It’s peak fantasy football best ball season, and if you’re like me, it is my favorite time to draft. With limited camp reports inflating (or deflating) values, it’s the last time to commit to your player perspectives based solely on your analysis of the situation and talent.
I have completed over 150 best ball drafts this summer, and I am here to present who I believe are the best values based on average draft position (ADP). I will be referencing FantasyPros’ best ball ADP data, which averages the ADPs from the top five best ball platforms.
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Fantasy Football Best Ball Draft Values & Picks to Target
Round 1
Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR – DET)
The first round doesn’t offer typical values. However, I’m choosing Amon-Ra St. Brown here, as he is consistently viewed as a tier above Puka Nacua, Ja’Marr Chase and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. It’s not that I believe St. Brown should be going ahead of those three, but he shouldn’t be three picks behind.
In half-PPR formats, St. Brown has finished as the WR3 for three consecutive seasons. That’s incredible. If you happen to draft him with the eighth pick in best ball leagues, you’ve secured one of the top-end receivers while having a better second-round selection.
Round 2
Chase Brown (RB – CIN)
The Bengals’ offense is primed for a nuclear season. So far, the vibes coming out of camp have been immaculate. Joe Burrow has openly stated that this is the most talented team he has been a part of. Additionally, trading for Dexter Lawrence was out of character for this management team in the best way.
With all the changes this offseason, one thing has remained consistent: Chase Brown is their lead back. With Samaje Perine returning to the team and second-year back Tahj Brooks behind him, Brown will have all the opportunities fantasy managers can ask for.
On a flailing Bengals team last season, Brown finished as the fantasy RB8. Currently being drafted as the RB10, there is plenty of upside. He may not be as talented, but would we really be surprised if Brown outscores the backs before him, such as Saquon Barkley, Jonathan Taylor, De’Von Achane or Omarion Hampton? I wouldn’t be.
Round 3
Zay Flowers (WR – BAL)
Currently selected as the WR14, Zay Flowers is a great value in the third round. For fantasy purposes, his WR7 finish last season was a clear breakout campaign. What was arguably most impressive about this finish is that he did this with only five touchdowns and an injury-riddled Lamar Jackson.
This year should be a huge bounce-back season for one of the NFL’s most efficient passers. With a healthy Jackson and an aging Mark Andrews and Derrick Henry, the stars are aligned for another big season for Flowers. Despite adding Ja’Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt in the draft, there is no other option that can fill Flowers’ short-to-intermediate explosive game.
I believe WR14 is on the lower end of likely outcomes for Flowers in 2026. Plus, we saw two games last season in which he had over 135 receiving yards and a touchdown. That’s the type of ceiling I want to target in best ball.
Round 4
Lamar Jackson (QB – BAL)
I’m not usually an early quarterback drafter in best ball. That said, either Josh Allen is being substantially over-drafted, or Lamar Jackson is a screaming value. I lean toward the latter, making Jackson one of my two value players in this round.
Last year, for fantasy purposes, was the worst year of Jackson’s career. Not only did he miss substantial time, but when he returned, he was a ghost of himself. Entering this season fully healthy, fantasy managers need to remind themselves of the kind of difference-maker he is.
It was only a season ago that we saw Jackson finish as the QB1 with 425 fantasy points. That was his second time surpassing 400 fantasy points, a threshold that Allen has never exceeded. Obviously, Allen’s ability to consistently be a high-end producer every season makes him the QB1 heading into 2026. However, the difference shouldn’t be nearly two full rounds.
Jaylen Waddle (WR – DEN)
I felt I needed to provide another fourth-round value pick, as I don’t usually draft a vanity quarterback. Jaylen Waddle could vastly outproduce his fantasy football ADP. Currently going as the WR23, Waddle has true top-12 upside.
After joining the Broncos this offseason, Waddle finds himself alongside an aging Courtland Sutton and a plethora of solid young talent. This clears the runway for Waddle to be Sean Payton’s new favorite toy. It’s easy to forget that Waddle was selected immediately after Ja’Marr Chase in 2021. We also forget that he was the fantasy WR7 in his second season.
Since then, both Waddle and the Dolphins have hit a rough patch. With Bo Nix under center and an elite head coach, we could easily see Waddle far surpass his current ADP.
Round 5
Mike Evans (WR – SF)
Before we get into this, you need to ask yourself, “Can Mike Evans be healthy this season?” If the answer is no, I don’t blame you. However, if you can see a world where he plays 14+ games, he is likely the biggest value pick of them all.
Currently going as the WR25, managers need to ask themselves, how many missed games are already baked into his price? I’m guessing it’s around four games. If that’s the case, is 13 weeks of a potential WR1 worth that it? I think so.
We all know Evans is on a one-way track to the Hall of Fame. After losing his 11-year streak of 1,000-yard seasons, the veteran wideout joins the 49ers in a fantastic fantasy marriage. If you asked which quarterback-scheme pairing can utilize Evans the best, Kyle Shanahan and Brock Purdy would make the short list.
The 49ers are always a top offense, and Purdy’s ability to deliver timely, accurate passes is perfect for Evans’ physical style of play. The 49ers have been craving a true X receiver ever since Brandon Aiyuk decided Instagram was more important than football.
As a result, a 1,000-yard, 12+ touchdown season from Evans is very realistic if he can stay on the field. In my opinion, this could be a better version of what we saw Davante Adams do with Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford in 2025. That’s right, I can see a path for Evans to surpass Adams’ WR8 season.
Round 6
Rome Odunze (WR – CHI)
Part of me wanted to skip this round altogether. We have entered a tier of players who, I believe, are all very comparable. Whether it’s Rome Odunze, Christian Watson, Jameson Williams or Carnell Tate, all these players have similar outlooks. The question is, which narrative do you like the best?
In my opinion, it’s Odunze’s narrative. The fantasy community has already crowned Luther Burden III as this year’s breakout player, alongside Colston Loveland, joining Brock Bowers and Trey McBride as the elite tight ends. It’s not that I believe these allocations aren’t deserved, but fantasy football is rarely that predictable. Are we overlooking what Odunze could be for this offense?
Drafted with the ninth pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Odunze was considered part of a big three tier with all-time great prospects Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers.
With his rookie season being a write-off for the entire Bears team, we caught a glimpse of his potential in 2025. Over his first four games of last season, Odunze was the fantasy WR3 behind Puka Nacua and Amon-Ra St. Brown. It was looking like an elite breakout season was inevitable.
That’s when he suffered a foot injury and never seemed to fully recover. From Week 6 on, he was the WR35 in fantasy. So, who is the real Rome Odunze?
It’s likely somewhere in the middle, but what if it’s closer to the four healthy games we saw? It wasn’t that long ago that the fantasy community swore by the year-three receiver breakout narrative. As a result, maybe we’re overlooking what a Ben Johnson-led breakout season could do for Odunze.
Round 7
Jordyn Tyson (WR – NO)
It seems that every season, there are rookie receivers who blow their ADP out of the water. With five first-round receivers selected in this year’s draft, the trend will likely continue. Jordyn Tyson is my selection to be the rookie to far surpass his ADP in 2026.
Going into the draft, it was widely accepted that Tyson had the highest ceiling among the receivers. That said, his hamstring injury and history of injuries made him one of the riskiest picks. Although the injury has still limited his ability to participate in minicamp, Tyson isn’t the only Saints receiver with health concerns.
Chris Olave has a laundry list of injuries throughout his career. Coming off his first complete season, we have now seen reports that he has blood clots. I’m not a doctor, but for a player with his history, this does not help me sleep at night.
I hope Olave can play another full season, but any missed time would catapult Tyson into the Saints’ top option. Even if Olave stays healthy, with Kellen Moore running this team, there is plenty of room for Tyson to carve out a fantasy-friendly role alongside Olave.
Round 8
Chris Godwin (WR – TB)
To be honest, this entire round smells, and not in a good way. With names like Michael Wilson, Alec Pierce, DK Metcalf and Courtland Sutton, it’s a “dealer’s choice” sort of situation. Each of these players can make a relatively convincing case for both their upside and downside.
That said, Chris Godwin is often forgotten about. The last time we saw Godwin start a season fully healthy, he was the fantasy WR2 behind Ja’Marr Chase over the first seven weeks. Unfortunately, he dislocated his ankle and missed the rest of the season, along with the start of 2025.
Upon returning, it was clear Sutton was not completely back to his former self. Thankfully, in his second-to-last game of the season, we saw a glimpse of the old Godwin, posting seven receptions for 108 yards and a score.
Godwin is now a year removed from his serious injury and is playing alongside Emeka Egbuka. Godwin has always shared the field with a talented receiver and has still produced for fantasy. I don’t believe he has a top-10 ceiling, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he sneaks into the top 24 at the position. Considering he is going as the WR39, that’s a lot of upside with relatively little risk.
Round 9
Jonathon Brooks (RB – CAR)
I’m not sure if it’s fantasy wishcasting, but Jonathon Brooks checks all the boxes to be a late-round steal. The second-round pick from two years ago has only nine carries for 22 yards in the NFL. He is now behind Sherwood Park native Chuba Hubbard. Although Hubbard may be a leader in the locker room, Carolina had no issue giving the job to Rico Dowdle when he had the hot hand.
That said, Carolina also gave the job back to Hubbard when Dowdle cooled off. As a result, this is a true hot hand approach. If that is the case, Hubbard will likely have the inside track for Week 1.
However, if Hubbard falters, we already know they will give Brooks an opportunity. As much as I like Hubbard, he is not the type of player to seize a job and not look back. As a result, I like the chances of their former second-round pick getting his opportunity and not looking back.
Round 10
Isaiah Likely (TE – NYG)
We have been waiting for Isaiah Likely’s breakout ever since he had a toe out of bounds in Week 1 two years ago. It seemed like that was going to be the year, but that quickly ended in disappointment.
However, following John Harbaugh to a Giants team with only one high-end pass-catcher could be the environment he needs to break out.
Round 11
Malik Willis (QB – MIA)
In best ball, Malik Willis is one of my favorite picks. Do I want to rely on him weekly in redraft leagues? Absolutely not. The highs are going to be incredible, but with C-level talent around him, the lows will be low.
I don’t want to predict when Willis’ good games will be, so why not take a swing in best ball and enjoy the ride?
Round 12
Keaton Mitchell (RB – LAC)
An incredibly explosive back paired with Mike McDaniel and an elite offensive line? Say less. Take advantage of not having to predict Keaton Mitchell’s big plays in best ball.
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