X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Draft Booms or Busts - Foster, Hyde, Brady, Mariota & More

The middle rounds of your fantasy draft make all the difference in your fantasy league.  It’s easy to hit on studs, but finding players that could potentially make or break your season in rounds 5-10 can decide whether you get that first round bye or miss the playoffs entirely.

Today I’ll be bringing up a few controversial players that you should be either targeting or avoiding.

Editor's Note: Purchase a full season NFL Premium Pass (including Draft Kit + DFS Premium), and also get MLB Premium + DFS for free through October. Premium DFS lineup picks, expert lineups, tools and more - seven days a week. You can see screenshots of our NFL Premium and MLB Premium and DFS tools. What are you waiting for?

 

Middle Round Quarterbacks

Matthew Stafford - BOOM

Currently the 15th QB taken along with an ADP of 119, Stafford immediately sticks out as a great middle/late round value in fantasy leagues this year. After struggling through the early parts of last year, the Lions fired Joe Lombardi and promoted Jim Bob Cooter, a 31-year-old quarterback coach that was receiving huge praise prior to being promoted.

After the Lions' bye Week 9, Stafford went on to be the #4 QB in PPG for the remainder of the season in Cooter’s offense. While he likely won’t repeat his tremendous 19-2 TD/INT ratio, it gives us enough evidence to see that the Lions may have worked out the kinks in their passing attack.  For the record, Calvin Johnson was the #17 WR Weeks 10-16, but the expectation is that Marvin Jones/Golden Tate/Eric Ebron/Ameer Abdullah should be enough to keep Stafford in roughly top 10 QB territory.

Tom Brady - BUST

Tom Brady has an ADP of the #7 QB as well as 72nd overall. With a four-game suspension coming, you’re not going to be even using Brady until Week 5, where some teams are already falling out of contention. Of course some of these Brady owners will be using Jimmy Garoppolo, but with a relatively tough schedule the first four weeks, it’s tough to count on him being anything more than a very low-end QB2.

When Brady does return, he faces some very imposing defenses in the Jets (twice), Broncos, Seahawks, Bills and Rams. Brady was the #1 QB in PPG this past year, but after an unbelievable start, he dropped to 8th in PPG Weeks 8-16, and just 17th in the fantasy playoffs. With Brady only playing 12 games along with a rough schedule and his declining play as the year progressed, the value just isn’t there currently to be taking him ahead of guys like Carson Palmer, Blake Bortles, and Stafford.

Marcus Mariota - BOOM

If you’re looking to play matchups with two QB’s this year, Marcus Mariota may be one of the best to have. As this year's QB18 with an ADP of 139, you can grab Mariota in the double digit rounds and get someone who will likely score like a QB1 in quite a few games this year.

With a cupcake schedule Weeks 5-12 and a favorable matchup with the Jaguars in Week 16, he’s an ideal streamer or someone to sell high on come the middle of the season if you’re bit by the injury bug. His rushing stats (which Mike Mularkey has indicated will increase) should be a huge boon to his fantasy potential this year as long as he’s able to stay healthy. If I miss out on any of my targets, Mariota is a guy I’d love to pair with someone like Kirk Cousins.

 

Middle Round Running Backs

Carlos Hyde - BUST

Hyde’s being drafted as the RB17 currently, which given his level of talent makes perfect sense. Hyde’s got a fantastic combination of size and burst along with decent vision. However, his situation is abysmal. Playing for one of the NFL’s least inspiring offenses with a bust starting at quarterback and an  inability to catch passes, Hyde seems to risky to draft as a mid-level RB2.

His touchdown potential is capped by his offense's inability to get into the endzone, and his lack of big play ability (one rush over 20 yards last year) seriously limits  any upside in the fourth round. I’d rather wait on Jeremy Hill at 5.03 or Jonathan Stewart/Melvin Gordon at 6.04 who should all be as good if not better than Hyde this year. I just don’t recommend taking running backs in bad offenses this early unless they are the complete package.

Darren Sproles- PPR BOOM

I had to do a double take the first few times I looked for Sproles on the ADP charts, as he’s all the way down at RB47 in PPR drafts. While his play doesn’t seem to have declined, his playing time certainly did.  When he did get the ball, he had absolutely no chance to gain any yards after the catch. In what seemed like a perfect situation under Chip Kelly, everything went wrong.  

However, Frank Reich is here to save the day.  Under Reich, Danny Woodhead returned returned RB1 value this past year, and it’s fair to think that Sproles could have some huge games in a similar offense. Apparently Frank Reich has been talking up Sproles consistently in meetings, trying to find any way to get the guy the ball in space. If he’s able to get close to his production we saw in New Orleans, you have yourself a steal as a RB5 that could push for high end RB2 production in quite a few weeks.

Arian Foster - BUST

Foster’s value has absolutely exploded since the Dolphins played the Falcons last week, and for good reason.  When Foster was playing, the Dolphins offense was flat out better, and he looked to be the Foster of old despite his age and achilles tear this past year.  However, here's a few fun facts about Arian Foster: He has played 16 games just twice in his career.

He just suffered one of the worst injuries a running back can have. He is 30 years old and has consistently struggled with soft tissue injuries, which tend to linger longer and longer the older you get. His offensive line this year consists of three players that have one year or less of experience at their position (ff Pouncey returns). I guess those facts weren’t very fun.

There’s no denying that Foster could give you RB1 value when he plays, but if you think you can catch lightning in a bottle and run him all the way to the championship, you’re likely dreaming. With his ADP in the 5th round and likely rising, I’m not drafting someone who's more likely to be sitting on IR than playing in my championship game.

 


Check out RotoBaller's famous fantasy football draft sleepers and waiver wire pickups list, updated regularly!




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Ian Machado Garry

Gets Back On Track With UFC Kansas City Win
Brad Keselowski

Talladega Run Ends Early After Crashing
Carlos Prates

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Zhang Mingyang

Still Undefeated In The UFC
Anthony Smith

Retires After UFC Kansas City Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous Decision Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous-Decision Loss
David Onama

Extends Win Streak At UFC Kansas City
Michel Pereira

Drops Decision At UFC Kansas City
Erik Swanson

Starting Rehab Assignment On Tuesday
Abus Magomedov

Extends His Win Streak
Wade Miley

Exits Rehab Outing On Sunday
Yordan Alvarez

Smacks Third Home Run
Nicolas Dalby

Gets Finished For The First Time
Roman Anthony

Dealing With Foot Injury
Andrew McCutchen

Picks Up Four Hits In Loss
Randy Brown

Gets Back In The Win Column
Slade Cecconi

Throws Bullpen On Sunday
Geraldo Perdomo

Homers, Swipes Two Bags
Ikram Aliskerov

Gets First-Round TKO Finish At UFC Kansas City
Matt Wallner

Could Miss Most Of May
Andre Muniz

Gets TKO'd At UFC Kansas City
Ceddanne Rafaela

Racks Up Five RBI In Rout Of Guardians
George Kirby

Set To Throw Live Batting Practice On Monday
Connor Norby

Collects Three Hits, Homers
Ivan Demidov

Has Historic Outing In Game 4
Timo Meier

Records Two Points Sunday
Andrei Svechnikov

Nets Hat Trick In Game 4 Win
Parker Messick

Strikes Out Eight On Sunday
Leon Draisaitl

Caps Off Four-Point Effort With First Postseason Overtime Goal
Connor Hellebuyck

Gets Pulled Again
Brice Matthews

Stays Hot On Sunday
Alexandre Carrier

Fails To Finish Game 4
New York Mets

Jonah Tong Tallies Season-High 10 Strikeouts
Tyler Tucker

Makes Early Exit Sunday
Marcelo Mayer

Stays Hot At The Plate On Sunday
Matt Shaw

Goes Deep On Sunday
Jacob Misiorowski

Strikes Out Nine In Latest Start
Chase Elliott

Recovers from Speeding Penalty to Finish Fifth
Joey Logano

Finishes Last at Talladega After Disqualification for Missing Spoiler Brace
Ryan Preece

Loses Talladega Race First in Photo Finish Then in Post-Race Inspection
NASCAR

Poor Toyota Strategy Arguably Cost Bubba Wallace Winning Chances at Talladega
Christopher Bell

Unhurt After Hard Contact with Inside Retaining Wall
Aaron Nola

Pitches Seven Strong Innings
Tylor Megill

Strikes Out Nine In No-Decision
Hunter Brown

Strikes Out Nine In Win
Agustín Ramírez

Agustin Ramirez Homers Twice
Jaylen Brown

Available For Game 4
Darius Garland

Questionable For Game 4
Jaden Ivey

Making Progress
Frederik Andersen

Exits Game 4 With Injury
Jake Neighbours

Shines On Sunday With Three Points
Jordan Binnington

Makes 30 Saves In Game 4 Victory
Patrik Laine

Not Expected To Play In Game 4
Sam Montembeault

Labeled Day-To-Day
Aliaksei Protas

Considered A Game-Time Decision Sunday
Logan Thompson

A Game-Time Call Sunday
Max Brosmer

Minnesota Adds Insurance With Max Brosmer

Donovan Edwards Inks Deal With Jets

Nick Nash Signs With The Falcons
Cam Ward

Xavier Restrepo Reunites With Cam Ward In Tennessee
Chase Elliott

Is One OF The Top Overall DFS Picks Of The Week
Joey Logano

Could Joey Logano Finish A Race With A Top Finish At Talladega?
NASCAR

DFS Players Should Like Bubba Wallace For Talladega This Week
Christopher Bell

Should DFS Players Roster Christopher Bell At Talladega?
Austin Cindric

Is Austin Cindric Worth Rostering For Talladega DFS Lineups?
Shane Van Gisbergen

Is A Solid, Safe, DFS Choice For Talladega Lineups
Austin Dillon

Is Austin Dillon A Viable DFS Play At Talladega This Week?
Josh Berry

Qualifies Too High At Talladega To Be Worth Rostering In DFS
Michael McDowell

Should DFS Players Take A Shot On Michael McDowell At Talladega?
Noah Gragson

Could Be A Sneaky DFS Play For Talladega
William Nylander

Posts Two Assists In Losing Effort
Denny Hamlin

Probably Qualified Too Well for DFS Consideration
Kyle Larson

Increasingly Undervalued Due to His Crashing, but Still a Great DFS Option
Kyle Busch

Nearly Always Leads at Talladega, but Rarely Leads Much
Tyler Reddick

Drafting Track Record Worse Than It Looks
Daniel Suarez

Likely Motivated at Talladega Since Trackhouse Cars Likely Too Slow for Him to Win On Regular Tracks
Jake Sanderson

Keeps Senators Alive With Overtime Winner
Mackenzie Blackwood

Records First Postseason Shutout
Gabriel Landeskog

Scores First Goal In Nearly Three Years
Ivan Barbashev

Gives Vegas Vital Win
Nikita Kucherov

Records Three Assists In Game 3 Win
Troy Stecher

Cleared For Sunday
Jimmy Butler III

Ruled Out On Saturday
Isaiah Stewart

Questionable For Sunday's Game
Jaylen Brown

Questionable For Game 4
Jrue Holiday

Won't Play On Sunday
Quinn Ewers

Dolphins Select Quinn Ewers In Seventh Round
Mitchell Robinson

Questionable For Game 4 Versus Detroit
Michael Porter Jr.

Available On Saturday Night
Russell Westbrook

Won't Suit Up For Game 4
Riley Leonard

Drafted By Colts Saturday
Will Howard

Steelers Select Will Howard In Sixth Round Of NFL Draft
Kyle McCord

Eagles Add Kyle McCord To Quarterback Room
Ollie Gordon II

Miami Adds Ollie Gordon II To Backfield
Oronde Gadsden II

Chargers Add KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Oronde Gadsden II To Offense
DJ Giddens

Colts Add DJ Giddens To Backfield
Jaydon Blue

Dallas Cowboys Draft Jaydon Blue In Fifth Round
Jordan Watkins

49ers Add Jordan Watkins To Offense
Shedeur Sanders

Browns Trade Up To Select Shedeur Sanders In The Fifth Round
Sam Howell

Seahawks Trade Sam Howell To Vikings
Elic Ayomanor

Titans Continue To Address Offense, Select Elic Ayomanor
Jalen Royals

Chiefs Bolster Receiver Room With Jalen Royals
Jaylin Lane

Commanders Add Jaylin Lane To Wide Receiver Room
Dylan Sampson

Browns Select Dylan Sampson With 126th Pick
Gunnar Helm

Titans Use Fourth-Round Pick On Gunnar Helm
Jarquez Hunter

Rams Select Jarquez Hunter In Fourth Round
Darius Garland

Won't Suit Up For Game 3
Darius Garland

Unavailable For Pregame Warmup
Jrue Holiday

Classified As "Day-To-Day"
Brandin Podziemski

Not On Injury Report For Game 3
Jimmy Butler III

Warriors Optimistic About Jimmy Butler III Playing Saturday
Jae'Sean Tate

To Remain Out Saturday
Jock Landale

Unavailable For Game 3
Terry Rozier

Out On Saturday
Jrue Holiday

Ruled Out For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Orlando
Kevin Love

To Miss Saturday's Game
Jaylen Brown

Available For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Magic
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
Cam Davis

Looking For Better Fortunes At TPC Louisiana
Adam Svensson

Making Third Apperence At Zurich Classic
Max Greyserman

Aiming For Similar Success At TPC Louisiana
Lee Hodges

A High-Upside Player In New Orleans
PGA

Nico Echavarria Looks To Ride Off Of Elite Putting In New Orleans
Gary Woodland

A Player Worth Watching In New Orleans
Max McGreevy

Returns To The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Rasmus Hojgaard

In Search Of Consistency Ahead Of Zurich Classic
Sam Stevens

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate In New Orleans
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Turn Season Around At Zurich Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks To Sway A Hot Putter In Teams Favor At Zurich Classic
Akshay Bhatia

Looking To Bounce Back At TPC Louisiana
Carson Young

Looks To Turn Things Around At TPC Louisiana
Erik Van Rooyen

Looking For Momentum In Louisiana
Andrew Novak

Making Start At TPC Louisiana After Near Miss At Harbour Town
Ben Griffin

Making Third Career Start At Zurich Classic
Taylor Moore

Competing With A New Teammate In New Orleans
Wyndham Clark

Making Return To New Orleans
Kurt Kitayama

Teeing It Up Again In New Orleans
Collin Morikawa

Back At Zurich Classic For Fifth Time
Thomas Detry

Making Third Appearance At New Orleans Team Event
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF