One way to vastly increase your odds of having a season filled with success is to nail the last few rounds of your draft. As important as that is in standard-sized leagues, it’s that much more of a difference-maker in deep leagues. Even though most of the players found in the late rounds will struggle to be consistently reliable options, they will still usually offer occasional viability and provide a small chance of producing a good fantasy season. The following players chosen by our featured experts are talented athletes who have a small track record of success at some point in the past, whether that be in college or for short stretches in the pros. There are reasons for optimism regarding all these guys and picking these lotto tickets gives you a much better chance at winning than settling for low-ceiling options at the end of your draft.
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Q1. Who is one RB that you plan to target in all drafts as a final-round flier and why?
Boston Scott (PHI)
“Give me Scott anywhere I can get him. I’ve been pounding the table on him since last year and he had a very nice stretch in the final four games of 2019, rushing for a 38/151/4 stat line while adding 23 receptions for 199 yards as a receiver on 25 targets over that same stretch. He’s proven to be durable, elusive, and productive when filling in for Miles Sanders, who has yet to prove his own durability. Scott is a very underappreciated backup to Sanders and can be a big producer if lightning strikes.”
– Jeff Haverlack (Dynasty League Football)
“Everyone is fixated on Miles Sanders in Philadelphia, and perhaps rightfully so, but grabbing Boston Scott would also be a good idea. In no way is this meant for only those that are rostering Sanders either. Scott is going to be involved enough to warrant flex consideration on a weekly basis, albeit the consistency may not always be there. The Eagles need pass-catchers and Scott can certainly do just that as evidenced by his 23 receptions over the final four games of 2019.”
– Rich Piazza (Fantasy Shed)
Antonio Gibson (WAS)
“With the news of Derrius Guice’s legal trouble and subsequent release, Gibson, Washington’s hyper-athletic, size/speed running back, saw his ADP jump as the rookie’s path to touches seemed relatively clear. However, the expectation that Adrian Peterson would start off the season as the early-down workhorse, with Gibson, a healthy Bryce Love, and J.D. McKissic being left to fight for passing-down work and change-of-pace carries, has seen Gibson’s hype and ADP level off in recent weeks. Despite what appears to potentially be a crowded and frustrating backfield to decipher from week to week, I remain eager to roster as much of the dynamic rookie as I can at his cost. It could very well be a messy timeshare in a mediocre offense, but it also doesn’t take much imagination to picture the 220-pound rookie taking over as a three-down workhorse at some point in the season, and as such, I am willing to invest a pick and save a roster spot to see how the early season plays out.”
– Matthew Hill (DataForce Fantasy Football)
“Until a few weeks ago, Antonio Gibson was the best-kept gem in the draft. That changed a bit with the departure of Derrius Guice, but he is still one of my favorite sleepers, especially in casual leagues. We saw how in college he proved to be impressively effective, explosive, and versatile. He is having a great training camp and Washington’s coaches have highlighted that the rookie could be a weapon anywhere on the field as a runner, slot receiver, or even a wideout.”
– Mauricio Gutierrez (Estadio Fantasy)
Duke Johnson (HOU)
“Oddly enough, I’ve been getting a lot of Duke Johnson. I don’t believe that David Johnson’s skill set fits what the Texans like to do, and while they’ll give him a ton of chances to succeed, they may be forced to lean on Duke a bit more than most are expecting. David isn’t a between-the-tackles type runner and is best used as a receiver, so this could turn into more of a timeshare. On top of that, we can’t pretend David has been the healthiest of players throughout his career. There’s no one else on the Texans’ depth chart.”
– Mike Tagliere (FantasyPros)
Joshua Kelley (LAC)
“Kelley has been someone that I’m targeting everywhere. I loved his film coming out of UCLA and thought he was severely underutilized under Chip Kelly. He’s a tough runner in between the tackles and has some speed to his game too, as evidenced by his 40-yard dash time. With a mobile QB in Tyrod Taylor, Kelley should see running lanes that simply weren’t there previously with someone like Philip Rivers and he’s going to solidify himself as the RB2 behind Austin Ekeler in this offense sooner than later.”
– Kyle Yates (FantasyPros)
Darrel Williams (KC)
“He won’t last until the final round in sharkier leagues, but the Chiefs’ Darrel Williams will be available in the last round of a lot of home-league drafts. He’s reportedly the clear No. 2 RB in the NFL’s best offense, backing up undersized rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Williams could have stand-alone fantasy value if he’s the goal-line back and also gets the occasional set of downs while CEH gets a breather, and if CEH were to get hurt, Williams’ value could go through the roof.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (The Football Girl)
Q2. Who is one WR that you plan to target in all drafts as a final-round flier and why?
Anthony Miller (CHI)
“It blows my mind that Miller is going outside the top 150 players in ADP, but that’s what it says. He is going to be the No. 2 option in a Bears offense that’ll have twice the odds of competent quarterback play, as the competition between Mitch Trubisky and Nick Foles will be good for them. With Taylor Gabriel out of town, I’m projecting Miller for 100-plus targets this year, which is extremely rare to find in the double-digit rounds, let alone outside the top 150.”
– Mike Tagliere (FantasyPros)
“How Anthony Miller is still going beyond the top-150 in half-PPR ADP is beyond me. He is the clear No. 2 WR in this Bears offense and he should be heavily targeted this season. He has the talent to make those targets count and, from every report coming out of Bears training camp, Miller’s looking like a different player this year. He’s even more focused and driven than ever before and there’s a very real chance we look back at his ADP next season and wonder why we let him fall so far in drafts.”
– Kyle Yates (FantasyPros)
Preston Williams (MIA)
“From Weeks 1 to 9, Williams was the WR18 in targets (60) and the WR37 in total fantasy points. As a comparison, DeVante Parker was the WR36 in that same period and it was when Williams got injured that he began to generate much more production. In fact, while Williams was healthy, these two teammates averaged an almost identical number of fantasy points per game — Parker averaged 11.5 points to Williams’ 11.4 points. With the pace Williams was on, he would have been able to finish with 120 targets, 64 receptions, 856 yards, and six touchdowns, which were similar numbers to what Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel had. The second-year WR is the best fantasy value on the Dolphins’ whole roster.”
– Mauricio Gutierrez (Estadio Fantasy)
Parris Campbell (IND)
“Some of us may have overhyped Campbell as a rookie last season, but that shouldn’t keep us from adding him to our roster with one of our last picks this year. Rookie Michael Pittman is getting all the love and figures to be a big target for Rivers, especially in the red zone, but Campbell is projected to be the starting slot receiver for Indianapolis. That’s important because, not including tight ends and running backs that lined up there, Rivers targeted his slot wide receiver 58% of the time last season. We can’t ignore that Keenan Allen occupied 26% of Rivers’ targets last year (fourth-highest target share among wide receivers) and 60% of those targets came when Allen was lined up in the slot.”
– Rich Piazza (Fantasy Shed)
Hunter Renfrow (LV)
“Thanks in part to the addition of talented rookie receivers Henry Ruggs and Bryan Edwards, Renfrow’s 2019 season seems to have been largely forgotten. He was excellent down the stretch, finishing with 17 or more PPR points in four of his final seven games. While Renfrow’s ceiling is likely low, I see him having a similar fantasy profile as Jamison Crowder (consistent with high volume), but you will only need a pick in the teens to roster him.”
– Matthew Hill (DataForce Fantasy Football)
Laviska Shenault (JAC)
“Shenault is a fun late-round lottery ticket because he’s a unique player who has multiple paths to fantasy relevance. He’s a 227-pound, Anquan Boldin-like brute who lined up all over at Colorado — out wide, in the slot, at running back, as a wildcat QB. With the underachieving Dede Westbrook dealing with a shoulder injury, Shenault could be the Jags’ primary slot receiver in Week 1, and he could conceivably get a few snaps in Jacksonville’s unsettled backfield. Injuries knocked Shenault into the second round of this year’s draft, but he’s healthy now and reportedly looked terrific in training camp. Fantasy managers should shoot the moon with their end-of-draft picks, targeting players with vast upside, and Shenault offers a handsome potential payout.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (The Football Girl)
Allen Lazard (GB)
“Lazard is terribly under-rostered in all formats. Aaron Rodgers continues to sing his praises and fellow receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling has done little thus far to threaten Lazard’s status as the WR2 starting across from the elite Davante Adams. With a rejuvenated run game and Lazard now in his sophomore year, I’m expecting big things relative to his 194th overall ADP. Make no mistake in that Rodgers is ultra-motivated in 2020 and will make opposing secondaries pay when they choose to consistently double cover Adams. Valued as no better than a WR5 currently, he carries significant upside at that ranking and can be added aggressively.”
– Jeff Haverlack (Dynasty League Football)
Thank you to the experts above for naming their final round targets. Be sure to give them a follow on Twitter and check out our latest podcast below for more fantasy advice.
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