Welcome to Best Values by Round. Here we sift through the Fantasy Pros ADP to determine which player is the best value in each round. To compare the ADP with The Fantasy Football Universe Consensus Rankings, check out our Rankings Page. Below we have taken the Fantasy Pros ADP and programmed it into a Sleeper Mock Draft for easier visibility.
Round 1- Jonathan Taylor, RB (Colts)
Jonathan Taylor is part of the top tier of running backs that includes the likes of Christian McCaffrey, Bijan Robinson, Breece Hall, and Jahmyr Gibbs, but up until the recent Gibbs injury he was the only one available at the end of the first round. Once viewed as the consensus 1.01 only a few years ago after finishing as the RB1, Taylor seems to be the forgotten man among the elite running backs.
Perhaps the beneficiary of large runs at the wide receiver position, Taylor is now a sneaky value as he is acting as the bridge between the elites and the second-tier running backs and receivers. He is a great value at this spot in the draft and is far safer than AJ Brown, Garrett Wilson, and Saquon Barkley.
Round 2- Derrick Henry (Ravens)
It was no surprise that early in the offseason, Derrick Henry’s ADP was significantly lower than it’s been in years. This is largely due to the Dynasty League drafters overvaluing youth early in the offseason. What is surprising is that while it has risen slightly with the casual redraft players returning, we are past the midway point of August and Henry can still be had at the back-end of the second round and sometimes even the third round. A new team and the ever-present shadow of Father Time lurking have undoubtedly scared off some fantasy managers.
Henry has been the best pure rusher in the NFL for as long as I can remember and when you put him behind Raven’s offensive line that allows even mediocre Ravens running backs to rush for 6.5 yards per carry, the sky is the limit in what could prove to be the veteran superstar’s Swan Song. Henry will soon find a bronze bust of himself in Canton, but in 2024 he is going to find himself at the top of the running back rankings. Much like Taylor, this is yet another prime example of the love for young receivers going too far and creating sudden value at the running back position. Chris Olave, Davante Adams, and Drake London all have potential, but I’m taking Derrick Henry 10 times out of 10.
Round 3- Isiah Pacheco, RC (Chiefs)
Embed from Getty ImagesA third round, and a third value at the running back position. This will only further the argument of zigging when everyone else zags. For years, the value was to load up on receivers in the third to fifth round, but suddenly those upside receivers have been pushed up by a round or two, leading to a handful of solid running backs falling further than they used to. In this case, the running back is Kansas City star Isiah Pacheco.
Pacheco finished last season as RB15, but with little-to-no competition in this backfield and uncertainty surrounding the receiving corps, it would appear that Travis Kelce and Pacheco are the best offensive weapons at the disposal of Patrick Mahomes. Pacheco goes in a range where the options start to muddy and many managers choose to pivot to quarterback or the next tier of wide receivers. This depends on roster construction, but if I need a running back, Pacheco is easily the best left on the board at this point.
Round 4- Michael Pittman, WR (Colts)
The fourth round has typically been a haven for fantasy managers to draft proven and high-upside receivers, but with the recent change in draft strategy by the general public, the options begin to dry up earlier. Michael Pittman provides managers with a safe and productive WR1 at a fourth-round discount. The competition for targets simply isn’t there for Pittman.
When you look even further at the receivers selected in this round, you will see they have significant target competition. DK Metcalf, Jaylen Waddles, Cooper Kupp, Devonta Smith, and Nico Collins all face an uphill battle to secure the WR1 spot on their respective teams. The lone WR1 on his team is Zay Flowers, and that comes with the asterisk that Mark Andrews is the top receiver on the Ravens. If you’re in the fourth round and need a high-end receiver, Pittman is the easy play.
Round 5- George Pickens, WR (Steelers)
The fifth round seems to be another pivot round where most managers start taking their quarterback or tight end. If you are in a spot where you need a receiver though, the options are starting to get scary. Tee Higgins has shown in the past that while he is Robin to Ja’Marr Chase‘s Batman, he is easily capable of being a WR2 receiver for fantasy football but with uncertainty with his contract situation and status with the Bengals, it’s a risky situation that could sour quickly after a brutal 2023.. This round also features the likes of the largely unproven Tank Dell and the aging Amari Cooper.
The value in this round is George Pickens who is the lone man who has the potential to be the WR1 on his team. Pickens was a stud last season during the month Diontae Johnson missed time, and with Johnson departing for Carolina, the sky is the limit for Pickens. He is admittedly a risky pick and character concerns seem to constantly surround him, but he has true Aplha WR1 potential this season. Pickens is a high-risk, high-reward home run swing.
Round 6- George Kittle, TE (49ers)
This is another spot where we zag when everyone zigs. By the sixth round, most of the elite tight ends are off the board. If I haven’t landed me by this point I am making sure to secure George Kittle, with even Engram as my backup plan. These are the last of my truly elite, difference-making tight ends and while I highlighted Kittle because he is my first choice, Engram also qualifies as the value here.
Kittle has always been a value due to the old “too many mouths to feed” argument in San Francisco. While that is typically true, Kittle always finds a way to produce. He is a solid mid-range TE1 as the roster currently sits, and in the event of a Brandon Aiyuk trade, he has TE1 overall potential in this offense. As I stated, Engram is also a value here. Calvin Ridley has moved on and with Christian Kirk and rookie Brian Thomas Jr as the main components of the receiving corps, it’s not outside the range of outcomes that Engram could be the number one or two target on the Jaguars. Both tight ends in this range are elite value and the last at the position before a massive tier drop.
Round 7- Chris Godwin, WR (Buccaneers)
It’s amazing how quickly the general public soured on Chris Godwin who was once among the most consistent fantasy producers at the position. One sub-par season was all it took to see his ADP plummet. The seventh round in ADP is populated mostly by a handful of Chief’s wide receivers, a few lower-upside rookies, and the aging Calvin Ridley.
If I get to this point in the draft and am still in need of a receiver, I’m smashing the button on Chris Godwin. The consistent availability of Godwin in the seventh, paired with my eight-round value has changed my draft strategy to the point I am loading up on running backs early and then snagging back-to-back receivers in this round. They may not be the most exciting of names, but they will be solid producers every week.
Round 8- Diontae Johnson, WR (Panthers)
As I stated above, I’ve been double-dipping on receivers in this range and Johnson is who I’ve been pairing with Godwin. The fact that these two were at one point available in the 10th to 12th round and have now moved up significantly should be a great indicator of just how undervalued they were in the fantasy community this season.
Pair this duo with a few high-end running backs and a true WR1 (Michael Pittman for example) and you still have time to nab a high-end quarterback and tight end before circling back to the receiver position with Johnson and Godwin, It’s a strategy I love and it’s so easy to execute that it’s truly scary how many of my rosters followed this exact build.
Round 9- Brock Purdy, QB (49ers)
Embed from Getty ImagesThis is another example of a pick that isn’t sexy but provides you great value. Sure, it’s satisfying to look at your roster and see Josh Allen or Jalen Hurts, but then you use early capital and are forced to draft a receiver or running back in this round who is much lower value. Instead, use that third or fourth-round pick on a high-end running back or receiver and snag Brock Purdy late.
This move will allow you an extra high-end asset at a skilled position and will only cost you a small amount at the quarterback position. Purdy was a top-10 fantasy quarterback last season, but due to his “game-manager” reputation, he can be had much later. So take the discount and enjoy the extra studs early on in the draft. Purdy is one of the reasons I never feel rushed to take a quarterback early in my drafts.
Round 10- Jerome Ford, RB (Browns)
Embed from Getty ImagesOnce we’ve gotten to this point in the draft, the opportunities to find a potential stud are few and far between. Jerome Ford proved that he can be a solid RB2 with upside every week when he gets the chance and with Nick Chubb in front of him on the depth chart, it’s entirely likely he will get that chance. Chubb will turn 29 years old this season and is rehabbing from a season-ending knee injury.
What this comes down to is the belief that an aging running back simply will not be able to rehab from this injury in time to be fantasy-relevant this season. This may be the end of the road for Chubb, but at the very least this is an injury that typically doesn’t see a player return to full speed until year two post-injury. I expect Chubb to struggle to stay healthy and productive, leaving the Browns to trust in Jerome Ford who will provide a significant return on this investment.
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