It’s important to identify fantasy football draft values as you prepare to make your picks in your different leagues. However, these values can vary depending on the commissioner site you use for your fantasy football draft. We’ll have you covered this fantasy football draft season as we’ll explore the fantasy football draft values and players that are overvalued for each specific fantasy football commissioner site. Today we’re diving into fantasy football draft values on ESPN.
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Fantasy Football Draft Values: ESPN Leagues
Growing up, my father always told me that it never hurt to get a second opinion when trying to gain perspective on something. Obtaining an additional quote before having work done, shopping at another dealership and reading reviews based on an expert’s opinion are all beneficial ways to acquire perspective. Combining one’s viewpoint while being open to others allows your mind to consider alternatives, play the proverbial devil’s advocate role and see the alternative “what if” scenarios.
Enter Fantasy Football.
You might be exceptionally high on a player this year and feel they are destined for a breakout season. Someone else may be inclined to rank them lower based upon factors that you haven’t begun to consider — coaching changes, impending contract years or the team drafting a rookie that could contend for snaps. A third set of eyes will notice that the player has a track record of performing better in domed stadiums versus outdoor arenas or runs more crisp routes on artificial turf instead of grass.
Comparing and contrasting opinions and rankings can lead to finding common ground that proves more accurate in the long term, especially when experts within the field formulate shared ideas.
Enter the FantasyPros expert consensus rankings (ECR) — our version of a think tank.
On our site, when a fantasy manager clicks on the “2024 rankings” page, they are shown an average of over 60 experts provided by our industry’s best and brightest minds. These composite figures can then be compared to a particular site’s default rankings and recent average draft position (ADP) data to determine players that present a value based on their expressed cost.
Why? Not all fantasy managers are as savvy as you. Most home league players use default rankings to guide and determine team structure and pick selection. Often, the default rankings are created by a handful of pundits rather than three packed classrooms of the most accurate talent assessors. Time to benefit by comparing rankings and ADP to find value. Today, our focus is on ESPN. Here are eight fantasy football draft values on ESPN.
Quarterback
- Josh Allen (QB – BUF) | ECR – 19th Overall, ESPN – 29th Overall
- Patrick Mahomes (QB – KC) | ECR – 31st Overall, ESPN – 45th Overall
- Lamar Jackson (QB – BAL) | ECR – 32nd Overall, ESPN – 44th Overall
- C.J. Stroud (QB – HOU) | ECR – 47th Overall, ESPN – 62nd Overall
Realistically, several more top-tier options could be listed here, but these stuck out immediately due to the level of discrepancy and quality. It is important to note that ESPN’s generic settings have four points per passing touchdown rather than six, so perhaps that is partially to blame for the rankings drop. Still, it seems the site devalues the position compared to ECR. ESPN has just eight quarterbacks ranked within their top 75 players, while ECR has 11. In “expert league” drafts, it is common for quarterbacks to fall in non-Superflex formats, with the position being addressed higher in “home” leagues.
The quarterback lapse allows managers to fill other spots within their roster — namely RB2 and WR2 — before the default rankings begin recommending and highlighting signal-callers.
Wide Receiver
Brandon Aiyuk (WR – SF) | ECR – 18th Overall, ESPN – 38th Overall
Brandon Aiyuk is poised for a breakout campaign in 2024, according to ECR, ranking him as the WR12, with San Francisco 49ers teammate Deebo Samuel as the WR19. ESPN has the players back-to-back at 38th and 39th overall, with just one point total separating them in a PPR format. Aiyuk’s yardage totals have steadily increased each year since 2020, and he has eclipsed 105 targets each of the last two seasons.
Marvin Harrison Jr. (WR – ARI) | ECR – 20th Overall, ESPN – 34th Overall
Projecting a rookie to finish inside the top 15 at the position is aggressive, but our experts seem confident in the selection. Marvin Harrison Jr. is ranked as the WR13 on both sites, but ESPN has a bevy of RB2s being taken immediately beforehand.
To provide additional data regarding that point, ESPN has De’Von Achane ranked immediately ahead of Harrison, and Achane is their RB17. That is astounding. ESPN has 17 running backs ranked within the first 33 players, while ECR has eight. I had to triple-check those figures to ensure something was not incorrect. ESPN puts a distinct and heavy weight upon running backs.
Due to this conflict of opinion, fantasy managers are met with a fork in the road — to zig where others zag by selecting a top-tier receiver before taking an RB2 or riding the RB2 wave and waiting to choose a wideout in the hopes the market does not collapse.
Running Back
Javonte Williams (RB – DEN) | ECR – 80th Overall, ESPN – 96th Overall
Javonte Williams spearheaded a tier of players on both websites that have shown glimpses of tremendous upside and have dealt with either inconsistencies or injuries. Now that he is two years removed from his ACL tear, Williams is looking to capitalize on a Denver backfield currently in flux. Head coach Sean Payton has made several remarks about how he appears to be in good shape and has more confidence in his body than in 2023, but a committee situation is a distinct possibility. Managers should keep an eye on the snap counts of rookie Audric Estime.
Tony Pollard (RB – TEN) | ECR – 81st Overall, ESPN – 98th Overall
It took until all the RB2s passed to start seeing any value selections at the position. It seems ECR is more hopeful that Tony Pollard is capable of reverting to his 2022 form after an incredibly disappointing campaign last year. The presumed lead back in Tennessee over Tyjae Spears, Pollard hopes to reclaim some of the yardage he left all over the field last year when he appeared to be a shell of his former self.
Tight End
Trey McBride (TE – ARI) | ECR – 49th Overall, ESPN – 60th Overall
Talk about a needle in a haystack scenario. Trey McBride was the only tight end ranked from TE3-TE10 that presented any semblance of value, as ESPN had several options ranked 10-15 spots ahead of ECR. This is especially interesting since their generic scoring formats place no additional emphasis on tight end receptions or touchdowns, unlike other platforms. Consider this if you use their platform — tight ends will go before you think.
With Kyler Murray finally healthy and Zach Ertz out of the picture, McBride went ballistic during the second half of 2023, finishing as the TE3 from Week 8 onward. Even after the team added Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fourth overall selection in the NFL Draft, McBride will still see plenty of targets in his direction to justify this strong ranking.
Fitz’s Fantasy Football Draft Primers
- Quarterback Fantasy Football Draft Primer
- Running Back Fantasy Football Draft Primer
- Wide Receiver Fantasy Football Draft Primer
- Tight End Fantasy Football Draft Primer
Expert Must-Have Draft Picks
- Fitz’s Top Fantasy Football Draft Targets (Premium)
- Erickson’s Top Fantasy Football Draft Targets (Premium)
- DBro’s Top Fantasy Football Draft Targets (Premium)
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