4 Late-Round Rookie Best-Ball Targets You Want On Draft Day
We're going off road into the deep brush with four late-round rookies your should be targeting in best-ball leagues.
These are the fantasy football rookies I'm looking to acquire in the best-ball leagues. I'm sifting through the bargain bin, seeking to recommend some obscure hits rather than the obvious ones. It all boils down to this: opportunity. That's what I'm looking for.
I'm not necessarily looking for upside or hype when drafting rookies in best-ball. I'm not scouring the internet for scouting reports or highlight reels. It's all about paths to opportunity. Who's getting on the field? Predicting that - or really, attempting to predict that in the late spring months - may be a fool's errand, but the game is based upon making snap decisions in the moment during your draft.
We're just off the beaten path here, so if you're expecting names like Marvin Harrison Jr. or Malik Nabers, please remember that I'm trying to be helpful and not obvious.
Bo Nix, QB, Denver Broncos
Look, there was a time when Sean Payton was the man. Some of that mystique could have something to do with Drew Brees, but Nix is a poor man's Brees. Blessed with better-than-average accuracy, he completed an absurd 77.4% of his passes in 2023.
Nix can be had on the cheap and is being drafted after guys like Daniel Jones and Russell Wilson. Why? We have no idea what to expect while guys like Jones and Wilson have consistently underwhelmed in recent years.
Payton certainly has a vision and it was a very bold move to pivot away from Russell Wilson. I have to believe, even if I disagree in principle, with committing the No. 12 pick on a second-round prospect.
However, I often talk about how the passing game has changed in the two-deep safety era. Nix is perfect example of a quarterback whose talents should flourish in today's NFL where he can work through his short to intermediate progressions.
There was a time when everybody was on the Mac Jones bandwagon and that's because, like Nix, he was labeled the most NFL-ready quarterback prospect. I know comparing Nix to Jones isn't a ringing endorsement, but Jones did have success in his rookie year. I blame Bill Belichick and a lack of coaching guidance for his fall.
Instead of dwelling on perceived talent though, I'm focused on the unknown. While Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy are going rounds ahead, you can get Nix at a steep discount in a situation that we don't really know what to expect. That at least carries the potential for more.
Blake Corum, RB, Los Angeles Rams
Sean McVay follows the production. While Kyren Williams is talented, this offense is loyal to who's getting the job done. Corum will get an opportunity to prove himself, and I wouldn't be shocked at all to see him getting plenty of early-down opportunities.
I don't believe in implementing a handcuff strategy in a best-ball, as I'd rather spread out my resources, but Corum is an interesting case since he is being drafted beyond the 10th round. His average draft position (13.04, 124) will likely creep up all summer.
Who gets the goal-line touches will be a difference-maker. Corum is a bowling ball and reminds me of Maurice Jones-Drew, a beast in the red zone in his stellar career. Early down work and red zone touches are plenty considering where Corum is being drafted.
Ja'Lynn Polk, WR, New England Patriots
You don't want to invest in Pats players, but somebody's got to score in this offense. I've already spoken highly about Drake Maye in my Fantasy Sleepers article, and Polk could be a main beneficiary as the team's new No. 1 wide receiver.
Polk is basically off the board in best-ball ADP. He's not even in the top 10 of most rookie WR rankings lists. He's just outside the top 75 in best-ball WRs, which is absolutely nuts. Eventually, you must pull away from draft capital arguments and pre-draft evaluations.
Let me say it again, right now, Polk is the No. 1 wide receiver in New England. Bill Belichick is gone, folks. Drake Maye is here. There's no reason why Polk's best-ball ADP should be 190. Ludicrous!
This is a new ballgame in New England, and the unknown at least creates some mystique - the potential for more. There's a new car smell hovering around Foxboro. Doesn't that count for something?
Ben Sinnott, TE, Washington Commanders
Is it fair to write about the No. 2 tight end? Well, I can't go too far off the rails. Most backup tight ends are going late in best-ball anyway. Right now, Sinnott has more appeal than most guys you could get from 21 to 30 at tight end, except Isaiah Likely.
Sinnott was wildly productive for the Kansas State Wildcats and is the perfect stash player because the Commanders are in flux. I don't doubt Zach Ertz's ability to still play at a replacement-player level. But he does have an injury history, and there's little other competition for playing time.
Washington committed a second-round pick, and we could see Jayden Daniels flourish in an offense seeking a new identity. What's wild is that Carolina's Ja'Tavion Sanders, who was drafted nearly 50 picks behind Sinnott, is going about a full round ahead of Sinnott, making the K-State product an even bigger draft value.
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