Fantasy football draft season is in swing as we approach the third NFL preseason game, so it’s time to check in on how owners are valuing certain names.
Thanks to average draft position (ADP), we can tell who’s going too high and too low. In this post we’ll be taking a look at running backs who are being undervalued by drafters, which means you can take advantage by getting a discount on talents by waiting on those players instead of taking them higher up.
Here are a few names whose ADP (thanks to Fantasy Pros) feels a little too low:
1. Chris Carson, Seattle Seahawks
He’s going at RB20 and 38th overall, which seems low for a player who might be more involved in the passing game and who is in a run-heavy offense. Add in the fact that Rahaad Penny is struggling in the preseason and it’s obvious Carson is someone to target at a discount.
2. James White, New England Patriots
Taking a Patriots running back comes with so much risk. But White has his role carved out as a pass-catcher (he caught a career-high 87 receptions in 2018) and that’s why it’s a little suprising to see him at RB27 or even RB26 (51st overall) in PPR scoring.
3. Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers
It sounds like the team is preparing for Melvin Gordon’s holdout to continue into the regular season, so you should go get his backup that happens to have an ADP of 68th overall. Justin Jackson is going at 165th overall, so include him in there, too.
4. Latavius Murray, New Orleans Saints
Mark Ingram is leaving behind six touchdowns in 12 games from last year after he joined the Ravens. And a couple of weeks ago, Sean Payton said he liked the “balance” he’s had with Alvin Kamara, which keeps the stud RB fresh. So it’s a bit of a mystery to me why a player who has scored 32 touchdowns on the ground in the past four seasons is going 79th overall.
5. Darwin Thompson, Kansas City Chiefs
I listed him in my late-round picks post, but I’m starting to think he won’t last that long. You can still get the mega-sleeper at a discount but maybe not as much as you would have a week ago (he’s RB57 at the moment).
