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Every season, fantasy football managers focus heavily on the first couple of rounds of the draft. After all, those are the players who will lead your team. However, the middle-to-late rounds are where fantasy managers win championships. Just look at last year's draft, as several league winners were drafted in the later rounds.
Brock Purdy, Kyren Williams, Isiah Pacheco, Puka Nacua, and Nico Collins were all going pretty late in drafts. But all five of those players winded up helping fantasy managers win championships. That should be no different in 2024.
So, let's look at four of the best value picks in fantasy drafts this year, one at every position. These players are going to outperform their ADP and will be on plenty of championship rosters in 2024.
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Fantasy Football Quarterback Draft Value Pick
Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns
There was a lot of optimism around Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson in fantasy entering last season. He was going as the QB10 in drafts. However, Watson did not live up to that preseason ADP, as he finished as the QB35 and played in just six games due to a season-ending shoulder injury.
Due to that underwhelming season, Watson's ADP has fallen drastically in 2024. The 28-year-old is going as the QB23 currently in drafts with an ADP of 173.9 on Sleeper, which seems too low. Most fantasy managers will remember the Browns quarterback playing in just six games and struggling through the air. Nonetheless, the 28-year-old was a solid quarterback option when he was healthy.
From The Insiders on @NFLNetwork: The #Browns saw only positive signs from QB Deshaun Watson during minicamp as he works his way back from injury. pic.twitter.com/waQPPS8SoL
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 18, 2024
Watson appeared in five full games for the Browns last season, and he averaged 18.3 fantasy points per game. In four of those contests, the Pro Bowl quarterback also ran for over 20 yards. So, it wasn't all bad for the veteran in 2023. Now, with the shoulder injury hopefully past him, he's worth a shot in the later rounds because there is the chance that he can get back to his former 2020 self -- in which he finished as the QB5.
It surely won't be easy for him to return to that fantasy stardom, but the potential is there. He has the rushing upside to total over 400 yards on the ground and has the weapons (Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, Elijah Moore, David Njoku) around him to succeed through the air. At his QB23 price, he is one of the best value picks at the position.
Fantasy Football Running Back Draft Value Pick
Zamir White, Las Vegas Raiders
It is quite shocking to see where Las Vegas Raiders running back Zamir White is currently going in fantasy drafts. With Josh Jacobs leaving in the offseason and the team only adding Alexander Mattison in free agency, White's ADP of 85.7 seems way too low. That ADP puts him as the RB26, which is later than running backs like Najee Harris, Tony Pollard, David Montgomery, and Raheem Mostert.
All four of those running backs are expected to be in a running-back-by-committee this season. White, though, is expected to lead the Raiders backfield in 2024 and should receive most of the carries in that offense. That makes the 24-year-old one of the best value picks at the position.
Zamir White is the epitome of what #Raiders HC Antonio Pierce wants on the field
and Pierce is on record saying that his top two focuses are running the ball and stopping the run
we’re looking at 250+ (maybe 300+) touches, plus the overwhelming majority of goal line work for Z https://t.co/1c781UL8Sn pic.twitter.com/VcWvoJ0wlL
— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) June 11, 2024
At this point in the draft, there aren't many workhorse running backs fantasy managers can find in the seventh or eighth round. But, for some reason, White is still available. Don't forget, in four games without Jacobs last year, the young back rushed for 397 yards on 84 carries and one touchdown. That equaled out to 21 carries and 99.3 rush yards per game. The former fourth-round pick also averaged 15.2 PPR fantasy points during that stretch.
So, there is no reason why White can't build on his strong end of the season, especially without Jacobs. The 24-year-old should no doubt be the team's lead back over Mattison and should see plenty of touches per game. In a Las Vegas offense that wants to run the ball a lot, the Raiders running back is a smash pick at his ADP.
Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Draft Value Pick
Christian Kirk, Jacksonville Jaguars
If fantasy managers are looking for a value pick at the wide-receiver position, look no further than Jacksonville Jaguars wideout Christian Kirk. Since arriving in Jacksonville in 2022, Kirk has been one of the most consistent fantasy options for managers. Last year, the 27-year-old averaged 14.5 PPR fantasy points from Week 2 to Week 12 before he suffered a season-ending groin injury in Week 13.
Now, after a solid fantasy campaign, things got a lot better for him this offseason. That's because wide receiver Calvin Ridley left in free agency. Before Ridley arrived in 2023, Kirk served as the Jaguars' WR1 and finished as the WR11 in PPR formats. During that season, he averaged 14.2 PPR fantasy points per game while scoring in double figures 10 times.
Of course, the Jaguars have attempted to replace Ridley this offseason by signing Gabe Davis and drafting Brian Thomas Jr. in the first round. But there's no doubt that Kirk will be Trevor Lawrence's favorite target in the passing game. They already have a strong connection, and that should only grow in Year 3 together. So, seeing the 27-year-old go as the WR32 in drafts makes him one of the best value picks this year.
Fantasy Football Tight End Draft Value Pick
Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars
Let's add another Jacksonville Jaguar to this list, this time focusing on tight end Evan Engram. With a lot of moving parts for this Jacksonville offense this offseason, look for Lawrence to lean on the pass-catchers he is familiar with. One of those pass-catchers figures to be Engram, who is now in his third season with the team.
In his first two years with the Jaguars, Engram has really shocked a lot of fantasy owners. After struggling with the New York Giants to begin his NFL season, the 29-year-old's career has been revived in Jacksonville. That has led to some great fantasy campaigns. In 2022, the tight end finished as the TE5 in PPR formats. Last year, he finished as the TE2 -- only behind Sam LaPorta.
Evan Engram finished with the 2nd most TE receptions (114) in NFL history and led all TEs with 143 Targets.
Jacksonville has the 5th most vacated targets in the NFL. Hard to project Engram as anything but a target hog in 2024.
An all formats target 🎯 pic.twitter.com/LyRXVBLUTR
— TheOGfantasyfootball (@TheOGfantasy) May 26, 2024
Engram was one of the best tight ends in fantasy last year and was a must-start option every week. He averaged 13.6 PPR fantasy points per game behind a historic 114-catch, 963-yard season. Yet, the Jaguars playmaker finds himself going as the TE8 in drafts, which is great value for a player who hasn't finished that low in fantasy in either of his two seasons in Jacksonville.
Fantasy managers can draft Engram with confidence in 2024 and assume another top-five fantasy finish is in store. He has caught the second-most passes (187) and totaled the fourth-most receiving yards (1,729) by a tight end since 2022. That makes him one of the most underrated fantasy options heading into the year.
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