Finding value in best ball contests will carry your team to victory and now is the perfect time to take advantage with mispriced players to help stack your team with high upside at an undervalued average draft position (ADP). Below are players you can target.
Undervalued Best Ball Players
Amari Cooper (WR – CLE)
Inconsistent and undervalued has been the theme for Amari Cooper for multiple seasons. His volatility can be frustrating but he can provide top-12 production with the potential to hit a hot streak to close out the season in best ball.
The Bad News: Cooper’s production sample size with Deshaun Watson was just five games and there’s still an unknown around Watson’s true pass volume and ceiling.
The Good News: Cooper is the Browns’ clear WR1 and is being drafted outside the top 24 of receivers.
Cooper’s ADP has never been at his actual ceiling but with the emergence of many young receivers, Cooper’s value is extremely high in early 2024 drafts. Cooper is being drafted behind players who are secondary options on their team — like DeVonta Smith and Cooper Kupp — and behind players that have unknown team or quarterback situations like Drake London and Tee Higgins. Cooper offers value, safety and upside.
Chase Brown (RB – CIN)
It took nearly the entire season but Chase Brown finally emerged as a complementary back to Joe Mixon, solidifying his role as the direct handcuff with potential standalone value.
The Bad News: While the Bengals may move on, Mixon already showed a willingness to take a pay cut and would likely do so again given the sheer number of backs on the market this year.
The Good News: With Mixon coming off a strong year, Brown’s ADP should remain outside the top 30 of backs and continue to drop as incoming rookies climb the board.
When looking at handcuffs across the league, Brown has the potential to be an elite option in 2024. What separates Brown from the pack is that he is a potential league winner if Mixon were to suffer an injury because Brown offers a three-down skillset that would give him a direct one-for-one replacement in a high-powered offense with a healthy Joe Burrow. Brown would have yardage, touchdowns and receiving work — the holy grail combination. He also offers standalone value alongside Mixon through receiving work.
Rashid Shaheed (WR – NO)
Heading into his third year, Rashid Shaheed is a potential breakout candidate with an ADP well over 100. Shaheed finished as the WR44 overall but had a high ceiling with multiple games over 18 fantasy points. He also showcased reliability downfield. His production was frustrating in redraft with a floor as low as two fantasy points, but in best ball, Shaheed is a strong value pick.
The Bad News: Shaheed has operated as a boom/bust deep threat and hasn’t had a consistent target share.
The Good News: The Saints are in a salary cap nightmare and will likely move on from Michael Thomas, making Shaheed the clear WR2.
Shaheed is capable of handling a higher target share and his 2023 numbers are a bit deceiving. Derek Carr suffered a shoulder injury and struggled to get the ball downfield for several weeks. Michael Thomas was healthy until his injury in Week 10. Shaheed saw nine targets in Thomas’ absence in Week 10 but Shaheed then suffered an injury and missed several games. We’ve yet to see Shaheed’s true role as the second look in the Saints’ offense. The Saints are expected to keep Carr in 2024, so the offense should maintain consistency. Shaheed will have the entire offseason to build on his 2023 production, increase rapport with Carr and thrive in 2024.
More Early 2024 Fantasy Football Draft Prep
- Erickson’s Early Fantasy Football Rankings, Tiers & Notes: QB | WR
- Early Must-Have Running Backs: Feb
- Early Must-Have Wide Receivers: Feb
- Early Must-Have QBs & TEs: Feb
- QB2s w/ Top-5 Upside: Feb
- Players to Avoid
- 3 Early Breakout Candidates
- 6 Early Fantasy Football Draft Sleepers
- Draft Values, Breakouts & Busts: RB
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