All fantasy footballers (should) know that draft day is the most important day in shaping the eventual outcomes of their respective leagues. But what seasoned heads know is that, for the most part, fantasy championships not captured based on drafting prowess in the first three or four rounds.
Yes, surefire first- and second-round picks, particularly running backs, can go bust, whether it be due to injury, accelerated aging processes, awful offensive surroundings, or other football variables. And, yes, there is something to be said for having the foresight to know a bad situation when you see one.
But who you draft in the first four rounds often has much more to do with the position you are actually drafting in because early round picks forge a lot more consensus in fantasy circles. Unless you’re in a league with a bunch of fantasy luddites, you’re not getting Jamaal Charles if you pick last in a 10- or 12-person league. It just ain’t happening, and it ain’t your fault.
What really wins fantasy drafts, and as a result, puts you in a more likely position to win your season, is finding value where it isn’t readily apparent, and being able to find suitable replacements, or diamonds in the rough to replace early round picks that don’t work out as you anticipated. Fortunately, numberFire’s newly released projections is a good place to start when mining for value. The draft kit itself includes fantasy point projections for the entire season and ranks players by position.
By comparing a player’s in-position rank based on numberFire’s projections to their Average Draft Position (ADP), we can find players being drafted in rounds way lower than their actual worth.
So who among this upcoming season’s wide receiver class is undervalued? Let’s have a look at five receivers you can get for a crazy bargain (as of now).