Each week I’ll list the best widely available free agents for fantasy football — I define “widely available” as being owned in around half of all ESPN or Yahoo leagues — and some guys who are probably better off in the free agent pool than collecting dust on your roster.
This week I’d like to highlight players who will likely have value this season, but went undrafted in most standard leagues (average draft position courtesy of Fantasy Pros):
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QB Sam Howell, Commanders (ADP: 185): Howell was the best downfield er in his draft class and proved to be a legitimate threat as a runner his final season at North Carolina despite failing to meet big expectations. He needs to improve his patience within the pocket and dig deeper in his progressions on early downs — but he flashed dynamic ability as a er and runner as a rookie last season.
QB Matthew Stafford, Rams (ADP: 187): Los Angeles’ defense looks legitimately bad on paper (outside of Aaron Donald of course). Stafford is only one year removed from being the overall QB5 in fantasy before getting beaten, battered and bruised behind a makeshift offensive line riddled with injuries in 2022. The O-line should be better (and hopefully healthier) this season and Stafford could flashback to his days in Detroit, where he was always fantasy relevant based on sheer volume.
QB Aidan O’Connell, Raiders (ADP: 255): O’Connell showed promise in the spring and that carried over into training camp and the preseason. He was a no-star recruit who ended up a finalist for the 2022 Burlsworth Trophy (top former walk-on) at Purdue. He featured one of the better downfield touches in the 2023 draft class, but the accuracy comes and goes. He’s a quick-processor who is cool, calm and collected in or out of the pocket and could potentially see some time under center as a rookie if things go south quickly for Jimmy Garoppolo.
RB Deon Jackson, Colts (ADP: 171): Jackson is expected to start Week 1 against Jacksonville with Zack Moss (ADP: 192) still recovering from injury and Jonathan Taylor on the IR. So there’s flex value here, especially in PPR formats, considering he was productive as a receiver out of the backfield last season. But Evan Hull (ADP: 225) has the most long-term value outside of Taylor. Hull was the only running back in college football with 50-plus receptions and finished third in the Big Ten in all-purpose yards per game (136.7). If the Colts finally strike a deal to send Taylor elsewhere, Hull will eventually supplant Moss and Jackson as the primary ball-carrier (outside of Anthony Richardson of course).
RB Chase Brown, Bengals (ADP: 215): Brown is athletic, explosive and runs with a low center of gravity. His 328 carries led all Power Five backs, and his 83 forced missed tackles trailed only Bijan Robinson. His ball security must improve (eight on 676 collegiate carries, with five last fall), but if Joe Mixon continues to show decline, he’s talented enough to take advantage. Otherwise, he’ll initially compete with Chris Evans (ADP: 319) and Trayveon Williams to replace Samaje Perine as the ing down back in an explosive Cincy offense.
RB Keaontay Ingram, Cardinals (ADP: 269): James Conner has 26 touchdowns in 28 games for Arizona over the last two seasons, but he’s 28 years old and has a concerning injury history — Conner has missed multiple games in all six seasons he’s played in the NFL. Ingram has a realistic path to touches as Conner’s primary backup.
WR Rashee Rice, Chiefs (ADP: 172): Kadarius Toney isn’t a guarantee to stay on the field and both JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman left in free agency, so there’s a lot of targets up for grabs in Kansas City — potentially even more if Travis Kelce’s knee injury is serious. Rice isn’t a burner, but he consistently wins jump balls and was a highly productive team captain for SMU. The second-round pick (No. 55 overall) was top-five in school history in touchdown catches (25), receiving yards (3,111) and receptions (233). Justyn Ross (ADP: 224) would benefit if Kelce’s injury lingers as well.
WR Jonathan Mingo, Panthers (ADP: 180): Mingo has strong, consistent hands and he’s hard to take down once he makes the catch. He had 10 receptions of 30-plus yards in 2022 (including two for more than 70 yards) at Ole Miss, and could become Bryce Young’s favorite target by mid-season.
WR Jayden Reed, Packers (ADP: 213): A three-year starter at Michigan State, Reed was one of the more productive playmakers to get drafted in 2023. He ed and ran for a TD, made 26 TD receptions and returned three punts to the house in his collegiate career. Reed is starting in the slot from day one, where his route running and physicality could help him thrive with Jordan Love at quarterback.
WR Tank Dell, Texans (ADP: 217): Dell produced back-to-back seasons with 1,300-plus yards and had 29 TD receptions the last two seasons of his collegiate career. His size (5-foot-8, 165 pounds) is a concern, but he possesses game-changing ability as a receiver or punt returner and should fit offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik’s version of Kyle Shanahan’s offense perfectly — the scheme emphasizes run-after-catch gains. Cancer survivor and 2022 second-round pick John Metchie (ADP: 247) offers the highest ceiling of Houston’s young receivers, but could need some time to to reacclimate after missing his rookie season to defeat leukemia.
WR Rashid Shaheed, Saints (ADP: 246): Mount Carmel’s Shaheed was the overall WR37 in standard formats (WR38 in PPR) the final five games (all starts) of his rookie season after g with New Orleans as an undrafted free agent. He’s dynamic with the ball in his hands and will get a significant upgrade at quarterback with Derek Carr, who likes to take shots down the field.
WR Puka Nacua, Rams (ADP: 272): Los Angeles desperately need someone to emerge and take some pressure off of Cooper Kupp when he’s healthy. Nacua made quite an impression in the offseason after GM Les Snead selected him in the fifth round and he shares a similar skillset to Robert Woods, who thrived in Sean McVay’s offense.
TE Gerald Everett, Chargers (ADP: 188): Everett was the overall TE14 in standard formats (TE13 in PPR) in his first season with the Bolts. The Chargers will likely remain one of the NFL’s most -heavy teams with new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, who has a history of featuring tight ends in his offense. Tight end is the most top-heavy position in fantasy, so finding this type of value on the waiver wire can make a big difference.
TE Irv Smith Jr., Bengals (ADP: 212): Injuries have plagued Smith the last two seasons, but he’s only 25, and the former second-rounder has teased his talents while on the field. He’s a no-risk, high-reward lottery ticket at the most inconsistent position in fantasy who could easily rebound on a high-powered Cincinnati offense with one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL throwing him the football.
TE Mike Gesicki, Patriots (ADP: 229): Gesicki was a consistent TE1 from 2019-2021 for the Dolphins, finishing as the TE11 (TE12 in PPR), TE6 (TE7) and TE11 (TE8) in fantasy. Reuniting with his college coach at Penn State (New England offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien) could spark a career year. The last time O’Brien was the offensive coordinator for the Patriots, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez combined for 169 receptions (on 237 targets), 2,237 yards and 24 touchdowns. His return bolds well for Hunter Henry (ADP: 260) as well.
TE Isaiah Likely, Ravens (ADP: 252): Likely was one of my favorite prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft and gave us a glimpse of his potential as a rookie. If you drafted Mark Andrews early, you might want his handcuff — normally I don’t advise this for tight ends, but that’s how much upside Likely continues to have.
TE Cade Otton, Buccaneers (ADP: 274): Otton should benefit from an abundance of Baker Mayfield dumpoffs. About 30 percent of Mayfield’s es targeted tight ends his last two seasons as a full-time starter in Cleveland.
D/ST Commanders (ADP: 178): The first rule of fantasy football in 2023 is streaming the defense playing against the Arizona Cardinals and Washington happens to open up at home against the “tanking” birds. But I believe the Commanders’ defense will have staying power after a matchup in Week 1. They feature one of the fiercest defensive lines in the NFL and have added playmakers to an already solid secondary. They already finished as a top-three run defense and top-12 defense in 2022, but were held back by a bad offense. I expect more stability on offense this season which could unlock one of the best defenses in fantasy.
D/ST Browns (ADP: 238): Cleveland had the 18th-highest scoring defense in fantasy last year, producing five games with double-digit points, including three in the final six games of the season. There’s enough talent on this team to consider it a streaming option right away depending on the matchup, but new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz plans to up the pressure, which could lead to more sacks and turnovers.
