It’s easy, when preparing for your Fantasy Football draft, to target players in the first five or so rounds. You have a good idea who’s going to be there and even if the guy you’ve targeted gets nabbed, you have a solid plan Be, if not a Plan C and D. But fantasy leagues aren’t won in those opening rounds. Nope, whether its straight up fantasy football or even daily fantasy sports, it’s the guys at the bottom of the roster that make the difference in that final score.
Over the next three articles I’ll pick 20 position players worth a roster spot that ESPN has ranked 140 or higher. Obviously, some fantasy rankings vary, but the consensus for all these men will have them at the bottom of your draft, probably round eight or higher. At that point, you should have most of your money guys filled in. Or, if you’re like me, you hold off on, say, a quarterback, to load up on running backs and receivers.
20. Jack Doyle, TE, Indianapolis Colts
ESPN Rank: 141
2016: 14 starts, 59 catches, 584 yards, five touchdowns
Andrew Luck is still recovering from off-season shoulder surgery, but there’s no reason to believe he won’t be ready for the regular season. While T.Y. Hilton will already be long gone by the time Doyle shows up on your draft list, this guy will have tons of value. Last season Doyle was second on the team in receptions and second in yards. I’m not sure why he’s ranked this low as the Colts didn’t bring in anyone to contest Doyle’s job.
2016 was Luck’s first year without Coby Fleenor, so no one knew what to expect from Doyle. He delivered starting, solid tight end numbers. Now Dwayne Allen is gone too, so Doyle’s production should be even better.
19. Jeremy Hill, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
ESPN Rank: 143
2016: 13 starts, 222 carries, 839 yards, nine touchdowns, 21 catches, 174 yards
Just like everybody else, I think Joe Mixon will take the starting job in Cincinnati, but Hill will hold onto it long enough to deliver some late-round value. Not only that, he’ll remain the short yardage back and probably still score five or six touchdowns. If Hill gets going good early in the season, regardless of what the team has in Mixon, it’ll be hard to keep the former LSU running back on the bench.
18. Marcus Mariota, QB, Tennessee Titans
ESPN Rank: 149
2016: 15 starts, 61.2 completion percentage, 3,426 yards, 26 touchdowns, nine interceptions, 60 rushes, 349 rushing yards, two touchdowns
Marcus Mariota made a huge leap last season for the Titans and there’s no reason to believe this year will be any different. Mariota can do it with his arm and his legs and deliver points, regardless of the final win-loss record for Tennessee. The fact that you could wait until the 15-18th round to draft your starting quarterback will give you amble opportunity to load up your roster with top-tier talent.
I’m not sure what the Titans will do under head coach Mike Mularkey, but with Mariota pulling the trigger on offense, they’ll move the ball and score points.
17. O.J. Howard, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
ESPN Rank: 164
2016: N/A
Cameron Brate may be pencilled in as the starting tight end for Tampa Bay, but that job will be Howard’s soon enough. If not when the regular season begins, certainly by October. With the attention that DeSean Watson and Mike Evans will require in the passing game, Howard should see straight one-on-one match ups and Jameis Winston will find him time and time again.
Howard should be especially useful in the red zone at 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds, there won’t be anyone playing defensive back that can run and jump with him.
16. Tavon Austin, WR, Los Angeles Rams
ESPN Rank: 166
2016: 15 starts, 58 catches, 509 yards, three touchdowns, 28 rushes, 159 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown
If there’s ever a time to draft Austin, it’s now. For the first time the speedster will be playing in an actual NFL-level offense called by a professional, head coach Sean McVay, who actually knows what the hell he is doing. Austin, believe it or not, has gotten better as a wide receiver over his last two seasons and his 58 catches in 2016 were a career high. Now he’s got the chance to develop some real skills and starting alongside Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods, quarterback Jared Goff has to throw it to somebody.
15. Carson Wentz, QB, Philadelphia Eagles
ESPN Rank: 168
2016: 16 starts, 62.4 completion percentage, 3,782 yards, 16 touchdowns, 14 interceptions, 46 rushes, two touchdowns
Wentz had one of the more successful rookie campaigns in history. It, of course, was overshadowed by Dak Prescott’s and Andy Dalton’s because of playoff appearances, but Wentz showed why the Eagles were smart to invest their draft capital in the North Dakota State quarterback.
The Eagles have invested heavily in Wentz’s success this off-season, bringing in new, better wide receivers in Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith, along with a bruising runner in LeGarrette Blount. Wentz can also count on one of the better offensive lines in the league to give him time to throw it to his new targets.
14. Cole Beasley, WR, Dallas Cowboys
ESPN Rank: 174
2016: six starts, 75 catches, 833 yards, five touchdowns
Beasley put up career high numbers in the Cowboys’ offense and served as the security blanket for Dak Prescott, especially on third downs. With pretty much the same offense taking the field this season, there’s little reason to believe Beasley’s numbers will dip. In fact, with a healthy Dez Bryant on the outside all season, Beasley could be looking at 100 catches in the slot.
13. Marqise Lee, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
ESPN Rank: 175
2016: six starts, 63 catches, 851 yards, three touchdowns, six carries, 35 yards
Regardless of what else went wrong in Jacksonville (and a lot did), the emergence of Lee, the former second round pick out of USC, into the team’s No. 2 wide receiver wasn’t one of them. For the first time in his three-year career, Lee was healthy for a full season and delivered on his draft position. With new head coach Doug Marrone and Nathaniel Hackett still calling the plays, Lee will just become more of a weapon. A rejuvenated Blake Bortles will certainly help.
Click here for part 2.
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