It’s difficult to find fantasy football value on Day 3 of the NFL Draft. Most of these guys will never emerge into anything useful. But every year, there are usually at least one or two who surprise. Let’s go through some of this year’s Day 3 picks and assess their chances of becoming productive financial assets.
Byashul Tuten, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
The base assumption should be that no Day 3 picks will matter. Of course, some will. They always do. But the vast majority of players taken in Rounds 4-7 never make an impact in fantasy.
Byashul Tuten has as good a chance as anyone to buck the trend. For a Day 3 running back, this is a very solid landing spot.
Tuten turned heads at the combine when he ran a 4.32 40-time, putting his speed score in the 98th percentile. The kid can fly. But he’s more than just fast. Tuten is also a capable receiver, earning a 12.1% target share in 2023.
At first glance, it may look like this is a crowded depth chart. The Jaguars have two incumbents in Travis Etienne Jr. and Tank Bigsby. The good news for Tuten is neither Etienne nor Bigsby was particularly effective last season. Etienne’s performance, in particular, was bordering on egregious.
The Jaguars have a new coaching staff led by Liam Coen. If he intends to use a back like Bucky Irving last season, Tuten is the best fit.
Coen’s staff drafted Tuten. They did not draft Etienne or Bigsby. In fact, Etienne was drafted two coaching staffs ago.
There is absolutely no allegiance to either of the two returning running backs. If Tuten shows out in training camp, he could very well earn the starting job. Even if that doesn’t end up happening, Tuten could have an Irving-like ascent that occurs gradually throughout the season. I will certainly be taking stabs at Tuten in both redraft and dynasty.
Cam Skattebo, RB, New York Giants
I will open by making it clear that I don’t think Cam Skattebo is an NFL-caliber running back. To me, he’s a better Carson Steele. But there’s always a chance I’m wrong. And this landing spot really isn’t awful.
The Giants did not take a running back on Day 2, affirming their commitment to Tyrone Tracy Jr. as their RB1. Tracy’s status as a converted wide receiver makes him a very safe fantasy asset. If there is an area where Skattebo could make some inroads, it’s doing the dirty work between the tackles.
At 219 pounds, he’s more equipped to handle those inside runs and short-yardage situations than the 209-pound Tracy. Although it is important to note that Tracy is not small by any means.
This is a shallow depth chart behind Tracy. There’s certainly a world Skattebo opens the season as the RB2. If he gets volume, my assessment of his talent may not matter. Skattebo may be one Tracy injury away from relevance.
Trevor Etienne, RB, Carolina Panthers
Travis Etienne’s brother certainly could have landed worse. There’s obviously no path to him earning the RB1 role without an injury, as the Panthers are committed to Chuba Hubbard. However, Jonathon Brooks is very likely not going to play this season. And there’s not much behind Hubbard.
Etienne is a questionable talent, but has a path to the RB2 role, which would put him one injury away from mattering in fantasy.
Woody Marks, RB, Houston Texans
This was a bit of a head-scratcher. Woody Marks was not a highly touted prospect. Yes, he went on Day 3, but early Day 3 draft capital to a team with an aging starter and no clear RB2 is not bad at all.
Marks ran a 4.6 40-time at 207 pounds, giving him a 38th percentile speed score. He wasn’t overly productive in college, with his best season occurring after he transferred to USC in his final season. Prior to 2024, he hadn’t handled more than 121 carries in a season.
Marks’ role is likely as a satellite back. His best season college target share was an impressive 14.3% as a freshman. Joe Mixon is a fine pass-catcher, but I would hesitate to call him a receiving back. He’s a back who can catch passes. He’s also 29 years old and missed a couple of games last season with a high ankle sprain.
At the bare minimum, Marks went from someone no one was considering to a worthwhile later-round dynasty rookie pick.
Dylan Sampson, RB, Cleveland Browns
The Browns drafting two running backs in the first four rounds tells you all you need to know about what they think of their backfield. Jerome Ford was far from terrible last year. He actually averaged 5.4 yards per carry. But it would not surprise me at all if Quinshon Judkins opened as the RB1 and Dylan Sampson the RB2.
With that said, Sampson is a curious selection, as the Browns would have been better served drafting a receiving back to pair with Judkins. Sampson’s best-season college target share was just 7%.
Samspon ran a 4.51 40-time at 200 pounds, which isn’t terrible, but isn’t great either. He’s “fine.” Sampson is a prototypical replacement-level running back who might be one injury away from being a volume-based RB3.
Jalen Royals, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
There were some in the fantasy community who viewed Jaylen Royals as a potential Day 2 sleeper. He wound up going on Day 3, which is a huge negative for his fantasy prospects (as it is for every Day 3 wide receiver). The silver lining is that he landed in Kansas City with Patrick Mahomes.
The Chiefs are pretty set at wide receiver between Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, and Hollywood Brown. But Brown is on a one-year deal. There’s at least a path for Royals to become the WR4 as a rookie and possibly the WR3 as a sophomore. I wouldn’t count on it, though.
Elic Ayomanor, WR, Tennessee Titans
For a Day 3 pick, this is about as good as you can land. The Titans just drafted their QB of the future in Cam Ward. What they don’t have is anyone for him to throw to.
Calvin Ridley is back, but he was inconsistent last season and is already 30 years old. Their other wide receiver of note is Tyler Lockett, who was released by the Seahawks after 10 years, following the worst season of his career. At 33 years old this season, Lockett is clearly a player in decline.
Elic Ayomanor is an early declare wide receiver with good size and speed (6’2″, 206 pounds, 4.44 40-time). He was dominant at college, earning a 30.3% target share in his junior season.
There are definitely concerns with Ayomanor, though. He went on Day 3 for a reason. Ayomanor played almost exclusively outside and was often thrown downfield targets, leading to the dreaded “contested-catch specialist” label. Those receivers rarely pan out.
Was Ayomanor’s lack of underneath targets a product of the offense? Or was it because he can’t get open? We will quickly find out.
Given his Day 3 status, Ayomanor should not be expensive in dynasty rookie drafts. He’s a fine player to take a chance on, as the depth chart is very climbable.
Shedeur Sanders, QB, Cleveland Browns
What a wild ride. From potential No. 1 overall pick to a random fifth-rounder. Shedeur Sanders is not a first-round talent. Let’s get that out of the way. But based purely on his on-field ability, he should not have fallen to Day 3.
It’s hard to recommend throwing a dart at a Day 3 QB. If you look at the NFL landscape, virtually every starter is a first-round pick. For every Kirk Cousins and Dak Prescott, there are dozens of Paxton Lynches.
With that said, Sanders is not your typical fifth-round QB. If he can get his head right and really commit to learning, there’s a path to him becoming the Browns starter. I expect someone will take a chance on him in every dynasty rookie draft.
Jaydon Blue, RB, Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys have made it abundantly clear what they think of the running back position. Before the draft, Jerry Jones claimed the offensive line was the reason the running game struggled — not the personnel.
Rico Dowdle was an unexpected RB2 in fantasy last season playing in this offense. There is fantasy upside here.
It’s certainly hard to get excited about any fifth-rounder, but Jaydon Blue has a chance. The Texas product stays within the state, which is always a plus. He comes with 4.43 speed and a solid receiving profile, earning an 11.3% target share in his final season.
Blue is only 21 years old, and he’s stepping onto a roster with two replacement-level options ahead of him in Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders. I would argue Sanders is sub-replacement-level.
Blue could immediately carve out a role as the receiving back. If Williams and Sanders perform to their skill levels, we could easily see Dallas push more work Blue’s way. If they were willing to make Dowdle a three-down back due to lack of alternatives, they can do it with Blue. He is definitely worth at least a third-round dynasty rookie pick.
Tory Horton, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Tory Horton is a name I mentioned pre-draft as a potential Day 3 sleeper. Horton played two years at Nevada, posting solid yet unspectacular numbers. Then, as a junior, he transferred to Colorado State and exploded. Horton posted lines of 71-1,131-8 and 96-1,136-8 in his junior and senior seasons. Had he not returned for a fifth year and suffered a season-ending injury after just six games, he might be more highly touted.
Horton did manage to run a 4.41 40-time. Although speed isn’t as important at wide receiver, it speaks to his health, which is admittedly a concern entering this year.
Horton can play both inside and outside. That’s huge because the Seahawks have a bit of a void on the outside, with Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp both primarily slot receivers.
JSN is obviously locked-in as the WR1, but what can we really expect from Kupp? He showed significant signs of decline last season. If Kupp is just done, are we going to get a Jake Bobo breakout? I doubt it. There’s a path for Horton to be the surprise Day 3 WR of this class.