With the 2022 NFL season kicking off in two months, Fantasy Football players are scouring teams, looking for some sleepers. Sleepers are overlooked players who can provide you with decent value in your head-to-head matchups. They usually sit on your bench until one of your other players are on a bye week or get injured. Sleeper plays are just as important as your main team in Fantasy. In this article I will outline four sleeper players you should consider from the AFC North.
1. Ravens WR Rashod Bateman
The Ravens traded away their #1 WR Marquise “Hollywood” Brown to the Cardinals in the offseason. They also have their top two RBs coming off of ACL tears. The combination of both of these things will allow a skilled player like Rashod Bateman to shine. He will be their number one receiver this season, and he is more of a breakout play than a sleeper. Bateman was third on the team (behind Mark Andrews and Marquise Brown) in receptions and yards. With Brown gone, he should step into that #1 role Lamar Jacksons go to receiver.
2. Steelers WR Calvin Austin III
With the 138th overall pick in the 2022 draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted WR Calvin Austin III from Memphis. The Steelers traded away Juju Smith-Schuster in the offseason and proceeded to draft WR George Pickens as well as Austin. Austin will presumingly start the season as the fourth WR on the depth chart, but given his pure speed and explosiveness, I am sure they will work him into a lot of plays. He led the Memphis Tigers with 74 catches, 1,149 yards, and 8 TDs.
3. Browns TE David Njoku
You may not think of David Njoku as a sleeper, but with his underwhelming 2021 season, he is likely to be a steal in later rounds of the Fantasy draft. Through the past two seasons, Njoku was competing for playing time with Austin Hooper. Hooper has now been released by the team which paves a way for Njoku to shine. He was third on the team with 475 yards and that number should climb without Hooper there. No matter who is the QB for the Browns this season, Njoku looks like a great play in all leagues.
4. Bengals TE Hayden Hurst
Sticking with another TE here, the Cincinatti Bengals newly acquired, Hayden Hurst, makes for a great sleeper pick in Fantasy Football. With the free agency loss of C.J. Uzomah to the NY Jets, Hurst is now #1 on the depth chart for TEs. Formerly with the Falcons, Hurst will now have a young, Elite QB to throw to him. The Bengals are one of the most explosive teams on offense which should propel guy like Hurst. He makes for a great sleeper TE in all leagues.
