Finding later-round value in fantasy drafts can be the difference between holding the championship hardware and landing in the Toilet Bowl. That’s especially true in high-stakes leagues like those in the Fantasy Football Players Championship (FFPC).
Here are two players going later in FFPC drafts that you should consider targeting on your way to high-stakes fantasy football glory.
Over the course of the offseason you will be able to use our ADP (Average Draft Position) tool to determine players that present values and reaches on popular league host sites. The tool combines the updated ADP for different sites along with our latest Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) to provide players to target and avoid based on average draft position. You can also use our mock draft simulator to sync your league and complete fantasy football mock drafts against the current ADP of your league host.
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Draft Values to Target
Rashod Bateman (WR – BAL) | ADP 113
You don’t usually see players with first-round draft capital just two years prior fall deep into fantasy drafts. However, Ravens WR Rashod Bateman has done just that, with an ADP landing him in the late ninth round in FFPC. It makes sense, given his history; Bateman played 18 games in his first two seasons, catching 61 of 93 targets for 800 yards and three touchdowns. Those aren’t exactly eye-popping numbers for the 27th overall selection in 2021.
While his first two seasons haven’t been electric, we did see flashes of what Bateman can do when healthy. In 2022, he started the season with two games of double-digit fantasy production, including 20-plus points in Week 2, before he fell off and was ultimately sidelined with a Lis Franc injury in Week 8. However, if Bateman managed to stay healthy, the Ravens’ offensive system under Greg Roman likely would have handcuffed him.
Heading into the 2023 season, a new offensive sheriff is in town; former Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken. Unlike Roman, who kept the ball on the ground as often as possible, Monken favors a more balanced approach with a lean towards airing the ball out. This has been punctuated with the offseason acquisition of WR Odell Beckham and the team taking WR Zay Flowers with the 22nd pick in the NFL Draft. While that creates some competition for targets, I don’t foresee either receiver hurting Bateman’s production throughout the season.
Like every NFL player, Bateman isn’t a sure thing to provide value to your FFPC rosters. However, his situation does excite me, and there’s a real possibility Bateman finishes in the WR2 tier in 2023, which is a steal for a ninth-round pick.
Mike Gesicki (TE – NE) | ADP 157
Every time I write about a TE, I always preface my analysis with the fact that the position is a relatively barren landscape in fantasy football. That hasn’t changed as we approach the 2023 season, but there is still solid later-round value to be found, and the Patriots’ Mike Gesicki is one of those players.
This past season wasn’t kind to the self-proclaimed “big slot receiver” in Miami. After finishing at the TE7 in 2020 and TE8 in 2021, Gesicki saw a dip in production behind WRs Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. In 2022, he caught 32 of his 50 targets for 362 yards and five touchdowns. He finished the season as the PPR TE23, logging just three double-digit fantasy point games.
While 2022 disappointed Gesicki managers, there is hope heading into 2023. Gesicki signed with the New England Patriots this offseason after the team allowed fellow TE Jonnu Smith to leave in free agency. He will compete for snaps with TE Hunter Henry, but these are two polar opposites regarding play style and efficiency.
Gesicki was far more efficient with his targets last season. His average depth of target (10.4), route percentage (89.8), and drop percentage (5.9) were all markedly better than Henry’s in 2022. In addition, Gesicki played 705 of his 828 snaps either out wide or in the slot. On the other hand, Henry played 425 of his 793 snaps in the same positions.
It’s fair to say last season was a disaster in New England. Former defensive coordinator Matt Patricia and head coach Bill Belichick called the m majority of the plays for an offense that looked lost. To remedy that issue, Belichick brought back former offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien to reign things in.
The last time O’Brien called plays for the Patriots, a couple of guys you may remember, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, combined for 2,237 yards and 24 touchdowns. Sure, Tom Brady was behind center back then, and Mac Jones is no Brady. However, given the lack of more dynamic pass-catchers in the Patriots’ offense, Gesicki could become the top target for Jones in a bid to compete in the AFC East. He could land as a low-end TE1 to high-end TE2 tier talent in 2023, especially in the FFPC TE Premium format. If he can return to form, you might have secured the steal of your draft in the 13th round.
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Nate Polvogt is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Nate, check out his archive and follow him @NatePolvogt.