Scott Engel of RotoExperts.com is in his seventh season of Fantasy Football analysis on seahawks.com. Scott is an inaugural member of the Fantasy Sports Writer's Association's Hall of Fame and a former FSWA Fantasy Football Writer of the Year Award Winner. He can be heard on FNTSY Radio every morning and seen on FNTSY Sports Network daily on CenturyLink's sports package and Dish Network.
Many Fantasy players are drafting their teams this week, as it is one of the biggest weeks and weekends on the Fantasy Football calendar. We are less than two weeks away from a full schedule of opening games, including the Seahawks' marquee matchup with the Packers. With the most relevant preseason games to Fantasy players now completed and most of the major news having being reported and dissected, it's the best time to draft, as you will have the most up to date information available. Many players believe that the closer you draft to the opener, the better.
So as your next or final draft approaches, it's an ideal time to review some NFL.com Average Draft Positions (ADP) and pinpoint who are some of the best values you can find on Draft Day. We are also keeping in mind where these players are going in similar drafts in other formats as well, so this can be a good guide for you in any league you play in.
Below are some of the best values you'll find in your next draft. ADPs can be a guide to where you might see where players are picked, but you should go by your own ranks, and also those at RotoExperts.com and NFL.com as true maps.
RB Dalvin Cook (NFL.com ADP of 57.31)
The Minnesota rookie is going as late as the fourth round in some other drafts, and his current NFL.com ADP makes him a pure steal. A versatile and electric player, he has a chance to have a major workload immediately. He can be an instant Top 10 Fantasy running back.
RB Ty Montgomery (68.65)
He will start for Green Bay and even though the ground game is clearly secondary to the Packers, he will also catch passes and should be the first choice for goal line work. He may not go at quite a value in some other formats, but if you play in a public league anywhere you should not let him slip past the fifth round.
RB Tevin Coleman (93.17)
In just about every league and format I seem to witness, Coleman falls simply too far. Coleman totaled almost 1,000 yards from scrimmage last year and had 11 total TDs, He's a flex player with explosive ability. In some PPR formats, he is going late enough that you can grab him as a depth guy to begin with.
RB Doug Martin (100.00)
He will miss the first three games of the season, but Martin flashed his best form at times in the preseason and looked very determined and potentially very productive. Stash him early in the year and you might be able to start him regularly once he returns.
RB Terrance West (145.18)
He is going to be the starting running back for the Ravens and will get some pretty consistent scoring chances. You should certainly consider him as your fourth running back, because opportunities will be there.
WR Davante Adams (67.52)
He had a quiet 2015 season when expectations were high, but he broke out last season with 12 TD catches. At age 24 and in one of the game's best offenses, we could see even better all-around production from Adams this year. He should not fall past the fourth round in any draft.
WR Martavis Bryant (91.51)
He's ready to re-emerge, and you should not forget what a unique combination of size and speed Bryant is. The Steelers were working more on his underneath and shorter routes in the preseason, which could simply make him more dangerous and versatile while working in one of the best passing attacks in the AFC.
WR Pierre Garcon (108.64)
He stands alone as the clear No. 1 pass-catcher for the 49ers. The San Francisco offense will be more respectable than some think, and last time he worked with new head coach Kyle Shanahan in 2013 in Washington he led the league in receptions (113) and targets (184) while totaling a career-high 1,384 receiving yards.
WR Jeremy Maclin (126.20)
A back injury has not given Joe Flacco time to work with him in the preseason, but the two veterans should click quickly during the regular season. As long as Flacco stays healthy, Maclin will be a very good WR3 candidate in PPR formats, and he is a nice value when he slips too far in standard formats. He'll become Flacco's primary pass-catcher very rapidly.
WR Paul Richardson (150.31)
He has earned starting status with the Seahawks, and he is more than just a highlight maker. Richardson is going past the 16th round of some deeper drafts and is a tremendous deep value. Russell Wilson spreads the ball around very effectively and will look for Richardson frequently for the kind of timely plays that really challenge a defense at key moments.
QB Kirk Cousins (84.10)
He threw for just under 5,000 yards last season and should be highly motivated to show he should be considered one of the league's better passers.
QB Jameis Winston (108.02)
Here is proof that in some leagues you can wait until later for your starting QB. Instead of jumping too early for Rodgers or Brady and missing on top RBs or WRs, be patient and lurk for Winston, who will throw frequently, and volume could put him firmly inside the Top 8 at the Fantasy QB position.
TE Zach Ertz (117.41)
Carson Wentz had over 600 passing attempts as a rookie and now he has an improved receiving corps to sling it to. Ertz will be one of this top targets on key downs and could challenge to be a Top 5 Fantasy TE, especially in PPR formats.
TE Evan Engram (147.98)
Rookie tight ends usually don't make much of an impact, but Eli Manning has already taken to Engram in the preseason. He has even lined up in the slot and is a very natural big receiving target. You should at least draft him as a TE2, because he could get some frequent red zone looks too.
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