Deep Dynasty Stashes: AFC South

Aside from winning a championship, there is nothing better than finding that deep stash player that only you were in on. Last year, Puka Nacua was one such player. The former BYU receiver burst onto the scene and had the greatest season ever by a rookie wide receiver. If you were lucky, you were on to him early. We here at Dynasty Nerds were quick to pick up on the smoke that came out of early OTA’s and suggested you scoop him up here.

In our Deep Stash article series, the staff here at Dynasty Nerds seek to highlight one deep sleeper from every team. Now, the odds are heavily stacked against finding the next Puka. You may find a player to give you some spot starts, or you may strike out entirely. But there is one thing for certain: you miss every pitch you don’t swing at. Without further ado, let us dive in and examine the AFC South.

Cade Stover, TE HOU

The Houston Texans are one of the most exciting offenses in the league. Rookie of the Year CJ Stroud steers the team. At his disposal is a gaggle of talented playmakers. He has a set of three wide receivers with Nico Collins, Stefon Diggs, and Tank Dell. At tight end, they are paced by Dalton Schultz, who just signed a three-year $36 million extension. Then, at running back, they now boast a talented pair of Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce.

As you can tell from the header, Stover is my choice for a deep sleeper on the Texans. The Rookie out of Ohio State was just recently made a fourth-round pick by the Texans. Houston is stacked at the skill positions, so it was hard to find an overly exciting stash on this squad. Nonetheless, Stover brings some intriguing skills to the table. NFL.com compared him to Jake Ferguson, the player who eventually took over for Dalton Schultz in Dallas. You can find his college numbers below.

When you look at Dalton Schultz’s contract numbers, you will find that only the first two years are guaranteed. Houston could move on from him and make way for some of the bigger contracts that loom on the horizon, such as Stroud and Dell. Stover will have an opportunity to grow into a starting role with one of the best young signal callers in the game.

Currently, he is basically free, so if you have room to stash him on your taxi, squads squirrel him away for later. For a player with as little fanfare and attention from the dynasty community, the Texans have shown some quiet confidence in the player they think he can be. The Texans gave up a fifth-round pick next season to move up in the fourth round to select Stover and reunite him with his former college quarterback. Perhaps they had visions of the highlights below. I recommend scoping up Mr. Stover on the cheap if you have room on your taxi squad.

Tyler Goodson, RB IND

The Colts are yet another fun and exciting offensive unit within the AFC South. The team is led by last season’s rookie darling Anthony Richardson. They bring a talented trio of Michael Pittman Jr., Adonai Mitchell, and Josh Downs at wide receiver. At tight end, Jelani Woods and Kylen Granson man the field. Then, at running back, you have the former All-Pro in Jonathan Taylor. Behind him, you will find Evan Hull and our sleeper for the Colts, Tyler Goodson.

Goodson is a former UFA of the Green Bay Packers. After a brief audition in Green Bay, Goodson made his way to the Colts early last year. Despite not having much of a role early, Goodson managed to gain the trust of the Colts coaching staff. This fact was evident in that he was on the field for the most critical play of the season. On a do-or-die fourth down with the playoffs on the line, he dropped a pass from quarterback Gardner Minshew that would have likely extended the drive.

wow awful drop by Tyler Goodson 😭 pic.twitter.com/rkaimCdv8f

— Curry Flurry 😈 (@babyfacedubs) January 7, 2024

Now, to be fair, the pass was a bit behind him. This play allowed Goodson to display the type of man he is. Given that the pass was behind him, he could have sought to put the blame on his quarterback. However, he didn’t do this and took all the blame on his shoulders. The biggest part of this play, for me, was that Goodson was on the field. Shane Steichen trusted him enough to have him in the game.

Fast forward one year, and now the Colts are one-shy on their depth chart. Last season’s reclamation project, Zack Moss, played so well that he priced himself out of town. Now, all that stands between Goodson and a spot behind starter Jonathan Taylor is fellow sophomore Evan Hull, given the success other backup running backs have had with the Colts. I have no problem stashing Goodson on the off chance that Taylor is forced to miss action.

Jha’Quan Jackson, WR TEN

Jackson is the first WR to appear on our list. The former Tulane speedster was a sixth-round pick in the recent NFL draft. The Titans have built an interesting set of skill players to support starting quarterback Will Levis. They have a dynamic duo at running back with Tyjae Spears and Tony Pollard. At tight end, they have Chig Okonkwo. Then, at wide receiver, they have one of the most established, veteran-heavy groups with Calvin Ridley, DeAndre Hopkins, and Tyler Boyd.

Jackson brings some much-needed youth to the Titans wide receiver room. The team has seemingly lost all faith in former first-round pick Treylon Burks. While the path is blocked at the moment, Ridley turns 30 in December, Hopkins is 31, and Boyd turns 30 in November. This is one of the oldest starting groups in the league.

The most worrisome part about Jackson is his lack of significant production in college. The sixth-round pick never managed to muster a 1,000-yard season at Tulane. We must hope he can be a better pro than a college player. The elements of his game are there to be mined. He ran an official 4.42 at the combine. He was a multifaceted player at Tulane, scoring as a runner, receiver, and returner. That type of versatility will earn you a job at the NFL.

Tennessee #Titans WR/Returner Jha'quan Jackson’s collegiate highlights. pic.twitter.com/WVW96NAQxH

— Jake Robertson (@GloryDaySports) April 27, 2024

Jackson is going largely undrafted in dynasty drafts. This is the very definition of a deep sleeper. He has some support among the coaching staff, as evidenced by his being drafted. Jackson brings a dynamic skill set that none of his fellow wide receivers on the team have. He will also be a young player looking up to his fellow young quarterback. There is always a chance that Jackson connects with Levis, and the two make fantasy noise on the field. He is free and, for my money, is worth a deep stash on your rosters.

Brenton Strange, TE JAX

Strange is a unique player on this list. He is the former second-round pick of the Jaguars just one year ago. He finds himself on a dynamic offense with an up-and-coming quarterback. Trevor Lawrence has quality running backs at his disposal with Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby. He also has a nice group of pass catchers, including Christian Kirk, Gabe Davis, and first-round pick Brian Thomas Jr. They also return the dynamic tight end Evan Engram.

At first glance, Evan Engram seems to kill any value Strange could have. While it is true that Engram will be the starter, he does have some warts. Engram is rapidly approaching the age of 30 season. He is also on a hefty extension that will run out after the 2025 season. The team could also choose to move on from Engram after this year. Most of his guarantees will have been paid, and the team could save money against the cap—the key to that the team will need all the money possible for a potential Trevor Lawrence extension.

Strange is a decent athlete for the position. I do not believe he could ever be what Evan Engram has been the last couple of seasons in Jacksonville. However, I think the team is potentially setting up for a different type of future. With three high-end wide receivers, the team may look to a more well-rounded starting tight end down the line. Move tight ends like Evan Engram struggle in the run game and aren’t the best pass blockers, either. Team officials could be planning for Strange to take over as soon as next season. If he continues improving and making plays like the one below, he could earn a larger role. And the best part is that he is virtually free in dynasty.

First career TD for Jags TE Brenton Strange #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/Bn02zXzqVN

— The Draft Network (@TheDraftNetwork) October 15, 2023

Final Thoughts

As we said in the opening, very little is better than a sleeper hitting on our dynasty squads. This list of deep sleepers could just be helpful to your dynasty squads. The best part about the players in this series is that they are deep sleepers. Most of these players could be had for very little. Some could even be free. Every dynasty owner should dedicate some space on their bench for deep stash players. These are just a few deep sleepers I see in the AFC South. Do yourself a favor and search your waiver wire. You might just find the next big thing.

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