Fantasy football managers love to land the big names in the early rounds, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but drafts are long, and it’s common for the winning roster to be loaded with hits in the middle third of the proceedings.
​There is a lot of nuance within this range, depending on your specific league and roster construction. That said, these are names that I’ve landed on the most this summer across dozens of mock and real drafts with a variety of builds.
​Christian Watson/Tucker Kraft, WR/TE, Green Bay Packers
​There were some health risks to consider in the first handful of rounds, and if you took the plunge on a Christian McCaffrey, Nico Collins, or Cam Skattebo, maybe you don’t roll the dice in this way.
​If not, I think you have the green light to take on the risk/reward profile that comes with your favorite of these Packers.
​Both were shown confidence by this organization when there was no real desire this summer to retain Dontayvion Wicks or Romeo Doubs. We are talking about a pass game with a QB on the rise, set to be as concentrated as it has been during the Jordan Love era.
​At cost, Tucker Kraft is my favorite of the two. He was a top-5 option at TE prior to getting hurt last year, and by nature of the onesie position, his ability to elevate your roster is amplified. He plays a lot like George Kittle, and that’s a skill set that ranked him among the very elite at the position for an extended period of time.
​That’s not a knock on Watson. Of the 73 receivers with 200 targets since Watson was drafted, he sits atop the board in points per catch:
- ​Watson: 3.6 PPR points per catch
- Alec Pierce: 3.5
- Gabe Davis: 3.4
- Jameson Williams: 3.2
Both are trending in the right direction health-wise, and with an increase in opportunities expected, there’s more reward than risk at their current ADPs.
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​Tony Pollard, RB, Tennessee Titans
​Pollard has run for 1,000 yards in four consecutive seasons, and while the highlight plays are few and far between, the rock-solid role helps stabilize your roster in times of need.
​There is some carry competition to consider here, but with availability and consistently labeled as strengths for Pollard, you’re taking on less risk here than with other RBs.
​Only the Raiders and Browns scored fewer points than the Titans last season. With the additions of Wan’Dale Robinson and Carnell Tate to help facilitate the development of Cam Ward, the hope is that this unit as a whole can trend closer to league average than to a dumpster fire. Should that happen, you’ve stolen a weekly starter when your competition was taking on significant risk.
​Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals
​If you’re going to chase a brand-name quarterback, this is the way to do it. No, Burrow doesn’t run like the other expensive QBs, but he’s essentially been locked in for 4,500 passing yards and 35 touchdowns when healthy, and that gives him a great chance to be in 2026 what Matthew Stafford was in 2025.
​Yes, the MVP of the league.
​The supporting cast of Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Chase Brown is as good as it gets, and they can all win in a variety of ways. I’ve got Burrow slotted as my QB3, a positional outlier when you look at the rest of the industry.
​Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers
​You know yourself better than I do. If you’re the type to get nervous as QBs come off the board, let the first wave or two go and then prioritize Herbert.
​He doesn’t offer the passing upside of Burrow, and the rushing upside isn’t in the same zip code as that of a Lamar Jackson, but he can do a bit of everything, and with a creative coach taking over this offense, a truly explosive season is very possible.
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​Mike McDaniel led an offense that made Tua Tagovailoa, a quarterback the NFL has since told us is very ordinary, the league’s top passer. With Ladd McConkey locked in as the WR1, Quentin Johnston offering scoring upside, and Omarion Hampton a versatile weapon on the rise, there’s no reason to think that Herbert can’t post a season stat line that resembles those put up by peak Aaron Rodgers.
​Jordan Mason, RB, Minnesota Vikings
​This is the type of player that wins you your league. Mason is an efficient running back who has yet to truly be unleashed.
​Until now.
​We don’t know for sure that Mason is going to be a featured back in Minnesota, and thus, his ADP is what it is. That said, all talk out of Vikings camp is that he’s running ahead of Aaron Jones, and if given that opportunity, I don’t think he gives it back.
We have an extended sample of mobile QBs opening up running lanes for RBs, something that is in the cards for this backfield with Kyler Murray taking over for JJ McCarthy. I’ve got Mason pegged as a top-30 running back and am more than willing to stay ahead of the market. Running back depth is hard to feel good about, and getting an asset like this anywhere near his current cost alleviates a lot of that stress.
