Kyren Williams, Raheem Mostert, Rachaad White, and David Montgomery. Those guys definitely won some fantasy football leagues last season. They are undervalued gems you find in the late parts of the draft that significantly outproduce their initial expectations. Finding these hidden treasures is a tough task, but the satisfaction of striking gold is worth it.
These five players are this year’s golden values in fantasy football.
5. James Cook
James Cook‘s season was a perfect resemblance of a roller coaster: off to a fast start, begins to taper off after Week 4, picks back up, gets to his peak post-bye week, and takes a gigantic fall instantly after.
Although it was extremely inconsistent, there was plenty to like. For example, his efficiency was impressive. He ranked ninth in yards per carry and fifth in yards per touch. The only thing missing was ample volume. He will get there this season.
After a devastating Week 10 loss to the Denver Broncos, the Buffalo Bills fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey and replaced him with Joe Brady. With Dorsey, Cook put up a pedestrian 11.6 fantasy points per game and 14.4 touches.
Brady, however, flipped the switch. Cook averaged 16.1 fantasy points per game and 19.6 touches with Brady. It’s evident that Brady wants to run the ball.
When Dorsey was there, the Bills leaned toward the passing attack as they only averaged 25.4 runs per game. On a 17-game pace, that’s 432 runs, which would’ve placed 24th.
However, Brady shifted heavily towards Cook and the run game. They averaged a whopping 36.1 runs per game under Brady. On a 17-game pace, that’s 626 runs, which would’ve been first by a mile.
To further emphasize how run-heavy Brady was, the Baltimore Ravens would’ve been the closest team to that pace and they had 541 runs — almost 100 less than the Brady-led Bills.
There’s a reason the Bills let Gabe Davis and Stefon Diggs leave and their biggest addition at receiver was Keon Coleman, an amazing run blocker. The Bills are going to pound the rock relentlessly.
Does James Cook end the season as a RB1? pic.twitter.com/IbJMYBIiEo
— Fantasy Footballers (@TheFFBallers) August 30, 2024
4. James Conner
Injuries have been the story of Conner’s career. They’ve plagued numerous seasons and are the main reason why he’s being drafted so low in fantasy football. However, don’t let that stop you from drafting a monster when healthy.
Conner had the best season of his career in almost every aspect. He averaged five yards per carry, led the league in 20-plus-yard runs, ranked third in broken tackles, and was 10th in yards after contact. Additionally, he was fourth in rushing yards per game.
He did all of this without his starting quarterback for most of the year which led to him facing eight-plus defenders in the box 25 percent of the time (10th). With Kyler Murray, there was a drastic change. He averaged 23.9 fantasy points and 23.4 touches in the final five games.
Conner has always been a reliable and consistent option in fantasy, averaging 15 points per game in the last three seasons. The Cardinals upgraded the offensive line and will once again rely on Conner as their bellcow.
Although the Trey Benson addition may seem alarming, he projects to be the future answer with Conner expiring. As of right now, no one in the desert is touching Conner in the running back room.
Don’t sleep on James Conner this season 🔥
pic.twitter.com/4qN5MR4Ens— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) August 9, 2024
3. Chuba Hubbard
Chuba Hubbard was a victim of a terrible situation. The Panthers couldn’t move the ball whatsoever last year, the offensive line was incompetent, and their passing attack wasn’t any better. Because of this, Hubbard was very inefficient, averaging only 3.8 yards per carry.
However, there’s not much he could have done given that he ranked first with 7.2 average box defenders. With the revamp the offense experienced in the offseason, I don’t see that coming his way anymore.
The Panthers are heading in the right direction after their offseason. They added receivers to hopefully get their passing attack going and, most importantly, upgraded their offensive line.
Hubbard showed a lot of promise at the end of the season when he took over as RB1. In his final seven games, he averaged a respectable 14.2 fantasy points and 21.3 touches per game.
Most of the hesitation on Hubbard is the fact that Carolina drafted Jonathan Brooks in the second round. However, he tore his ACL, is still recovering, and will miss at least four games while on the PUP list. With Brooks out, Hubbard will continue to carry the large workload he saw at the end of the season.
Even when Brooks comes back, are we sure he’ll be the RB1? Carolina likely won’t want to rush him back, and at the end of the day, he’s still a rookie with zero experience.
Brooks is the future backfield leader, but this season seems to be a developmental year for him. Hubbard will still be the RB1.
Lock Chuba Hubbard in as a low-end RB2 with upside for the first 4 weeks of the season! 🔒 pic.twitter.com/6ZXXJjVx1q https://t.co/WnFvaD7FUf
— Jacob Dunne (@AintDunneYet) August 27, 2024
2. Zamir White
Josh Jacobs leaving for the Green Bay Packers gives Zamir White the RB1 title. In the games where he was RB1 last season, he averaged 15.2 fantasy points and 23.3 touches. The Raiders only added Alexander Mattison and Dylan Laube, who shouldn’t be major threats to White’s workload.
The Raiders also added a new offensive coordinator in the offseason, Luke Getsy. Getsy is notorious for being overly run-heavy, which works for White’s fantasy value.
In the two seasons Getsy was the offensive coordinator for the Bears, they ranked second in rush attempts. With White as the clear RB1, he’s going to get immense volume.
Remember when Rachaad White told everyone to draft him this year?
Looks like you should listen to him 😏 pic.twitter.com/c300X50SHx
— Yahoo Fantasy Sports (@YahooFantasy) August 23, 2024
1. Brian Robinson Jr.
The running back that everyone is digging for. The one that wins fantasy football leagues. That’s Brian Robinson Jr.
Robinson was a victim of terrible coaching last season. The Commanders refused to run the ball and ranked dead last in run plays. I highly doubt that reoccurs with the new coaching.
Even despite the lack of opportunity, Robinson showed flashes that have gone overlooked. He ranked ninth in fantasy points per opportunity and 12th in fantasy points per weighted opportunity. He also averaged 17.2 fantasy points per game in games where he played over 50 percent of the snaps.
With their pass-heavy system, the Commanders didn’t properly use his talents last season. I expect this year to be a different story.
Brian Robinson in year 2 👇
178 rushing attemps 😱
733 rushing yards 👀
368 receiving yards 🔥
Over 1000 total yards 🥶
Big things coming in year 3 🔥🔥🔥pic.twitter.com/CTb86H9CYH https://t.co/BGiSecp5YI— Hima (@Poole13Party) September 2, 2024
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