I enjoyed learning how to speak Spanish in high school.

It wasn’t just the language itself. The culture is fascinating. And don’t even get me started on tacos. I could eat them, or some version, every day for the rest of my life. I had the opportunity to visit Spain during my senior year. Madrid, Granada, Costa del Sol. Beautiful places. But, of course, the language barrier persisted because I wasn’t used to the local dialect.

Our ranks are the foundation for speaking fantasy value. Your platform is the specific area where the language adapts to the region. CBS is no different; we just need to find where our translations differ. And depending on the gap, there’s value for drafters who take notice.

Quarterback

Drake Maye (FL Rank: QB13, ADP: QB21)

Let me highlight a few QBs commonly taken ahead of Drake Maye.

• Joe Flacco (QB17)
• J.J. McCarthy (QB19)
• Geno Smith (QB20)

The common denominator amongst all three is their lack of rushing. Even if we wanted to assume McCarthy’s youth would compel him to run, he only scrambled 32 times as a Wolverine. And he’s coming off a season-ending knee injury. Meanwhile, Maye showcased his mobility early and often in ’24.

Maye’s 10.7% scramble rate ranked second-highest amongst active starters. He was fifth in QB rushing yards per game. His passing floor may be lower, but his upside as a runner puts him well ahead of this crop of QBs. If you wind up employing a late-round QB strategy this season, the Patriots’ signal caller would be the ideal candidate. 

Running Back

Isiah Pacheco (FL Rank: RB25, ADP: RB31)

Pacheco falls into (what is formerly known as) the “RB Dead Zone.” Essentially, it’s the area of drafts where we’re assuming touches based on name value or prior year workloads. And a glance at his peripheral metrics would confirm to any casual manager why Pacheco is available in the 7th round:

• Yards per Carry: 3.7 (career-low)
• Yards after Contact per Att.: 2.39 (career-low)
• Yards per Route Run: 0.81 (career-low)

But then again, we’re forgetting something about Pacheco’s 2024 season.

The Chiefs’ RB1 broke his leg in Week 2 and missed two months of action. For a guy who runs like he bites people, he’d likely need both legs at full strength to keep that same energy. And by all accounts, Kansas City’s new OT is turning heads, lending credence to the idea that their protection issues from last year are gone. In turn, Pacheco should be a value at his current cost.

Jordan Mason (FL Rank: RB30, ADP: RB41)

Let’s start here.

Despite HC Kevin O’Connell designing offenses with top-6 marks in PROE the last three years, their offseason moves suggest they’re looking to take as much off of J.J. McCarthy’s plate as possible. Bringing in Jordan Mason was one of those moves.

• Rushing Share: 53.0% (1st)
• i5 Touch Rate: 73.3% (1st)
• Route Rate: 53.0% (1st) 

Mason was the 49ers’ solution for Christian McCaffrey’s absence in Weeks 1-9. The third-year RB earned the high-value totes along with a viable target share. Even if Aaron Jones stays healthy, it’s safe to assume the short-yardage role would go to the younger, heavier option (Mason). And if the former Packer misses time, Mason’s value would rocket into the early rounds.

Wide Receiver

Jaylen Waddle (FL Rank: WR29, ADP: WR44)

Tua Tagovailoa was out for six weeks. Jaylen Waddle was on and off the sideline, working through his ailments. Miami’s passing game was a disaster last year. However, their lack of aggression in the passing game got lost in the shuffle.

• (Tagovailoa) Passing aDOT: 8.2 (2023), 6.1 (2024)
• (Waddle) Receiving aDOT: 10.4, 9.8

Whether it was Waddle or Tyreek Hill, their weekly highlights in ’22 or ’23 were downfield. But Tagovailoa focused on the short area of the field last year. Meanwhile, Waddle was still running intermediate routes. The stylistic mismatch exacerbated the problem, but things are looking better for 2025.

Let’s set aside the fact that Hill is causing a ruckus with everyone in Miami. The Nick Westbrook-Ikhine signing has underrated value for Waddle. Tennessee’s touchdown magnet primarily operates on the perimeter, leaving Waddle to move off the line or to the inside. With the chance to face lesser coverage, the Tua-Waddle connection will have the freshly-extended WR outkicking his ADP in no time.

Emeka Egbuka (FL Rank: WR46, ADP: WR57)

I’ve harped on this before, but the more a receiver gets on the field, the likelier they’ll see the ball thrown their way.

Routes signal the play designer's intent to have each specific WR on the field for a certain concept. Afterward, it’s on the pass-catcher to gain separation. But the latter can’t happen without the former. In the case of Emeka Egbuka, getting the chance to run routes won’t be an issue to start the season.

The Bucs expect Chris Godwin to "miss a couple of games." Tampa Bay used three-receiver formations at the eighth-highest rate last year. And they drafted the productive Ohio State standout in the first round. Egbuka will see the field, and his skillset will propel him past his 13th-round value.

Tight End

Jake Ferguson (FL Rank: TE15, ADP: TE20)

I can think of three things pushing Jake Ferguson down our collective ranks.

• Ferguson and Dak Prescott only played in seven games together in 2024.
• Prescott didn’t finish the season.
• Ferguson didn’t finish the season.

It’s been an “out of sight, out of mind” approach to the Cowboys’ TE1. Dallas acquiring George Pickens didn’t help either. However, Ferguson ranked tenth in targets per route run amongst all TEs and earned the second-most red-zone targets from Prescott. By the ADPs of CeeDee Lamb, Pickens, and Prescott, we’re expecting a resurgence from the Cowboys. Ferguson has been and will be a critical part of their fight to retake the NFC East.

Premium

Go FantasyLife+

Your league is unique. Your advice should be too. Get personalized tools, rankings, and projections tailored to your fantasy football league settings.

Learn More