Fantasy Football 2024: Players Who Should Be Getting Drafted Earlier
The NFL preseason will kick off on Thursday with the Hall of Fame Game. For fans of a certain ilk, this means one thing. Fantasy draft season has arrived.
In the coming weeks, thousands of fantasy drafts will unfold, and managers will carry countless different strategies into draft rooms. Regardless of which approach you prefer, the goal is the same. Find value throughout your fantasy draft.
In the early rounds, that means targeting players who are highly unlikely to bust—players like Christian McCaffrey, CeeDee Lamb, Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson. Championship-caliber rosters, however, are usually crafted by uncovering sleepers in the middle and late rounds.
With this in mind, let's examine a few players who are currently being undervalued in point-per-reception (PPR) drafts.
Austin Ekeler, RB, Washington Commanders
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Running back Austin Ekeler battled injuries with the Los Angeles Chargers last season and landed with the Washington Commanders in the spring. In Washington, the 29-year-old is expected to split time with running back Brian Robinson Jr.
Therefore, seeing Ekeler no longer trending as a top fantasy RB isn't surprising. That said, he feels incredibly undervalued.
With an average draft position (ADP) of 88.3, Ekeler is trending as RB31. That feels incredibly low, given Ekeler's history as a high-end PPR producer and red-zone threat. Even in a down year in 2023, Ekeler tallied 51 receptions, 1,064 scrimmage yards and six touchdowns in 14 games.
Ekeler should carry strong flex value, even in a Washington offense that hasn't been great recently. The addition of rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels should provide some punch to the Commanders' offense, and Ekeler should be one of Daniels' top outlet options.
Managers shouldn't ignore Ekeler's red-zone prowess either. While his numbers were down last season, he's still averaged just under one touchdown (0.94) per game over the past three years.
Chase Brown, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
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The Cincinnati Bengals parted with longtime starting running back Joe Mixon this offseason. They replaced him with Zack Moss, who last played for the Indianapolis Colts. While Moss is being valued as Cincinnati's starter, that role may actually go to second-year back Chase Brown.
According to Charlie Clifford of NBC 5 Cincinnati, Brown has taken most of the reps with the starters in early training camp.
While Brown only saw sporadic playing time behind Mixon last season, he did flash potential and breakaway ability. Despite playing just 12 percent of the offensive snaps in 12 games, Brown tallied 335 scrimmage yards while averaging 4.1 yards per carry and 11.1 yards per catch.
With Moss in the fold, Brown probably won't see the workload that Mixon did in 2023 (309 touches, 1,410 scrimmage yards), but he still isn't being valued highly enough. He should be a solid flex option at worst and could have top-15 RB potential if he does manage to keep Moss on the sidelines.
With an ADP of only 120, Brown is being valued as RB42.
Ja'Lynn Polk, WR, New England Patriots
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Managers can often find value by targeting rookies, and they could get a terrific value in 2024 by targeting Ja'Lynn Polk of the New England Patriots. Polk, a second-round pick out of Washington, should slot right in as New England's No. 1 wideout.
Demario Douglas is the only returning wide receiver who logged more than 60 targets in 2023. Kendrick Bourne and DeVante Parker both had 55 targets last season, but Parker is retired, and Bourne is coming back from a torn ACL.
Polk, meanwhile, has been one of the few bright spots in New England's offense during training camp.
"While it's been a struggle for the offensive to find consistency during two padded practices, the contributions from Polk have been a cause for optimism," NESN's Sean T. McGuire wrote.
Now, the Patriots offense might not be great in 2024. Rookie quarterback Drake Maye has tremendous physical upside but is expected to sit behind Jacoby Brissett, at least, early in the season.
However, Brissett is a serviceable bridge QB who passed for 2,608 yards and 12 touchdowns while making 11 starts for the Cleveland Browns in 2022—while playing for new Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt.
Even if the Patriots underwhelm, a No. 1 receiver on a bad team is still going to carry solid PPR value. With an ADP of 199.8, Polk isn't being valued at all.
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Brock Bowers, TE, Las Vegas Raiders
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OK, so Las Vegas Raiders rookie tight end Brock Bowers isn't exactly a true sleeper. He was the 13th overall pick in April's draft, and with an ADP of 98.8, he's being valued as TE11. However, this still feels too low for Bowers, who could carry top-five TE value as a rookie. He was one of the best prospects at any position to enter the NFL this offseason.
"Bowers is a truly special player with the ball in his hands who can instantly transform any passing game," Derrik Klassen of the Bleacher Report Scouting Department wrote.
The biggest concern with Bowers is that Las Vegas' QB competition between Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell might not yield a high-end starter. However, he should get plenty of opportunities, even in an offense that features Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers.
Bowers may also have to contend with 2023 second-round pick Michael Mayer for touches. However, new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy has a history of leaning heavily on his top tight end.
Under Getsy, Chicago Bears star Cole Kmet led his position group with 90 targets and 73 receptions. Robert Tonyan was second among Bears tight ends with just 17 targets and 11 catches.
*ADP via FantasyPros. Advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference.
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