With less than a month till the draft we have only a few more weeks to take advantage of early best ball contests before they close and the huge contests open as the official best ball season begins. We have more information now than at any point in this early best ball window. We can use that leverage to create better teams than the ones drafted in the opening weeks. Below are players to target in your best ball drafts.
- 7 Fantasy Football Best Ball Draft Targets
- 2024 NFL Draft Guide
- 2024 Best Ball Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- Free Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator
Best Ball Players to Target
Curtis Samuel (WR – BUF) | Underdog ADP: 130 Overall
The Bills signed Curtis Samuel after a mixed three-year stint in Washington and reunited him with Brandon Beane (Bills GM), who was a part of the Carolina Panthers front office when they drafted Samuel in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Samuel gives the Bills a dimension they’ve lacked in recent years, being able to win both through the middle of the field and on the outside, as well as bringing quicker acceleration than the Bills have had in recent years. Samuel averaged 9.08 miles per hour (MPH) within the first second of his routes in 2023. His burst (measured by NFL Next Gen Stats) was the third-quickest in the NFL among players with 300+ routes and was markedly quicker than Gabe Davis (8.25 MPH) and Stefon Diggs (7.73 MPH). The move to bring Samuel to Buffalo also reunited him with offensive coordinator Joe Brady, who was the offensive coordinator in Carolina when Samuel saw 97 targets and recorded 851 yards. The Bills look to be building a different type of offense for 2024 and Samuel could be a large part of it.
New Bills WR Curtis Samuel’s 2023 #ReceptionPerception profile is up on the site.
– 75.4% success rate vs. man coverage (82nd percentile)
– He’s cleared 75% success rate vs. man in all 4 seasons charted for RP
– 80% success rate vs. zone was the best mark of his careerSamuel… pic.twitter.com/jtoVbOh8zw
— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) March 19, 2024
Joe Mixon (RB – HOU) | Underdog ADP: 65.7 Overall
The Texans’ decision to reward a player about to get cut with a two-year extension was slightly perplexing but it won’t pay off to focus on that fact long term. Instead, with fresh eyes, let’s remember the Texans have committed to Mixon as their main running back. Dameon Pierce completely floundered last year, consigned to special teams only by the end of the season while Devin Singletary saw 19.4 touches per game from Week 10 onwards. Mixon has scored 37 touchdowns in the last three years, making up for some of his inefficiency on the ground. As the sole option in Houston, that kind of return can continue in an ascending offense.
Diontae Johnson (WR – CAR) | Underdog ADP: 77.3 Overall
The Panthers trading for Diontae Johnson was one of their smartest decisions. Bryce Young needs better receivers in 2024 — ones who can get open are a good start. Young has plenty of room to improve, but coming out of college, there was no doubt he could throw with anticipation. However, Carolina’s 2023 wide receivers didn’t get open tons, making it harder for Young to trust his reads. Johnson gets open for fun. In ESPN’s open rating score, which is meant to quantify separation on a per-route basis and not just on targets, Johnson has ranked in the top four in four of the five last years. Johnson also earns targets like few other wide receivers, averaging 127.8 over the last five years. He is coming off career bests in yards per route run (1.9), Pro Football Focus (PFF) receiving grade (79.1), yards per catch (14.1) and yards per target (8.2). The Panthers are unlikely to win the division anytime soon but they can easily make a big step forward on offense in 2024.
Diontae Johnson is the player that Jerry Jeudy stans believe him to be.
— Jesse Moeller (@JMoeller05) March 19, 2024
More Best Ball Draft Advice
- DBro’s Must-Have Best Ball Draft Targets (Premium)
- Hoppen’s Must-Have Best Ball Draft Targets (Premium)
- Best Ball Advance Rates
- Targets & Most Rostered Players
- 2024 Best Ball Draft Beginner’s Guide
- 6 Tips for a Winning Roster
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