A fantasy draft is all about obtaining the most value with each selection. Value is available throughout a draft; grabbing it is one of the most important keys to a successful fantasy team. To point out this value, we asked our staff to identify players available in the top half of your draft who should outperform their draft position.
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Here are the players who received the most votes:
- Gus Edwards, LA Chargers
- Nick Chubb, Cleveland
- James Cook, Buffalo
- Devin Singletary, NY Giants
And here are all of the players with multiple mentions and the reasons why.
Undervalued Player Receiving 5 Votes
Gus Edwards, LA Chargers
Jason Wood: Gus Edwards is in a smash spot, yet he’s being treated like an also-ran backup. Yes, the Chargers also signed J.K. Dobbins in free agency, but Dobbins – for all his talents – has been decimated by multiple career-threatening injuries. Meanwhile, coach Harbaugh and OC Roman operate a run-heavy system and have made it clear that’s their intention for the Chargers, too. GM Joe Hortiz called Edwards “the bell cow, the goal line guy, the finisher” recently when discussing the roster construction. In an era of committees and pass-heavy systems, Edwards is in line for double-digit touchdowns and a boatload of carries, at a minimum.
Jeff Haseley: There are several positive signs for Gus Edwards' outlook in 2024. Most notably, he is on a team coached by Jim Harbaugh, who prioritizes a strong running game. It's expected that the Chargers will be among the top 10 teams in rushing attempts. Additionally, his main competition, J.K. Dobbins, has struggled with injuries throughout his career, while Edwards has shown resilience and competitiveness despite his own injury history. It's anticipated that Edwards will lead the team in carries and play a significant role in the Chargers' offense in 2024.
Chad Parsons: The Chargers have nothing but questions in the RB2/3/4 projected roster spots. Expect Gus Edwards to be the Week 1 starter and go from there as one of the most affordable lead options in drafts this season. Isaiah Spiller has been a disappointment to even secure the RB2 job in his early years, J.K. Dobbins is a walking injury report if he can even get back to 80% of his former self (unfortunately), and Kimani Vidal, for all the sleeper love, is a mid-later Day 3 profile who needs to win the RB2 job before challenging for RB1.
Leo Paciga: Let me start with this - I hope J.K. Dobbins can finally get (and stay) healthy, but crossing your fingers is a terrible cornerstone to a successful draft. On the other hand, Gus Edwards is the lead back with very little competition on a team led by Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman. Harbaugh loves a smash-mouthed run attack and Roman’s offenses rank top-10 in run rate every season. Edwards isn’t electrifying with the ball in his hands, but he can handle heavy volume and maximize goal-line carries. A sledgehammer with good ball security seems to be exactly what the Chargers want in their RB1and at RB37, Edwards is well worth the price of admission.
Bob Harris: The Chargers added another former Raven, J.K. Dobbins, and rookie sixth-round pick Kimani Vidal since Edwards signed. Still, we have ample evidence Edwards can excel, even in a timeshare. He played in 69 games for Baltimore before signing in Los Angeles. Edwards only started 26 of those games, and he split time with various other backs over the years. Edwards also worked under the Chargers' new offensive coordinator, Greg Roman, for four years in Baltimore. Edwards carried the ball 501 times for 2,585 yards, with an outstanding 5.16 yards per carry average during those four seasons. He also scored 13 touchdowns, a number he matched last year alone. The Chargers have plans here. "He's the bell cow, the goal line [guy], the finisher," GM Joe Hortiz said of Edwards. As RB37, this doesn't even seem like a gamble.
Undervalued Player Receiving 4 Votes
Nick Chubb, Cleveland
Jason Wood: Chubb was arguably the best pure running back in the NFL before suffering a season-ending injury last year. The Browns went on to great success without him, leading some to worry that his time in Cleveland was over. Yet, the team kept Chubb, added no one compelling in the draft, and let veteran Kareem Hunt leave. Unless Chubb’s recovery hits a setback, he’s exponentially more talented than Pierre Strong, Jerome Ford, or D’Onta Foreman. Remember, Chubb has never finished worse than RB15 (as a rookie) and was coming off four consecutive top-10 seasons before getting hurt.
Gary Davenport: Chubb is coming off a serious knee injury, and head coach Kevin Stefanski has been equal parts optimistic and vague about Chubb’s rehab. There are reports that Chubb will wait until training camp to test his twice-reconstructed knee, and his availability for the early part of the season is admittedly up in the air. But Chubb also surpassed 1,000 rushing yards in four straight seasons from 2019-2022 and has averaged a robust 5.3 yards a pop for his career. Positive updates on Chubb’s recovery could skyrocket his ADP, but the opportunity to draft him as a low-end RB3 in the later rounds is a gamble every fantasy manager should be willing to make.
Andy Hicks: It seems ridiculous for Chubb to be available in fantasy drafts as late as round 9 or 10. His torn ACL occurred early in the 2023 season, and until evidence points to him missing time this year, he is of tremendous value. Before his torn ACL, Chubb was the only back to finish as a top-10 fantasy back in every year from 2019 to 2022. That proves the quality if your eyes didn’t notice it already. Jerome Ford played well in the absence of Chubb but will slip into the Kareem Hunt role. One of the more certain upside candidates this year.
Ryan Weisse: Last year's knee injury is scaring people away and creating value for those willing to gamble on Chubb. His career numbers speak for themselves. This is not a question of talent. When will he play? I don't know, and at this point, I'm not sure anyone does. What I do know is that when I see the 10 or so names being drafted ahead of him, I'd take Chubb over every one of them. If he plays Week 8, I can stash him on IR. If he plays Week 1, I just won the lottery.
Undervalued Players Receiving 3 Votes
James Cook, Buffalo
Jeff Haseley: James Cook was the RB9 after Week 10 last season. A big reason for his ascension and strong level of play is the change to Joe Brady as the Bills offensive coordinator. Expect Cook to be a big piece of the Bills offense, especially after losing over 240 targets from 2023. Think of Cook as a similar producer to Jahmyr Gibbs at a lower cost to acquire in a draft.
Sigmund Bloom: We should not use the entire 2023 season to project the Bills offense. We care much more about the offense from Week 11 on because that was when offensive coordinator Joe Brady took over. Cook was RB5 from Weeks 11-17 on a points-per-game basis in PPR leagues. He shouldn't be drafted that high, but he should be drafted a lot higher than his current ADP. He is entering the peak of his career and should be featured in the running game going into his third season.
Ryan Weisse: Cook was the 12th-best back in fantasy last season, and there is no reason to expect regression. The team added no meaningful competition, so his volume in the running game should stay the same. They also lost their best receiver, so we could actually see an increase in passing work. He also only scored two rushing touchdowns, so even if he doesn't match his four receiving touchdowns from last year, a small improvement to his rushing touchdowns will make up for it. He has a real shot at cracking the Top 10 for the first time in his career in 2024.
Devin Singletary, NY Giants
Ben Cummins: Singletary is a solid player who has run for 800+ yards in three straight seasons and caught 30+ passes in four consecutive years. He has dual-threat capabilities and lands in a decent spot as Saquon Barkley’s replacement as the starting running back for Brian Daboll. Singletary has a high likelihood of outperforming this low ADP of RB33.
Gary Davenport: No one is going to confuse Singletary with Saquon Barkley any time soon. But the 26-year-old has quietly averaged 4.6 yards per carry for his career. He has eclipsed 800 yards on the ground each of the last three seasons—seasons in which he also caught at least 30 passes and totaled over 1,000 total yards. Last year’s RB32 finish in PPR points may align with Singeltary’s current draft cost, but there’s a good chance he betters those numbers in his first year with the Giants. He’s a clear lead back who could easily see a career-high in touches in 2024.
Leo Paciga: The magic formula for Devin Singletary in 2024 is a clear path to volume, enough talent to capitalize on that opportunity, and a low investment cost. Singletary has 3 straight seasons of at least 800 yards on the ground and 30 receptions. In '23, Singletary hit the 16-carry plateau in 5 games, resulting in 60+ yards every time and 110+ yards in 3 of the 5 contests. Factor in the lack of offensive weapons in New York’s passing game, and that void sets up as a perfect match for Singletary’s pass-catching and route-running skills. At a current cost of RB33, Singletary is a perfect blend of low-cost/high ROI.
Undervalued Players Receiving 2 Votes
James Conner, Arizona
Chad Parsons: The Arizona offense was sometimes dreadful and quasi-functional the rest of 2023, yet James Conner was still RB15 in aPPG. The three-down back saw added competition in the draft with Round 3 selection Trey Benson, but Benson has a weak receiving profile and is more of a 2025 bet than anything truly challenging Conner for the lead role in 2024. Considering a healthy Kyler Murray and adding Marvin Harrison Jr. to open up the offense, Conner is priced at or below his floor.
Ben Cummins: Despite feeling like he’s much older, James Conner is just 29 years of age. He gets a healthy Kyler Murray back for a projected full season, which should open up the offense, and Conner was very good last year. He ranked second in yards after contact per attempt, second in missed tackles forced per game, third in 10+ yard runs, sixth in 15+ yard runs, fourth in Pro Football Focus’ Elusive Rating, fourth in Next Gen Stats’ rush yards over expected per attempt, and sixth in Next Gen Stats’ success rate. These data points show Conner ran efficiently, broke tackles, avoided defenders, and ripped off long runs consistently. He still has gas left in the tank.
Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh
Phil Alexander: Warren's current ADP makes sense if you draft solely off projections. He's a committee back on a team with a middling offense and tough division. Projections, however, fail to bake in upside. Najee Harris has racked up 978 total touches over his three NFL seasons, making him a prime breakdown candidate. Not to mention, Harris will be a free agent following the season, which may make him more reluctant to play through nagging injuries, as he has in the past. If Harris misses games, you can pencil Warren in as a weekly high-end RB1. And even if he doesn't, Warren was a top-20 running back playing alongside Harris last year, only now he'll have better quarterback play and offensive play calling. Warren is all upside at his current ADP.
Sigmund Bloom: The Steelers offense will get upgrades at quarterback, offensive coordinator/play-caller, and on the offensive line. The change at offensive coordinator should allow Warren to open a gap between his workload and Najee Harris's, especially when we consider that the team did not want to keep Harris next year for under $7 million dollars. Warren has already said he expects to get used often in the passing game. If he gets a similar role to Bijan Robinson and Harris's role is similar to Tyler Allgeier in new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith's Atlanta offense last season, then Warren will be one of the best picks in fantasy drafts at any position.
Zamir White, Las Vegas
Hutchinson Brown: While he holds immense risk, Zamir White has so much going for him this season. He is unproven, but down the stretch last season, he showed off real juice and brought a much-needed spark for the Raiders that Josh Jacobs was unable to bring a lot of the season. Throughout the entire off-season, the Raiders added virtually zero major running back competition, with plenty of opportunities to do so. This leads to White being set up for the workhorse role in this offense led by a head coach in Antonio Pierce, who wants to lead the offense with a strong rushing attack. He could Alexander Mattison us, but in the seventh round of fantasy drafts, his top twelve upside due to the volume he’s set to take on is worth that risk.
Bob Harris: Over the last five seasons, Josh Jacobs carried the load for the Raiders. That run ended when the former first-round pick signed with the Green Bay Packers. Jacobs led the league in rushing in 2022, accounting for nearly 80 percent of the team's carries. He was on pace for a similar percentage last season before sustaining a quad injury, opening the door for White to show off his abilities. White responded by averaging 114.3 yards from scrimmage per game across the last four contests. While the Raiders added Dylan Laube in the sixth round of April's draft, the signing of former Viking Alexander Mattison suggests the team is ready to continue leaning on White. White was RB9 over the aforementioned four-game stretch with Jacobs sidelined. Still on his rookie contract, there's no reason to expect his workload to decrease.
Javonte Williams, Denver
Jeff Haseley: After a major ACL injury, there is often a decrease in production the following year, especially for running backs. It usually takes about one to two years for confidence to return, for the muscles around the knee to rebuild and strengthen, and for production to increase. Williams recently turned 24 and is still young and determined. He is poised to become Denver's top weapon in the backfield. Expect a significant improvement from him in 2024.
Phil Alexander: I'll go so far as to say Williams is currently the best value in all of fantasy football. You can take his crummy efficiency stats from last year and throw them out the window. Williams was never going to be right just 10 months after tearing his ACL, LCL, and posterolateral corner in 2022. But nearly two full years removed from the devastating injury, we can safely expect Williams to look more like himself -- an armored tank with deceptive wiggle. Sean Payton says Williams is looking good in OTAs. Beat writers are reporting Williams is running with "angry intentions." His main competition for touches in a run-centric offense is a fifth-round draft pick who just got his knee scoped and a 185-pound satellite back. Low-end RB1 season incoming.
Brian Robinson Jr, Washington
Andy Hicks: A new coaching regime will not change the heavy run game orientation for the Commanders. The arrival of Austin Ekeler will not reduce the role significantly that Brian Robinson has with Washington either. The presence of rookie Jayden Daniels will benefit Robinson. He is set to continue his rise through fantasy rankings. People have a short memory for fantasy football. After week 12 last season, Robinson was the number 5 fantasy back. After that, he wore down and then missed games with injury. For every negative that we see in Robinson's direction, the numbers do not lie. He is a certain starting fantasy running back.
James Brimacombe: The concern in drafting Robinson this year is a shared backfield with Austin Ekeler. Ekeler is an aging back, and Robinson is the young back full of upside and now gets a big discount because of the muddied backfield on paper. Robinson was impressive in 2023, finishing as RB22 with nine total touchdowns, all after getting off to a rocky start in the offseason with off-the-field injuries.
Bonus Undervalued Players
In addition to the nine undervalued running backs listed above. These players got a single vote each.
Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia
James Brimacombe: Barkley signed the biggest free agency deal out of all the running backs in the league this offseason and gets a major team and offense upgrade. The Jalen Hurts tush push is the lone reason why Barkley isn't in the 1st round mix in drafts this year. I see this signing as a reason to lessen the rushing workload on Hurts and keep him more in the pocket. I see Barkley as one that will get a lot of goal line work in an offense that can score plenty of points.
Austin Ekeler, Washington
Ryan Weisse: While Ekeler took a step back last season, he still beat this ADP. In Washington, he's certainly the best pass-catching back and might be better than Brian Robinson in most facets of the game. Robinson was able to steal some valuable passing-game work from Antonio Gibson last season, but that should all find its way to Ekeler in 2024.
Derrick Henry, Baltimore
Sigmund Bloom: How is Henry going later than he was in 2023 drafts? The Baltimore offense is light years better than the 2023 Titans offense, and Henry showed no signs of decline last season. Lamar Jackson is a mobile quarterback, but he is not used often at the goal line, so Henry should be able to rack up scores, in addition to getting more chances to nurse leads in the second halves of games. Henry should be going at least one round ahead of his ADP.
Josh Jacobs, Green Bay
Jason Wood: The Packers notoriously build through the draft and mainly use free agency to retain their home-built talent. So it’s particularly notable that Green Bay targeted Josh Jacobs early in free agency and then jettisoned long-time star Aaron Jones. If we’re judging intent, the Packers' financial commitment and willingness to step out of their normal offseason behavior speaks volumes about Jacobs’ intended role. Also, keep in mind Jacobs is playing on a 1-year, $14.8 million deal (most of the headline $48mm deal isn’t guaranteed), and so he’ll have every incentive to play hard and push through mild injuries as he tries to get the Packers to commit longer-term or set himself up for another bite of the free agency apple in 2025.
Aaron Jones, Minnesota
Andy Hicks: After seven years of service to the Green Bay Packers, Aaron Jones moves to the rival Minnesota Vikings on a one-year deal. If we examine the career numbers of Jones we see that his yards per rush attempt of 5.05 yards a carry exceeds that of multitudes of hall of famers. He also averages 50 receptions a year over the last five seasons. His situation with the Vikings is that of a clear starter who will see work and lots of it. Yes, he will turn 30 this year. The mileage, however, is low on his career clock. He also walks into a perfect situation. A fit Jones exceeds his draft slot significantly.
Alvin Kamara, New Orleans
Jeff Bell: Kamara at RB17 sticks out. Kamara was RB5 per game in half-point PPR scoring in 2023, and I don't know what changed to cause this fade outside of another year of age. The only significant change is the switch to offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. Kubiak has spent his formative years with a Vikings offense that treated Dalvin Cook as a bellcow before spending 2023 with a front-row seat to Christian McCaffrey in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. The Saints are starved for offensive playmakers, and Kamara still sits on the shortest list of running backs who can influence the passing game. I grab him frequently, with him falling into Round 7 on some popular draft formats.
Zack Moss, Cincinnati
Jeff Bell: Chase Brown is the only meaningful threat to Moss, holding a bellcow title in an offense that has routinely produced RB1 seasons. Brown is explosive, but he was inefficient in a relief role, posting 4.07 ypc for 179 yards, propped up by one 31-yard run. Brown sitting outside the top 37 (the list provided for this exercise) shows a lack of confidence in him having a realistic chance to take this job. We never opt for the boring vet over the exciting mystery box. Moss’s RB27 price tag points to a player capable of returning an RB1 season with the risk almost completely eliminated.
Tony Pollard, Tennessee
James Brimacombe: Pollard was a splash in free agency for the Titans as they wasted no time and signed him to a three-year deal worth $24 million. The Titans have been built on running the ball with Derrick Henry over the years and now Pollard is a different type of back to fill that void. Pollard is coming off an RB8 and an RB19 finish over the last two years and in 2023 scored half as many touchdowns as in 2022. As the main star in Tennessee, I feel like double-digit touchdowns are in the mix, as is a return to 2022 form.
Tyjae Spears, Tennessee
Ben Cummins: Spears is a talented player who flashed as a rookie, catching 52 passes and putting up 838 total yards despite playing behind Derrick Henry. Spears now projects for increased playing time in year two with Henry out of the picture. Look for Spears and Tony Pollard to split this backfield almost evenly, and there is room for upside if Pollard continues to play like he did in 2023. Aggressively target Spears for 2024.
Rhamondre Stevenson, New England
Matt Montgomery: I don’t blame Stevenson for the disappointing year he had. I believe the issue with him was his ADP versus what he performed. He’s not a top target for people, and that is understandable. But I expect that while they still may struggle, the Patriots will be a much more stable team than they have been. To start, they have invested in the quarterback position, which will benefit the entire offense. Even if rookie Drake Maye doesn’t get the immediate start, they have veteran Jacoby Brissette. They also invested in draft picks and free agency to acquire weapons, which will open the box more for run plays, and I believe we will see Stevenson bounce back to the mid-tier, top 12-15 range.
D'Andre Swift, Chicago
Phil Alexander: Swift is coming off a career-best season, and the Bears rewarded him in free agency with a 3-year, $24 million contract, including $15.3 million guaranteed. It's a contract reserved for starting running backs. If we believe most projections on Caleb Williams, DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, and Rome Odunze, the Bears are an offense to target this season. It doesn't make sense that their lead back, who also happens to be an asset in the passing game, is drafted as a low-end RB2. There may not be a single running back in the league who plays against more light boxes than Swift will this year. He deserves to jump at least the five running backs currently listed ahead of him in ADP.
Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis
Matt Montgomery: Oh, how quickly we forget greatness. It is understandable to be skeptical of players who suffer injuries early into their careers, but we need to flip this perspective. A player recovering early in his career has a higher likelihood of returning to form. The point production is still there for Taylor. In his fantasy MVP season and sensational rookie season, he had 260+ touches. In his past two seasons, he’s only managed 220 and 188. Looking at his game splits last season will verify that he is still a threat every time he has the ball, and I believe an offseason of recovery will skyrocket him back to top 3 in fantasy football at the position.
Kyren Williams, LA Rams
Matt Montgomery: Williams is an interesting case study, albeit with hindsight. For whatever reasons you want to give, he was a polarizing figure of constant “will he won't he” debates in this fabulous sport. First, it was Cam Akers is better, and then there was even some Ronnie Rivers discourse! It didn’t matter what his numbers were; there was a reason they weren’t real. He’s a third-year running back who just put up 1300+ scrimmage yards with 15 touchdowns. I don’t care if you think it is a volume stat; just don’t overthink this player. He’s still just 23 years old, so logic tells us he’s not yet entered his peak. Take your fancy stats elsewhere. Kyren Williams scores you points, and that’s the point of all of this!
