True story: We’re almost halfway through August. The big wave of drafts in redraft leagues starts in about a week, so it’s time to sharpen your pencils. Two of my favorite columns to write each season are this one, and its sister, Red Light: Players to Avoid (coming next).
Here’s a link to where you can find my other preseason fantasy football content here at Big Blue View, including my July rankings, the biggest fantasy question facing each NFL team, and much more: Fantasy Football Hub.
This column
lists some of the players that I’m most interested in targeting. I’m looking to take these guys at or around their current Average Draft Position (ADP) if possible, or even a little earlier. You’ll notice that my rankings on every player listed in this column are either equal to or higher than the market. That’s the idea. This isn’t a breakouts or sleepers column, but rather a list of players who I think offer solid value at current pricing, and are excellent building blocks for a strong team. If a player isn’t listed, that doesn’t mean I’m out on him. I can’t list everyone, and there are a lot of good players I’m happy to take at cost.
I’m not going to discuss first-rounders. I’m mainly focusing on players going AFTER the first 15 or so picks, but still inside the first 130. The early-middle and middle rounds of a draft are critical, as that’s where you’ll build the foundation of your starting lineup. The picks in these rounds are all about finding good values and avoiding landmines. After Round 10 or 11, you’re getting deeper into your bench, and sleeper territory. For those who play in auction leagues, (a) more power to you, and (b) I’m interested in the same players in that format, if I can get them at a fair price.
ADPs listed are as of August 12, 2025, and ADPs, rankings and points reflect Half PPR scoring, on a points per game basis. Note that ADPS are a little all over the place right now. I’m using a consensus of ADPs, but your mileage may vary.
Last year’s column was a mixed bag, but generally positive. A few top hits: Jayden Daniels, Jared Goff, Josh Jacobs, Chase Brown, James Cook, Malik Nabers, JSN, Brian Thomas, Jr., and Chris Godwin (until his season-ending injury). Of course, there were big misses too. Thank you, Anthony Richardson, Isiah Pacheco, Jaylen Waddle, and Cooper Kupp (among others).
Green light players
Quarterback
Dak Prescott (ADP 101: My Ranking 94) and Justin Fields (ADP 102: My Ranking: 91). I’m listing these two together not because of any similarities in their play style but because they’re sitting next to each other in ADP, outside the first 8 rounds. If you don’t pay to get one of the top four dual-threat QBs, or Burrows, then I like waiting past the next group of QBs and targeting these two. They’re two of my favorite value plays for this season. Both have excellent upside to finish inside the Top-10 QBs, but their ADPS sit at QB12 and 13, respectively.
Fields is an outstanding runner and that dual-threat skillset has made him a Top-10 play almost every time he’s been given the chance to start. 2024 is a case-in-point. He was the QB6 for the six games he started to begin the season, with five rushing TDs. He faces no real competition in New York.
Prescott has balled out when healthy, and now he gets George Pickens to go alongside CeeDee Lamb, in what should again be a very pass-heavy attack. In his last two fully healthy seasons, Dak put up 4,449 and 4,516 yards and 36 and 37 TDs. Those are elite passing totals, folks. Jared Goff and Brock Purdy are going ahead of these guys. Nothing against them, but come on, people. Those two don’t have the same upside, plus you’re paying slightly more.
Others: Quarterback is so deep with quality this season, and as I wrote in a previous column, you can absolutely wait and then take two guys in the QB12-22 range and you’ll probably do just fine at the position. In Superflex leagues, very good second QBs should be fairly easy to nab. I really like Drake Maye’s dual-threat upside at his price (ADP: QB 17, 127 overall), and I also think Jordan Love (QB16, 126 overall), Trevor Lawrence (20, 145), Tua Tagovailoa (21, 149)and Bryce Young (25, 160) offer decent value at their very cheap prices.Tua’s injury risk is concerning, and he offers no rushing upside, but Miami profiles as a team similar to the 2024 Bengals — meaning their leaky defense is going to dictate a ton of throwing on offense. Lawrence should benefit from the arrival of Liam Coen (and Travis Hunter), and Bryce Young was red-hot down the stretch last season and is almost free in drafts.
Running Back
Chase Brown (ADP: 22, My Ranking: 20). Brown’s ADP has crept up, but I still like him at the 2/3 turn. He was given an elite workload over the second half of last season, and he not only delivered, but showed he could handle the wear and tear. From Week 9 through Week 17, Brown played 88% of the snaps (and at least 79% in every game), averaged over 23 touches per game, and was the RB5. I don’t think his usage will be quite at that level this season, but he’s the clear RB1 for the Bengals, has shown he can catch passes, and plays in a high-powered offense. Sign me up.
Omarion Hampton (ADP: 35, My Ranking: 39). I was out on Hampton at cost, but the eye injury that Najee Harris suffered on July 4 weekend continues to keep him out of practice. Hampton is getting the first team reps and could be a very nice value around the 3-4 turn, although I suspect he’ll start going earlier and earlier the longer Harris isn’t practicing. The Rashawn Slater injury isn’t great, but the Chargers should feature a pretty good offense that runs a lot.
Chuba Hubbard (ADP: 45, My Ranking: 42). I like Hubbard at his price, and if he lasts to the back half of Round 4, he’ll be one of the last true lead backs on the board. No, I don’t think Rico Dowdle will eat into his workload in a meaningful way, and Hubbard showed last year that he can function in an RB1 role. He very quietly finished as the RB12 last season, and that was on a bad team that was constantly playing from behind. The arrow is pointing up for the Panthers’ offense, and Hubbard should benefit.
Others: D’Andre Swift (ADP: 59) and Isiah Pacheco (ADP: 63) are two values I like a lot, somewhere in Rounds 5-6. I think both should easily lead their team in snaps and carries, and in Pacheco’s case, in what should be a fairly potent offense. I’m less confident in Ben Johnson’s Bears, although they do have plenty of weapons. Pacheco is going significantly later than he did last season, but his situation is not all that different and you’re getting an injury discount. Tre’Veyon Henderson (ADP: 51) has shot up to where I think the price is a bit stiff, but I get it if you’re enticed in Round 5. I wouldn’t take him earlier than that. I do think he’ll be a great player to have later in the season.
Later on, I think Tyrone Tracy (ADP: 81) offers nice value and he should easily lead the Giants’ backfield in snaps and touches. He showed last season that he can break tackles and move the chains. I’m confused by the Jaguars’ backfield, but I think Travis Etienne (ADP: 93) could offer some value where he’s going. Jerome Ford (ADP: 132) is going too late, considering that he might be the Browns’ lead back, which is a role he’s handled decently before. His ADP will climb more if and when it becomes clear that rookie Quinshon Judkins isn’t going to factor in at all this season.
Wide Receiver
Drake London (ADP: 19, My Ranking: 18). I won’t belabor this. I have London ranked at the back of a very strong second-tier of WR1s, and I think that tier is pretty flat, so getting him at cost vs. those other guys is good value. In a very small sample size with Michael Penix at the end of the season he saw 38 targets and averaged almost 20 fantasy points per game in three games (making him the WR1 for that stretch). If he falls to the second half of Round 2, that’s a nice value for an ascending young player who realistically could finish in the Top-5 at his position.
A.J. Brown (ADP: 21, My Ranking: 23). I’ve been lukewarm on Brown this off-season, with the main concern being the fact that the Eagles were the NFL’s most run-heavy team in 2024, at 56%. Brown’s targets per game dropped from 9.3 in 2023 to 7.5 last season. That’s concerning, and it’s hard to finish as a Top-5 WR with that volume. But Brown is no longer being drafted with the elite WRs, which offers some potential value. He’s going almost a round later than he did each of the last two seasons and I’m guessing the Eagles’ defense and game scripts will regress some in 2025, which should benefit Brown. I wouldn’t take him ahead of Josh Jacobs, Bucky Irving, Drake London, or maybe even Chase Brown, but at the end of the second round, if my choice is Brown vs. taking the first or second QB off the board, I’ll lean Brown.
Tyreek Hill (ADP: 28, My Ranking: 24). Hill’s stock has fallen a lot in one year, as his numbers in 2024 were only about half of his monster totals in 2022 and 2023. Some of that can be written off to Tua’s injuries and some to his own wrist injury. Yes, he’s 31, but I don’t think the cheetah is cooked, and if I can get a guy with overall WR1 potential in the third round, I’ll take the gamble. Jonnu Smith saw 111 targets last season and he’s out the door, and Miami’s secondary might be the NFL’s worst. They’re going to need to throw, and then throw some more. Hill saw 170+ targets in each of 2022 and 2023, and a return to that elite volume won’t surprise me. While we’re here, I like Jaylen Waddle (ADP: 74, My Ranking: 66) at his discounted price too. In both cases, there’s a big dependency on Tua’s health, so I’d be careful about pairing too many Dolphins.
Mike Evans (ADP: 44, My Ranking: 37). Yup, I’m going with another big-name player who is on the wrong side of 30. No matter. Evans is perennially under-ranked, and underrated, as everyone waits for age to catch up with him. I’ll keep riding the faith train. He’s ranked (ADP) as the WR17 this season. In his two seasons with Baker Mayfield, he’s finished as the WR4 and WR8 on a points per game basis. Again…what are we doing here, folks?
D.K. Metcalf (ADP: 49, My Ranking: 44), and Courtland Sutton (ADP: 50, My Ranking: 46). I’m listing these two together because the case is similar for both. Each is the clear No. 1 wide receiver on his team, each has put up very good numbers before, and they’re both flying slightly under the radar this season. Fun fact: Sutton’s 18 TDs over the last two season ranks sixth among all wide receivers. Both make great second wide receivers for your fantasy team, and I like them better than the players at other positions ranked close to them.
Tet McMillan (ADP: 62, My Ranking: 57). Of all the rookies, I like Tet’s value the best. He’s walking into a situation where he should be the clear No. 1 target from jump (including in the red zone where his 6-foot-4 frame is a huge plus), Bryce Young was reborn in the second half last year, and the 2024 Panthers set the NFL record for points allowed. I think Tet has a great shot to smash his sixth round ADP, and I’d take him over some of the WRs ranked just ahead of him (Zay Flowers, Xavier Worthy, andJameson Williams, to name three, and I’m in on Williams). Yes, I’m aware that I have three Panthers listed in this column. I like their chances to be this year’s mediocre (at best) team that’s surprisingly good for fantasy.
Calvin Ridley (ADP: 70, My Ranking: 65). I know it’s risky to rely too heavily on a rookie quarterback, but who else does Cam Ward have to throw to? Ridley can still get open and make big plays, and it’s not like the Titans are going to be leading in a lot of games. Ridley is a screaming value at the 6/7 turn.
Others: WR is deep, and here are some names I like in the Round 7-10 range: Jaylen Waddle (discussed above), Stefon Diggs (ADP: 86), Jakobi Meyers (90), Ricky Pearsall (95), Emeka Egbuka (110, although if he continues to skyrocket the value may disappear), and Jayden Higgins (122). Meyers in particular is a smash for me at ADP.
Note: There is plenty of good value at wide receiver after Round 10, and I’ll hit on some of my favorite sleepers in a later column.
Tight End
Gorge Kittle (ADP: 39, My Ranking: 35). Kittle is an obvious name, and he’s getting older. I’m not worried about that. He finished as the TE1 last season, but is going a full round and a half after Brock Bowers and almost a full round after Trey McBride. I get that those guys are a lot younger, but hear me out. Deebo Samuel is gone, Brandon Aiyuk is coming off a torn ACL and may not be available at the start of the season, and Juaun Jennings is dealing with a calf injury and is fighting with the team over a contract extension. Purdy loves to lean on Kittle, and with a big drop-off after the first tier of three TEs, I really like his value if he lasts to the end of Round 3.
Evan Engram (ADP: 88, My Ranking: 81). Engram struggled with injuries last season but I’ll bet on him this year, in Sean Payton’s offense and without any proven productive wide receivers after Sutton. Payton will know how to maximize Engram’s talents, in what should be a pretty good offense in Bo Nix’s second season. Engram is still only 30, and he’s only one year removed from catching 114 passes, two off of Zach Ertz’s single-season record for a tight end.
Others: Tucker Kraft (ADP: 114) and Jake Ferguson (122) are nice options if you want to wait until almost everyone else has drafted their TE1. Kraft has carved out a nice role in Green Bay’s potent offense, and Ferguson should benefit from defenses needing to worry about Lamb and Pickens. Fun fact: Ferguson has made this column three years running. I just can’t quit you, Jake, even though the results have been mixed (mostly due to two big Prescott injuries). I like both of these guys over the two tight ends that went in the first round of the NFL Draft.
Note: While tight end is shallow at the top, it’s deep with sleepers. I’ll get to those in a later column.
That’s that. I’m turning the Green Light off. Stay tuned for the Negative Nancy column—The Red Light list, coming soon.
