A player who can be selected late in the draft or picked up as a free agent who has the potential to have a "break out" season.
a bingo player who realizes that an earlier called number made him a winner.
a guy who fell asleep in high school and suddenly wakes up in college
a player that has not received notoriety yet, but has the potential to breakout at any time
a player that is significantly undervalued
a player that not many people are aware of
a player that you feel will exceed the expectations of most people
a player who exceeds expectations
a player who is unpromising or unnoticed that suddenly attains prominence or value
a player who may not be on many owners' radar--or may just be too low on it--but due to circumstances specific to his team, could have substantial upside
a player who you may think will do good and no one knows anything about him
a player with no or little past history of proven performance
a relatively unknown player (although with the amount of coverage Fantasy football gets, there are relatively few unknowns) who out performs players at his position based on where he was taken in the draft
Player expected to perform much better than his average draft position dictates.
A draft term for a NFL player that an owner believes is going to have a breakout season. These are usually players who are not rookies, but they can be. For the most part they are not well known NFL players. For example, Edgerrin James would not have been a sleeper for the 1999 season, because many people knew he was going to have a good to very good season. However, Kurt Warner would have been because very few people expected much performance from him, yet he was the leading player in most leagues in 1999. Usually sleepers are drafted in the middle to late rounds of a draft.
an attacking player who slips into the center or neutral zone behind the attacking defensemen; same as a floater or a hanger.
A player who is projected to exceed previous year's performances, making him a good value if he is drafted based on those prior performances.
Player is likely to exceed expectations and therefore their draft value is undervalued. Usually this player is younger or is on a new team and has not yet put up big numbers. They could also have had steady seasons and are on the verge of taking it to the next level or two and breaking out. Owners who target them will likely not have to reach to grab them and should get a highly productive player in return.
Player is ranked within the top 10 at their position, but has a strong chance to exceed even those expectations to finish within the top 3-5. Usually this player has been productive in the past as a #1-2 player, but has yet to crack the elite group of players at their position. Owners who target them at the top of their draft board will likely receive one of the best values at the position with a strong #1 player that has the potential for a career year.
Player has had little or no production in the past, but is in a situation that could enable them to gain significant fantasy value. Usually this player is younger and has either been a backup or is coming off an injury. Owners who target them as late-round fliers are not taking any risk, but could receive a sizeable reward if the player produces enough to warrant a roster spot for the entire season as a #2-4 player.
"Sleeper" is the eighth episode of the seventh and final season of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.