Numbers Never Lie, Except For These ADPs
As we begin to gear up for our late August/early September drafts, let's show some love to players who aren't getting enough love in live drafts...
(All ADP values courtesy of ESPN)
QB Jared Goff, Detroit - Average Draft Position (ADP): 126.8
There may be some regression in the Lions' offense given the departure of OC Ben Johnson, but there's still no reason that Goff should be the 15th QB drafted given his QB6 finish last season.
Goff gives you nothing fantasy-wise with his legs, but over the past three seasons, he's thrown for an average for 4,500 yards and 32 TDs. That's exceptional production for a player currently going in the 11th round of drafts.
RB R.J. Harvey, Denver - Average Draft Position (ADP): 95.6
Don't be fooled by Harvey's listing as RB5 on the Broncos' depth chart: Sean Payton has a history of listing all rookies at the low end of the totem pole during training camp. This past weekend, we saw Harvey get a bulk of the work with the 1s, with Payton saying that's likely to continue to going forward. As of now, it seems like Harvey will be Denver's lead back with J.K. Dobbins mixed in on passing downs - if that's the case, then the former is well worth a late 8th round pick.
RB Jordan Mason, Minnesota - Average Draft Position (ADP): 143.4
Mason is the clear 1B option in a timeshare situation in Minnesota, but there's still value on scooping him up once the core of your roster is already in place. Mason was a wildly productive back in San Francisco (5.3 yards per carry) despite limited opportunities, and at the worst, he figures to get about 40 percent of the touches in the backfield for a prolific Minnesota offense. With Jones on the other side of 30, Mason could be in a prime position to assume RB1 duties for the Vikings' sooner rather than later.
WR Emeka Egbuka, Tampa Bay - Average Draft Position (ADP): 129.0
Over the past few weeks, Egbuka's ADP has slid up three rounds in CBS' drafts, and with good reason: The rookie wideout has been the star of Bucs' camp. Chris Godwin (ankle) still hasn't practiced with the team this summer, leaving the door open for Egbuka to slide in as WR2, at least in the interim. He's going in the same range as guys like Michael Pittman and Jayden Reed who don't figure to have high ceilings given their current situations. As such, we're more than willing to take a swing on the former Ohio State star on the off chance that Godwin isn't ready to go early in the 2025 campaign.
WR Jakobi Meyers, Las Vegas - Average Draft Position (ADP): 100.0
Meyers' ESPN fantasy profile begins with the phrase "perhaps the most underrated player in fantasy", and rightly so. Last year, he put up 87/1,027/4 (WR19) with a trio of underwhelming signal callers throwing him the ball. Geno Smith is a clear upgrade at the position, and Meyers is the clear WR1 for the Raiders: That combo should merit Meyers more than his current WR37 draft slot. Over the past four seasons (two in New England, two in Las Vegas), Meyers has averaged 114 targets, and he has a very good chance of breaking 1,000 yards for the second season in a row.