RADIO
While most fantasy leagues are typically 12-team formats, you may find yourself in a 14 or even 16-team league with deeper bench spots.
This dramatically increases the draft pool and makes the waiver wire almost bare, at least initially, until injuries pile up throughout the season. As a result, deeper league managers must be very familiar with several players who are not even considered an option in standard ones. You have to shoot for upside, especially late in the draft.
In this piece, I will analyze five players who are viewed as an afterthought in most fantasy leagues but could be valuable pieces in deeper formats given their situation and previous production.
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Daniel Jones, QB - New York Giants
QB29, ADP: 204.1
After leading the Giants to a wild-card berth and playoff victory in 2022, last season was one to forget. After playing in only six games last season before suffering a season-ending knee injury, Jones’ fantasy stock plummeted.
As a result, his ADP can present some great value in deeper leagues, and it makes him a flier as a backup quarterback in deeper leagues for this year.
In 2022, Jones set a career-high in passing yards with 3,205 and rushing with 708. He also tallied 22 total scores.
While the Giants will be without Saquon Barkley this season, they brought in established veteran Devin Singletary, who should provide serviceable production.
However, Jones’ upside is reliant upon rookie wide-out Malik Nabers, who was taken with the sixth-overall pick in this year’s draft after posting a dominant career at LSU. In his final season as a Tiger, Nabers totaled 17.6 yards per catch to go along with a 31.6% target share.
Perfect pass from Daniel Jones to Darius Slayton.pic.twitter.com/ITg2YoKiPP
— Gridiron Media (@Gridiron_Media_) August 8, 2024
Wan'Dale Robinson should serve as the No. 2 option in the passing game and should continue to develop. He missed a majority of his rookie campaign in 2022 due to an ACL injury. Last season, he began to find some rhythm over the final month, averaging just under five catches per game with 52 yards.
Jones has some high rushing upside at his position, which is hard to find this late in the draft. Take him as your QB2 and you could have a solid spot starter or trade piece on your bench come the middle of the season.
Keaton Mitchell, RB - Baltimore Ravens
RB67, ADP: 232.8
A running back coming off a torn ACL is never an ideal draft pick. However, getting him with potentially your last or in the final rounds of your draft is a low-risk investment, especially if you are in a long with an injured reserve slot or two that you can just stash Mitchell on and pick up another player.
When healthy in his rookie campaign, Mitchell showed incredible upside. He posted a 5.6 average yards after contact and a 31.9% broken tackle rate (per PFF), among the best at his position, albeit a smaller sample size.
Over a six-game stretch where he averaged 21 snaps per game, Mitchell tallied 8.4 yards per carry and just under 11 yards per reception.
Keaton Mitchell WILL MISS significant time in 2024 but his Efficiency & Upside are off the charts
💥8.4 YPC ties Vick for Best ALL-Time
💥1.24 Fantasy Pts/Touch (2nd)
💥5.9 Yards After Contact (1st)Stash w Upside & Must Add in Dynasty #Ravensflock pic.twitter.com/SOzwpO8OqX https://t.co/7JKyuQF6Fc
— Dynasty Dad (@DynastyDadFF) July 22, 2024
This was highlighted by a noteworthy 138-yard rushing game against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 9.
While the Ravens did bring in Derrick Henry this offseason, the Ravens could opt to take the load off the King before the playoffs. Mitchell should also have completed his recovery process by then, which could open the door for him to be a league winner.
Mitchell will likely start the season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list and will miss a minimum of 4 games. While it may be frustrating to keep him on your bench during the early part of the season, take a chance on the upside, especially when the other running backs sharing a similar ADP are Clyde Edwards-Helaire and AJ Dillon, who have never shown the potential to be a consistent fantasy produce every week.
Will Shipley, RB - Philadelphia Eagles
RB70, ADP: 251.5
My other running back to target late in your deeper league is the rookie from Clemson. While Saquon Barkley will get the lion’s share of carries, he has had several injuries throughout his career and will almost be 28 years old by the time the season ends.
Kenneth Gainwell is listed as the RB2 in the depth chart today, but you're better off chasing the unknown upside with Shipley. When Barkley missed practice earlier in August, Shipley and Gainwell split first-team reps in a 50-50 timeshare.
Gainwell may see some of the third-down opportunities, but Shipley has a good chance to see early down work and even the red zone.
If Barkley stays healthy all season, Shipley will not be fantasy-relevant. However, grabbing a potential handcuff on a very talented offense is a good bet as the RB 70 off the board, he will cost you nothing and is a fine piece to hold on your bench all season in deeper leagues.
Ja'Lynn Polk, WR - New England Patriots
ADP: 192.5, WR 74
Sometimes the training camp hype can create a narrative about a specific player. It is very important to pay attention to which young, upside players are seeing first-team reps. Those players have the potential to not only live up to their ADP but also greatly exceed it, especially if they get consistent opportunities.
Polk was selected in the second round of this year’s draft out of Washington and could be slotted in as the No. 1 pass catcher this season for New England.
Currently, fellow wide receiver Kendrick Bourne (knee) is still recovering from an injury, which leaves Polk as one of the top options in their offense this season.
Ja'Lynn Polk with the strong hands pic.twitter.com/WLcWJ4y6QO
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) August 8, 2024
Reports out of training camp suggest that Polk has been taking first-team reps and is performing as advertised. Polk posted 1,159 yards with nine scores in his final campaign at Washington, serving as a second-team option behind Rome Odunze.
Now, he has a solid chance to lead his team in catches and yards and is going right around pick 200. While he was a popular pick in rookie drafts this spring, he still could hold high value, especially in the later rounds of redraft leagues.
Noah Fant, TE - Seattle Seahawks
ADP: 212.8, TE 24
Rounding out this list, we look to a veteran tight end that has yet to truly break out. But in his second season as a Seahawk last fall, Fant had 414 receiving yards.
However, he is now the clear favorite to see in all tight-end opportunities, as Will Dissly and Colby Parkinson both left in free agency.
Fant has showcased the ability to pick up a sizeable number of yards after the catch. Throughout his career, he has averaged 11.1 yards per reception with an average of 5.6 yards after the catch.
Actually *many* of Geno’s dopest throws as a Seahawk are to Noah Fant. Would expect Noah to be more productive this year. pic.twitter.com/hjJkKGyGGZ
— Dugar, Michael-Shawn (@MikeDugar) August 6, 2024
While the Seahawks have a crowded wide receiver room, Fant could benefit from being the primary tight end on the team. His elite speed can allow him to make some big plays, which makes him an intriguing upside flier.
Other tight ends around his ADP, like Juwan Johnson or Michael Mayer, do not possess the snaps and target share Fant brings to your fantasy lineup.
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