10 Draft Day Values in Fantasy Football
With less than 10 days separating us from Week 1 of the NFL season, we're in the heart of the Fantasy Football draft season.
There's a lot of preparation that goes into drafting a season-long Fantasy Football team. Whether you're taking a look at numberFire's Player Projections, sifting through FanDuel Research's Mock Draft, or figuring out the best draft strategy for your draft slot, there's a lot to unpack.
Even once you have a good idea of who you want to target, you need to figure out when you want to pull the trigger -- a lot of which depends on where you're playing season-long fantasy.
Thankfully, I have you covered here, running through 10 of the best values across the most popular platforms in season-long fantasy.
Consensus ADP is per FantasyPros for half-PPR scoring formats.
Quarterbacks
Daniel Jones, New York Giants
nF Projection: QB11
Consensus ADP: 110.0 (QB13)
Despite finishing as the ninth-highest-scoring quarterback in fantasy last season, Daniel Jones is going outside the top 12 in the consensus ADP. With the New York Giants adding a handful of new receiving options, numberFire's model has Jones at QB11, making the dual-threat Jones a capable late-round quarterback to target. That's especially true on Sleeper where he's currently being drafted as the QB16 -- all the way down at 141.2 overall.
Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts
nF Projection: QB14
Consensus ADP: 113.3 (QB14)
Indianapolis Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson is another intriguing late-round quarterback option thanks to his potential rushing upside. Richardson has soared up fantasy draft boards since being named the starting quarterback, but he is still going outside the top 12. That's right in line with numberFire's projection -- though, you can certainly find him at a discount depending on your platform. The best value for Richardson is on ESPN where he's going as the QB16 at 131.3 overall -- nearly 20 spots lower than consensus.
Running Backs
Tony Pollard, Dallas Cowboys
nF Projection: RB3
Consensus ADP: 15.7 (RB7)
After overtaking Ezekiel Elliott as the Dallas Cowboys' lead back, Tony Pollard finished as the RB7 in fantasy last season. With Elliott out of town and no apparent threat to touches in the Dallas offense, Pollard is primed for fantasy stardom and carries a monstrous RB3 projection via numberFire's model. Consensus ADP isn't that high on Pollard, but he's still going in the middle of the second round as the RB7 overall. If you're looking for even more value for Pollard, he's going as low as No. 23 overall as the RB9 on Sleeper.
Breece Hall, New York Jets
nF Projection: RB20
Consensus ADP: 43.3 (RB18)
Breece Hall was in the midst of a breakout rookie year for the New York Jets before a torn ACL ended his season after just seven games. Still, he was the RB6 in fantasy during that span, and his massive upside with Aaron Rodgers makes him worth the risk in fantasy. Although he's since returned to practice and looks ready to start the season, the addition of Dalvin Cook has dropped his consensus ADP to 43.4 overall and the RB18. You can get him at an even bigger discount on CBS where he's being drafted as the RB20 at 54.5 overall.
J.K. Dobbins, Baltimore Ravens
nF Projection: RB24
Consensus ADP: 50.0 (RB20)
Baltimore Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins may be the ultimate post-hype sleeper entering the 2023 season, and his draft position fluctuates dramatically depending on what platform you're drafting from. With a new offensive coordinator in Baltimore, it remains to be seen how big of a role Dobbins will play but the talent has always been there. Dobbins is a particular value in ESPN drafts where he's going as the RB30 with an ADP of 87.9 -- a stark contrast to his consensus ADP of 50.0 overall (RB20).
Wide Receivers
Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers
nF Projection: WR18
Consensus ADP: 64.7 (WR24)
After a blazing finish to 2022 that saw him finish as the WR7 from Week 10 onward, Christian Watson enters 2023 as the Green Bay Packers clear No. 1 wide receiver. Despite being a popular breakout candidate and carrying a hefty projection from numberFire's model, Watson's draft value has fluctuated thanks to the uncertainty surrounding Jordan Love. His biggest value comes on Yahoo where he's currently being drafted as the WR 28 at 78.7 overall compared to WR24 and 64.7 overall in consensus ADP.
Mike Williams, Los Angeles Chargers
nF Projection: WR21
Consensus ADP: 69.3 (WR29)
Mike Williams is another receiver going much later at 80.9 overall on Yahoo's season-long platform compared to a consensus ADP of 69.3. Williams dealt with inconsistencies throughout last season but still finished as the WR32 overall despite missing four full games. His workload is a newfound concern after the Los Angeles Chargers drafted Quentin Johnston in the first round, but with a new offensive system in place, he still has tons of upside catching passes from Justin Herbert and is a wide receiver to target in drafts.
Marquise Brown, Arizona Cardinals
nF Projection: WR27
Consensus ADP: 88.0 (WR35)
After a hot start to the season, Marquise Brown missed five weeks due to injury and was never able to regain his footing after Kyler Murray went down for the season. Still, he was the WR6 from Weeks 1-6 so the upside is there. An uncertain quarterback situation and rough season outlook for the Arizona Cardinals has sent his ADP plummeting down to WR35 and 88.0 overall. He's an even greater value using the NFL's season-long fantasy platform where he's currently going 109.3 overall as the WR39.
Tight Ends
Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens
nF Projection: TE2
Consensus ADP: 29.0 (TE2)
You won't find much of an argument against Mark Andrews being drafted as the second tight end off the board, but just two years removed from a TE1 finish, there is certainly some value in taking a swing on Baltimore's top target. With a new offensive system in place, Andrews can challenge for TE1 status yet again in 2023, and you can get him as low as 35.5 overall on CBS.
Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills
nF Projection: TE14
Consensus ADP: 130.7 (TE11)
Closing things out with Buffalo Bills rookie Dalton Kincaid, he may currently be going earlier than consensus overall on Yahoo, but his value lies in his positional ranking. Consensus ADP has Kincaid as the 11th tight end drafted compared to the 18th tight end drafted on the Yahoo platform. There's real value to be had with Buffalo's first-round pick, who lined up across the formation and ran a route on 13 of Josh Allen's 16 dropbacks in their final preseason game.
While you wait for Week 1's daily fantasy football slates to lock, you can get in on some best-ball fantasy football drafts on FanDuel, as well. Just draft your team and watch the points pile up throughout the season.
The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.