Fantasy football draft season is in full swing. The next few weeks, as I like to call “the season before the season”, will be spent deciphering context from coaches, holding ourselves back from overreacting to practice reports, and plotting to take over the universe by ripping our opponents' hearts out, one diabolical draft selection at a time.

To help you do just that, I have invited fellow expert analysts, Geoff Ulrich and Sam Wallace, back for another fantasy football roundtable. Hang with us for a hot minute, and I promise you’ll leave with handcuffs, information on who not to trust, and more than one valuable stash.

Sound like fun? Let’s dive in ...

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Who is this year’s best late-round RB handcuff in fantasy football?   

Sean Tucker | RB

Geoff: Tucker is good enough to be a starting RB for most NFL teams. He was a top-100 prospect in 2023 before a heart condition scared teams away in 2023 and caused him to go undrafted. He has sprinter’s speed (ran a 4.33 40-time out of college) and averaged 5.6 YPC and scored 23 rushing TDs in his last two years of college. 

Last year, with a clean bill of health, he took 50 carries for the Buccaneers and still managed 308 rushing yards, 6.2 yards per carry, and two TDs. In the one game where he took 10+ touches, he managed 136 yards and a TD on 14 carries and added three receptions, 55 receiving yards, and a TD as a receiver.

His only flaw? He fell to a team that had just taken an equally explosive RB in Bucky Irving and already had an elite pass-catching back in Rachaad White. 

If something were to happen to Irving, Tucker’s upside would be immense.  An immediate uptick in carries would be a lock, and he could potentially even evolve into the Buccaneers every-down back. If that were to happen, you’d be looking at a top-12 RB (or better) for the rest of 2025. Even an injury to White (who is already banged up) could lead to Tucker getting solid PPR work and having a shot at breaking off an explosive play or two every week.

That’s the kind of upside you want to target with your final picks in best ball drafts and the sort of player that makes sense to stash in deeper redraft or dynasty leagues. 

Jaylen Wright | RB

Sam: Second-year RB Jaylen Wright is coming off a supremely disappointing rookie campaign that saw him tally just 249 yards on 68 rushing attempts. Despite his 94th-percentile marks or higher in the 40-yard dash, speed score, and burst score, his paltry 3.6 yards per carry left fantasy managers wanting more.

Even so, his current Underdog ADP of RB55 makes him a high-upside, late-round RB handcuff behind incumbent starter De'Von Achane. Achane took a massive leap forward in Year 2 by topping both 200 rushing attempts and 900 rushing yards, and projects to be the top option again in 2025.

However, behind Achane, Wright is the ideal next man up. Raheem Mostert and his 85 rushing attempts from last season are gone. In addition, fellow back-up Alexander Mattison (neck) will miss the entire season. That leaves just rookie Ollie Gordon as Wright's primary competition.

Our projections have Wright as the clear No. 2 option in the Miami backfield, and he's a priority late-round target for me in drafts this fall.

Will Shipley | RB

I’m going to stay close to home with the Philadelphia Eagles. As somebody who never wants to see Saquon Barkley miss a game, Will Shipley has the tools to ease the sting. 

In the Eagles preseason opener, Shipley ripped off an explosive 38-yard run and hauled in a reception, showcasing his ability to make an impact out of the backfield. While gashing the Bengals defense is no monumental feat, Shipley’s 6.85 average per rush over seven carries shouldn’t be glossed over.

Situationally, the Philadelphia offense is tailor-made for a backup running back to find success. Even with A.J. Dillon stealing the short-yardage work, Shipley’s potential usage as the primary backup makes him a must-have for fantasy managers investing in Barkley.

Using the Fantasy Life ADP tool, we can see his current ADP is on the rise (+5.9; Underdog), but he still remains a very appealing, low-risk option at the end of your draft (185.5 overall).

Madden curse aside, the Eagles RB1 is coming off a 482-touch, 2,000-yard season where he played into February. There is a chance Saquon isn’t human and reels off another historic season. However, I’d rather be prepared as Shipley positions himself to sit in the catbird seat with a strong preseason.

Name an overvalued player that you are most concerned about drafting this season
 

Marvin Harrison Jr. | WR

Geoff: I’m not against the idea of buying low on Harrison. However, the issue for me is that I don’t view him as a huge bargain at his current valuation. 

At WR14 on Underdog (28.8 ADP) he’s going far ahead of an established WR1 with little to now competition for targets in Jaxon Smith-Njigba, a potential stud rookie WR1 in Tetairoa McMillan (again, with little to no competition for targets), and a handful of intriguing elite upside names attached to solid QBs like Xavier Worthy, George Pickens, and DJ Moore. 

Harrison could certainly make a jump in his second season, but he’ll be running it back in the same Drew Petzing offense that prioritized getting the ball to their elite pass-catching TE Trey McBride (147 targets in 16 games), over Harrison (116 targets in 17 games) last year.

Maybe that changes, or Harrison’s talent just forces the Cardinals' hand. However, keep in mind that Arizona has been top-12 in rush rate the last two seasons under Petzing, so it seems unlikely this offense, or Kyler Murray, will be able to support a top-3 fantasy TE AND a top-10 fantasy WR. 

For me, at their current valuations, I’d rather bet on McBride and see Harrison as a candidate to underperform once again.

Puka Nacua & Davante Adams | WR

Sam: My response is mostly contingent on the health of Matthew Stafford and his lingering back injury. The Rams seem confident that he'll be ready for Week 1, but their recent reports have not matched what we've seen from the 37-year-old QB. This means I'm getting more and more nervous about both Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.

Currently, both Nacua (WR6) and Adams (WR16) are going inside the first three rounds of drafts over on Underdog. Perhaps those numbers will adjust a bit in the days and weeks to come if Stafford continues to miss practice but we'll have to wait and see.

For now, I am out on both wideouts at their respective cost. I have nothing against Jimmy Garoppolo, but I don't expect him to support a mid-WR1 AND a mid-WR2 at the same time.

George Pickens | WR

Mark: It’s so easy to fall in love with the potential of George Pickens. The new Cowboys WR2 gets the benefit of CeeDee Lamb commanding the defense’s attention, in a pass-heavy offense that’s likely to be playing catch-up the majority of the time they are on the field.

Fantasy managers are buying in on Pickens, pushing him as high as WR22 (Underdog) with a current ADP of 43.1.

If everything goes right for Dallas, forecasting Picken’s production in the same neighborhood as Xavier Worthy (WR20), DJ Moore (WR23), and DK Metcalf (WR27) could pay off. 

However, that ‘if” is bigger than Pickens’ own catch radius.

The lack of a viable running game to keep defenses honest could spell trouble for Dallas’ deep passing game. The Cowboys face a top-10 schedule in terms of difficulty (based on forecasted win totals) with a first-time head coach. The final 11 games feature eight playoff teams from last season, including a four-game gauntlet against Philadelphia, Kansas City, Detroit, and Minnesota.

It’s quite possible the Cowboys are looking to April by late December. That could mean it’s Joe Milton time, or check-out time for a player who pushed himself out of favor with Mike Tomlin. 

Neither will help you win your fantasy championship. I will pass on Pickens' volatility and grab a more solid option in that range. 

Who is an undervalued dynasty target you’re looking to trade for this year before they break out in 2026?  

Elijah Arroyo | TE

Geoff: Orroyo had some injury issues early in his college career, but as he proved last year when healthy, he’s a pretty elite combination of size and agility. He wasn’t initially touted as a second-round pick but had a great end to his college career, averaging 0.75 TDs and 67 yards per game over his last four games. Then he impressed scouts at the Senior Bowl.

He seemed to have landed in a semi-neutral spot in Seattle, which had a solid lead TE in Noah Fant and also drafted a TE in AJ Barner in the fourth round last season. Then Seattle released Fant. That leaves Orroyo as the favorite to act as the downfield and red zone presence in Klint Kubiak’s system this season and for years to come, potentially.

I think most people are playing the “wait and see" game with Arroyo right now, as the situation with Fant leaving and Arroyo rocketing up the draft board in April seems almost too good to be true. I’d rather go out and get him while his value is low, as any first-year fireworks means his value will be instantly rerated to be in line with Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland, who demand a much higher trade price, as of writing.

Jaylin Noel | WR

Sam: The Houston Texans continue to invest in their offense and build around C.J. Stroud, as shown by the NFL Draft this spring. They drafted former Iowa State teammates Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel to join a wideout room led by Nico Collins.

While Higgins projects as an outside threat, demonstrated by his Collins-esque size (6'4"/215 lbs), Noel (5'11"/201 lbs) figures to make his presence felt in the slot.

There's a path to meaningful work for Higgins in Year 1, but there's something (or someone) standing in Noel's way—Christian Kirk.

The savvy, productive veteran should remain a key piece in this offense for at least another season. It might take Noel some time to consistently work his way into the starting lineup, but he has both the traits and a long-term path to success with the Texans.

Dynasty managers may need to be patient with Noel, but that patience will be rewarded in short order.

Tory Horton | WR

Mark: Let’s head back to Seattle. Tory Horton (shh, don’t say that name out loud) has been turning heads in the Northwest. An impressive camp has already bought the talented rookie wide receiver some first-team reps.

The 6’2” wideout hits some of the markers I look for in a sleeper. His draft position was heavily affected by injuries in his final season at Colorado State. Now fully healthy, he enters the perfect situation to make an impact in a new offensive regime. Learning Klint Kubiak’s system under the mentorship of Cooper Kupp and Jaxon Smith-Njigba gives Horton a golden opportunity to cement himself in Seahawks future plans.

JSN will be the alpha of the wide receiver room, but I will take a chance that Horton can play himself into the WR2 role in 2026.

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