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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Cory Bonini

Examining recent fantasy football ADP data

Every fantasy football draft season creates what is known as “average draft position” data (ADP), which gamers can utilize to help find trends and get a feel for current valuation tendencies.

It’s a fair way for novice players to relate positional value and also contrast how other drafters perceive worth vs. other positions. That said, it’s easy to get caught up in the numbers and fixate too much on them.

Don’t become enamored with the raw data, especially if you’re unable to validate the source material. For example, mock drafters may not be as likely to put forth earnest effort and/or could be willing to take wild risks in relation to making picks when that actually count for something.

Utilizing ADP data as guidelines is fine, but getting wrapped up in strictly adhering to them will get you in trouble. It’s always a positive to know whereabouts players tend to get selected within a few rounds’ margin or to develop a feel for positional runs — such as how many of the safe QB1s or No. 1 tight ends go in the first eight rounds, on average. ADP never should be treated as the be all, end all.

With that out of the way, here’s commentary from the most recent ADP chart from FantasyFootballCalculator.com. The data used comes from 12-team, PPR drafts between July 16 to July 26, covering 10,360 mocks.

Ovr Pos rk Pick Name Pos Team Bye Comments
1 1 1.01 Jonathan Taylor RB IND 14
2 2 1.03 Christian McCaffrey RB CAR 13 Too rich for my blood … In PPR, I’d take Kupp as the safest non-Taylor selection.
3 3 1.04 Derrick Henry RB TEN 6
4 1 1.04 Cooper Kupp WR LAR 7
5 4 1.04 Austin Ekeler RB LAC 8
6 2 1.05 Justin Jefferson WR MIN 7
7 5 1.07 Najee Harris RB PIT 9
8 6 1.08 Dalvin Cook RB MIN 7
9 3 1.09 Ja’Marr Chase WR CIN 10
10 4 1.10 Davante Adams WR LV 6
11 7 1.11 D’Andre Swift RB DET 6
12 8 1.12 Joe Mixon RB CIN 10
13 5 2.01 Stefon Diggs WR BUF 7
14 9 2.02 Nick Chubb RB CLE 9
15 1 2.03 Travis Kelce TE KC 8
16 10 2.04 Aaron Jones RB GB 14
17 6 2.04 CeeDee Lamb WR DAL 9 Undervalued? Lamb legitimately could finish in the top 8-10 overall.
18 11 2.06 Alvin Kamara RB NO 14 Could be a steal if the league doesn’t come down too hard on him via suspension
19 7 2.06 Deebo Samuel WR SF 9 New QB, contract dispute, unlikely to run as much … overvalued?
20 12 2.07 Javonte Williams RB DEN 9
21 13 2.08 Saquon Barkley RB NYG 9
22 1 2.09 Josh Allen QB BUF 7 Don’t draft any QB this early in conventional scoring systems/league structures.
23 8 2.10 Tyreek Hill WR MIA 11
24 9 2.10 Mike Evans WR TB 11 Among the safest WR1 targets in the game today and a value as WR9
25 2 2.12 Mark Andrews TE BAL 10
26 14 3.01 Leonard Fournette RB TB 11
27 15 3.02 Ezekiel Elliott RB DAL 9 RB15 in PPR is an interesting proposition after finishing RB7 in a “down” year.
28 10 3.03 Keenan Allen WR LAC 8
29 16 3.04 David Montgomery RB CHI 14 Could be slightly overvalued in the new system. At risk of losing serious volume.
30 11 3.05 A.J. Brown WR PHI 7 This is about as early as I’m comfortable investing in him.
31 12 3.06 Tee Higgins WR CIN 10
32 2 3.06 Justin Herbert QB LAC 8
33 17 3.08 J.K. Dobbins RB BAL 10 Pay close attention to his status during the next few weeks before investing.
34 18 3.09 James Conner RB ARI 13 TD-dependent but lacks much competition
35 13 3.09 Michael Pittman Jr. WR IND 14 Could break out as a top-8 WR
36 3 3.10 Patrick Mahomes QB KC 8
37 19 3.11 Antonio Gibson RB WAS 14
38 3 4.01 George Kittle TE SF 9
39 4 4.01 Kyle Pitts TE ATL 14
40 14 4.02 D.K. Metcalf WR SEA 11
41 20 4.03 Cam Akers RB LAR 7 Strong value buy
42 15 4.04 Diontae Johnson WR PIT 9 Overvalued? Dependent on volume and has shaky QB situation
43 21 4.05 Elijah Mitchell RB SF 9 Too risky for this placement. Committee approach, injury concerns, running QB. No thanks.
44 16 4.06 Terry McLaurin WR WAS 14
45 22 4.06 Josh Jacobs RB LV 6 Extreme volatility; TD-reliant, injury-prone. RBBC history from new regime is a concern
46 23 4.08 Travis Etienne RB JAX 11
47 17 4.09 Jaylen Waddle WR MIA 11
48 5 4.10 Darren Waller TE LV 6
49 18 4.11 D.J. Moore WR CAR 13
50 4 4.12 Joe Burrow QB CIN 10
51 19 4.12 DeAndre Hopkins WR ARI 13 Going earlier in casual leagues due to name recognition. Becomes a value after Round 6.
52 5 5.01 Lamar Jackson QB BAL 10 Will need to maximize his rushing skills and aerial efficiency with one of the weakest WR corps
53 24 5.04 Clyde Edwards-Helaire RB KC 8
54 25 5.04 Damien Harris RB NE 10 A value or another TD-dependent committee back? Hard to say with no true OC
55 20 5.05 Michael Thomas WR NO 14 Should be able to live up to this placement with 15-plus healthy appearances
56 21 5.05 Chris Godwin WR TB 11 Overvalued while working back from ACL tear suffered in Week 15
57 26 5.07 A.J. Dillon RB GB 14
58 22 5.07 Brandin Cooks WR HOU 6 Sound value with ascending quarterback and limited weapons to steal targets
59 23 5.08 Mike Williams WR LAC 8 Probably maxed out his ceiling last year
60 27 5.09 Breece Hall RB NYJ 10 Overvalued in a committee-based system, despite being a superior talent to Michael Carter
61 28 5.10 Miles Sanders RB PHI 7 Safe bet for a solid rebound, especially if passing game picks up as expected
62 6 5.11 Kyler Murray QB ARI 13
63 24 5.11 Adam Thielen WR MIN 7
64 6 5.12 T.J. Hockenson TE DET 6 Make-or-break season; needs to stay healthy and improve his efficiency to meet this valuation
65 25 6.04 Hunter Renfrow WR LV 6 Just how many passes can one expect with Davante Adams and Darren Waller atop the pecking order?
66 26 6.04 Amari Cooper WR CLE 9
67 7 6.04 Jalen Hurts QB PHI 7
68 27 6.06 Allen Robinson WR LAR 7 No OBJ and unproven receiving depth should lead to a rebound as a WR2.
69 29 6.07 Kareem Hunt RB CLE 9
70 30 6.08 Rashaad Penny RB SEA 11 Chris Carson’s retirement firmly entrenches Penny as the RB1a … until he gets hurt yet again.
71 31 6.08 Tony Pollard RB DAL 9 Will he have as large of a role again if Zeke stays healthy? Probably can meet this placement via receptions.
72 28 6.09 Jerry Jeudy WR DEN 9 Another make-or-break candidate with no excuse if he doesn’t step up
73 29 6.09 Darnell Mooney WR CHI 14 Ready for another leap? Seems improbable, but he’s a strong No. 2 on a team without a true WR1.
74 7 6.12 Dalton Schultz TE DAL 9 Strong value in PPR and likely to finish as Dallas’ No. 2 option
75 8 6.12 Aaron Rodgers QB GB 14 Far too early to draft him, but this entire ADP chart is full of QBs going too soon.
76 30 7.01 Marquise Brown WR ARI 13 Is it far-fetched to think he actually could remain the top target when DeAndre Hopkins returns?
77 31 7.02 Courtland Sutton WR DEN 9 Tremendous value with Russell Wilson steering the ship. Completely healthy after 2020 ACL tear.
78 9 7.03 Matthew Stafford QB LAR 7
79 32 7.03 Devin Singletary RB BUF 7
80 33 7.06 James Robinson RB JAX 11 Keep tabs on his workload over the next month before trusting he’ll return to form.
81 32 7.06 DeVonta Smith WR PHI 7
82 8 7.07 Dallas Goedert TE PHI 7 Will NFL’s top rushing offense dramatically pivot to a pass-heavy script and sustain three strong targets?
83 33 7.09 Gabriel Davis WR BUF 7 Poised for a true breakout, but his role and skill set suggest inconsistency from week to week.
84 10 7.10 Dak Prescott QB DAL 9
85 9 7.11 Dawson Knox TE BUF 7 Overvalued … too dependent on touchdowns and shouldn’t see a significant upgrade in targets
86 11 7.12 Russell Wilson QB DEN 9 Rock-solid value going even this early … tends to go two rounds later in advanced leagues
87 34 7.12 Elijah Moore WR NYJ 10 Intriguing risk-reward decision in an offense that has seen serious investment in personnel upgrades
88 34 8.01 Chase Edmonds RB MIA 11 Interesting value here in PPR but may struggle to hold up to a large workload as well as fend off competition
89 35 8.01 Melvin Gordon RB DEN 9
90 35 8.04 Amon-Ra St. Brown WR DET 6 Investment in WRs, plus healthy D’Andre Swift and T.J. Hockenson will cut into his targets
91 36 8.06 Kenneth Walker III RB SEA 11 Carson’s retirement solidifies Walker as no worse than an RB4 with plenty of upside.
92 36 8.06 Robert Woods WR TEN 6 Age-30 season coming off a torn ACL and entering a run-first system … underwhelming.
93 37 8.06 Cordarrelle Patterson WR ATL 14 Should come back to Earth after breaking out at 30 years old in a new position
94 12 8.06 Tom Brady QB TB 11 Should move up a few spots with Julio Jones’ signing, but it’s not a sure thing to move the needle.
95 38 8.08 Rashod Bateman WR BAL 10 Showed enough in limited action as a rookie to believe this placement is criminally low
96 37 8.09 Alexander Mattison RB MIN 7 Among the best backups to target/handcuffs to secure
97 38 8.09 Michael Carter RB NYJ 10 Starting to gain steam in relation to Breece Hall’s ADP
98 39 8.10 JuJu Smith-Schuster WR KC 8 Comes down to staying healthy after a season-ending shoulder injury in 2021, his 2nd lost season in 3 years
99 39 8.11 Rhamondre Stevenson RB NE 10
100 40 9.03 James Cook RB BUF 7 Don’t get too excited — no real threat to take Devin Singletary’s job and may be a gimmick-play receiving back
101 40 9.04 Brandon Aiyuk WR SF 9
102 41 9.05 Tyler Lockett WR SEA 11 Profit potential is tough to ignore at this ADP, regardless of QB situation
103 13 9.05 Derek Carr QB LV 6
104 41 9.06 Ronald Jones II RB KC 8 Will be an interesting RB3/flex option if CEH struggles once again
105 42 9.06 Darrell Henderson RB LAR 7
106 10 9.08 Pat Freiermuth TE PIT 9 Might be the safest receiving outlet in the Steel City not named Najee
107 11 9.09 Zach Ertz TE ARI 13
108 42 9.09 Chase Claypool WR PIT 9
109 14 9.10 Trey Lance QB SF 9 Has the weapons and rushing chops to shine as a QB1, but the OL is a question mark
110 43 9.11 Russell Gage WR TB 11 Shouldn’t be too affected by Julio signing — different roles
111 43 9.11 Nyheim Hines RB IND 14
112 44 10.01 Michael Gallup WR DAL 9 Grossly overvalued due to injury timeline
113 45 10.03 Christian Kirk WR JAX 11
114 44 10.04 J.D. McKissic RB WAS 14
115 45 10.04 Raheem Mostert RB MIA 11 Has the advantage of knowing the system but has been failed by his own body
116 1 10.05 Buffalo Defense DEF BUF 7 Don’t draft defenses in Round 10. Ever.
117 12 10.05 Mike Gesicki TE MIA 11
118 46 10.07 Kadarius Toney WR NYG 9 Offers the most upside of all receivers on the roster and is a value at this stage
## 46 10.07 Chris Carson RB SEA 11 Retired and will fall out of the ADP charts soon
120 47 10.08 Dameon Pierce RB HOU 6 Quality target this late — hardly used at Florida but is more versatile than Marlon Mack
121 48 10.08 Marlon Mack RB HOU 6 Training camp & preseason will determine whether how much see Pierce before Mack inevitably gets injured.
122 47 10.08 Allen Lazard WR GB 14 Among the best breakout candidates coming at a WR4 price tag
123 15 10.09 Kirk Cousins QB MIN 7 Unsexy pick but strong backup who has produced as a low-end QB1 more often than not
124 48 10.11 Drake London WR ATL 14 Hard to get excited about anyone catching passes from Marcus Mariota
125 49 11.02 Mark Ingram RB NO 14
126 50 11.03 Chuba Hubbard RB CAR 13 Will he fend off D’Onta Foreman to back up CMC?
127 2 11.04 LA Rams Defense DEF LAR 7
128 51 11.05 Isaiah Spiller RB LAC 8 Should be on everyone’s short list when looking for a late-round flier; mandatory handcuff to Austin Ekeler
129 49 11.05 Jarvis Landry WR NO 14 Volume needed, but will it be there?
130 3 11.07 Tampa Bay Defense DEF TB 11
131 50 11.08 Treylon Burks WR TEN 6 Needs a close watch over the next month after missing nearly all of OTAs.
132 52 11.09 Tyler Allgeier RB ATL 14 Stands a strong chance to break through as an RB3 or flex in non-PPR; fourth back in PPR
133 51 11.09 Calvin Ridley WR ATL 14 Gamers are gambling on his suspension being reduced
134 16 11.10 Deshaun Watson QB CLE 9 Suspension looming, which dictates his entire value
135 52 11.10 Chris Olave WR NO 14 Probably won’t matter if Michael Thomas, Landry and Kamara are healthy
136 53 11.11 DeVante Parker WR NE 10 Strong value option this late
137 53 12.01 Jamaal Williams RB DET 6
138 17 12.01 Tua Tagovailoa QB MIA 11 Has all of the weapons and the system in place to break out
139 13 12.02 Hunter Henry TE NE 10
140 54 12.02 Kenneth Gainwell RB PHI 7
141 18 12.03 Justin Fields QB CHI 14
142 54 12.03 Christian Watson WR GB 14 Can he develop fast enough and remain consistent enough to earn Aaron Rodgers’ trust?
143 55 12.04 Tyler Boyd WR CIN 10
144 4 12.05 Indianapolis Defense DEF IND 14 Coordinator change could lead to regression in big plays
145 55 12.05 Darrel Williams RB ARI 13 Handcuff to James Conner
146 56 12.06 Rachaad White RB TB 11
147 1 12.06 Justin Tucker PK BAL 10 Don’t draft kickers in Round 12. Ever.
148 14 12.07 Cole Kmet TE CHI 14 Breakout candidate written all over him
149 56 12.08 Skyy Moore WR KC 8 Will need a strong camp and/or a few breaks to shine, but the talent is obvious
150 15 12.09 Logan Thomas TE WAS 14 Avoid him like your fantasy life depends on it
151 19 12.09 Davis Mills QB HOU 6
152 57 12.09 Sony Michel RB MIA 11 Purely a flier in a crowded backfield
153 2 12.10 Tyler Bass PK BUF 7
154 5 12.11 San Francisco Defense DEF SF 9
155 20 12.11 Matt Ryan QB IND 14
156 3 12.12 Daniel Carlson PK LV 6
157 57 13.01 Marquez Valdes-Scantling WR KC 8 Could emerge as one of the best free-agent additions of a crowded WR class
158 58 13.01 Gus Edwards RB BAL 10
159 4 13.02 Harrison Butker PK KC 8
160 6 13.03 New Orleans Defense DEF NO 14
161 5 13.04 Ryan Succop PK TB 11
162 59 13.06 Matt Breida RB NYG 9
163 16 13.06 Robert Tonyan Jr. TE GB 14 Has a chance for late-season success if the knee gets right
164 6 13.07 Rodrigo Blankenship PK IND 14 Rebound ahead after a lost year
165 7 13.07 Pittsburgh Defense DEF PIT 9
166 7 13.07 Younghoe Koo PK ATL 14
167 17 13.07 Austin Hooper TE TEN 6 Magnificent value for a flier TE who has proven to be a top-10 guy more than once
168 8 13.09 LA Chargers Defense DEF LAC 8 Legit upgrades in the offseason should see defensive-minded head coach get more creative
169 60 13.09 Trey Sermon RB SF 9
170 9 13.09 Minnesota Defense DEF MIN 7
171 18 13.09 Kyle Rudolph TE TB 11 Was brought in for his blocking skills and shouldn’t be on your radar
172 8 13.10 Nick Folk PK NE 10
173 58 13.10 Mecole Hardman WR KC 8 Someone has to emerge from this hodgepodge WR room, so why can’t it be the incumbent?
174 9 13.10 Matt Gay PK LAR 7
175 10 13.10 Detroit Defense DEF DET 6
176 21 13.10 Jared Goff QB DET 6
177 19 13.11 Irv Smith Jr. TE MIN 7 Nifty TE2 flier with TE1 potential some weeks
178 11 13.11 Washington Defense DEF WAS 14
179 20 13.11 Mo Alie-Cox TE IND 14
180 22 13.12 Trevor Lawrence QB JAX 11 It’s statistically impossible to be as bad as he was last year once more
181 61 13.12 Tyrion Davis-Price RB SF 9
182 21 13.12 Noah Fant TE SEA 11 Tremendous value given the shaky QB situation and attention paid to top WRs
183 59 14.01 A.J. Green WR ARI 13
184 12 14.01 Dallas Defense DEF DAL 9
185 60 14.01 D.J. Chark WR DET 6
186 61 14.01 Jakobi Meyers WR NE 10 Safe, quality roster depth in PPR
187 10 14.02 Greg Joseph PK MIN 7
188 23 14.03 Jameis Winston QB NO 14 If healthy, could surprise and challenge low-end QB1 status
189 62 14.03 Kenyan Drake RB LV 6 Will find a role once the ankle is 100 percent
190 11 14.03 Graham Gano PK CAR 13
191 63 14.03 D’Onta Foreman RB CAR 13 Breathed some life back into his career last season and could win RB2 chores behind fragile starter
192 13 14.03 New England Defense DEF NE 10
193 62 14.03 Tim Patrick WR DEN 9
194 24 14.04 Mac Jones QB NE 10
195 64 14.04 Jerick McKinnon RB KC 8
196 63 14.04 Alec Pierce WR IND 14 Intriguing deep threat, but will this offense pass enough to make him worthy of a roster spot?
197 22 14.04 Albert Okwuegbunam TE DEN 9
198 23 14.04 Gerald Everett TE LAC 8
199 64 14.05 Rondale Moore WR ARI 13 Has the electricity to warm a bench spot for a few weeks to find out if he’s worth the risk
200 24 14.05 Tyler Higbee TE LAR 7
201 65 14.05 Garrett Wilson WR NYJ 10
202 66 14.05 Kenny Golladay WR NYG 9 It’s tough to reconcile this placement … Draft him as a WR5 and you won’t regret it.
203 25 14.05 Evan Engram TE JAX 11 Ready to return to his early glory days
204 65 14.05 Jeffery Wilson RB SF 9
205 67 14.06 Van Jefferson WR LAR 7
206 26 14.06 David Njoku TE CLE 9 Quality value with all that is this receiving corps and QB situation
207 27 14.07 Hayden Hurst TE CIN 10
208 14 14.07 Baltimore Defense DEF BAL 10
209 15 14.07 Green Bay Defense DEF GB 14
210 16 14.08 Arizona Defense DEF ARI 13
211 28 14.08 Cameron Brate TE TB 11 Most viable option among TB’s TEs
212 17 14.08 Philadelphia Defense DEF PHI 7 Ready to bounce back after influx of talent
213 12 14.08 Brandon McManus PK DEN 9
214 25 14.08 Mitch Trubisky QB PIT 9 Sneaky flier in best-ball
215 18 14.09 Kansas City Defense DEF KC 8
216 66 14.09 Myles Gaskin RB MIA 11
217 26 14.09 Zach Wilson QB NYJ 10 Do we see the true gunslinger in him this year?
218 68 14.09 Jameson Williams WR DET 6 Probably not worthy of a fantasy roster spot, but stranger things have happened
219 67 14.09 Samaje Perine RB CIN 10
220 68 14.09 Zamir White RB LV 6
221 69 14.09 Brian Robinson Jr. RB WAS 14 Handcuff to Antonio Gibson
222 13 14.09 Jake Elliott PK PHI 7
223 14 14.09 Jason Sanders PK MIA 11
224 15 14.10 Lirim Hajrullahu PK DAL 9
225 69 14.10 Corey Davis WR NYJ 10
226 70 14.11 Nico Collins WR HOU 6 A slightly better flier with John Metchie out
227 71 14.12 Jamison Crowder WR BUF 7 Should assume Cole Beasley’s spot as a safety blanket — volume tied to how much Gabe Davis breaks out
228 72 14.12 Jahan Dotson WR WAS 14
229 73 15.01 George Pickens WR PIT 9
230 70 15.01 Boston Scott RB PHI 7
231 74 15.01 Jalen Tolbert WR DAL 9 Awesome profit potential in what’s a ragtag group behind Lamb
232 27 15.01 Baker Mayfield QB CAR 13 Has the weapons if he can cut down on the turnovers
233 19 15.02 Miami Defense DEF MIA 11
234 16 15.02 Cade York PK CLE 9
235 17 15.02 Wil Lutz PK NO 14
236 28 15.02 Ryan Tannehill QB TEN 6
237 20 15.02 Cleveland Defense DEF CLE 9
238 71 15.02 James White RB NE 10
239 21 15.02 Denver Defense DEF DEN 9
240 18 15.03 Chris Boswell PK PIT 9
241 19 15.03 Matt Prater PK ARI 13
242 75 15.04 Marvin Jones WR JAX 11 Another unsexy selection who could return a decent profit
243 72 15.05 D’Ernest Johnson RB CLE 9
244 76 15.05 Sammy Watkins WR GB 14
245 73 15.05 Rex Burkhead RB HOU 6
246 22 15.06 Carolina Defense DEF CAR 13
247 23 15.07 Tennessee Defense DEF TEN 6
248 74 15.08 Mike Davis RB BAL 10
249 75 15.08 Damien Williams RB ATL 14
250 20 15.09 Robbie Gould PK SF 9
251 21 15.10 Dustin Hopkins PK LAC 8
252 77 15.10 Robby Anderson WR CAR 13 Criminally low, especially if Mayfield secures starting job
253 22 15.12 Mason Crosby PK GB 14
254 76 16.01 Giovani Bernard RB TB 11
255 23 16.04 Cameron Dicker PK LAR 7

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