Yahoo! Fantasy Football Values: Four Players to Target at ADP

Fantasy football managers only want one thing, and it makes me sick…VALUE! Just kidding, we also want to win — and what better way to do that than to look across different fantasy football platforms to see where we can identify potentially mispriced players and capitalize on value?

Keep in mind: it's only July, folks. ADPs can and will change as we get closer to the season. However, it's a huge advantage getting into some of these early drafts (even mocks) because it'll help you hone your skills and really understand the draft board better come draft day.

Last week, we looked at a few players whose ESPN ADPs are currently mispriced. Today we're going to break down a few players whose current Yahoo ADPs vary pretty greatly from current Fantasy Life consensus rankings.

Malik Nabers

Yahoo ADP: 72.5
Fantasy Life ranking: 35

Sure, the Giants might not be the sexiest team in 2024 for fantasy football, but besides looking for value, we're also looking for upside. And Malik Nabers has tons of that.

During the weeks and months leading up to the NFL Draft, Nabers was talked about as being a top wide receiver prospect, and there were reports that some teams even had him ranked as the No. 1 rookie WR prospect over Marvin Harrison Jr. Dwain McFarland wrote in the WR Rookie Super Model that “these two players are closer than many want to believe", and he even had Nabers as the No. 3 highest-graded WR prospect since 2018.

Fast forward a few months, and now Nabers is the No. 1 WR for the Giants. That alone should place him much closer to where Fantasy Life's rankings have him rather than where he's currently going on Yahoo.

Look, if Darius Slayton is saying that Nabers is a clone of Ja'Marr Chase, we have to believe him…right?!

East Rutherford, NJ -- June 11, 2024 -- Wide receiver Malik Nabers at the NY Giants Mandatory Minicamp at their practice facility in East Rutherford, NJ. Photo Credit: Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

Starting at the top, yes, we should be somewhat concerned about the QB situation in New York with Daniel Jones coming off an ACL tear. However, Jones recently said that his recovery has gone "pretty smooth" and that there have been no setbacks. The most important thing to look at with Nabers this season in fantasy football is that he should have little competition for targets.

The Giants' WR room consists of Nabers, Wan'Dale Robinson, Jalin Hyatt, Darius Slayton, and Isaiah Hodgins. We also have to remember that New York lost RB Saquon Barkley in free agency, and TE Darren Waller just retired (maybe for a music career?) in early June.

Here's how Fantasy Life's projections have the Giants' WR room shaking out in 2024:

Nabers: 131 targets, 85 receptions
Robinson: 74 targets, 57 receptions
Slayton: 50 targets, 30 receptions
Hyatt: 43 targets, 25 receptions

We might not be that excited about Jones or potentially even Drew Lock under center throwing to Nabers, but if Nabers really gets the kind of target volume being projected above, then I'm definitely excited to be buying in at his current Yahoo ADP.

Tank Dell

Yahoo ADP: 72
Fantasy Life ranking: 52

Texans QB C.J. Stroud recently called his offensive weapons a "five-headed monster", and honestly, who doesn't want a piece of that exciting Houston offense in fantasy?!

If we thought this team was lethal last season, then we should buckle up for 2024. They not only added Stefon Diggs in free agency to an already-talented WR room, but the Texans also signed Pro Bowl RB Joe Mixon.

Now, a crowded WR room is never easy to navigate in fantasy. Trying to project the pecking order of targets between a loaded WR corps of Diggs, Nico Collins, and Tank Dell can be a bit scary for anyone. But trust me, this is a team you want a piece of in fantasy. Here's how our Fantasy Life projections see things shaking out in Houston:

Collins: 115 targets, 71 receptions
Dell: 102 targets, 64 receptions
Diggs: 115 targets, 77 receptions

Listen, there's a reason why all three Texans WRs are outside of the top 25 projected WRs in total PPR points for 2024.

Still, we saw flashes from Dell as a rookie last year prior to his leg injury. He finished with just 709 yards and seven TDs, but Dell was originally on pace for 1,205 receiving yards prior to his season-ending injury according to ESPN.

Dell's current Yahoo ADP makes him an easy click, especially when you see how pricey he already is on other platforms. Collins and Dell are the two WRs I've been drafting the most so far this offseason.

George Pickens

Yahoo ADP: 71
Fantasy Life ranking: 51

The Steelers are yet another team that may not pop off the page in terms of fantasy excitement overall, but George Pickens projects for a lot of targets following the departure of Diontae Johnson to Carolina in the offseason.

Plus, whatever you think of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, this 2024 Pittsburgh QB room has to at least be a slight improvement over Kenny Pickett…right?! Let Russ cook! Or at least let him (or Fields) just lead this team to some fantasy football goodness.

The bad part is that the Steelers' new offensive coordinator is Arthur Smith, but hopefully head coach Mike Tomlin won't let any tomfoolery happen. After all, the Falcons' WRs combined for just 124 receptions for 1,650 yards and four TDs in 2023. YIKES.

Oct 8, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens (14) catches a 41 yard pass for a touchdown as Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marion Humphrey (44) applies coverage during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. The catch was the game-winning score as the Steelers won 17-10. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports

Fantasy Life projections have Pickens at 68 receptions and 1,100 receiving yards on 114 targets this coming season, good enough for a WR21 overall finish.

Here's the thing: I am not saying to go out and load up on all the Pickens for 2024. We still have to consider how the Steelers will plan to run the ball with the arrival of Smith. That said, Pickens will at least be the No. 1 WR on a Pittsburgh offense that should be much better than last season.

Plus, as a Russell Wilson fan (by way of having watched the Seahawks growing up), we know that he loves to throw the ball vertically and outside. So with Pickens as their best outside WR, their chemistry could be pretty fun and result in some fantasy fireworks!

Please Arthur Smith, let us have some fantasy goodness in Pittsburgh this season. You really owe us!

Christian Kirk

Yahoo ADP: 82
Fantasy Life ranking: 60

The Jaguars had a disappointing 2023 campaign. They scored a pretty middle-of-the-road 17th-most fantasy points per game (PPG) last season, but it's worth noting that Jacksonville had to navigate an injury-filled year from Trevor Lawrence:

Week 6: Bruised knee
Week 13: Grade 3 high ankle sprain
Week 15: Concussion
Week 16: Sprained A/C joint

Christian Kirk finished last year as the WR18 in PPR PPG, but it felt like a lot of meat was left on the bone, as Calvin Ridley had the third-highest red zone targets among WRs and was definitely a thorn in the side of Kirk managers. Yes, Ridley is now in Tennessee, but the Jaguars added a pair of pretty good WRs this offseason that could cause similar concerns for Kirk as in 2023.

Brian Thomas Jr. and Gabe Davis (yes, I'm still going to count Davis as someone to worry about) will play alongside Kirk. The rookie was exceptional at the NFL Combine, as his 9.97 out of 10.00 relative athletic score (RAS) score ranked 10th out of 3,063 WRs from 1987 to 2024. And Davis is at least competent enough to take away some deep targets from Kirk.

But despite the presence of Thomas and Davis, I still think 2024 is a great situation for Kirk to unlock a WR1 season. While Thomas could flash some huge plays, I don't think we should expect him or Davis to inherit all of the vacated targets left by Ridley.

Ultimately, I do think there's still value in Kirk's current Yahoo ADP. He's also regularly being drafted around pick No. 44 overall (WR30) on Underdog just to give an idea of his current price on other platforms.

Fantasy Life projections have Kirk at 116 targets, Thomas at 95, and Davis finishing the year with 80. If Lawrence can stay healthier in 2024, and if Kirk can see his projected triple-digit target volume, then he's in line for a very solid fantasy season. SIGN ME UP!