Gus Edwards, Donovan Peoples-Jones and Irv Smith Jr. lead the list of unheralded options

Although we rely on famous players to guide us fantasy football teams to victory, knowing how to locate sleepers during a given week can be what pushes your team over the edge. With Week 8 of the NFL and the fantasy football season upon us, here are some sleeping points to keep in mind when setting your lineups.

Davis Mills, QB, Houston Texans

Well, I think the NFL and fantasy managers are still trying to decide if Davis Mills is any good. Still, in a pinch, he could be a viable fantasy option. On Sunday against the Raiders, Mills had his first 300-yard game of the year, completing 28 of 41 passes for 302 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

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Ideally, we’d like to see the strong-armed quarterback we saw at the end of last year right now, but that’s not the case as Lovie Smith uses Mills as a game manager. Still, I like Mills this week against a weak Tennessee Titans secondary that ranks 26th in points allowed to QBs and 17th in passing DVOA. If you need a quarterback, keep Mills on the Week 8 sleeper shortlist at QB.

Taylor Heinicke, QB, Washington Commanders

You have to give the guy credit, he’s got moxie. Taylor Heinicke not only replaced Carson Wentz, but also led the Commanders to a victory over Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. Heinicke completed 20 of 33 passing attempts for 200 yards and two touchdowns and one pick, making the most of his opportunity.

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We have seen Heinicke’s performances in the past. Last season, he was 20th in points per game and even managed to finish in the top 12 six times. Z Colts trade for Sam Ehlinger, look for the Commanders to have another good game this week. Indy hasn’t had it easy against quarterbacks this year, but the trends favor Heinicke as a Week 8 fantasy sleeper.

Gus Edwards, RB, Baltimore Ravens

Gus’s bus is back. My general rule of thumb is not to start players coming back from season-ending injuries. It hit me last week when Gus Edwards took complete control of the Ravens backfield, and I don’t think it’s going away anytime soon.

Edwards carried the ball 16 times for 66 yards with two touchdowns against a very soft Cleveland defense. This is a guy that Baltimore really likes. Edwards had three straight seasons last year 130+ carries and 700 yards or more. With JK Dobbins on IR and Kenyan Drake ineffective, Edwards is quickly moving from fantasy sleeper status to low-budget RB2/Flex territory.

D’Onta Foreman, RB, Carolina Panthers

I wish we could see what this backfield would look like if both players were healthy. I say that because Chuba Hubbard looked good early and had the team’s only rushing touchdown. That being said, D’Onta Foreman remains the likely higher upside player.

Foreman leads the team with 15 carries for 118 yards and added two catches for 27 yards against a shaky Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense. While we don’t know the extent of Hubbard’s ankle injury, Foreman has momentum and we saw him play well last year filling in for Derrick Henry.

While none of these quarterbacks have the same stratosphere as Christian McCaffrey, Foreman is a Week 8 sleeper worth grabbing if you didn’t last week when you gave up fantasy football.

Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, New York Giants

If there was one player I was all over the place to pick him up before everyone caught on, it was Van’Dale Robinson. Nothing has changed except that we have more data to show that it is legit.

Robinson built on his momentum and played more than 90% of the snaps in Week 7, posting a team-high 27.5% target share and nearly 97% route participation. The rookie caught six of his eight targets for 50 yards, and while he didn’t find the end zone, there were plenty of positives to take away.

His near term schedule is fantastic and I expect Robinson to move from the sleeper category to the weekly fantasy WR3 range.

Paris Campbell, WR, Indianapolis Colts

I don’t know about you, but I’m just glad to see Paris Campbell healthy. ​​​​​​​Even though I sided with Alec Pierce as the Colts’ No. 2, Campbell has put together one play after another that is impossible to ignore.

Campbell’s 12 targets in Week 7 give him back-to-back double-digit target numbers, and he now has 17 receptions, 127 yards and two touchdowns over the past two weeks.

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But now we have a tough situation in Indianapolis with Ehlinger taking over for Matt Ryan not only this week, but going forward. It’s hard to say with certainty what that will look like since we don’t have any information on Ehlinger.

But of the Colts’ receivers, Campbell will likely be the easiest target as he works on short and intermediate routes. I can see the logic in following the hot hand and broadcasting Campbell in Week 8 despite the change at center.

Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR, Cleveland Browns

Outside of Amari Cooper and David Njoku, nobody else has come close to the Cleveland Browns in terms of passing offense. That should change after Njoku suffered an ankle injury that sidelined him last week. That’s why I like Donovan Peoples-Jones as a Week 8 fantasy sleeper.

Peeples-Jones, a WR3, caught all six of his targets for 71 yards against the Baltimore Ravens this week and has 70+ yards in three of his last four games. ​Although he’s still searching for his first touchdown of the year, Peeples-Jones could be a Flex option against the Bengals in Week 8.

Greg Dulcich, TE, Denver Broncos

Did the Broncos lose? yes. Have a ton of questions in Denver? Also, yes. But did Greg Dulcic look like one of the best players on the field for the Broncos? Undoubtedly.

Playing on 71% of the snaps with nearly 80% route completion and 12% of the targets, Dulcic had another big game, catching six of his nine targets for 51 yards.

Whether it was Russell Wilson or Brett Rypien, Dulcic will be one of the top targets on this team, and that’s all we were hoping for from Albert Okwuegbunam. Dulcich is a high-end TE2 in Week 8 against the Jaguars.

Irv Smith Jr., TE, Minnesota Vikings

Don’t mind me, I’m just sitting here patiently waiting for Irv Smith Jr. to have a breakout game. A favorite breakout target among many, Smith is the TE20 on the season and ranks 22nd per game in scoring 7.3 PPR.

He has yet to record more than five receptions or 45 yards per game, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel that I really hope doesn’t turn out to be a freight train.

After a bye week with the Vikings, I’m rooting for Smith in Week 8 against the Cardinals. Death, taxes and hard ends against the Cardinals. Cut out what’s in the stone. Arizona was destroyed by a position that gives up the most fantasy points per game and a league-worst nine touchdowns. It’s time for Big Irv to veer into the end zone and enter your lineups as a Week 8 fantasy sleeper.