Fantasy football season is upon us, and there are players everyone wants on their fantasy team.
Running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson are in high demand. Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is once again considered a top fantasy prospect. But, there are some other players that are flying under the radar this fantasy season. Oftentimes, the steals of the fantasy draft are the players that allow you to win your league.
Here are five players who are being underrated this year in fantasy football from the early rounds to one offensive player you could easily have in your starting roster every week who is being drafted in the late rounds of fantasy drafts.
WR Malik Nabers, New York Giants
Malik Nabers’ fantasy stock this year has suffered because of his injury last season. But, fans
should not forget what he was able to do as a rookie in 2024 with quarterbacks Daniel Jones, Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito. With a revolving door of quarterbacks, Nabers was able to put up over 1,200 receiving yards and seven touchdowns Now, he has a potential franchise quarterback in Jaxton Dart and new head coach John Harbaugh who is focused on making this offense successful. New York added some wide receivers in the offseason, but Nabers is still the clear No. 1. If he is available in the fifth round or later, he could be a real steal in your fantasy draft.
TE Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears
For any position, if your starter gets injured, you can find a competent replacement on the waiver wire. The one exception to this is the tight end position. There are few elite tight ends in the NFL, but Colston Loveland proved last season he is one of them. Fantasy owners are currently paying a premium for Brock Bowers with the Las Vegas Raiders and Trey McBride with the Arizona Cardinals whose average draft positions (ADPs) are generally higher than Loveland, meaning you can spend your higher draft picks on other key positions and then select Loveland. This makes him the most functional tight end pick in fantasy right now.
RB Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens
Derrick Henry’s current ADP putting him in the late second or third round, depending on the size of your league, is shocking. He had another amazing season last year with 1,595 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns. Henry has not missed a game in three years, showing how reliable he is. Maybe fantasy owners are concerned the structure of the offense will change with new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle who will be calling the offensive plays. However, he comes from a scheme with the Bears that had a lot of success running the ball and there is no one on Baltimore’s depth chart that is going to significantly cut into Henry’s production. Another concern could be Henry’s fumbling problem over the past two seasons. But, his seven fumbles in two years are not a big enough concern to pass on drafting him. In PPR leagues, there is also the fact that Henry is not involved in the passing game. While this is understandable, his production in the run game compensates for his lack of receptions. Henry seems like he is not being drafted in the first round. So if you can get him in the second round, that would be a great pick.
WR DJ Moore, Buffalo Bills
DJ Moore is not someone you are going to draft in the first three or four rounds. However, he is someone worthy of being in every fantasy lineup. His numbers in the past two years with the Bears are unimpressive, particularly last season when he had a career-low 682 receiving yards. But, that was more of a reflection of who was around him and who was throwing him the ball. Bears’ quarterback Caleb Williams never quite had chemistry with Moore. But, this should not be a problem in Buffalo. Josh Allen needed a big body receiver to throw the ball to in 50-50 situations and take shots downfield. He is also the clear No. 1 wide receiver on the Bills, which was not the case in his past two years with Chicago. His ADP is currently 65.6, making him a steal in later rounds of the draft.
QB Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
It is remarkable that the league MVP is so underrated in fantasy football with an ADP placing him outside of the top 100 picks. Matthew Stafford led the league in touchdown passes last year with 46 and still has arguably the best wide receiver duo in the NFL with Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. They also still have a deep tight end room, which fits their offensive scheme. Running backs Kyren Williams and Blake Corum are back to give this offense a balanced attack, which also opens things up for Stafford. He is not going to be the quarterback that gets you a lot of fantasy points from running the ball. But, he is someone who is going to get a lot of passing yards as he routinely has over 4,000 passing yards and is someone who will throw a lot of touchdowns. In fact, over his 17-year career, he averages 30 passing touchdowns a year. Also, being able to draft Stafford so late allows you to get quality players at other positions before addressing your starting quarterback.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 5 under-the-radar players you need on your fantasy football team
