What are some of the premier best ball ADP values on Underdog Fantasy?
Best ball summer is upon us, and people have been drafting teams for the better part of the year. ADP has now settled into a spot where it will only change drastically once training camps start later this summer. There are a few best ball ADP values that stand out, including a few rookies. The four players highlighted today should bring significant upside to best ball rosters, and hopefully help teams win one of Underdog’s flagship tournaments.
QB: Jayden Daniels (Current ADP: QB12, 104.6)
Jayden Daniels is the classic case of the later-round quarterback with rushing upside. 2023 was the exception to the rule, but if you waited on the quarterback position, Jordan Love and C.J. Stroud were both potential options. Meanwhile, 2022 brought us Daniel Jones (drafted QB28, finished QB9) and Justin Fields (drafted QB17, finished QB6). Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts are also some names to look back on. The moral of the story is that there always seems to be one or two players who lap their ADP by a country mile.
9 QB’s in NFL history had 100+ rushing attempts in 1 of their first 2 seasons.
Every single one of them averaged 16.5+ fantasy PPG that year & 8/9 averaged 18.0+ PPG.
This is a Jayden Daniels tweet. pic.twitter.com/dCb8hpgidt
— David J. Gautieri (@GuruFantasyWrld) May 8, 2024
Daniels has the perfect archetype to do this with his rushing ability. He was the highest-graded rusher at the quarterback position in college last year by approximately six points. He scored 22 times on the ground in his two years at LSU. In addition to the archetype and previous stats, we have a coach who could tailor the offense to Daniels’s strengths in Kliff Kingsbury.
Kyler Murray scored 11 rushing touchdowns on his way to a QB2 finish playing under Kingsbury in Arizona. I am not expecting that out of the rookie. Although, if he could get a handful and show proficiency in the passing game with Terry McLaurin and company, he is potentially ready for a mid-QB1 season in his first year in the pros. In a tournament based on upside, I will be grabbing a lot of Daniels as my QB1 in three quarterback builds and my QB2 in two quarterback builds.
RB: Jonathon Brooks (Current ADP: RB24, 88.0)
A running back that was picked early day two to a team with an open depth chart that invested heavily on the offensive line in free agency. Count me in! Yes, Jonathon Brooks tore his ACL last season, but it appears he will be ready for camp, according to reports. They may start him out slow to let him adapt to the league and work off the rust. However, teams do not take a running back that high if they don’t intend to use him. New head coach Dave Canales has talked about the importance of the run game all off-season.
Panthers HC Dave Canales after drafting Jonathon Brooks
"Versatility… Get him out in space. Perimeter screens. Checkdowns. We have a really cool empty package"
Chuba, Miles and Penny do not have this skillset
It's only a matter of time for Jonathon Brooks pic.twitter.com/rVOO3aFrM4
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) May 6, 2024
Brooks was highly effective in college registering a top-15 PFF rushing grade in his first full year as a starter in college. He brings limited wear on the tires, coming into the league only having 54 touches the two years prior.
I am a firm believer that Bryce Young and the offense will improve in year two with all the additions this offseason. And it wouldn’t surprise me if Brooks weren’t a large part of that on the way to an RB1 season. He is a great pick later in rounds to stock up on wide receiver, a premium quarterback or tight-end early. Brooks was overshadowed at Texas, but will shine in Carolina as their feature back. I just ask that people don’t give up hope on him if he doesn’t produce like a high-end running back in the first few weeks of the season. Brooks will come around to be one of the premier best ball ADP values in drafts.
WR: Darnell Mooney (Current ADP: WR68, 148.3)
We are going with one of my favorite late-round targets who changed the scenery this past offseason. Darnell Mooney signed up to be the field stretcher for the Falcons’ new quarterback, Kirk Cousins. The last time we saw Mooney excel was his rookie campaign where he finished as the WR23 in PPR. We will likely never see Mooney climb to those heights again, as he was the unquestioned WR1 on that Bears team. However, he can provide adequate spike weeks with a deep ball or two from Cousins. That is what you are looking for in this range.
Kirk Cousins to Darnell Mooney. pic.twitter.com/HbkG74k28j
— Nick Penticoff (@NickPenticoff) May 2, 2024
Additionally, the Falcons playoff schedule looks very strong from a fantasy football standpoint with matchups against the Raiders, Commanders, and Giants. He is a must-draft on Cousins and Falcons teams. Expect him to crack your best ball lineup four to five times this upcoming season.
TE: Tyler Conklin (Current ADP: TE22, 178.1)
The word out of Jets’ camp this offseason is that Tyler Conklin and Aaron Rodgers are building a solid connection with each other. Combine that with the fact that the team added no major target competition, and you are looking at one of the best values of the offseason. TE22 is absurd when Conklin could be one of Rodgers’ favorite targets. We saw Conklin have the 9th-most air yards at the position with the 13th-most targets (87), which he has totaled ironically each of the last three years. Conklin is a player I would draft in unison with someone like Ja’Tavion Sanders or Greg Dulcich. If I am waiting on the position. Conklin can provide you a floor for points with upside for good weeks. He is a perfect TE2 in any build.
