7 Training Camp Sleepers You Need to Roster Before August Ends

Every August, the fantasy community chases the same tired names in the same tired order — and every August, the managers who win championships are the ones quietly rostering the players nobody is talking about yet. We're deep in training camp right now, preseason games are starting to matter, and a handful of names are screaming for attention before draft rooms catch up. Here are the seven players we think you absolutely need to have on your radar before your draft locks.

1. Barion Brown, WR, New Orleans Saints

This is the one that keeps us up at night. Brown has lit up training camp reports out of New Orleans, and nearly 99,000 Sleeper users added him in the last 48 hours alone — that's not noise, that's signal. New Orleans overhauled their receiving corps this offseason and Brown's elite speed profile fits exactly what their offensive coordinator wants to build. He's the kind of after-the-catch weapon who can go from nobody to WR2 in a single breakout game. Roster him now while he still costs nothing.

2. Seth McGowan, RB, Indianapolis Colts

Hot take: McGowan could be the Colts' lead back by Week 4, and the fantasy community is barely paying attention. Indianapolis has never been shy about feeding a hot hand in the backfield, and McGowan's camp workload suggests the coaching staff sees something in him that the box score hasn't captured yet. He's drawn over 44,000 adds in 48 hours — which tells you the sharper managers are already moving. If he's still available in the late rounds of your draft, you're getting a potential RB2 at a handcuff price.

3. Zavion Thomas, WR, Chicago Bears

Chicago's receiving depth chart is a genuine mess, and that chaos is exactly where fantasy value hides. Thomas has nearly 25,000 adds on Sleeper and is currently unranked by most platforms — meaning you're getting him for free in most drafts. The Bears' offense under their current scheme runs a ton of three-wide sets, and a young slot receiver with Thomas's release quickness could carve out 70-plus targets almost by accident. We're not saying he's a WR1; we're saying he's a WR3 who costs a WR5.

4. Jalen Nailor, WR, Las Vegas Raiders

Here's your contrarian take of the week: Nailor is being slept on specifically because Malik Benson is getting buzz in the same Las Vegas camp. Both can't win — and our read is that Nailor's route-running polish and experience in a pro system gives him the edge for real-game snaps when the preseason pageantry fades. He's currently ranked 167th in Sleeper, which we think dramatically undersells his floor. In a Raiders offense that needs someone to step into a legitimate WR2 role, Nailor's comfort running the intermediate route tree makes him a near-lock for targets.

5. Khalil Herbert, RB, San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco has one of the most system-dependent backfields in football, and Khalil Herbert is a perfect fit for Kyle Shanahan's outside-zone scheme — full stop. Herbert spent years in Chicago and then with the Los Angeles Chargers proving he can produce when given a workload, rushing for over 100 yards in multiple games during the 2022 season with the Bears and continuing to flash that capability with the Chargers in 2023. Now he lands in arguably the best offensive system an RB can walk into, and he's drawing nearly 20,000 adds. The real question isn't whether Herbert can produce in San Francisco — it's whether you'll be able to afford him by Week 2 of your waiver season.