If you’re reading this article I feel I can safely assume that you fall into one of two categories after reading the title to this article.
Someone new to fantasy or someone who likes to draft guys whose based off name recognition once you start getting into the mid-rounds of your draft.
Fantasy vets asking themself “who is this jack-ass and why tf are you even talking about Tim Tebow for fantasy?”
In either case, welcome, my name is Bret Kostka, and I am not advocating that Tim Tebow should be drafted. But he is, so I’m highlighting some players that are being passed up in your drafts.
Tim Tebow has an ADP of 215.5 on Underdog which is around the end of the 17th round of 18 round drafts. If you’re not familiar with Underdog I highly recommend them for Best Ball leagues, which are leagues where you draft a team at the beginning of the year but there’s no waivers or setting lineups each week. Your lineup gets set for you automatically with your highest scorers, which if you’re like me is great because it allows you to play in more fantasy leagues than you could manage otherwise because there’s no weekly work of scouring waivers and setting lineups.
Some fantasy managers may be drafting Tebow just for the fun of it, or because they’re not familiar with the players being drafted that late. Not you, you’re reading this article right now, you’re doing research before your draft. Be better than drafting Tim Tebow. While your odds of hitting on your pick this late in the draft are slim, there are some players with legitimate upside you should consider in the last few rounds. And if you’re playing in some of the larger best ball tournaments where you’re competing against hundreds or thousands of other teams, taking some of these players that are going undrafted in most leagues is a good way to get weird/different from your competition to provide you a higher upside.
Cordarrelle Patterson
The Falcons released their initial depth chart yesterday and Patterson is currently listed as the RB2. Patterson is listed as a wide receiver on fantasy platforms so this could be advantageous where you’re required to start more receivers in most leagues, plus the fact that running backs are more reliable week to week when you can better predict their touches.
Mike Davis is the definition of a journeyman and was unable to flash until last year under Matt Rhule after Chrisitan McCaffrey went down. He’s 28 years old which means he’s living on borrowed time by running back standards. The Falcons signed Davis to a 2 year 5.5 million dollar deal so they don’t have a ton invested in the back. If Davis is unproductive or misses time, Patterson could be the beneficiary of a larger role both in the running and passing game.
Jake Funk
Funk is a seventh-round rookie running back competing with Xavier Jones for the number two running back job for the Rams after the injury to Cam Akers.
Funk had a college career that was limited two season-ending ACL tears. In his limited work at Maryland, he took 66 rushes for 560 yards (8.4 YPC) and 4 touchdowns. He’s a powerful north-south runner who hits the hole and runs hard.
When you’re drafting running backs late you almost always need injuries ahead of them on the depth chart to happen to see their top-end upside. With Funk, even without an injury, his running style is reminiscent of Malcolm Brown who departed Los Angeles this offseason. McVay has been known to share the running back workload, and Funk’s got the talent given the opportunity to become a startable fantasy option.
Tyler Conklin
Conklin is the clear #2 for the Vikings but they use two tight ends often enough that it won’t really matter. The Vikings love getting their tight ends involved, and Zimmer stated this offseason that he expects Conklin’s role to increase more so than Irv Smith with the departure of Kyle Rudolph. If you didn’t grab one of the top few tight ends expect Conklin to give you at least a few startable weeks in best ball regardless of Irv Smith’s status.
Jalen Guyton
Guyton showed great chemistry with Herbert last season hauling in many long receptions from the rookie QB. As Herbert enters his second season, Guyton is competing for the #3 wide receiver slot with Joe Palmer and Tyron Johnson. Guyton should have the inside track to run with the #3 job and will be a boom-bust option each week for fantasy. He’s a guy I don’t want in redraft leagues but can provide you with a startable week in best ball by hauling in a single catch any given week.
Kalen Ballage
Ballage showed in the hall of fame game that he’s the most explosive back in the Pittsburgh backfield after Najee. Najee’s going to get the vast majority of carries in this offense but in the event that he was to miss time Ballage should be the primary ball carrier with top 20 weekly upside. He’s also flashed upside in the past in the passing game as a PPR threat.