DeVonta Smith, Sam LaPorta, and 3 More Undervalued Sleeper Fantasy Football Targets

You shouldn't just go into a fantasy football draft with just players you like and players you don't at certain draft positions.

You should also know the terrain you're traversing.

As crazed as we are about every movement, news item, or advantage we can get in fantasy football, a lot of players aren't. Human nature gravitates toward the top of the pre-draft rankings -- especially if there isn't much time to pick and evaluate who might be a looming value.

Therefore, if you enter the draft knowing which players to target on a specific platform, it gives you a leg up when building the blueprint for how to draft in your league on that site.

In a three-part series, I'm going to compare the average draft positions (ADP) of players on ESPN, Yahoo, and Sleeper. By the end of it, we'll know which sites present the best opportunity to draft certain players.

Note: ADP data is current as of August 3, 2026.

Undervalued Fantasy Football Players on Sleeper

DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

Sleeper ADP: 44.9
Average ADP at ESPN, Yahoo, and Sleeper: 37.6

After the Eagles traded away A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith became one of the hottest names in fantasy football for a potential breakout -- just like Jaxon Smith-Njigba after the loss of DK Metcalf a year ago.

That didn't exactly carry over to Sleeper, where he's a late Round 3 target instead of early in the round. This is a hotly contested tier of wideouts, but it's hard to put Smith behind the likes of Garrett Wilson, Zay Flowers, or Ladd McConkey. He is on the platform.

I'm not sure if he'll be a riser at this point, though. Smith is nursing a hamstring injury that repeatedly is classified as "not too serious". The questionable tag will undoubtedly scare away a few managers.

Sam LaPorta, TE, Detroit Lions

Yahoo ADP: 76.4
Average ADP at ESPN, Yahoo, and Sleeper: 70.2

I think Sam LaPorta is a lurking dark horse in Drew Petzing's offense. Sleeper is the place to get him.

Petzing's 10.5% usage rate of 13 personnel (or 3 tight ends) was nearly double the league average last year, and he targeted wide receivers at just a 45.0% rate last year -- also well below the league average (60.0%).

Some might say, "that's Trey McBride." But, this is also LaPorta, a former top-40 pick who posted 889 receiving yards as a rookie to finish as the TE1 in fantasy football. His 2025 was derailed by injuries as he missed 8 games.

The reason I highlighted him here is not the small difference in ADP but rather the positional slotting behind Tucker Kraft and Kyle Pitts Sr. on Sleeper. That will have a chain reaction in individual drafts.

Jadarian Price, RB, Seattle Seahawks

Yahoo ADP: 80.3
Average ADP at ESPN, Yahoo, and Sleeper: 74.0

Jadarian Price is soaring on all platforms, but Sleeper is undoubtedly the furthest behind.

I'm not sure why he's a training camp riser. We knew due to Zach Charbonnet's knee injury in January that a good chunk of his 2026 was in doubt. Early offseason activities split work with Price, George Holani, and Emmanuel Wilson, but Price seems to be separating from those low-investment members of the depth chart.

My concerns with Price have less to do with competition rather than ability to handle a gigantic workload. He topped out at 124 total touches in any given college season -- which many excuse as just not having room for more behind Jeremiyah Love. If he's able to handle 300-plus looks, he could be an RB1 sitting on the board in Round 7.

Bo Nix, QB, Denver Broncos

Yahoo ADP: 124.1
Average ADP at ESPN, Yahoo, and Sleeper: 107.1

Bo Nix is flatly a sleeper in fantasy football -- not just on Sleeper.

Nix has delivered consecutive QB7 seasons in two years as the foundational quarterback for Sean Payton in Denver. It appears the bias from him being "overdrafted" is still lurking to, laughably, have a QB15 ADP on this platform. Moreover, he can end up going in Round 10 or later from that. That tiering is extremely notable in superflex leagues, too.

Nix and the Broncos were seventh in pass rate over expectation (+1.7%) last year, per nfelo. J.K. Dobbins is already dealing with an injury, and they added Jaylen Waddle via trade this offseason. The offense should be on Nix's shoulders most of the time once again.

Jonathon Brooks, RB, Carolina Panthers

Yahoo ADP: 138.0
Average ADP at ESPN, Yahoo, and Sleeper: 127.5

It'll be interesting to see just how high Jonathon Brooks will end up on all platforms by Labor Day.

Brooks has become fantasy analysts' presumptive choice to unseat Chuba Hubbard (74.9 ADP on Sleeper) for the dominant role in the Panthers' backfield. I will say that it's great news that the second-round pick looks healthy at camp, and that should allow him to compete for touches.

Sleeper is probably the most "diehard" platform where many dynasty leagues are held. As a result, drafts have been earlier in some crazed leagues when Hubbard was the clear candidate for RB1. As we've gotten more positive news about Price and Brooks, its ADP and pre-draft rankings can be slower to react.

At identical ADPs, I'd have a hard time deciding between Brooks and Hubbard. At this discrepancy, the choice is simple.

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