With the heart of Fantasy Football draft season right around the corner as we inch closer to September, it is imperative to maintain a competitive advantage against your opposition by monitoring your host provider’s latest rankings.
Training camp injuries, depth chart movement, breakouts occurring during preseason games and potential trades (looking at you, Brandon Aiyuk) have the distinct opportunity to affect player rankings dramatically. Comparing updates at your host provider to FantasyPros’ expert consensus rankings (ECR) is an easy way to keep tabs on where the value lies and how to seize it accordingly.
Over the past few months, I’ve been closely monitoring ESPN’s default rankings, which our friends at the site update frequently. As a whole, ESPN tended to favor running backs and rookie players in their rankings at the expense of quarterbacks and tight ends tumbling down instead. Of their current top 30 players, 14 were running backs, and 15 were wide receivers, with Travis Kelce being the lone tight end represented. Quarterbacks don’t enter the picture until nearly a dozen selections later, with the top five players squeezing in before pick number 50.
Pointing out values on ESPN is relatively easy if one knows how the site leans heading into fantasy football drafts.
- 2024 Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- 2024 Fantasy Football Rankings
- 2024 Dynasty Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator
Fantasy Football Draft Values in ESPN Leagues
Wide Receiver
- Deebo Samuel (WR – SF) – ECR – 25th overall/ESPN – 46th overall
- Christian Kirk (WR – JAX) – ECR – 57th overall/ESPN – 76th overall
Deebo Samuel and Christian Kirk have remained tremendous values at ESPN over the last two months, with little shift in their rankings.
Samuel is currently slated to play second-fiddle to Brandon Aiyuk in San Francisco. Still, rumors have swelled over the last several weeks that the team is prepared to move on from the disgruntled Aiyuk amidst his hold-in. Andrew Erickson has Samuel projected to finish just shy of 200 fantasy points on a 67/926/6 split — those totals would surely increase if Aiyuk moves on. Samuel has a lengthy, checkered past on the injury front but has remained essentially healthy in two of the last three seasons. His added value as a kick/punt returner with touches out of the backfield is just icing on the cake.
In the case of Kirk, it feels like his injury in Week 13 of 2023 left a bad taste in someone’s mouth, and they forgot what sort of upside he brings as an alpha option alongside Trevor Lawrence. With Calvin Ridley now gone, Kirk is in line for an even greater workload than last year, when he was on pace to finish as a mid-tier WR2. Jacksonville’s additions of Gabe Davis and rookie Brian Thomas Jr. are mainly serious threats that don’t overlap Kirk’s specialty as a short-to-mid-range route runner. We don’t anticipate them siphoning anything away from his potential upside. The Jaguars will continue to be a pass-heavy team under head coach Doug Pederson as they vie for a playoff spot in the suddenly competitive AFC South.
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