To be honest, I don’t think there’s such a thing as a truly “must-have” player in any fantasy football format. However, if there is ever a time of year when players are mis-priced enough to be worth targeting in just about every draft, it’s right now. Especially as you get into the late rounds of Best Ball drafts, it can sometimes be sharp to take a huge stand on individual underpriced players. Today, we’re looking at quarterbacks and tight ends who fit that mold in early Underdog ADP. Let’s get started.
- Fantasy Football Research & Advice
- Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
- 2026 NFL Mock Drafts
- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
- NFL Team Needs: 2026 NFL Draft & Free Agency Targets
Must-Have Quarterbacks & Tight Ends in Underdog ADP
Kyler Murray (QB – FA) | ADP: 129.6
I wish I wrote this article a few weeks ago, as Kyler’s ADP has steadily climbed since the start of the offseason. Still, the former first-overall pick is still simply far too cheap, making him my first “must-have” player.
It hasn’t officially happened yet, but Kyler is going to be released by the Cardinals. With the way NFL contracts work, he will be able to sign with his next team for the minimum and still be paid by Arizona. That means Murray will be picking his landing spot based purely on fit, aka a competitor with a favorable offensive environment. Right now, Kyler’s most likely next team is reportedly the Vikings — that’s an absolutely dream setup for any QB, with Kevin O’Connell calling plays and Justin Jefferson catching passes.
Even if he doesn’t land in Minnesota, one thing is certain: Kyler is going to be an NFL team’s Week 1 starter this season. Barring injury, he’s probably going to start all 17 games, and when he plays games, Murray scores fantasy points.
Kyler has played at least 10 games in six of his eight career seasons. In those six years, he has finished as the QB12, QB8, QB4, QB3, and QB11 in points per game (among other QBs with at least 10 games). This ADP has him as the QB22 in Best Ball drafts. He can have by far the worst full fantasy season of his career on a per-game basis and still pay off this price. I recommend you draft as much of Murray as you can right now; his ADP is only going to keep rising, especially if the rumors are true and he is wearing purple by Week 1.
Travis Kelce (TE – FA) | ADP: 117.6
Travis Kelce is in kind of the opposite position to Murray. Where Murray is technically still on the Cardinals’ roster despite the fact that we all know he is going to be a free agent, Kelce is technically a free agent despite the fact that we all know he is returning to the Kansas City Chiefs. Okay, maybe that’s a slight exaggeration, as there’s still a chance the future Hall of Famer chooses to retire and hang out with his billionaire fiancee. However, all indications are that the 36-year-old is going to run it back for at least one more season.
Of course, even assuming he plays, Kelce isn’t the fantasy superstar he once was, but we shouldn’t overstate his falloff. He finished 2025 as the TE9 in half-PPR points per game and TE3 in total points. Kelce also ranked fourth at the position with 108 total targets, his absurd 11th straight season in triple figures.
There are other situational reasons to doubt Kelce. He will likely be without All-World QB Patrick Mahomes for at least some of the season thanks to a late-season knee injury. On the other hand, his top target competition, Rashee Rice, is healthy and unsuspended (for now). The Chiefs’ offense hasn’t been the juggernaut it once was, nor is Kelce its undisputed engine as he was in his prime.
Thankfully, the market isn’t forcing us to pay prime Kelce prices. At TE19 in ADP, the seven-time All-Pro is right behind Hunter Henry and Mark Andrews. Andrews is incredibly washed in his own right, while Henry is the definition of a boring, replaceable tight end.
Producing a Henry-esque season seems close to Kelce’s non-retirement floor, and he showed last season that his ceiling is still genuine TE1 production. As long as you’re willing to stomach the slim retirement risk, Kelce is a no-brainer pick at his current price.
Eli Stowers (TE – Rookie) | ADP: 188.8
Let’s jump from one of the league’s oldest tight ends to one of its soon-to-be youngest. A few weeks ago, I highlighted another rookie, Kenyon Sadiq, in my list of TE2s with top-five upside. However, thanks to a historic Combine performance, Sadiq is rapidly becoming too expensive to be a “must-have” player.
Instead, I want to highlight another rookie TE. Coming out of Vanderbilt, Stowers is an athletic receiving tight end. He killed the Combine in his own right, running a 4.51 40 and posting the highest vertical jump of any TE ever. He’s currently projected to be selected early in the second round, and his stock is more likely to rise than fall going forward.
Whatever team does draft Stowers, they’ll be doing it with the goal of using him as a receiving weapon as he’s a pass-catcher, not a blocker. In fact, Stowers’ receiving numbers are actually the most impressive of anyone in this class, Sadiq included. He also won the John Mackey award as the country’s best tight end in 2025, joining an absurdly stacked list of recent winners.
Of course, tight end is a position that can require some adjustment from the collegiate level to the NFL. The old axiom that rookie tight ends are never productive for fantasy has been put to bed in recent years, but Stowers does have risk. Given his lack of elite blocking chops, he’ll have to be a difference-maker as a receiver to avoid finding himself in a part-time role a la Dalton Kincaid.
Still, that’s a risk I’m willing to take at this ADP. Stowers is the TE26 on Underdog, right between Dalton Schultz and T.J. Hockenson. It may be risky, but I recommend chasing the upside of the rookie over those low-ceiling veterans in the vast majority of drafts.
Daniel Jones (QB – IND) | ADP: 154.6
Honestly, I don’t feel that great about this one. Daniel Jones is coming off an Achilles injury, which we’ve seen absolutely tank other quarterbacks in recent years. Plus, he’s Daniel Jones. Betting on a mobility-reliant former bust coming off a brutal injury feels like a recipe for disaster.
On the other hand, Danny Dimes was excellent for the Colts last season. Not only did he lead Indianapolis to success, but he thrived for fantasy in Shane Steichen’s offense. Prior to suffering the aforementioned Achilles injury in Week 14, Jones was the fantasy QB7 both overall and in points per game.
And what’s key to this pick is that Jones will still be in Steichen’s system, as the Colts placed the transition tag on him earlier this week. Staying in this familiar, fantasy-friendly environment is absolutely massive for Jones’ value. It’s also probably a good indicator of his health that Indianapolis made this move and there’s a very real chance that Jones will be ready in time to start Week 1.
Starting Week 1 is all Jones really has to do to pay off his current ADP. The next three quarterbacks off the board after him are Michael Penix Jr., Jacoby Brissett, and J.J. McCarthy, all of whom will likely at least have to compete to have starting spots in 2026. Things only get uglier from there.
Jones isn’t a comfortable pick, and the Achilles probably means he doesn’t have much dual-threat upside, either. That being said, if you make it to the end of a Best Ball draft and still want some guaranteed(ish) quarterback production, he’s easily the best option outside the top 150 picks.
Subscribe: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart | Castbox | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict | TuneIn
Ted Chmyz is a fantasy football contributor for FantasyPros.com. Find him on Twitter and Bluesky @Tchmyz for more fantasy content or to ask questions.