Fantasy Football: Rams ‘punt returner’ Kyren Williams leads underrated draft picks in rounds 1-10

I’ve spent the last few days covering the safest and most overrated players, so let’s move on to my top underrated picks — by round — in a 10-team, 0.5 PPR format. The biggest draft weekend of the year is fast approaching, so here’s the list of players, Rounds 1-10, who turned into valuable picks relative to their ADP as per Yahoo.

Round 1: Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Detroit Lions

I feel like underrated doesn’t apply to first-round picks, but the Sun God stands out. ASB’s targets, receptions, yards, and touchdowns have increased each of the past three seasons. He also scored the fourth-most fantasy points by a non-QB last season. While his ceiling may not be as high as some of his predecessors (Breece Hall, Bijan Robinson, Ja’Marr Chase, and Justin Jefferson), the production is there.

Considering Chase didn’t renew his contract and JJ has a new but traveling QB, Amon-Ra has enough volume and a potent offense to surpass his current ADP of 7.8 on Yahoo.

Round 2: Kyren Williams, RB, Los Angeles Rams

Buy the dip.

Now that Williams has added punt returner to his title, people are exaggerating. You guys have to realize Sean McVay is the Tom Thibodeau of football. If he trusts you, you get all the work. That’s why Williams completed RB7 in just 12 games — he was one of the most used players in fantasy. Christian McCaffrey was the only RB to average more points per game than Williams last season.

I get it — fielding punts is risky for a guy who missed five games in his first year as a workhorse back. They also drafted a great backup in Blake Corum. Still, Williams has first-round upside. If his ADP continues to drop into the mid-second, take him.

Round 3: Josh Jacobs, RB, Green Bay Packers

De’Von Achane has too much steam, so while I wasn’t on Jacobs initially, I’m back on. The injuries in the RB room are piling up and Jacobs is essentially the last man standing. AJ Dillion is out for the rest of the season and rookie MarShawn Lloyd is dealing with hip and hamstring injuries from preseason. The Packers have no choice but to get their money’s worth.

Jacobs is coming off a down year where he struggled with injuries and didn’t even come close to the rushing metrics we saw when he led the league in rushing in 2022. That’s likely why his ADP has dipped in the past week. And while he may not be the 2022 guy anymore, operating as the clear No. 1 back in a productive offense is huge for fantasy production.

Round 4: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins

Waddle is underrated after a disappointing 2023 campaign that saw him finish as the WR33. A recent calf issue has dropped his ADP a few spots, but the missed practice time appears to be a precautionary measure.

He enters his fourth season after securing three straight 1,000-yard campaigns. The touchdowns will come, but it’s always good practice to tie players to explosive, fantasy-friendly offenses. Waddle fits the bill, emerging as a high-end WR2 with a 24% target share last season.

Round 5: Trey McBride, TE, Arizona Cardinals

Normally I’m not one to grab a TE, but McBride is the ideal TE you want this season. He’s cheaper than Travis Kelce or Sam LaPorta in drafts and he’s developed serious chemistry with Kyler Murray. McBride’s fantasy points jumped to 14.9 per game after Kyler Murray returned in Week 10 of last season, as Murray targeted TEs at a rate of 34% (highest in the NFL) during that span.

Marvin Harrison Jr. will certainly get his share of the target pie, but McBride has a path to TE1 status even in a 1A/1B distribution with the rookie. As Yahoo Football analyst Nate Tice noted, the Cardinals are terribly comfortable with 13 personnel, which only increases Mcbride’s potential in this attack.

Round 6: David Montgomery, RB, Detroit Lions

Fantasy managers who dropped Gibbs last season to draft Montgomery did well. It could be a smart move again. Gibbs is injured and despite the hype around the Lions adding to Gibbs’ workload, lunchpail Monty is the floor-raiser with the potential for more when Gibbs is sidelined.

The Lions have the best offensive line in football and he’s prone to scoring a lot of TDs. At cost, he’s a solid mid-round back who will play a prominent role early on but will likely be sold mid-season (like he was last year).

Round 7: Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

Surprise, another player who underperformed in 2023. Higgins is financially motivated to return to his WR2 form. I’d put Higgins in that DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle category of “an injury could bump him to WR1 production” at a slight discount.

Chase’s contract saga should be ironed out before the season starts, but if it doesn’t, that’s a simpler argument to acquire Higgins. The ADP may be slipping, but his connection to Joe Burrow is on point. Chalk up his poor 2023 season to injuries and grab the value in 2024.

Round 8: Jordan Love, QB, Green Bay Packers

You don’t have to force the issue at QB, especially in a 10-team format. Love will be sitting there, waiting to be drafted as a reliable but underrated passer for your fantasy squad. Last year was his breakout year, but he set the bar high by amassing over 4,400 total yards with 36 touchdowns (32 passing, four rushing).

He was the QB5 and he still goes after CJ Stroud, Joe Burrow, and Dak Prescott. He has a ton of weapons at his disposal and his scheme looks good to start the year. If you decide to wait for QB, Love is a great option. Or go 1-2 rounds later and get Jayden Daniels or Caleb Williams.

Round 9: Rashee Rice, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

Rice is one of the few players on the list whose ADP is rising, having been drafted into the eighth round in the past seven days, largely because it appears unlikely he will be suspended in 2024 for his offseason violations.

I’ve already shared my thoughts on overdrafting Travis Kelce , and with Hollywood Brown dealing with a shoulder injury, it’s no surprise that Rice led the Chiefs in targets and routes run by Mahomes in the preseason. He’s on the rise — and he’s emerging from underrated territory.

Round 10: Rome Odunze, WR, Chicago Bears

Odunze ran the majority of the routes with Caleb Williams in preseason, indicating that the Bears want to build rapport between the rookie duo as quickly as possible. Keenan Allen is dealing with a foot issue, and while that will likely be a temporary setback, his absence will allow Odunze’s role to expand. This is a positive move, as Odunze is far too talented not to get on the field and perform right away.