It’s August, baby.
With NFL Training Camps underway and preseason games happening, fantasy football draft season is firmly upon us.
Make sure you’re getting the most of every selection you make by drafting these players who are going at a value right now in Yahoo drafts.
Round 1: RB Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers (11.2 ADP on Yahoo)
Aaron Jones is a great bargain for those who hold a draft pick in the second half of the first round. With Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay for the ‘Last Dance,’ Jones should continue to see lots of work in the rushing and passing game after receiving 201 carries and 47 receptions in 2020. His 11 red-zone targets tied for seventh-most amongst running backs in the NFL last season.
Round 2: RB Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers (17.5 ADP)
At his current ADP, Austin Ekeler is one of the absolute best bargains in Yahoo drafts. The fact that you could very feasibly score the Chargers’ lead back as your No. 2 is absolutely amazing. New offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi joins Los Angeles after spending five years as a quarterbacks coach for the New Orleans Saints, a team that really liked to get the running back position involved in the passing game as Alvin Kamara recorded 80 receptions or more in each of the last four years. Ekeler, a very talented pass-catching back in his own right, should be highly involved.
Round 3: WR Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers (32.9 ADP)
Again, if OC Lombardi instills a lot of the same tactics he witnessed first-hand in New Orleans, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Keenan Allen assume the Michael Thomas role in the Chargers’ offense. Like Thomas, Allen is a possession receiver that has handled high target volumes all throughout his career. With standout rookie Justin Herbert entering his second season, too, this Allen will likely hover around 140-plus targets once again.
Round 4: RB D’Andre Swift, Detroit Lions (37.7 ADP)
My support for D’Andre Swift is truly unwavering as I still find his fourth-round ADP to be a solid value. The Lions’ RB hasn’t been practicing much lately as he deals with a groin injury, but his upside remains high after he rushed for 4.6-yards per carry and hauled in 46 receptions last year. I’m not as concerned as others with regards to Jamaal Williams, as I think Swift does need a competent cohort to spell him on certain downs as he’s never proven to be a three-down back. Still, he’s a polished pass-catcher that finished with 10 total touchdowns in 2020.
Round 5: WR D.J. Moore Carolina Panthers (54.9 ADP)
Only one player in the NFL has compiled over 1,200 yards from scrimmage in each of the past two seasons, and that’s D.J. Moore. Talent-wise, this is someone who should be selected within the first three rounds of fantasy drafts, but the questions that surround new QB Sam Darnold put him in this area of the draft.
Round 6: RB Travis Etienne, Jacksonville Jaguars (62.4 ADP)
In past years, this part of the draft has been filled with veteran running backs that have zero upside and a decent chance at losing the starting role. Not this year, for whatever reason, as fantasy managers seem to be sleeping on freshman back Travis Etienne. The 2021 first-round pick was an all-around stud at Clemson, rushing for 914 yards and hauling in 48 receptions in his final collegiate season alongside current Jaguars teammate, quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Even with James Robinson still lurking, Etienne should be fantasy relevant by handling the majority of passing-game work while also seeing opportunities in the run game.
Round 7: RB Javonte Williams, Denver Broncos (84.1 ADP)
Similarly to Etienne, Javonte Williams is another one of these young and talented early-selection RBs that has slipped to the middle rounds of fantasy drafts. Williams was dominant at the University of North Carolina in 2020, barreling his way forward for over 1,100 rushing yards and 22 total touchdowns. He also showed he can be an effective player in the passing attack, corralling 25 receptions for 305 yards. Melvin Gordon is still in Denver, but I expect Williams to operate as the 1A in this backfield.
Round 8: QB Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans (89.8 ADP)
Coming off the board as QB11, Ryan Tannehill is the quintessential wait to draft a quarterback, quarterback. Tannehill rounded out 2020 as QB7 in fantasy football and the Titans added Julio Jones this offseason. If you, like any sane person, thinks Tannehill is only going to get better with Jones being around, then there’s no reason to not snatch him up at this point in your draft.
Spartan Fantasy Football 