Fantasy drafts are almost done and week 1 is here. Whether you love or hate your team there is always room for improvement. Take a look at our list of players that largely went undrafted and see if they can help your team week 1 and beyond.
Quarterbacks
Josh Allen – Last season Buffalo’s rookie QB was third in fantasy points from week 11 on. He had a solid preseason and will look to continue rewarding fantasy owners with his dual threat play making ability.
Jimmy Garoppolo – Remember all of his hype coming out of New England? The San Francisco 49er is healthy, has 2 shiny new rookie wide receivers, 2 solid running backs that can catch the ball, and is in Kyle Shanahan’s high powered system. San Francisco’s defense looks awful which means Jimmy G will have to throw the ball a lot.
Running Backs
Carlos Hyde – For better or worse the Houston Texans reshaped their franchise this last weekend. With the injury to Lamar Miller the Texans made a deal to bring in Hyde. PPR friendly Duke Johnson is already on the roster but look for Hyde to be the banger and get the goal line looks. Don’t forget Houston upgraded their offensive line with Laremy Tunsil which will help both backs.
Devin Singletary and Frank Gore – With LeSean McCoy traded away it opens things up for both backs. The immortal Frank Gore will keep doing his thing but look for rookie Singletary to push for more playing time as the season goes on. Both backs have value but I like Singletary more for his upside.
Ito Smith – Look for the Atlanta Falcon running back to fit into the Tevin Coleman role. If healthy Devonta Freeman could flirt with RB1 numbers again but there has always been room for a pass catching RB in Atlanta’s offense.
Justin Jackson – It is looking more and more likely Melvin Gordon does not return to the Chargers this season. Jackson will have some solid standard scoring value while Gordon is out. He should get some decent playing time while splitting carries with the PPR standout, Austin Ekeler.
Chris Thompson – 2 seasons ago Thompson put up some nice numbers for the Washington Redskins, especially in PPR leagues. He has been battling injuries since and now shares the backfield with Adrian Peterson and Derrius Guice, so why is he here? While Guice and Peterson battle for the lead RB role, Thompson sits ready to continue as the 3rd down back.
Wide Receivers
D.K. Metcalf – The Seattle Seahawks have huge shoes to fill with Doug Baldwin having to retire. Sure Tyler Lockett will get more work in the slot but the Seahawks made drafting the physical freak Metcalf a priority. You can’t ignore a 6’3″, 228 pounder who ran a 4.33 40 yard dash, has a 40.5 inch vertical, and did 27 bench presses at the combine! The dude is a superhuman and has been getting rave reviews from the Russell Wilson and the Seahawks camp.
Demaryius Thomas – DT has been a regular in the fantasy world for a while but after last season it looked like he lost a step or few. Now healthy and with Tom Brady not having Gronk to throw the ball to, the New England Patriots receiver could jump back into the hearts of fantasy players everywhere. Yes, Josh Gordon is there but it has been far too long since he had a full productive season.
Albert Wilson – This is not the ’72 Dolphins, in fact it may be the exact opposite. Luckily fantasy football is about the player and not the team. I expect Wilson to lead the Fins in catches this year in an offense which will see Ryan Fitzpatrick throw the ball, a lot. Kenny Stills is gone and Devante Parker looks like he will play second fiddle to Wilson.
Tight Ends
Jimmy Graham – Green Bay’s TE had a down year last season but looks to rebound with Mike McCarthy no longer slowing things down with his play calling. If Graham stays healthy he could finish the season second in receiving behind Davante Adams and help fantasy players everywhere win titles.
Tyler Eifert – Cincinnati’s injury plagued TE looks ready to roll this season. The Bengals are already down A.J. Green for the first part of the season and Eifert could benefit the most from it. It’s been a few seasons since he put up TE1 numbers but if he stays healthy he could do it again this year.
Will Dissly – Dissly surprised fantasy players everywhere last season when he blew up the first two weeks for the Seattle Seahawks. An unfortunate injury shut him down after. TE Ed Dickson was placed on the IR so look for Dissly to be another one to be targeted more with Baldwin retired. Week 1 could look a lot like Dissly’s week 1 last year when the Seahawks face a Bengal D that struggles to defend tight ends.
Kickers
Matt Bryant – Money Matt is back in Atlanta and will continue his fantasy scoring ways. Bryant is the Falcon’s all time leading scorer and though 44, has a lot left in his kicking leg.
Dan Bailey – The long time Dallas kicker was surprisingly cut last year before ending up on the Minnesota Vikings roster. His long ball accuracy went down last year, making only 5-11 from 40+ but should rebound and is a solid add to a strong Vikings offense.
Defense
Seattle Seahawks – Okay they are probably not available for pick up but if so, grab them. The Seahawks’ D finished 9th last season and have made some major moves to improve their defensive line. They lost Frank Clark but used their first pick in the draft on L.J. Collier, signed Ziggy Ansah and stole Jadeveon Clowney from the Texans. The Hawk’s D should finish in the top 5.
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