NFL Best Ball Draft Sleepers: Juwan Johnson, Sam Howell, Darius Slayton (2023 Fantasy Football)

Soaking up average draft position (ADP) value is an excellent way to advance to the playoffs in best ball tournaments and have a positive return on investment (ROI) in all best ball contests. Of course, it’s not ideal to stray too far from ADP since the wisdom of the crowd has value. Still, some players are underrated, and this piece will analyze the best value in all 18 rounds of Underdog Fantasy’s best ball drafts.

More Best Ball Draft Advice
Best Ball Draft Primers: QB | RB | WR | TE
Player Rankings & Notes: QB | RB | WR | TE
2023 Best Ball Draft Kit

Best Ball Values By Round

Rounds 14-18

Juwan Johnson is my favorite late-round tight end. I highlighted him as a TE2 with top-five potential in March, and the Saints have since traded fellow tight end Adam Trautman to the Broncos. So, I'm even more enthusiastic about drafting Johnson now.

Admittedly, I don't love anyone in the 15th round. So, it's a good round to grab a handcuff running back. There's been some buzz around veteran running back Trayveon Williams. Nevertheless, Williams was a sixth-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft and has had only 47 rushes, 10 targets, eight receptions and 302 scrimmage yards in his professional career.

Cincinnati chose Chase Brown in the fifth round of this year's draft, and Matt Waldman, the creator of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio, discussed Brown as a good fit for the Bengals on the Yahoo Fantasy Football Forecast podcast. Brown productively closed his college career. Per PFF, he was fourth among running backs in FBS with 1,632 rushing yards in 12 games in 2022. Brown also chipped in 27 receptions for 240 yards and three touchdowns on 30 targets. I'd rather invest in the unknown of Brown than choose Williams after four seasons of being a non-factor on offense for the Bengals.

I touted Sam Howell in February, and the offseason has come up roses for him. The Commanders were bound to add competition for the second-year pro, and Jacoby Brissett will press Howell for the starting gig. Still, battling Brissett is roughly the best outcome imaginable instead of Washington trading up to draft a rookie or swinging a deal for an established starting quarterback. So, Howell is the ideal high-upside cheap quarterback in three-QB lineups.

Big Blue's receiving corps is crowded. However, Isaiah Hodgins and Darius Slayton are unique in a position group filled with slot wideouts. According to PFF, Hodgins played 82.3% of his passing snaps for the Giants aligned wide, and Slayton aligned wide 72.0% of the time last year. Hodgins developed chemistry with Jones on the fly after the Giants claimed the big-bodied wideout off waivers from the Bills. Hodgins had five touchdowns in 10 games for the G-Men and had an excellent showing in the Wild Card Round, securing eight receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown on nine targets.

Slayton forced his way up New York's depth chart after entering the year as an afterthought. He averaged 2.9 receptions per game, 45.3 receiving yards per game and 15.7 yards per reception in the regular season last year. Finally, reading the tea leaves, Slayton should have roster security, despite the glut of wideouts on the Giants. The veteran wideout re-signed with the Giants during the offseason, and, per Spotrac, he has the largest dead cap hit and signing bonus among New York's wideouts. It's fun to throw darts at young players with uncertain roles in the last round of Underdog Fantasy's best ball drafts. Still, there is value in having lower-ceiling players likely to have a role on their team, and Slayton fits the bill.

If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you navigate your season. From our Start/Sit Assistant - which provides your optimal lineup, based on accurate consensus projections - to our Waiver Wire Assistant - that allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team and by how much - we've got you covered this fantasy football season.