Who is the biggest fantasy football sleeper so far in 2023?
Quarterbacks are the most polarizing players on an NFL team, especially when it comes to fantasy football. If you aren't a fantasy manager with Jalen Hurts or Josh Allen on your squad, your QB options are probably considered to be more of the sleeper variety.
Enter San Francisco 49ers play-caller Brock Purdy. He is only being started in between 60-70% of fantasy football leagues and is ranked as a QB15, but he has completed 36 passes for 426 yards and two touchdowns while also contributing a rushing touchdown in a Week 2 win against the Los Angeles Rams.
Clearly, Mr. Irrelevent is exceeding expectations for a relatively green player who had to have offseason elbow surgery after playing just a handful of NFL games. Is he already the biggest sleeper of the NFL season so far?
If you were watching the 49ers beat the Rams on Sunday, you no doubt noticed Puka Nacua -- another preseason sleeper doing big things. The fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft set a league record for rookies with 15 receptions in a game on Sunday. His 25 total catches through Weeks 1 and 2 are the most by a rookie through two games in NFL history, as well as the most by any rookie in any two-game span. Nacua doesn't have an NFL touchdown yet, but it's clear his fantasy stock has already skyrocketed.
Speaking of players making a ton of receptions, Jake Ferguson has elevated his fantasy value over the first two games of the season. The Dallas Cowboys tight end is only being played in 38% of Yahoo! fantasy leagues but is showing he is worth it with five receptions for 22 yards and a touchdown in Week 2. Dallas will be going up against an Arizona Cardinals team in Week 3 that has had trouble defending against tight ends in recent years, so Ferguson could really up his sleeper potential with a strong performance in that game.
You can't talk about sleepers without talking about running backs, which is where Gus Edwards comes in. The expectations for the Baltimore Ravens' backfield lowered after J.K. Dobbins injured his Achilles and some outlets even suggested sitting Edwards in Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Rutgers product went on to rush for 62 yards on 10 carries and record a touchdown. Edwards hasn't totaled any receiving yards yet, which keeps him out of elite fantasy territory, but he and fellow Baltimore running back Justice Hill are worth keeping an eye on as they battle for RB1 honors -- and elevate their fantasy status in the process.
Of course, these are just a few players who have been impressive at their position through the first two weeks of the season. Week 3 will be an even bigger test to see who the true blue sleepers of the 2023 campaign really are.
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