3 Players We Project Higher Than Consensus In Fantasy Football
In today's Fantasy Life Newsletter, 3 players our projections show will outperform their ADP, late-round gems, do not draft these players, trivia and more.
What's better than Free Slurpee Day at 7-Eleven today? Not much—but can I offer three players you need on your radar ahead of fantasy draft season, instead? 🙂
I'm sure you all know by now, but Fantasy Life has amazing new upgrades to our tools, and what better way to highlight our rankings than going through and finding draft values?
As draft season fast approaches, it's important to familiarize yourself with different platforms’ ADPs to give yourself an edge.
While Underdog pushes wide receivers up, it's not going to be the same for other sites like ESPN or Sleeper. So let's highlight our upgraded rankings page and show off some players who we are higher on compared to Yahoo ADP.
Tetairoa McMillan | WR | CAR
- Overall Rank (Consensus): 53
- Yahoo ADP: 86
So, you might not believe in Bryce Young even though he made strides to close out the 2024 season, and that's fine! But Tetairoa McMillan could get peppered with targets inside a receiver room that just isn't that good. The Panthers aren't a sexy team in fantasy, but you know what changes all that? 121 projected targets. And just remember, McMillan's 92 Super Model Rating is tied for the sixth-highest mark since 2018.
Jaylen Warren | RB | PIT
- Overall Rank (Consensus): 77
- Yahoo ADP: 100.5
Yes, the Steelers may have drafted Kaleb Johnson, but that doesn't mean we're pushing aside Jaylen Warren just like that! Warren is going to be 27 years old in November and we can't forget that last summer he suffered hamstring and knee injuries. If it makes you feel better, here's the projected split between Warren and Johnson:
- Johnson—218 rush attempts, 15.5 targets
- Warren—135 rush attempts, 51 targets
D'Andre Swift | RB | CHI
- Overall Rank (Consensus): 57
- Yahoo ADP: 74.4
D'Andre Swift has had a pretty great few months. He is coming off a career-best 1,345 yard season and now has Ben Johnson as his new head coach. The Bears also upgraded the offensive line and didn't add much competition behind Roschon Johnson besides drafting Kyle Monangai.
Fantasy Life projections have him slated for 940 rushing yards on top of 278 receiving yards, which pushes him to a potential RB16 finish.
And speaking of those fantasy football projections …
Custom Projections For YOUR League
Look, your league is weird. 0.5 PPR, but a bonus for hauling in a 40-yard touchdown, with 100-yard bonuses. Oh yeah, and it’s tight end premium.
So what are you supposed to do? Look at standard 0.5-PPR projections to prepare for your draft? Sure, that helps … a bit. But it doesn’t account for any of the other quirks and differences you may have.
What DOES? Fantasy Life’s new projections tool.
No matter how wonky your league is, we’ll help you project it. Doesn’t matter if it’s 4.5 points per reception and 50 points per 200-receiving-yard game, or if it’s your run-of-the-mill full-PPR scoring.
Your league is unique, and your advice should be, too. Head to the projections page to get personal projections for the league that matters most—yours.
Uncovering Your Next Hidden Gem
Finding the right fantasy football breakouts each year is one of the skeleton keys to a successful season. Did you snag Bucky Irving and Brian Thomas Jr. late in your drafts last year? I bet you're sitting on a nice pile of cash if you did.
The early rounds of your draft are important, but the point is to showcase the potential value of finding the late-round gems—the league-winning value, that is.
Who could be those guys for the 2025 season? We got together with Kendall, Rob Waziak, and Ian Hartitz to break down one player at each position where all signs point in the direction of a breakout 2025, and one that could catapult you to the top of your league standings when it matters most. ⬇️
Do Not Draft These Players
Should we really bypass Amon-Ra St. Brown at the tail end of the first round? How about Bo Nix after the top tier of QBs goes? His 430 rushing yards and nearly 3,000 yards and 29 TDs passing have to put him among the top QBs, right?
They are the players that Matthew Freedman is not drafting. A quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end, Freedman discusses why these players should be passed over for other options in their sections of the draft. They’re compelling cases for showing restraint.
It’s Trivia Time: You Don’t Score, Until You Score
First order of business. If you answered Saquon Barkley to yesterday’s trivia question, you were right! He was the second overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, and he followed that up with over 2,000 scrimmage yards as a rookie. Congrats, you might just be more ready than your friends for the coming season.
That brings us to today’s trivia question: Three different players tied for the league lead in rushing touchdowns last season with 16. Can you name all three? (Hint: Two are in the AFC, one in the NFC)
- James Cook
- Saquon Barkley
- Derrick Henry
- Bijan Robinson
- Jahmyr Gibbs
- Josh Jacobs
Around the Watercooler
Alright, alright … just because it’s July 4th, doesn’t mean we don’t have the fantasy football fix you need …
📰 Clarity or confusion on Travis Hunter’s usage? That and more news from the week.
🤔 Could Patrick Mahomes actually be a bargain in drafts? Something to ponder.
🚀 These wide receivers aren’t getting enough love. Prime sleeper candidates.
👀 James Cook’s numbers were virtually the same in 2023 as 2024, except for one category.
🪓 Jauan Jennings is one of several WRs more valuable in Guillotine LeaguesTM than redraft.
🔪 Speaking of avoiding the chop, there are so many ways to play.
Premium
Get $25 Guillotine League Credits When You Join FL+
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nunc tinciedunt, ex sit amet cursus gravida, dui mauris vulputate felis.