Detroit Lions

Yahoo Ownership: 44 percent

Since earning his first start two weeks ago, Bo Scarbrough has received 77 percent of the Detroit Lions running backs carries and accounted for 53 percent of their total rush attempts. Scarbrough also benefits from his role as the goal-line back in Detroit's offense -- he's the only Lions player to take a handoff inside the opponent's 10-yard line over the past two weeks. Against a formidable Chicago Bears defense, Scarbrough won't have a high ceiling this week, but it's hard to find a feature back on the waiver wire this late in the season.

Rashaad Penny, RB, Seattle Seahawks

Yahoo Ownership: 38 percent

For unclear reasons, Rashaad Penny took over for Chris Carson in the second half of the Seattle Seahawks win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, seeing 10 second-half carries to Carson's three. Then, in the fourth quarter, Carson fumbled on consecutive plays -- the second coming on a botched handoff that was generously recorded as an "aborted snap" in the official book. Carson now officially has seven fumbles on the season and at least one in three consecutive games. Carson's fumbling issues, combined with Penny's success (he finished with 129 yards on 14 carries), creates an uncertain situation in the Seattle backfield. The Minnesota Vikings defense presents a tough challenge for either running back on Monday night, but if you're desperate for help at running back, Penny is likely in line for an increased role.

Benny Snell Jr., RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

Yahoo Ownership: 17 percent

Add the Pittsburgh Steelers to the list of confusing running back situations. In James Conner's absence, Jaylen Samuels was widely expected to take over as the lead back against the Cincinnati Bengals. Instead, it was Benny Snell Jr., who led the team with 98 yards on 21 carries. In fact, Samuels finished with fewer carries (two) than Kerrith Whyte Jr. (six). At this point, we don't know the status of Conner for Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns, so monitor his health before starting Snell. However, given his heavy usage against Cincinnati, Snell should be rostered and treated as the presumed starter if Conner can't suit up.

Nelson Agholor, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

Yahoo Ownership: 11 percent

Targeting slot receivers going up against the Miami Dolphins defense has been a profitable strategy this season -- Jarvis Landry just posted 36.8 fantasy points (PPR scoring) against them in Week 12. Nelson Agholor missed last week due to an injury, but is reportedly making progress and could suit up on Sunday. In his previous two games, Agholor saw 17 targets -- a 22 percent target share -- with 12 of those targets coming from the slot, according to Sports Info Solutions. Agholor's fantasy production has been hit-or-miss this year. He's reached double-digit fantasy points just twice, but in both of those games, he topped 20 points (versus the Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons), demonstrating a strong ceiling against poor defenses. If Agholor can't go, Greg Ward might be worth a look. Ward hauled in five receptions on six targets while lined up in the slot in Week 12.

A.J. Brown, WR, Tennessee Titans

Yahoo Ownership: 20 percent

Since Ryan Tannehill took over as the Tennessee Titans starting quarterback in Week 7, A.J. Brown leads the team with a 20 percent target share. Brown also leads all Titans pass-catchers with 59.6 fantasy points in PPR formats during that time. His 11.9 fantasy points per game during this stretch ranks 36th in the league, and that type of production is worth consideration for lineups in most weeks. The rookie is still inconsistent -- just two weeks ago he posted a disappointing 2.7 fantasy points against the Kansas City Chiefs -- so there is some risk in using him. However, there's also exciting upside, which he demonstrated in Week 12, racking up 135 receiving yards and 23.5 fantasy points against a solid Jacksonville Jaguars defense.

Gerald Everett, TE, Los Angeles Rams

Yahoo Ownership: 64 percent

At this point in the season, you're probably well aware of the Arizona Cardinals inability to defend tight ends, and this week Gerald Everett is in line to be the primary beneficiary. Arizona has allowed nine different tight ends to reach double-digit fantasy points, including some lesser-known players such as Ross Dwelley and Rhett Ellison. Everett is currently day-to-day due to a knee injury suffered on Monday night, so be sure to monitor his status before inserting him into your lineup.

Super Sleeper: J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

Yahoo Ownership: 1 percent

If you're digging deep for help at wide receiver, you might be able to turn to the Eagles depleted receiving corps. J.J. Arcega-Whiteside saw a season-high five targets in Week 11 and could be in line for another solid workload against Miami. While he hasn't reached the end zone yet, he's an elite red zone weapon who may finally get his chance to score against the Dolphins. In 2018 at Stanford, Arcega-Whiteside scored on 9 of his 18 red zone targets, according to Sports Info Solutions. Arcega-Whiteside's value is probably tied to the availability of Alshon Jeffery, so keep an eye on his status this week.