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As we approach the NFL Draft, passionate fantasy football players are already staying busy by participating in Best Ball drafts over at the FFPC (Fantasy Football Players Championship) site. The most appealing part of this format is you can draft a seemingly unlimited number of teams and not have to be concerned about in-season roster management. So many fantasy competitors are already involved in early FFPC Best Ball Drafts.
Throughout the preseason, we will periodically check in on FFPC ADP trends. This early in Best Ball leagues, we are finding a lot of good value plays, and that is mostly what we cover here. The FFPC offers Best Ball play in various price tiers and formats, so you can jump in now and start taking advantage of some of our early observations. We focus mostly on one-QB formats here for now. Average Draft Position data is provided by FantasyMojo.com.
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Early FFPC Best Ball ADP Observations: Values Galore
-Jonathan Taylor is being taken No. 7 overall in early FFPC Best Ball drafts. This is certainly a case of late-season excitement from one season carrying over into the next campaign. I am somewhat enthused about Taylor myself, as he really started to emerge down the stretch last season. But we have yet to see him get it done over a full season yet, and he will lead a committee in Indianapolis. Taylor may not have quite as many big weeks as you would want for taking him that high, and I personally prefer a few more proven RBs. Aaron Jones should display much of the same high-level form, as should Nick Chubb. Ezekiel Elliott should bounce in a big way with Dak Prescott back. It’s not crazy to take Taylor over any of those three, but even in a Best Ball format where you gun for more upside, I am reining in the Taylor excitement just a bit. Cam Akers is also elevated a bit at No. 9 overall, yet I would not be surprised if he outperforms Taylor, as he won’t be sharing as many touches.
-JK Dobbins is going at No. 24 overall, and that could turn out to be a good spot for a very promising young RB. The Ravens were careful not to overwork Dobbins as a rookie, and that approach led to some frustration from fantasy players. I do expect Baltimore to increase his usage this season, because he can be such a dynamic weapon, especially in an offense with Lamar Jackson as another running threat that keeps defenses off balance. Dobbins is capable of scoring from anywhere on the field, and his Best Ball ADP may continue to rise in the weeks ahead.
FFPC Best Ball ADP Top 20
-Michael Thomas is being taken at No. 30 overall, which makes him the ninth WR off the board. That is going to make him a value play. There is some natural skepticism about the Saints offense without Drew Brees, but Thomas is a great wideout who will continue to dominate targets no matter who the QB is. He only played seven games last season, but he never missed more than two games in the previous three campaigns. There are going to be a lot of big Best Ball weeks for Thomas and you are getting a Top 5 WR in Top 10 territory right now.
-Amari Cooper’s early Best Ball ADP is 40th overall, as WR13. Without Prescott, Cooper actually caught 13 more balls last year than he did in 2019. He averaged three fewer yards per catch and only scored five times, though. We many have still not seen Cooper’s best season yet. He will be 27 years old when the 2021 season starts, and with Prescott returning, he should be a very good Best Ball play. You don’t have to be as concerned with some of Cooper’s inconsistencies from the past and can fully take advantage of his big weeks in Best Ball leagues.
-Is David Montgomery being undervalued? He is being taken 41st overall, as the 22nd running back off early FFPC Best Ball drafts. He is being picked behind two of the top rookies. There has been an annual air of disappointment and lowered expectations surrounding Montgomery, but if late-season momentum can translate into optimism for the next campaign for others, then why not for Montgomery? In his final six games last season, Montgomery went over 100 yards from scrimmage in each week and scored seven of his eight rushing TDs. The QB play can’t get worse in Chicago under Andy Dalton, and Montgomery looked like he was on a breakthrough run late last season. You should see him deliver more quality Best Ball outings next season. Montgomery may not get enough respect in any format, but he is especially appealing as a value play in Best Ball leagues.
-Fantasy players are already sticking it to Julio Jones for getting older. He is being taken at 52nd overall, as WR 18. While injuries caused Jones to miss seven games last season, he still averaged 15.1 yards per catch, which was a better number than he posted in his two campaigns prior to 2020. You should be able to get at least one more very good season out of Jones, as 32 years old is not quite the end of the line for top wide receivers, as indicated in this fine annual study from Mike Tagliere.
-I will be all over Kenny Golladay as WR21, 60th overall. My only apparent concern for him is his health, and I will worry about that less in a Best Ball format, of course. The 2020 season was a lost one for Golladay, yet I won my FFPC Dynasty League while he missed 11 games and now look forward to higher impact in 2021. It was just two years ago that he led the NFL in TD catches, and he has WR1 upside in any given week when healthy. Golladay can shine as a contested-catch artist and TD force for the Giants as long as he shows he can handle playing in the New York area atmosphere.
In the newest episode of The King and Pocket Aces, Scott Engel and Anthony Aniano review FFPC Wide Receiver ADPs.
-Matthew Stafford is being picked as QB10, No. 74 overall. He could be a league-winning pick in his new environment, whether you play in single QB or Superflex Best Ball formats. Stafford may be on the verge of his most successful season yet in a new, much more positive environment. He will be working with his best coaching staff and possibly his best receiving crew ever, and will certainly have the support of a good running game to ease some pressure on him. If I can get Stafford as my QB1 when nine others are gone in Best Ball formats, I will be very happy.
-Odell Beckham Jr. is the 33rd wide receiver off the board so far, at 89th overall. It was clear during the NFL playoffs last season that a big-play pass-catcher was something the Browns were missing. They could have possibly made a deeper run if a healthy Beckham were adding another dimension to the passing game, or at least generating a lot of defensive respect. Sure, there are numbers that support the theory regarding Baker Mayfield playing better without Beckham. But Beckham has made it no secret he wants to hop aboard the Browns’ new winning train and make a significant contribution. If Mayfield continues to progress, he can possibly find ways to incorporate Beckham into the flow of the passing attack with better results. I will go in on Beckham one more time as an upside play for his current draft slot, especially in Best Ball formats.
-As with Jones, I find Matt Ryan is being treated as though he is already done. He is being taken at No. 92, as the 15th quarterback off the board. He is actually being picked after Trevor Lawrence, and these are not dynasty ADPs we are examining. Ryan will be 36 years old this season, but that number does not fully convince me he is still not capable of another strong season, as we have obviously witnessed other top quarterbacks play well later in their careers. Ryan’s yardage numbers and attempts have not significantly declined, and he still has a great duo of WRs. If the Falcons land Kyle Pitts in the NFL Draft, Ryan’s Best Bell ADP will certainly rise soon, and if it says within the current range, he is a fine value selection.
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