Underdog Best Ball ADP Risers And Fallers: Jonathon Brooks And Jayden Reed Moving Up

With the NFL Draft in the books, Underdog best ball drafts are picking up steam. So many drafts are flying off the board, giving us actionable ADP. And with so much changing, we’re going to be kicking off each week with a look at the risers and fallers.

Let’s get after it.

Underdog Best Ball ADP Risers

Jacory Croskey-Merritt | RB | Washington Commanders

ADP shift: Up 32.4 spots

Once Washington wasn’t able to draft Jeremiyah Love at No. 7 overall, Jacory Croskey-Merritt was a borderline winner. And with the Commanders lacking a second-rounder, the next chance they’d have to add to the running back room would be toward the top of Round 3.

It didn’t happen.

The only addition Washington made to their backfield was selecting Kaytron Allen in the sixth round, paving the way for Croskey-Merritt to lead this group in 2026. As a rookie last year, Bill was efficient, ranking 10th among qualified rushers in rushing yards over expected per attempt (+0.8), 15th in yards per carry (4.6) and 23rd in runs of 10-plus yards (21). His fantasy ceiling was capped by the presence of Chris Rodriguez, but when he was sidelined Croskey-Merritt was much more reliable, averaging 12.4 PPR points per game. And keep in mind, two of those games came with Austin Ekeler active and logging 52% of the snaps.

Rachaad White will surely handle the pass-game work. It’s the strength of his game and an area Croskey-Merritt has seldom been used in both the NFL and college. This past season, Bill handled just 25% of the routes, 1% of the two-minute snaps and less than 6% of third downs. But Croskey-Merritt can make up for it if he assumes the short-yardage role that Rodriguez is leaving behind. From Week 11 on, Rodriguez accounted for 70% of short-down-and-distance snaps and 48% of the inside-the-5 carries.

Jonathon Brooks | RB | Carolina Panthers

ADP shift: Up 17.2 spots

There’s post-hype sleepers, and then there are post, post-hype sleepers.

After being drafted in the second round back in the 2024 draft, a pair of ACL tears have limited Jonathon Brooks to just 9 carries and 23 total snaps to begin his NFL career. He missed all of the 2025 campaign while recovering from the latest surgery, but Brooks recently stated that he feels close to 100%, and the Panthers would love to have him healthy. The team let Rico Dowdle walk in free agency, replacing him with only AJ Dillon. And while Chuba Hubbard has handled a large role over the past two seasons, the efficiency hasn’t been anything to write home about. Last year, among 64 running backs with at least 50 carries, Hubbard ranked:

52nd in EPA/rush (-0.11)
48th in YPC (3.8)
64th in explosive rush rate (0.75%)

We’ve already seen this coaching staff relegate Hubbard to a backup role, and while Brooks is unlikely to escort him to the bench, he could make this a 50/50 split if he shows what he showed at Texas: a strong ability to force missed tackles, strong, reliable hands in the passing game and good lateral agility. Hopefully the latter is still present after multiple ACL tears, but Brooks is a very intriguing late-round selection.

Jayden Reed | WR | Green Bay Packers

ADP shift: Up 10.7 spots

This offseason is breaking right for Jayden Reed’s fantasy prospects. First, Green Bay moved on from both Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks. And after that, the team gave Reed a three-year, $50.2 million contract extension.

The departure of Doubs and Wicks could help pave the way for Reed to finally see consistent playing time in two-receiver sets, a difficult feat to begin his career. Since entering the league in 2023, Reed has logged only 31 total snaps and run 7 routes out of 12 personnel, which is why his route rate during that span is an underwhelming 69%. Bumping that to 75%-80% would do wonders for Reed, and after speaking with Dwain McFarland, I was ecstatic to hear that he has Reed penciled in for an 80% route participation rate for 2026.

As a rookie in 2023, Reed ranked eighth in football in fantasy points per route (0.56). Don’t expect that level of efficiency to remain once the routes come up. But simply put, Reed needs to be on the field a lot more for the Packers and fantasy rosters alike.

Underdog Best Ball ADP Fallers

Jerry Jeudy | WR | Cleveland Browns

ADP shift: Down 13.7 spots

After a 1,200-yard season in 2024, Jerry Jeudy plummeted to just 602 yards on 50 catches in 17 games this past season. He led the way with a 21% target share, but Cleveland’s offense just couldn’t support any fantasy-relevant pass catchers outside of Harold Fannin. Jeudy will now have to compete with rookie wideouts KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston.

This past season, Jeudy bumped to the perimeter much more, as Cleveland’s massive rate of 12 personnel likely played a role. That rate will drop in 2026, but Concepcion is a player who can line up (and win) all over the formation. Boston, meanwhile, can soak up plenty of red-zone and deep targets, while Fannin should remain heavily involved.

RJ Harvey, RB, Denver Broncos

ADP shift Down 11.8 spots

RJ Harvey was a very strong fantasy producer down the stretch last season, but with JK Dobbins sidelined there wasn’t much competition for touches in the Denver backfield. Plus, he mostly got there on the back of touchdowns, scoring 6 touchdowns over the final six weeks. But from Weeks 1-10, when Dobbins was healthy, Harvey’s role was minimal, as the veteran commanded 51% of snaps, 65% of the rush attempts and 70% of the inside-the-5 carries. Fantasy players were grateful for the randomness of touchdowns because without them, Harvey would have been very disappointing. Among 64 running backs with at least 50 carries last year, Harvey ranked:

59th in EPA/rush (-0.15)
52nd in YPC (3.7)
51st in success rate (36.3%)
62nd in explosive rush rate (2.74%)

The Broncos addressed the running back position during the draft, selecting Jonah Coleman in Round 4. Given Dobbins' injury history, the addition of Coleman makes me think the Broncos want a more powerful back if Dobbins were to go down again, while keeping Harvey in a change-of-pace/pass-catching role.

Players Mentioned in this Article

Underdog Best Ball ADP Risers And Fallers: Jonathon Brooks And Jayden Reed Moving Up

Underdog Best Ball ADP Risers