Being able to find value is vital to having success in fantasy football. Hitting on early-round picks is crucial, but to compete for a championship, you’ll need to have some of your mid-to-late-round picks give you worthwhile production throughout the season.
Cooper Kupp is one of the first players off of the board in drafts, so he doesn’t fit the description of a value in fantasy football this year. The reigning Offensive Player of the Year was arguably the best value last season as he finished as WR1 despite not going in the first couple of rounds of drafts.
While expecting someone to have a season like Kupp is unrealistic, there are still a few players on the Rams that could return massive value at their current ADP (average draft position).
*All ADPs are courtesy of 4for4’s ADP Fantasy Football Rankings.
WR Allen Robinson
Overall ADP: 58
Position Rank: WR22
Allen Robinson has been a popular name in the fantasy football community this offseason. The veteran wideout signed a three-year deal with the Rams in free agency following a disastrous 2021 campaign with the Chicago Bears.
Even with Robinson posting career-worst marks in receptions (38), receiving yards (410), and receiving touchdowns (1) a season ago, there is a ton of hype surrounding the Pro Bowl wide receiver. It has been nothing but glowing remarks from Sean McVay and other members of the Rams since Robinson joined the reigning Super Bowl champions.
Before arriving in Los Angeles, the Penn State product operated as the No. 1 wide receiver on the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Bears, and he had plenty of success doing it (WR6 in 2015, WR11 in 2019, and WR12 in 2020). While Robinson will be the No. 2 target for Matthew Stafford behind Kupp, the Rams can certainly support two top 15-20 wide receivers in fantasy, especially with the 28-year-old wide receiver likely having a heavy target share in the red zone.
RB Darrell Henderson Jr.
Overall ADP: 117
Position Rank: RB42
There aren’t many teams in the NFL that list co-starters at the running back position. However, the Rams are one of them. Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson Jr. are expected to share the backfield workload for Los Angeles in 2022, but only one of them is getting selected in the early rounds of drafts.
Akers currently holds an ADP of 43 and is the 18th running back selected (on average), meaning that he is likely going in the fourth-to-fifth-round range in 12-team leagues. Meanwhile, Henderson’s ADP sits at 117 and is the 42nd running back off of the board despite finishing no lower than RB36 in the past two seasons.
Neither Akers nor Henderson have been able to avoid injury issues early in their careers in the NFL, so the Rams are likely going to deploy both of them in hopes to keep them fresh for a postseason run. While Akers could get more touches — and could potentially be the more talented back — Henderson’s ADP is much easier to stomach compared to his counterpart.
WR Van Jefferson
Overall ADP: 218
Position Rank: WR74
There are going to be a handful of teams in the NFL that people want to get exposure to in fantasy football, and the Rams are certainly one of them. While having Kupp or Robinson is ideal, Van Jefferson is a solid late-round target at the wide receiver position.
Jefferson recently underwent knee surgery, though, the Rams have yet to rule him out for a Week 1 return. The former second-round pick is entering his third season in Los Angeles, so he won’t need much time to get back up to speed with the offense.
On top of that, Jefferson is the team’s clear No. 3 wide receiver, McVay loves him, and even if the Rams retain Odell Beckham Jr., he won’t be able to return until closer to the end of the 2022 season. After recording a career-best 802 receiving yards and six touchdowns on 50 receptions in 2021, the Florida product could be a worthwhile late-round selection (more so in best-ball leagues).
