Everyone dreams of winning the lottery. Of having the winning ticket in their grimy little hands. Of beating the odds and hitting the jackpot. Buying a big house. A boat. Maybe a Bugatti.
It's no different in fantasy football. Hitting on a player who goes from draft-day afterthought to high-end weekly starter can make all the difference in the world. In last year's King's Classic Butkus Division draft, Los Angeles Rams edge-rusher Byron Young was the 41st edge-rusher selected. Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Devin White was drafted outside the top-60 linebackers. Tykee Smith was barely taken inside the top-40 safeties.
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Young and White were both top-five performers at the position. Smith was sixth in fantasy points per game among safeties. And all three teams who drafted those IDP sleepers made the playoffs. One played for the championship.
Grab the right player late that your league-mates are sleeping on, and you can beat your opponents worse than Ivan Drago tuned up Apollo Creed.
What, too soon?
Now, in IDP leagues, knowing which sleepers to target (and when) can be easier said than done. Average Draft Position data in IDP leagues is like good football in Cleveland—you hear it talked about from time to time, but damned if anyone has actually seen it.
But based on where they are ranked at this point and where this nincompoop has seen them drafted in the early-going in 2026, there are some IDPs who appear to have more than a little "sleeper" appeal.
Defensive Lineman Sleepers
EDGE Dallas Turner, Minnesota
Turner had something of a coming-out party in his second season in the pros—so much so, in fact, that Minnesota traded veteran Jonathan Greenard to the Philadelphia Eagles in the offseason. Now, Turner appears locked in as a full-time player opposite Andrew Van Ginkel in the Twin Cities, and Greenard said on The Green Light podcast that he expects even bigger and better things from his former teammate in 2026.
"When he's on and he's dialed in on the game plan, the kid is a bottle of explosion," Greenard said. "The guy is literally a 4.4 guy (in the 40), and he's only just breaking the surface of how he's gonna be in this league. He's gonna take this big, big step. You saw him kind of do it a little bit towards the (end of) last season. And now this point, shoot, I said, 'It's time now. This is your time, this is your team, you need to go ahead and make that happen.' So, I'll be looking real close for him, and I know it's gonna get done because that boy a dog, too."
Turner finished last season 18th in fantasy points among defensive linemen in fantasy points in The Godfather's Default IDP Scoring, logging 66 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss and eight sacks. Turner did that damage in just 702 snaps—he's going to see more this year, and if he can keep his per-snap production close to what it was, he could be one of the biggest IDP bargains up front this season.
EDGE Bradley Chubb, Buffalo
Bradley Chubb's NFL career has been something of a rollercoaster. There have been good years and bad years over eight seasons in Denver and Miami. Now, as Chubb celebrates his 30th birthday, he finds himself in Buffalo, and rookie edge-rusher T.J. Parker told reporters that he's been wildly impressed with what he has seen from Chubb so far.
"Everything from his footwork, the way he approaches it, the way he recovers his body," Parker said. "He's just so smart. Obviously he's been in the league, going on year nine. He's seen a lot. It's unbelievable. There's some things I see him do and I'm like, 'Did you practice that or just know it off being a vet?' He's just an unbelievable guy and fun to be around."
Chubb's last three seasons have been great, terrible and OK. In 2023, he recorded over 70 tackles, 11 sacks and finished inside the top-10. In 2024, he didn't play a down after tearing his ACL in camp. Last year, it was 47 stops, eight sacks and a fantasy finish just outside the top-25, although Chubb did play all 17 games.
Injuries and age have depressed Chubb's price tag. But there's DL1 upside available here well into DL3 territory—if not later.