Everyone has different opinions on where to rank players, whether they believe the ranking is too high or too low. We’ve identified three players that you want to have at all costs as mid- to late-round bargains this year.
The only question you have to determine is when do you feel comfortable pulling the trigger to land these three candidate players? Every round they remain on the board makes them bigger value picks.
3
New York Jets RB Dalvin Cook
Who is the only NFL running back to rush for 1,100 yards in each of the last four seasons? Cook. In Minnesota, he was the centerpiece of the offense. Although he has played every game just once in six NFL seasons, Cook has been extremely productive.
Over the last four seasons (58 games), he has rushed for 5,024 yards, caught 170 passes for 1,399 yards and scored 47 touchdowns. An average season for Cook in that span has been 1,256 rushing yards, 43 receptions for 350 yards and 12 touchdowns. Those are RB1 numbers and, if he was still in Minnesota, he likely would be a top-15 back despite showing some of the signs of wear.
The Jets have gone all-in for a Super Bowl with the trade for Aaron Rodgers. As a 2022 rookie Breece Hall was impressive before he suffered a ruptured ACL at the end of October and, while he has made a quick recovery, hasn’t played a down where people with bad intentions are coming after him.
The Jets are likely going to have Hall on a snap count when he returns (which is still uncertain), and Cook will get the opportunity to make plays and earn his spot – the Jets aren’t paying Cook $7 million with the potential to make $8.6 million with incentives to watch from the sidelines. Yet, despite Hall being just 10 months out from a devastating knee injury, Cook is ranked as a low-end RB3 or high-end RB4, while Hall is ranked as a late-RB2.
Cook will be on draft boards longer than he has been in his career. Being able to get him as a RB4 on a roster could be a gift that keeps on giving.
2
Detroit Lions QB Jared Goff
Goff has never been a player fantasy owners have lined up to land on their rosters, but something is happening in Detroit that should be giving him more value than what he’s offering. A throw-in from the trade that brought Matthew Stafford to Los Angeles, Goff has found a home with the Lions.
The start of his tenure in Dan Campbell’s offense was brutal. In his first 21 starts in Detroit, he had a record of 4-16-1 and it seemed like his career was at a crossroads. Then the Lions won eight of their last 10 games, due in no small part to Detroit’s offense under Goff catching fire. In those 10 games, Goff threw for more than 250 yards in five straight games and had two or more TDs in six of them – finishing the season throwing for 4,438 yards and 29 touchdowns. Those were QB1 numbers – he finished sixth in yardage and tied for fifth in touchdown passes.
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Yet, despite Detroit being the favorite in the NFC North in part because it is the worst defensive division in the league, Goff finds himself as a low-end QB2 (between 18-20 in most rankings). He is consistently ranked behind guys like Russell Wilson, Geno Smith and rookie Anthony Richardson. Goff is more consistent than any of those guys and will be a value as the backup for those who invested in their first quarterback early. If needed, he’s going to put up numbers that smack in the face of his ranking.
1
Minnesota Vikings WR Jordan Addison
Rookies are always a fantasy football gamble, because you never know how quickly they’re going to assimilate into the offense. But Addison may be the exception to the rule. Hailed as the best route runner of the rookie class, he’s coming to Minnesota to replace veteran Adam Thielen, who was released in the offseason.
When the Vikings traded star receiver Stefon Diggs to Buffalo, they used the pick received to draft another downfield threat – Justin Jefferson. When looking to replace an elite route runner like Thielen, Minnesota used the same plan of attack in taking Addison.
At his current average draft position (around 40), Addison is a very-late WR4/early WR5 – a position where players aren’t being asked to be an every-week starter.
His current positioning has him clumped together with guys like Courtland Sutton, Jakobi Meyers, Gabe Davis and JuJu Smith-Schuster. In Minnesota’s offense, which has Jefferson and TE T.J. Hockenson demanding additional coverage, it’s not inconceivable that Addison will put up Thielen-esque numbers – 80 catches for close to 1,000 yards and seven or eight touchdowns – for the value price of a WR5.
