It is only mid-June, but NFL Best Ball season is already in full swing. Underdog Fantasy football recently filled their $5 Puppy tournament with over 111K entries. More will Puppy contests will follow, likely including Superflex.
Their $25 Best Ball Mania III contest, which will crown an industry record, 3 millionaires is currently drafting. Last week I began by highlighting my favorite pick of each of the first 9 rounds of an Underdog draft. Today we are going to do the same for the back half of the draft. These are some of the best later round values, players that can help propel your team into the money if they hit.
Jan 16, 2022; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) celebrates as he scores a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second half in a NFC Wild Card playoff football game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
10- Rob Gronkowski
Gronk returned from a temporary retirement last season to join old buddy Brady in Tampa. He posted a respectable 802 yards with 6 TDs. Gronk’s ADP of 115.3 is suppressed by the fact that he hasn’t officially resigned with the Bucs yet. Everyone seems to fully expect that he will. Tampa is even keeping a salary slot in the cap open for the veteran TE.
Gronk doesn’t want to deal with OTAs and Mini-Camps. He will not leave Brady hanging in what will likely be his final season before cashing a massive broadcasting check from Fox. As soon it is announced that Gronk has resigned, I’d expect his ADP to jump somewhere in the range of Dalton Schultz (71.7) to TJ Hockenson (84.4). By drafting Gronk now you are probably getting about 30-45 spots of perceived ADP value.
11- Jameson Williams
Williams has an ADP of 119.5 at the very end of the 10th round, but I have been getting plenty of shares of him in the 11th. He is even cheaper on DraftKings, with a best ball ADP of 135.3 (12th round). We all know why Jameson is so cheap. He tore his ACL in the Alabama’s National Championship game loss. Everyone assumes he is going to miss the first 4-6 weeks of the season. This expected time off is baked into the price.
Williams will be 8 months removed from his injury when the fantasy football regular season starts. In his first year at Alabama, after transferring from Ohio State, Jameson was the best WR in the nation, scoring 15 touchdowns while racking up 1572 receiving yards. He is an explosive, down the field big play threat, exactly the type of receiver we like to target in best ball.
The Lions traded up to 12th overall pick to draft Williams. The won’t rush him back, but they will feature him once he’s 100 percent. His teammate Amon-Ra St. Brown showed just last year, the value a hot rookie WR can provide late in a fantasy season. Where he is being drafted, Williams is likely 5th or 6th receiver on your best ball squad. I am willing to eat the first few weeks in exchange for potential late season fireworks.
12- Robert Tonyan
Big Bob Tonyan emerged from obscurity in 2020 to catch a ridiculous 11 touchdown. That was in a Green Bay offense that had Davonte Adams soaking up the lions share of the targets. Tonyan tore his ACL in week 8 of last season. That timeframe should easily have him on the field for week one of fantasy football, barring any unforeseen setbacks.
Adams is in Vegas. Alan Lazard is more of possession receiver and it will take time from Christian Watson to earn Rodgers trust. I would expect a fully rehabbed Tonyan to be one of Rodgers’ first looks in the red zone.
13- Tyrion Davis-Price
The man share a first name with the best character on Game of Thrones and he is a running back in a Shanahan offense. Those alone are reasons enough to draft him. Kyle Shanahan has never been able to stick to one running back, yet nearly every one (apologies to 2021 Trey Sermon drafters) produces when they get the chance. With 3rd round draft capital, odds are Davis-Price will eventually get his chance.
The LSU product ran a sold 4.48 40-yard-dash for a back of his size (6’0″ and 211 lbs). If Eli Mitchell struggles or gets injured at point in his second season, Tyrion could certainly provide some spiked weeks.
14- Daniel Jones
Jones has pretty much been a bust relative to his fantasy football draft position (6th overall). The market reflects the common perception that he stinks. For many of the same reasons I stated in my write up on Saquon Barkley, I am willing to buy low on the Giant QB. The offensive line should be much improved. He has decent weapons to throw to in Kadarius Toney, Kenny Golladay, Wan’Dale Robinson, Sterling Shepard, and Barkley.
Brian Daboll developed Josh Allen into the number one quarterback in fantasy. Jones in not Allen, but he is sneaky good running the ball. I’m not saying Daboll will turn Danny Dimes into Josh Allen. I am saying that he will make him a high end QB2, which is a value at this ADP.
15- Zach Wilson
When only need to go across the hallway in Met Life Stadium to find my next pick, and this week’s member the “best shape of his life club.” Wilson has reported bulked up a bit over the offseason. The seems like good thing for the 22-year-old who looked like he was posing for his high school junior prom pictures when he was drafted.
The Chicago Bear could take notes on how the Jets supported their young QB. They’ve given him every potential weapon he could need to succeed. Eli Moore and Garrett Wilson could be the most exciting young receiving duo in the league. The have a veteran field stretcher in Corey Davis, a reliable slot WR in Braxton Berrios, and dynamic pass catching backs in Breece Hall and Michael Carter. They’re even deep at TE with CJ Uzomah, Tyler Conklin, rookie Jeremy Ruckert.
Wilson looked lost early in his rookie season, but improved significantly after returning from a 4 week injury absence. Over a five week street from weeks 13-17 in 2021 Wilson averaged a respectable 16.4 fantasy points.
I listen to a ton of fantasy football podcast and I haven’t really heard anyone speak about how soft the Jets playoff schedule looks. In weeks 15-17, when all the money is decided, the Jet host Detroit and Jacksonville before finishing in Seattle. I expect this young team to hit its stride late in the season and impact best ball payouts.
16- Jared Goff
D’Andre Swift is going in the 2nd round. Amon-Ra St. Brown is going in the 6th. TJ Hockenson is going in the early 8th and Jameson Williams in going in the 10th. So why is the dude throwing all of them the ball going in the 16th round as QB26. I think Goff’s ADP is held down a bit because it started quite low due to where in went in the pre-draft contests. A lot of people who read the mocks (myself included), assumed that Detroit would draft someone like Desmond Ridder or Malik Willis to be Goff eventual replacement. No one wanted to draft a QB that had a good chance of being benched mid season.
Goff survived the NFL Draft with his grip on the starting job firmly in place for at least one more season. I love Goff as a dirt cheap QB 2 or 3 with upside on best ball teams where you’ve drafted one of his receiving weapons.
17- Nico Collins
After being drafted in the 3rd round, the 6’4″ receiver flashed some potential as a rookie. He started 8 games and finished with 33 receptions for 446 yards. He is the leading candidate early in the season to play alongside Brandon Cooks for the Texans in two WR sets. Given Collins’ size (relative to Cooks and John Metchie), he should be a major fantasy football red zone target for Davis Mills.
When looking for a player to break out in the last couple rounds I target youth, talent, and a clear path to playing time. Nico Collins has all three.
18- Sony Michael
There nothing sexy about drafting Sony Michael. He’s not going to light the world on fire, be we’ve also seen enough of him to know he doesn’t suck. In 3 of his 4 NFL seasons he’s tallied at least 900 total yards and posted at least 5 touchdowns.
Chase Edmonds is not going to be a bell cow and I don’t trust Raheem Mostert to be healthy. Mike McDaniel will run a Shanahan style zone running scheme. I expect Sony to productive enough with his carries to help get you through bye weeks and injuries. In the last round there in value in that.
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