Getting the most value for each pick should be your goal every time you’re up to make a selection. That’s just a solid draft strategy. Knowing who to draft is great, but knowing when to take your guys is both an art and a science. Take your guy too early, and you risk grabbing him at his ceiling and passing on other players who have more upside baked into their cost. Wait on your athlete too long, and someone else might grab him.

Taking a look at our average draft position (ADP) and practicing mock drafts in Draft Wizard’s Mock Draft Simulator are great ways to develop a sense of when the players you seek might come off the board. Not only that, but understanding each player’s range of outcomes will allow you to judge whether each one is fairly priced, undervalued or overvalued relative to their ADP.

Which players do our featured analysts believe are going too late? Read on to see some of their favorite undervalued draft targets. It’s fair to say the analysts are IN on Cam Akers at his current ADP.

• More Fantasy Football Advice
• Snake Draft Pick Strategy: Early | Middle | Late
• Draft Targets for Every Round: Early | Middle | Late
• Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator

Best Fantasy Football Draft Value Picks by ADP

Who is the best value pick at RB based on his current half-PPR ADP and why?

Cam Akers (RB – LAR)

“Cam Akers at RB21, 61st overall. We crave workhorse usage for our running backs, and Akers is coming off the board at the top of the sixth round despite being in line for a heavy-duty role. Akers led the NFL in rushing over the final six weeks of the 2022 regular season, ranking RB4 in half-point PPR scoring over that stretch. He had more than 100 rushing yards in each of his last three games. Akers averaged 19.2 touches over the Rams’ last six games and had a snap share of 72% or higher in five of those contests. His primary competition for touches will come from Zach Evans, a rookie drafted late in the sixth round, and Kyren Williams, whose 4.65 in the 40-yard dash at 194 pounds gives him a 10th percentile speed score, per PlayerProfiler.com. Akers is a bargain value at his current price.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)

“Cam Akers is the RB22 in ADP. Absurd. Akers eventually emerged as the team’s RB1 and finished the season as the RB4 in the final 6 weeks leading the NFL in rushing yards (85 yards/game). His potential for high volume makes him an appealing option in fantasy football. Akers played every snap in the Rams’ season finale, and the team did not select any running backs until the sixth round of this year’s draft.”
– Andrew Erickson (FantasyPros)

“Cam Akers at RB21 overall doesn’t come without downside, but the ADP mitigates a good portion of that risk. Akers eventually won back Sean McVay down the stretch and the Rams need to run the football to keep Matthew Stafford from being over-extended. Without any clear threat to his workload, Akers is a solid value who could even scratch RB1 territory by season’s end.”
– Joe Pisapia (FantasyPros)

Rashaad Penny (RB – PHI)

“Rashaad Penny’s RB2 upside with an RB4 price tag is a chef’s kiss. Miles Sanders proved last year that there’s RB2 value to be mined from the early down grinder role in the Eagles’ offense, as he finished as the RB21 in fantasy points per game. It’s not a hot take to say that Penny is immensely more talented than Sanders as a rusher. Over the last two seasons among rushers with at least 50 attempts, Penny has ranked second and first in explosive run rate and eighth and ninth in missed tackles forced per attempt (per Fantasy Points Data). Drafting Penny is a smash pick that fits any roster build.”
– Derek Brown (FantasyPros)

Get the FantasyPros News App for iOS and Android now

Who is the best value pick at WR based on his current half-PPR ADP and why?

Drake London (WR – ATL)

“Drake London at WR27, 52nd overall. That’s a sweet price on an uber-talented young receiver who commanded a hearty 29.4% target share as a rookie and was targeted on 32.4% of his routes. In the final four games of Atlanta’s 2022 season, with Desmond Ridder replacing Marcus Mariota as the Falcons’ quarterback, London averaged 8.8 targets and 14.6 PPR points per game, and 3.03 yards per route run, as noted by PFF’s Jon Macri. Yes, that spike in production came when TE Kyle Pitts was hurt, but London and Pitts figure to combine for a massive target share in 2023 since the Falcons have few other credible pass catchers on the roster. Expect London to build on the unspectacular but promising surface stats (72-866-4) he posted as a rookie.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)

Brandon Aiyuk (WR – SF)

“Brandon Aiyuk’s breakout potential was on full display last season, finishing as the WR15 with impressive yards per route run and route participation. Career high in yards per route run at 1.82 and 96% route participation. He was just one of six players in 2022 to run a route on at least 96% of team dropbacks. Without Deebo Samuel in the lineup for a stretch of games, Aiyuk averaged 13.2 points per game – fantasy WR1 numbers. ADP prices considered, Aiyuk is an easy bet to beat his WR30 rank.”
– Andrew Erickson (FantasyPros)

Quentin Johnston (WR – LAC)

“Quentin Johnston being drafted as a WR4 is a ludicrous value that likely won’t last. Johnston arguably landed in the best NFL situation for a rookie wide receiver. After that last statement, many will shake their heads, but let’s think about this briefly. Outside of Mike Williams and Keenan Allen flanking him, what’s the drawback here? Kellen Moore will feature one most pass-happy offenses in the NFL. Williams and Allen were banged up last year and are not a lock to stay healthy entering this season. Johnston could run weekly as the WR2 or, if tragedy strikes, the WR1 in this offense. Add all this on top of a player who cannot only stretch the field but also break tackles and create YAC at will, and we have a screaming value in fantasy drafts.”
– Derek Brown (FantasyPros)

Jerry Jeudy (WR – DEN)

“Jerry Jeudy is going at WR 22 off the board and will be the top target in the Broncos new offense under Sean Payton. Jeudy is going into his fourth season, and this is probably the best potential return on his investment. After last year’s historic struggles, Payton has to get this team more prepared, and I have every confidence he will, and Jeudy will see enough targets outperform this current ADP.”
– Joe Pisapia (FantasyPros)

Get the FantasyPros News App for iOS and Android now

Who is the best value pick at QB based on his current ADP and why?

Justin Fields (QB – CHI)

“I don’t think there are any screaming values at the position right now — the QB market seems quite efficient. I’ll give a tepid endorsement to Justin Fields at QB6, 44th overall, which seems like a very reasonable price for a quarterback who ran for 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns and has ample room for growth as a passer. The Bears have upgraded Fields’ pass-catching group and offensive line. The young QB cleared 200 passing yards in only two games last season, and I think we can expect much more from him as a passer in 2023.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)

Geno Smith (QB – SEA)

“Geno Smith. The Seahawks QB is the most undervalued QB in terms of signal callers selected from top-10 offenses based on aggregated team ADP. I don’t understand his lack of hype. In his first year as Seattle’s fully entrenched starter, he was the fantasy QB6, averaging 19 fantasy points per game (QB8).”
– Andrew Erickson (FantasyPros)

Daniel Jones (QB – NYG)

“I’ll keep pounding the pavement for Daniel Jones in 2023. Jones produced a QB10 finish in 2022, ranking 15th in passing yards and 14th in pass attempts. Those marks are going up this season. Last year, Brian Daboll was willing to dial up the pace and passing volume late in the season as the wide receiver room stabilized. In Weeks 12-18, the Giants were eighth in neutral script pace and 12th in neutral passing rate. Jones’ rushing floor isn’t going anywhere. With the added passing volume this season and a true number-one weapon in Darren Waller, Jones has top-five upside at the quarterback position.”
– Derek Brown (FantasyPros)

Kirk Cousins (QB – MIN)

“4.3K yards and about 30 TDs sounds like a pretty good late fantasy QB. Welp, that guy is Kirk Cousins. Yes, he will have some bad outings here and there, but he has a full complement of weapons in 2023 with T.J. Hockenson for a whole season and Jordan Addison in the fold, along with K.J. Osborn and some guy named Justin Jefferson. Cousins is the QB12 off the board and more than a consolation QB. I’m fine rolling with him and won several leagues with him under center last year myself.”
– Joe Pisapia (FantasyPros)

Now’s the time to try your new secret weapon for your draft: Draft Intel! Draft Intel analyzes up to 5 years of drafts and breaks down all your league-mates’ draft tendencies. See who waits at quarterback, how people approach the early rounds, and tons more insights to get an edge in your draft. Best of all, it’s totally FREE! Check out your league’s Draft Intel today!