Fantasy Football fans no longer have to wait until August to draft. Best Ball season is here, and our friends at Underdog Fantasy have tons of contests for you to join. The market has shifted quite a bit as the NFL offseason has run its course. All of those moves have direct and indirect effects on player values. A month after the draft, we have a better idea of rankings. Let’s look at both rankings and average draft position to see if we can find some values. Here are 10 Underdog Fantasy Football Best Ball Values.
10 Underdog Fantasy Football Best Ball Values
QB – Jayden Daniels, WAS (+4)
Regardless of your thoughts about Kliff Kingsbury, he was good for fantasy football. His offenses are fast-paced, and they throw the ball a ton. Arizona was one of three teams that posted top-10 in rushing, passing, and total offense. They were also 8th in both total offense and touchdowns scored. Kyler Murray was rookie of the year under Kliff Kingsbury. Jayden Daniels will start from day one, and more dropbacks will equal more scrambling yards. He is a best ball value selection, being drafted at pick 104 right now.
Jayden Daniels is a threat on the ground and through the air. His rushing upside alone makes him a value at QB13. The experts have him ranked as QB9. Daniel no longer has Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr., but this is a pretty solid set of weapons in Washington. Austin Ekeler is out of the backfield to go with Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson. The team signed Zach Ertz and drafted Ben Sinnott.
QB – Sam Darnold, MIN (-1)
Best Ball Drafters are actually one spot higher than the experts on this one. But Darnold is being drafted as QB36. This is two spots ahead of the retired Tom Brady and makes him a Best Ball value. Darnold could end up being the starter for at least half the season for the Minnesota Vikings.
He is being drafted at pick 215. Kevin O’Connell had us believe Josh Dobbs was a thing, and some started Nick Mullens in the fantasy football playoffs.
Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson, on top of Aaron Jones, make for a pretty friendly situation. J.J. McCarthy is 21 years old and doesn’t come with a lot of experience. We could see him sit for a few weeks or more than half the season. If Darnold gets into your lineup once or twice, he is well worth the pick 215 investment.
RB, Devin Singletary (+4)
Devin Singletary has never had less than 956 yards from scrimmage in his five-year career. He is coming off three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and has an inside track to be the starter in New York. This is not the most glamorous role, but volume is king. Brian Daboll is familiar with Singletary and they were quick to acquire him in free agency.
Singletary is an underrated pass catcher. He caught 38-40-38 balls with Daboll and scored 16 touchdowns during that time. If you are going the zero-RB route, he is a great volume play at running back. He offers you a safe floor with some spike weeks with TD production. He is a best ball value at pick 111 and RB33.
RB – Gus Edwards, LAC (+5)
Jim Harbaugh is building a bully and changing the culture in Los Angeles. He brought over Greg Roman, and Greg Roman quickly brought over Gus Edwards. Their first pick was Joe Alt and they plan to establish the run.
We have seen Jim Harbaugh’s teams run the ball and, most importantly, score rushing touchdowns. Edwards could be a double-digit touchdown guy who also gets 200 carries. He is the best ball value at RB36 and pick 116.
This team did spend a 5th-round pick on Kimani Vidal and sign J.K. Dobbins. Gus will not get all of the work, but he is in line to be the starter. Isaiah Spiller is the other back on the roster, and he’s done nothing so far in two seasons. Dobbins is coming off of back-to-back major injuries. Grab those wide receivers early and catch the Gus Bus late.
RB – Austin Ekeler, WAS (-2)
Kliff Kingsbury and Anthony Lynn both have had a consistent career of passing the ball to the running back. We saw Kenyan Drake and James Conner crush it for Kliff in Arizona. Austin Ekeler became a thing under Anthony Lynn in Los Angeles while they had Melvin Gordon.
This was an ideal fit for Ekeler as he looks to bounce back. The drafters are actually two spots ahead of the ECR, and I agree with them. At RB34, he is a tremendous value in any type of point-per-reception format. Underdog fantasy gives you .5 per reception in Best Ball formats.
There’s a reason Kliff Kingsbury & Kyler Murray are leading contenders for Coach of the Year & MVP.
They came to AZ after the 2018 season to revive the team’s offense.
Below is where Cards offense finished 2018 vs where it ranks in 2021 (thru 9 games): pic.twitter.com/y6qKsQ6jhF
— Mark Dalton (@CardsMarkD) November 10, 2021
WR – Courtland Sutton, DEN (+5)
Courtland Sutton was a great best ball value selection last year, and somehow, he is again. Despite the fact that he was a touchdown machine in 2023, the team has moved on from Russell Wilson and turned to Bo Nix. Sutton is currently being drafted as WR50. The experts rank him as WR45.
Not many players get 10 touchdowns in a season. Sutton is the only one you can grab this late. He’s a perfect guy to put in as your WR4 or WR5. Bo Nix has played a lot of football and was extremely productive in college. None of the other Broncos pass catchers are proven. Take the value and draft Courtland Sutton.
WR – Jermaine Burton, CAR (+7)
Jermaine Burton was drafted in the third round by the Cincinnati Bengals despite some red flags. Tee Higgins is threatening a holdout, and Tyler Boyd is in Tennessee. Jermaine Burton is a super talented player who could walk into a starting role. He has blazing speed, and on top of an average of 20.2 yards per catch, he had 0 drops.
He pairs up really well with Ja’Marr Chase and offers them a big deep threat. If Tee Higgins were to miss any time or be traded, Burton could be a big winner. He is currently being drafted as the WR70. There is a lot of room for ROI with that investment. Don’t be afraid of a rookie. Take cheap pieces on good offenses.
Jermaine Burton has a clear pathway to being the WR2 in Cincinnati in 2025.
Very interesting high ceiling landing spot.
— TheOGfantasyfootball (@TheOGfantasy) April 27, 2024
WR – Keon Coleman, BUF (-9)
The experts actually disagree with Coleman’s best ball value. They are nine spots lower. I agree with the drafters who are taking him at WR40. Coleman is heading to a team with a ton of vacated targets and one of the top quarterbacks. Josh Allen has thrown an average of 34 passing touchdowns over the last three seasons. Coleman was the team’s top pick and walked into a great opportunity.
You want pieces of top offenses, especially players who can have spike weeks with touchdowns. Coleman is a big redzone threat, and this team will be motivated to get him involved early. Josh Allen reportedly wanted him on the team, and Buffalo made a large investment. Go, grab Coleman. He is going late and has best ball value.
TE – Colby Parkinson, TE (+5)
Sean McVay always gets production from the tight end position. Tyler Higbee has been a productive player but could start the season on the PUP. He suffered a major knee injury in the playoffs, and the team spent a lot of money on Colby Parkinson this offseason.
Parkinson could be a starter for a good portion of the season. Getting him at TE34 is great best ball value. Even if he only gets in your lineup twice, at pick 214, you are not paying much at all.
TE, Darren Waller, NYG (-2)
You could take a shot at Theo Johnson (TE37) or Daniel Bellinger (TE43) if you think Waller will retire. But if he doesn’t, his ADP will spike back up. This is a team that does not have a lot of pass catchers. Waller could end up being one of the top targets on this offense if he plays in 2024. You can get him at pick 213 near the end of your drafts—a player with big upside at almost no cost.
