Fantasy Football Players Worth Reaching for in Your Draft: Jared Goff, Joe Mixon, George Pickens and More
These players are all worth reaching for past their ADP in fantasy drafts this year.
Quarterbacks
Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
Goff is currently being drafted as the 104th overall player in fantasy football this year as the QB13. I would be shocked if he didn't finish as at least a top-10 quarterback in 2024.
In 2023, he finished as the QB7 and should only be better this season. He will be playing in one of the best offenses in the NFL behind probably the best offensive lines in the league and has elite weapons. Beyond that, he is known to be a better performer when playing indoors throughout his career. In 2024, the Lions only play three outdoor games the entire season.
The NFC North also isn't a juggernaut of defenses. His ADP should be just inside pick 80 overall so don't be afraid to grab him a round or two early if you wait on a QB1.
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
How Tua's ADP is dropping is a mystery to me. He has slipped to the QB16 spot and is currently being drafted 113th overall. How quickly we forget that he led the league in passing yards last season. You are getting a high-volume passing offense and the best wide receiver duo in the NFL when you draft Tagovailoa.
There is also room for improvement in the TD department from last season when he threw 29. The running backs went crazy in 2023 scoring TDs, plus Miami won a ton of blowouts. Even with that, he finished as the QB9. Without those outlier stats, he has immense upside and a safe floor. I have him ranked neck-and-neck with Goff, just one spot behind due to a tougher schedule.
Running Backs
Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens
As of now, Henry is being drafted late in the second round at pick 22 overall as the RB10. There is no reason he can't be drafted as the RB7 as high as pick 15 overall. The most dominant runner of the past decade is going to a run-heavy offense with a strong O-line to play alongside Lamar Jackson. Oh yeah, and the backup is out for at least the first month or two of the season.
Him being 30 years old shouldn't scare you at all. In 2023, Gus Edwards scored 13 TDs coming off a torn ACL. I understand that everyone loves the new young players and drafts for upside, but this season is tailor-made for King Henry to finish as a top-five running back in fantasy football.
Joe Mixon, Houston Texans
Mixon is another aging back who just keeps on producing. The Texans also made it clear that he is their guy when they gave him a significant extension after trading for him this offseason. He's currently being drafted as the RB16 near the bottom of the third round at 32nd overall.
This is a guy I have ranked as the RB12 this season. Josh Jacobs is the current RB12 based on ADP going at pick 26. That is exactly where I'd be willing to pull the trigger on Mixon.
Wide Receivers
George Pickens, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pickens is one of my top breakout candidates this year, meaning this is a guy who I believe could finish as a top-10 fantasy wide receiver who people are looking to draft very early in 2025.
Last season, as the WR2 in Pittsburgh he topped 1,100 yards and flashed massive upside. When Diontae Johnson was out, he was dominant. Johnson is now gone and the team has made it clear that Pickens is the undisputed WR1 in that offense.
He is being drafted as the WR27 but I have no issue ranking him 10 spots higher as the WR17. While he's being drafted in the middle of the fifth round, I don't mind grabbing him near the top of the fourth round this year.
Diontae Johnson, Carolina Panthers
Speaking of Johnson, he is being undervalued by fantasy owners after being traded to the Panthers this offseason. That is an offense devoid of weapons and he immediately becomes the centerpiece of everything they are trying to do.
Many owners are scared off by Bryce Young and the offense in general. However, after Week 11 last season in PPR format, Adam Theilen was the WR11 overall. So there is no doubt that Young can sustain at least one valuable weapon.
Needless to say, Johnson is infinitely better than Theilen at this point in their careers to the point that he shouldn't even be viewed as serious target competition. Johnson is being drafted as the WR41 early in the eighth round this year. He will finish 2024 as a top-30 wideout. This is a player I would reach a round or even two rounds for.
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