Malachi Fields and 3 Other Super Deep-Sleepers in Week 1 Fantasy Football
Your fantasy football team is on the ropes. Injuries have hit, depth charts have shifted, and we must operate in a riskier mindset. Sleepers can be found who have the upside of victory. The hope is that they gain one big play, a larger-than-expected workload, or an end zone. All 3 opportunities are found with optimism among my 4 deep-sleepers listed below.
RB, Najee Harris (NYG)
The Giants signed Harris mere weeks ago to John Harbaugh's liking. He wanted a pass-protector that Cam Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy Jr. were both quite bad at doing. Harbaugh gets it and will insert Harris right away. Though listed as the co-RB2 with Tracy Jr. and Devin Singletary, I am fully confident that Harris will have the biggest chunk of work among that trio.
Harris is projected as my RB51 in Week 1. He is listed for 4.8 rushing attempts, 20.6 rushing yards, and 0.2 touchdowns. The biggest value opportunity here is that of a touchdown. Harris is a big body. While I cannot confirm red zone usage, it is likely Harris, especially as a blocker, will be in red zone situations at least a few times in this game.
My favorite statistic? From 2021-24, Harris had a touchdown conversion rate of 42.4% from within 5 yards. Give us 2 carries in that range, and the scoring chances are optimistic.
WR, Ryan Flournoy (DAL)
The Dallas Cowboys signed Flournoy to a contract extension this past week. The worth is $6 million for 1 year. The team views Flournoy as a part of their future. The way it sounds, if Flournoy has a good year, it will be out with George Pickens and in with a bigger deal for Flournoy as the WR2.
The Cowboys had cut Flournoy before the 2025 season. However, he made his way back to the active roster. That season went down with tremendous returns, with Flournoy finishing as the 15th-ranked wide receiver in the NFL, according to PFF.
The Giants are going to rely on their pass rush in this game. As for their coverage, I rate the Cowboys' pass game as the 4th-best pass-game matchup of the week. Dak Prescott has the 3rd-most projected passing yards among quarterbacks as well (253.5).
WR, Malachi Fields (NYG)
The Giants have a pecking order in their pass-catching room: Malik Nabers, Isaiah Likely, and then the rookie, Malachi Fields. The opportunity arises at the top of that list. Nabers is a game-time decision for Sunday Night Football against the Cowboys.
Malik Nabers #Giants
— Tom Christ, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT (@FantasyInjuryT) September 12, 2026
Injury: Right ACL+meniscus reconstruction
Status: Questionable
Fantasy impact: Comments suggest he is not mentally confident in his knee yet, a common and often overlooked barrier to return to sport. You invested a lot, so start Nabers if active, but WRs…
I truly believe that Nabers is not very confident in his knee. That is a common mental hurdle that players must overcome, especially in their first major injury. Even if Nabers does play, I can imagine his 28.5% season-long yard-share is going to be much lower in the first game. In which, Fields' 15.5% projected yard-share can rise much closer to 20% in the game.
TE, Greg Dulcich (MIA)
The Dolphins will find a great matchup with Dulcich, despite his projection of being TE23 for the week. The primary defenders who will aim to contain Dulcich's features are Dulcich's linebackers, Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean, and slot corner linebacker Taron Johnson.
When evaluating pure coverage grades, PFF lists Walker at 40.9, Dean at 62.6, and Johnson at 63.7 in 2025.
The Dolphins do have a depth chart with varying projected yardage shares. Nonetheless, Dulcich is the most senior player, and he does have a slim but top yard-share projection of 17.5%. Dulcich will be heavily involved in a game that confidently expects the Dolphins to be in passing scenarios, either in a close game or one they are trailing.
One more statistic for fun: Malik Willis had an 85.7% completion percentage in 2025 and 74.1% in 2024.
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Thomas Carelli is a sportswriter based on Northern New Jersey. He is a massive New York Jets and Mets fan, but that is not where is sports fandom stops. He loves to watch and play golf, all things football, baseball, and much more. If he can watch it, he will. Thomas graduated from William Paterson University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. He spent 4 years working at a local golf course, volunteered past PGA events, and spent some part-time experience with the New York Jets events team. His passions for sport runs deep and his articles show for it.