Fantasy Football Draft Day is the cornerstone of the NFL season for many fans, shaping success and happiness for the year ahead. As Draft Day approaches, I’ve put together a comprehensive, expert review of top fantasy picks for each round of your ESPN Draft, ensuring you’re fully prepared to build a winning team.
The rankings I’ve put forth are based on ESPN’s Standard format. There are a ton of different fantasy football applications with different rankings and formats (i.e. Sleeper, Underdog, Yahoo, CBS, etc.). But I decided to use the most popular app here in ESPN and ESPN’s Standard PPR Rankings Sheet. Also, these rankings are based on full-PPR in a 12 team league.
See below for the best value picks for each round of the draft! And good luck!!
Round 1
Justin Jefferson – MIN Wide Receiver – 8th Best Available (WR5)
Last season, Justin Jefferson was the consensus #1 overall in fantasy football. ESPN currently has Jefferson as the 8th best player available which I find crazy! His drop is undoubtedly due to the downgrade at QB, but Jefferson has shown in his career that he can put up big numbers regardless of the quarterback.
After coming back from his hamstring injury last season, Jefferson put up games of 141 and 192 receiving yards with Nick Mullins at QB. This offense is designed to get him the ball no matter who is throwing it. It would be a surprise to no one if Justin Jefferson finishes this season as WR1. If you can get him anywhere past pick #4, you are getting a steal!
Ja’marr Chase – CIN Wide Receiver – 7th Best Available (WR4)
Unlike last season, Chase will benefit from a healthy Joe Burrow to start the year. He is the clear No.1 receiver on his team and with no more Tyler Boyd, it means Chase and Higgins will get almost every target in this high powered offense.
Round 2
Kyren Williams- LAR Running Back – 15th Best Available (RB7)
Williams is coming off a season where he finished RB2 in fantasy PPG and RB3 overall in PPR formats. He is the lead back in what looks to be an improved Rams offense and one of the top offenses in the NFL this year. Barring an injury, it’s hard to see a world where Williams does not finish as a top 5 back once again.
Round 3
Jalen Hurts – PHI Quarterback – 38th Best Available (QB2)
Hurts has proved that he’s as constant a fantasy QB as they come, as he’s one of the league’s best goal line runners. With unbelievable weapons around him, and a new offensive coordinator in the mix, I think Jalen makes a lot of sense late in round 3 to get your QB1. Especially if you can pair him with Devonta Smith or AJ Brown.
Josh Jacobs – GB Running Back – 39th Best Available (RB15)
We’re just 2 years out from Josh Jacobs finishing a season as RB3 in PPR formats. And Jacobs has found a new home in Green Bay after struggling last season on the Raiders.
The Packers will certainly be a much better offense compared to his last season in Vegas. Jacobs is still just 26 years old and is going off the board at RB15. I can certainly see a world where he finishes as a top 5 back again this season, which would make him a steal in the 3rd round.
Round 4
Devonta Smith – PHI Wide Receiver – 42nd Best Available (WR21)
Smith finished as WR9 just 2 seasons ago and admittedly had a down season in 2023, where he finished as WR21. ESPN currently has Smith ranked as 42nd best available player and 21st best WR, which I find insane.
I expect a huge bounce back season with a new offensive coordinator in Kellan Moore, who loves to throw the football. I’ve heard multiple reports out of Eagles camp as to how impressive Smith has looked, and I certainly see him cracking that top 10 WR finish once again in 2024.
Cooper Kupp – LAR Wide Receiver – 45th Best Available (WR24)
I love fantasy players on teams with high-level offenses, and the Rams look to be just that. Cooper Kupp put up historic numbers just two seasons ago. He started off last season with a hamstring injury, which caused him to miss the first four games and seemed to linger all season long. Even with the emergence of star WR Puka Nacua, I still see a healthy Kupp as a high-end WR2 with potential to be an every week WR1 that we saw just a few seasons ago.
Round 5
Trey McBride – ARI Tight End- 56th Best Available (TE4)
McBride has the potential to finish as TE1 this year. He looked amazing once he took over the starting TE role from Zach Ertz last season. Taking him in the 4th or 5th round would be a great option, as I see him putting up similar numbers to LaPorta/Andrews/Kelce who will be taken earlier.
Tee Higgins – CIN Wide Receiver – 48th Best Available (WR 27)
Nagged by injuries in 2023, Higgins was unable to play in and finish a lot of games last season. Which is making people seem to forget the caliber of play he’s capable of.
With Tyler Boyd now in Tennessee, Higgins is Burrow’s clear number 2 option. With defenses putting a ton of focus on Jamarr Chase, look for Higgins to have a huge bounce back season against CB2’s and single coverage.
Round 6
Jackson Smith-Njigba – SEA Wide Receiver – 72nd Best Available (WR 37)
The 2nd-year receiver was stuck at WR3 on the Seahawks during his rookie campaign. He showed plenty of flashes as a rookie and a big leap in year 2 should be on the way.
Last season JSN ranked sixth among all WRs in Target Separation, a PlayerProfiler stat that illustrates which receivers are best at getting open against defenders. Much higher compared to the other receivers on his team (Lockett and Metcalf). Seattle knows this and will look to get him more involved, potentially making him the WR1 in an offense that loves to throw the football.
Rashee Rice – KC Wide Receiver – 69th Best Available (WR34)
After reports recently came out that Rice is not expected to be suspended, you should draft Rice at Round 6 or earlier without hesitation.
Rice was a top 30 receiver as a rookie and I would be shocked if he doesn’t finish much higher in his second year with the Chiefs. He’s the WR1 for the team with the best QB in the NFL. Rice would be an absolute steal this late in a draft.
Round 7
Christian Watson – GB Wide Receiver – 82nd Best Available (WR39)
I try not to play the health game in Fantasy Football. Football’s a contact sport and every player in the NFL can get injured, at any time.
Watson has done nothing but produce when he has played in and finished games. If his hamstring can hold up, which it hasn’t, I expect a big year from Watson. I have no issue getting him anywhere past round 5 as Watson has a ton of upside.
Najee Harris – PIT Running Back – 77th Best Available (RB24)
It’s not uncommon for a team to have two productive RBs in Fantasy (Ingram and Kamara, Montgomery and Gibbs, etc.). And Pittsburgh is looking like one of those teams this season.
Arthur Smith is the new OC in Pittsburgh and he is obsessed with running the football. The Steelers have a revamped offensive line and will run the ball as much as any team in the NFL this year. I see Najee getting all of the goal line work and a large share of TDs this season, in an offense that will be better than people expect in 2024.
Round 8
Jordan Love – GB Quarterback – 92nd Best Available (QB10)
Jordan Love currently has the 5th best odds to win MVP, behind only Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, C.J. Stroud and Joe Burrow. All of whom are being picked much higher than Love. I like the weapons he’s got around him and love the pick as your QB1 this late in the draft, as Love has a ton of upside
Round 9+
At this point in the draft, many people begin taking defenses, kickers and players to fill out the bench.
But every year we see players like Kyren Williams, Puka Nacua and Tank Dell come out of nowhere to become consistent fantasy starters.
Below I have shared a few players you might want to consider taking a chance on in these later rounds :
- Jerome Ford – Can potentially be the RB1 in Cleveland, will start the season off as RB1, and who knows how healthy Nick Chubb will be when he returns from injury.
- Jaylen Wright – Dolphins RB who has made some highlight plays so far in preseason. Will be thrust into a major role in a high scoring offense if Mostert or Achane go down with an injury.
- Rashid Shaheed – Speedy receiver that is known for making big plays. Clear WR2 in New Orleans. Liked what I saw from him last year and could see a breakout season for him.
- Chase Brown – Zack Moss will start the year as the RB1 for the Bengals, but Chase Brown is already seeing some reps with starters in the preseason. Moss has never been an elite back. Brown’s definitely worth a late round pick in a PPR format due to his pass catching ability.
- Jameson Williams – My favorite late round pick. Williams has super speed and was an unbelievable prospect coming out of Alabama. After tearing his ACL in the 2022 National Championship game, last season was really his first year in the NFL. He also missed a lot of time last season due to a suspension and ankle injury. A fully healthy Williams could be a steal this late in the draft, with his coaches and teammates giving him a ton of high praise for his performance in training camp thus far.
