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10 Must-Have Players (Fantasy Football)

10 Must-Have Players (Fantasy Football)

Fantasy football draft season is here! Throughout the industry, experts are doing their best to pump quality advice through the pipeline and the folks here at FantasyPros are no different. With our Draft Kit, articles, podcasts, and videos, there is no shortage of useful information at your fingertips! Of all the topics one can learn more about though, identifying high-potential, mid-to-late round players, is arguably the most essential.

As crucial as nailing the beginning of your draft is, you can’t win your league by merely doing well there. The path to a championship is forged by those later picks who perform far above their draft cost. Today’s featured experts are here to give their input on which players you would be wise to aim for throughout the draft.

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Q. What one player outside the top 30 in the expert consensus are you hoping to end up with in all your leagues and why?

Aaron Jones (RB – GB)
Half-PPR Ranking: 37th Overall | RB18
“I’m really hoping to land Jones in all my drafts this year, as he’s now falling into the fourth round after talk of a timeshare. Matt LaFleur needs to win, plain and simple. Jones is the most talented running back on that team by a long shot. I’ve repeatedly said you can’t win your league in the first round, but you can win it in the fourth round if Jones is a top-five running back like he was from Weeks 8-14 when he was the starter. He’s a player who can wind up as a top-10 pick in fantasy drafts next year.”
– Mike Tagliere (FantasyPros)

Chris Godwin (WR – TB)
Half-PPR Ranking: 41st Overall | WR19
“Godwin is poised for a monster breakout season and the reason is as simple as the old cliché, ‘when talent meets opportunity.’ Tampa Bay saw 234 targets walk out the door this past offseason. Slot man, Adam Humphries, and deep threat, DeSean Jackson, combined for 175 of those targets. Godwin has the skill set and is expected to be asked to help replace both the vacated slot targets and deep balls. He has an ECR of WR19, which seems to be the floor of the talented third-year wide receiver. We shouldn’t be surprised if Godwin posts low-end WR1/high-end WR2 numbers in 2019.”
– Matthew Hill (DataForce Fantasy Football)

Chris Carson (RB – SEA)
Half-PPR Ranking: 46th Overall | RB21
“Carson’s ECR screams VALUE! Let’s give Penny all of Mike Davis‘ carries. His 112 totes combined with Penny’s 85 would give the sophomore rusher 197. That’s more than Kamara received last season. Give Penny all of that and Carson still finishes as an RB1 depending on the format. He was second in rushing yards from Weeks 13-17, just behind Derrick Henry, and had a total of 247 carries with both Davis and Penny in the backfield last year. I’m targeting him in Round 5 or 6 of every draft I approach.”
– Husein Shabazz (SleeperWire)

Kenny Golladay (WR – DET)
Half-PPR Ranking: 40th Overall | WR18
“Golladay saw at least five targets in six of eight games after Golden Tate was traded last year. In 12 career games with five or more targets, his full-season pace is 88 catches for 1,314 yards, and 9.3 touchdowns, which would have ranked WR10 in 2018.”
– Jacob Gibbs (SportsLine)

David Montgomery (RB – CHI)
Half-PPR Ranking: 58th Overall | RB24
“I am all in on Montgomery. The Bears traded up in the third round to make him their first selection in the 2019 NFL Draft. The rookie is a talented running back who ran for 1,000-plus yards and had 100 missed tackles in two consecutive seasons during in college. He can be a third-down back in Matt Nagy’s offensive system.”
– Mauricio Gutierrez (Estadio Fantasy)

Latavius Murray (RB – NO)
“Murray is the easiest value of the year for me with an ADP in the eighth round. I’ve been drafting him in the sixth just to be sure I get him, and even that feels like stealing. He immediately replaces Mark Ingram, who was a top-10 fantasy back in 2017, and the Ingram/Kamara combo scored even more fantasy points per game last year than in 2017. Murray is a superior goal-line back and yet is being drafted 50 picks later than Ingram was last year, who, mind you, had a four-game suspension.”
– Bobby Sylvester (FantasyPros)

Devonta Freeman (RB – ATL)
Half-PPR Ranking: 34th Overall | RB17
“I have been targeting Freeman heavily heading into the 2019 season. Freeman is a three-down back with little competition for touches in the backfield since Tevin Coleman is no longer on the team. After playing just two games last season due to a groin injury, a healthy 27-year-old Freeman is poised for a bounce-back campaign.”
– Walton Spurlin (FantasyPros)

Darren Waller (TE – OAK)
Half-PPR Ranking: 269th Overall | TE32
“There are so many potential good answers to this question, including Carson Wentz, Kyler Murray, David Montgomery, Chris Carson, Anthony Miller, and DeSean Jackson. I’m going to go someone going off the board much later than that group — Darren Waller. He is such an impressive athlete who still runs like a receiver despite carrying roughly 255 pounds and, at least in theory, should have Antonio Brown as well as Tyrell Williams keeping safeties away from the middle of the field. While no one should expect him to replicate Jared Cook’s 2018 production, Waller has a realistic chance at finishing inside the top-12 tight ends this season, which is not bad for a player typically available after Round 10.”
– Doug Orth (FFToday)

Kyler Murray (QB – ARI)
Half-PPR Ranking: 101st Overall | QB13
“I’m hoping to draft Murray in my leagues this year as he has the potential to be a league-winning quarterback like Patrick Mahomes was last season. While the concerns around the Arizona O-line are well-founded, the air raid offense combined with Murray’s legs should give him a terrific floor in all formats this season. His current ADP sits at 100, which is the perfect time to make a high-upside pick who won’t cause too much pain if he busts.”
– KJ (Fantasy Team Advice)

Josh Jacobs (RB – OAK)
Half-PPR Ranking: 45th Overall | RB20
“In a league where the running back position has been devalued, Jacobs was the only one taken in the first round of this season’s NFL Draft. He is versatile and pass blocks well, ensuring him of regular field time. He will be a focal point of an improving offense and a touchdown finisher.”
– Scott Engel (RotoBaller)


Thank you to the experts for naming their must-have players. Be sure to give them a follow on Twitter and for more great advice, subscribe to our podcast below.


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