For some people, you may just want to find your favorite team and see who you might be able to get there. I mean, fantasy football above all else is supposed to be fun, right? Let's say you're a Chiefs fan, and you're super tempted to draft Mahomes in the first round. And if that's what you want to do, go for it. But maybe you understand the value of drafting a QB later than that. Maybe you're in a league with a bunch of other KC fans and you're never able to draft him unless you have a top pick or have to spend a ton in an auction.
Whatever the case may be, I've highlighted a guy on every NFL team I like based on his current ADP (Average Draft Position - using FantasyPros as my reference for half PPR leagues). I'm excluding defenses and kickers for this exercise, as those positions are typically saved for the last two rounds of drafts regardless. I'm also not going to list every single player for every team. This article is already long enough. I'm trying to keep it somewhat focused.
Also keep in mind, I wouldn't draft all of these guys way higher than their ADP, and it certainly doesn't mean I'd draft Mecole Hardman over Patrick Mahomes! It just means I like Hardman at his value (currently the 12th round). And if you want a piece of that Chiefs offense, he's a cheap option. But for every guy I've mentioned below, I'm considering them at or even a little before the round they're going in. I've put the ADP in parentheses (as of a day or so ago - it'll change over the next few weeks) and put each guy I like in bold/italics. Let's get to it!
Mike Gesicki (112)
Jaylen Waddle (119)
Devante Parker (137)
Tua Tagovailoa (159)
Salvon Ahmed (237)
There wasn't much to like about Miami's offense for fantasy purposes last year, but that means there's some value here in 2021. And if there's anyone who could be this year's Stefon Diggs, it just might be Will Fuller. He didn't sign a huge contract, but he should have something to prove on such a short term deal. He's missing the first game of the season due to the carryover PED suspension from last year, but that will only suppress his ADP even more. Health is of course the main concern with Fuller, but if Tua can take that next step, Fuller could be a top-10 fantasy WR if he plays 15 or 16 games.
New England Patriots
Damien Harris (75)
Hunter Henry (146)
Jonnu Smith (158)
James White (163)
Cam Newton (206)
Nelson Agholor (209)
Sony Michel (218)
Mac Jones (295)
Jakobi Myers (313)
Damien Harris is the only guy I can see myself realistically drafting on this team, and his ADP is pretty fair. However, if Mac Jones were to be named the Week 1 starter, I'd draft Harris even earlier than this. In that scenario, Harris would no longer have the threat of Cam stealing goal line carries, so he feels like a value behind one of the best offensive lines in the league. If you'd rather have a dart throw for the Patriots at the end of your draft, for what it's worth I think Jakobi Myers is the best receiver on this team. And if Reception Perception likes a receiver with an ADP over 300, he's worth a super late round pick in my book.
New York Jets
Michael Carter (78)
Corey Davis (129)
Elijah Moore (149)
Tevin Coleman (172)
Jamison Crowder (177)
Zach Wilson (195)
This value might be gone as Week 1 approaches because this rookie is seriously flashing in training camp. But as long as his ADP stays in the 150 range, I like Elijah Moore's chances of being the #1 or 2 weapon in this offense. Will that offense be explosive with a rookie QB? Time will tell. But you have to think the Jets will be trailing in a lot of games, so Michael Carter's ADP is a bit rich for me. If I had to choose one of these rookies, I'd go with Moore.
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens
J.K. Dobbins (25)
Lamar Jackson (45)
Mark Andrews (53)
Gus Edwards (110)
Marquise Brown (124)
Rashod Bateman (162)
Sammy Watkins (219)
I talked up Lamar Jackson a ton in 2019, but there wasn't much value for him last year going in Round 2 of most fantasy drafts. This year he actually could be back to having some value if he slips into the 5th round. He was great down the stretch in 2020 and was the QB1 the last month of the season. I'm not usually into paying up for a QB, so I doubt I'll get Lamar in many leagues. But his rushing provides a floor that you'll be happy with if your first 4 picks are really solid RBs/WRs.
Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Mixon (21)
Ja'Marr Chase (70)
Tee Higgins (73)
Tyler Boyd (97)
Joe Burrow (102)
Joe Mixon was a consensus 1st round pick last year, so you could consider him a value in Rd 2 this year. But as someone who rostered him in 2020, I have a hard time going back to that well. Tyler Boyd is also going 20 spots later than he was last year, which does make sense with the addition of Ja'Marr Chase. But if I'm drafting one of these WRs, give me the cheapest (and most proven!) option in Boyd.
Cleveland Browns
Nick Chubb (6)
Kareem Hunt (47)
Odell Beckham, Jr. (68)
Jarvis Landry (104)
Baker Mayfield (134)
Austin Hooper (276)
I know this is a boring pick, but Hooper was a top-100 preseason pick last year. He had a slow start and proceeded to miss a couple of games due to an appendectomy. Yet he still managed 70 targets and 4 TDs in 13 games (his first season as a Brown). If he plays 17 games this year, he'll likely get around 100 targets. I could easily see him with 750 yards and 5 touchdowns, which would mean he'd likely be a top-12 fantasy tight end.
Pittsburgh SteelersNajee Harris (15)
Diontae Johnson (58)
Chase Claypool (72)
JuJu Smith-Schuster (80)
Ben Roethlisberger (150)
Eric Ebron (212)
Anthony McFarland, Jr. (220)
JuJu was a consensus third round pick last year, and now his ADP is in the 80s. I know people are excited about the younger guys, but JuJu is going to try to secure a bag this year. He signed a one-year deal to play in Pittsburgh this season, with $1 million in base salary and a $7 million signing bonus. Like Will Fuller, I feel like the motivation is there on such a short term deal. While JuJu is still pretty young, wide receivers tend to fall off a cliff around age 30. These guys know this could be their last chance at a big, long-term contract.
AFC South
Houston Texans
David Johnson (82)
Brandin Cooks (105)
Phillip Lindsay (148)
Deshaun Watson (164)
Mark Ingram II (182)
Tyrod Taylor (339)
Sure, Watson might not play a snap this season. But that was the case for Le'Veon Bell a few years ago and people were still taking him in the first couple of rounds! And then Bell (voluntarily) sat out the entire season. At an ADP of 164, the risk is so low, why wouldn't you take Watson here? I mean, if morally you have an issue, fine. I get that. But otherwise, I'd probably draft him 20-30 spots higher than this as long as it seems like there's a 20ish percent chance he plays this year. I mean, who else are you going to draft from the Texans...?
Indianapolis Colts
Jonathan Taylor (8)
Michael Pittman, Jr. (123)
Nyheim Hines (125)
T.Y. Hilton (153)
Marlon Mack (156)
Carson Wentz (267)
Parris Campbell (278)
Jacob Eason (380)
T.Y. Hilton's ADP last year was 63, so he's a value to me now that he's going SO much later. Of course I'd like this spot a lot more if he had Wentz throwing the ball in Week 1, but we really don't know when Wentz will be back. If Wentz doesn't start the year on the PUP list, maybe it'll be sooner than later. Either way, Hilton is a solid WR and a decent value in the mid to late rounds.
Jacksonville Jaguars
James Robinson (50)
Travis Etienne (61)
D.J. Chark (86)
Laviska Shenault, Jr. (117)
Trevor Lawrence (128)
Marvin Jones, Jr. (142)
Few college QBs get hyped up as much as Trevor Lawrence. The only other guy I can even think of is Andrew Luck. Recent top picks like Joe Burrow and Kyler Murray weren't hyped up nearly as much as Lawrence (nor for as long). People have been saying Trevor Lawrence is a "generational talent" for quite some time. Now in his rookie season with Urban Meyer as the new head coach and weapons all around him, you can get him in the double-digit rounds?!? To me, that's great value.
Tennessee Titans
Derrick Henry (3)
A.J. Brown (24)
Julio Jones (41)
Ryan Tannehill (92)
Anthony Firkser (203)
Darrynton Evans (241)
This is honestly one of my favorite values of 2021, especially since Evans is basically undrafted in most leagues. With the NFL adding a game to the season, workload management could be more of a thing across the board. As for Tennessee, they have a new OC, and Derrick Henry's workload has been insanely high the last couple of years. Of course he will get the vast majority of touches in this backfield, but if the Titans manage his workload a bit more this year, Evans is a great value at the very end of drafts.
AFC West
Denver Broncos
Javonte Williams (66)
Melvin Gordon (76)
Noah Fant (79)
Courtland Sutton (85)
Jerry Jeudy (89)
Teddy Bridgewater (303)
Drew Lock (366)
I personally have Jerry Jeudy ranked well ahead of Courtland Sutton, so I think he's the value in Denver. Jeudy is younger and has more upside at this point in his career, and I really don't think anyone is going to be the best WR on this squad other than him. This feels like a hill I'm going to die on in 2021. Draft Jerry Jeudy!!!
Kansas City ChiefsTravis Kelce (11)
Tyreek Hill (12)
Patrick Mahomes (18)
Clyde Edwards-Helaire (22)
Mecole Hardman (140)
Darrel Williams (189)
I said the same thing last year in this spot, and I'll say it again. It's hard to find value with a team like this because everyone wants a piece of Kansas City's offense. And I wanted to say CEH is a value now that he's going toward the end of the second round, but I'd rather highlight Mecole Hardman because you can get him MUCH later. Reports out of camp say Hardman is the clear #2 WR in this offense with Sammy Watkins now in Baltimore. Of course he's still behind Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce in the pecking order, but if this offense is scoring 30 points/game, there should be plenty of fantasy points to go around.
Las Vegas Raiders
Darren Waller (26)
Josh Jacobs (30)
Kenyan Drake (101)
Henry Ruggs III (132)
Derek Carr (184)
John Brown (197)
Bryan Edwards (208)
I didn't really want any part of this offense in 2020, and I kind of feel that way again this year. Sure, I'd probably draft Waller in the third round or so. Maybe Josh Jacobs too. But I'm not super excited about either guy, so I'll say the best value might be Bryan Edwards. A couple of weeks ago, he was basically free in drafts with an ADP near 300. Now it's closer to 200, but I still like him. You'll know in the first couple of weeks just how involved he is (or isn't) in this offense, and he just might have the tools to be the #1 WR on this team.
Los Angeles Chargers
Austin Ekeler (13)
Keenan Allen (29)
Justin Herbert (59)
Mike Williams (121)
Jared Cook (174)
Justin Jackson/Joshua Kelley (250ish)
It's kind of crazy to me that the ADP of Mike Williams is actually worse than it was this time last year, and that was before the emergence of Justin Herbert and the departure of Hunter Henry. If anything, Mike Williams should be nearing a top-100 player, right?! I'm drinking the Mike Williams Kool-Aid this offseason and will gladly draft him in the middle rounds as my third or fourth wide receiver. Justin Herbert looks like an emerging star, so getting Williams as a piece of this offense is a way better value than paying up for Keenan Allen.
NFC East
Dallas Cowboys
Ezekiel Elliott (5)
CeeDee Lamb (37)
Amari Cooper (42)
Dak Prescott (51)
Tony Pollard (116)
Michael Gallup (127)
Blake Jarwin (216)
Here's another team where it's hard to find value versus ADP because, well, there are a lot of Cowboy fans. OK, so maybe some of it is the high powered offense. And if you want a piece of it at a discount, take Michael Gallup. Of course Lamb is the new hotness and Amari Cooper will get his. But Gallup's ADP a year ago was 72 (before anyone knew what Lamb could do in the NFL). That doesn't mean Gallup is done. You're getting him at a nice discount, and reports from camp make it sound like his route tree is expanding. All three of these WRs could have good value this year, but Gallup is by far the cheapest.
New York Giants
Saquon Barkley (7)
Kenny Golladay (63)
Evan Engram (170)
Sterling Shepard (202)
Devontae Booker (213)
Kadarius Toney (229)
Darius Slayton (251)
Daniel Jones (268)
This is a tough call with this team because there's actually a lot of value across the board. Evan Engram's ADP a year ago was 77, and he led the team in targets. I don't expect that to be the case again with a healthy Saquon and Golladay in town. Yes, Kyle Rudolph is a Giant now too. But I still think Engram will likely be a top-12 TE. With an ADP now of 163, that's not a bad way to get a piece of this offense (you know, if you want it).
Philadelphia Eagles
Miles Sanders (36)
Jalen Hurts (81)
Devonta Smith (87)
Dallas Goedert (88)
Zach Ertz (147)
Kenneth Gainwell (194)
Jalen Reagor (234)
I'm not sure there's a ton of value in the top guys on this list, but Kenneth Gainwell feels like a pick where he's going in drafts. Ask yourself this...how sure are you that Miles Sanders will get a big workload in this offense? This time last year, Antonio Gibson was being drafted around this same range. He's now being drafted in the second round. This is the area in drafts where you take a shot, and maybe Gainwell can be another Memphis hybrid back to shine in the NFL.
Washington Football Team
Antonio Gibson (16)
Terry McLaurin (32)
Logan Thomas (90)
Curtis Samuel (115)
J.D. McKissic (144)
Ryan Fitzpatrick (160)
I actually thought Fitzpatrick's ADP would be closer to 200, but I still like him as a late round QB this year. I'm hoping he can keep the turnovers down and hold onto the starting gig all year. If he does, I really think you're looking at a top-12 fantasy QB with these weapons.
NFC North
Chicago BearsDavid Montgomery (28)
Allen Robinson (35)
Darnell Mooney (139)
Justin Fields (154)
Tarik Cohen (176)
Damien Williams (178)
Jimmy Graham/Cole Kmet (260ish)
Like a lot of people, I love Darnell Mooney in his second season in the league. The guy had almost 100 targets last year as a rookie, and with Anthony Miller gone you have to think he gets at least 100 targets this year. We could be looking at 1000 yards and 6 or 7 touchdowns in Year 2, so I wouldn't be surprised it he starts going inside the top-100 in fantasy drafts in the next couple of weeks.
Detroit Lions
D'Andre Swift (34)
T.J. Hockenson (55)
Jamaal Williams (120)
Amon-Ra St. Brown (200)
Jared Goff (214)
Breshad Perriman (264)
Tyrell Williams (293)
I don't think Swift or Hockenson are necessarily values at those ADPs, so I'm going way down to Perriman who I think has as good of a shot as anyone on this team to be the WR1. What does that mean with Goff under center? Well, Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp certainly had some good fantasy seasons with him. Things will certainly be different in Detroit, but if the target tree narrows to mostly Hockenson and Perriman, the latter could be a solid fantasy WR on volume alone. This could age poorly, but I'm not buying the rookie St. Brown at an ADP around 200.
Green Bay Packers
Aaron Jones (9)
Davante Adams (10)
Aaron Rodgers (62)
A.J. Dillon (95)
Robert Tonyan (107)
Randall Cobb (190)
Allen Lazard (231)
Marquez Valdes-Scantling (308)
Last year I highlighted Lazard in this spot because his ADP was over 200. Here we are a year later, and his ADP is still over 200. He was looking really good last year before dealing with a core injury. The addition of Randall Cobb should devalue him some, but not this much. If he's 100% healthy now, I think Lazard with be the clear #2 WR in this offense.
Minnesota Vikings
Dalvin Cook (2)
Justin Jefferson (23)
Adam Thielen (46)
Alexander Mattison (131)
Irv Smith, Jr. (138)
Kirk Cousins (143)
Minnesota's offense funnels through such few guys, there isn't a lot of value in anyone in this offense. If I had to pick one, I guess Irv Smith, Jr. could break out with Kyle Rudolph gone. And with an ADP in the later rounds, you're not risking much draft capital with this pick.
NFC South
Atlanta Falcons
Calvin Ridley (19)
Kyle Pitts (48)
Mike Davis (56)
Matt Ryan (126)
Russell Gage (167)
Javian Hawkins (205)
Could Javian Hawkins be this year's James Robinson? Maybe. While Mike Davis proved last year in Carolina he could carry the load, Hawkins could be an injury away from being the next man up. And even if Davis stays healthy, Hawkins has shown speed early on in training camp that could give the UDFA some touches on a regular basis. It's basically a free pick this late in your draft, so if there's any buzz at all that Hawkins could be the #2 RB in Atlanta, this is a huge value.
Carolina Panthers
Christian McCaffrey (1)
D.J. Moore (57)
Robby Anderson (83)
Chuba Hubbard (175)
Terrace Marshall, Jr. (228)
Sam Darnold (232)
I actually think there could be value with all of Carolina's WRs this year. D.J. Moore's 2020 ADP was around 33, so he's going two full rounds later. Robby Anderson led the team in targets last season and he's going nearly 30 picks after Moore this year. Then there's the rookie Terrace Marshall, Jr. who is the big unknown here. But with an ADP after 200, he's the Panther I'd most like to grab at the end of my draft and see if he can be this year's Justin Jefferson.
New Orleans SaintsAlvin Kamara (4)
Michael Thomas (69)
Latavius Murray (130)
Taysom Hill (166)
Adam Trautman (185)
Marquez Callaway (193)
Tre'Quon Smith (199)
Jameis Winston (225)
If you have an IR spot in your league, Michael Thomas becomes a value at some point, but I'm not sure that's at an ADP in the 60s. He'll be out for several weeks to start the season, so someone will need to catch a few passes. Marquez Callaway has a great shot to emerge as the #1 receiver in this offense for at least the first half of the season. To get that near pick 200 feels like a good value to me.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mike Evans (38)
Chris Godwin (40)
Ronald Jones (71)
Tom Brady (74)
Leonard Fournette (77)
Antonio Brown (100)
Rob Gronkowski (106)
Giovani Bernard (180)
O.J. Howard (242)
After dealing with RBs who couldn't catch passes in 2020, I think Bernard was brought in to be Tampa's version of James White. I'll be grabbing Gio toward the end of drafts this year because even with Jones and Fournette getting touches, I think Bernard will be the third down back (and maybe the two minute drill back as well). He'll get plenty of work and will be a good FLEX option in a Bruce Arians offense that has been in the top-5 in each of his first two seasons in Tampa.
NFC West
Arizona Cardinals
DeAndre Hopkins (17)
Kyler Murray (39)
Chase Edmonds (64)
James Conner (98)
A.J. Green (187)
Rondale Moore (201)
Christian Kirk (215)
When Rondale Moore was drafted by the Cardinals, I literally couldn't think of a better landing spot. I would've preferred if A.J. Green didn't move out to the desert, but do we really expect him to be healthy for more than a few games this year? I think Moore could legit be the #2 receiver on this team by midseason and is well worth a late round flier. By the time you do your draft, I'd expect Moore's ADP to be a lower number than A.J. Green's.
Los Angeles Rams
Robert Woods (43)
Cooper Kupp (49)
Darrell Henderson (52)
Matthew Stafford (91)
Tyler Higbee (109)
Xavier Jones (168)
Xavier Jones didn't get much playing time in his rookie season, but at least he was on the team and knows the offense. Now with Cam Akers out for the year, Jones could be thrust into a big role alongside Darrell Henderson (who I don't expect to be a bellcow type of back).
San Francisco 49ers
George Kittle (27)
Brandon Aiyuk (65)
Raheem Mostert (67)
Deebo Samuel (84)
Trey Sermon (93)
Trey Lance (173)
Jimmy Garoppolo (292)
I'd love to say either Lance or Jimmy G is a value here, but I just don't know what Kyle Shanahan is going to do. While they might let Trey Lance sit on the sidelines for a bit, I don't think they'll do that with the other Trey. The Niners traded up to get Sermon with the #88 pick in this year's draft, and running backs tend to get worked into the offense right away. This feels like a good value for someone who could be the lead back in a good offense that likes to run the football.
Seattle Seahawks
D.K. Metcalf (20)
Chris Carson (31)
Tyler Lockett (54)
Russell Wilson (60)
Rashaad Penny (152)
Gerald Everett (198)
The top four on this list were pretty much all ranked in this same range last year (with the exception of Metcalf moving up a couple of WR tiers). So while I can't say there's much value with the best players in Seattle, that's not to say I wouldn't draft them right at those ADPs. But the TE position feels a bit up for grabs, so Gerald Everett could make some sense if you end up waiting until the end of your draft for the position. Sure, Will Dissly is still there, but he has dealt with his fair share of injuries. I like the fit for Everett, and he could even breakout if given more than 62 targets for the first time in his career.
Congrats if you actually made it through all 32 teams! I'll get another preseason article or two out in the next couple of weeks, so stay tuned!
