5 Late-Round Players with Opportunity

Photo: Brad Rempel, USA Today Sports

The calendar has shifted to August, and training camp nuggets have started trickling into the NFL news cycle. While fantasy managers should exercise caution when ingesting training camp reports, patterns can indicate what players could be values at current ADP. A few players have stood out in the early weeks of camp, and some of these players could end up as weekly starters, despite late-round or undrafted cost of acquisition. Here are the five players that could be a thing.

WR K.J. Osborn, Minnesota

K.J. Osborn has been turning heads at Vikings camp, but the writing was on the walls for him to take on a more prominent role when Kevin O'Connell took over as head coach. O'Connell's preference to run out of 11-personnel (1 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE) will put Osborn on the field a lot more, and some have suggested that Osborn may finish the season as the No. 2 wideout in Minnesota. O'Connell is arriving fresh off a Super Bowl run with Los Angeles, and Osborn has been running a route tree that mirrors Cooper Kupp's in some sets. Osborn is currently going as the WR71 in drafts. I have him ranked cautiously at WR52, but it would not be shocking if Osborn were a weekly flex option in 2022.

WR Josh Palmer, LA Chargers

Josh Palmer quietly overtook the No. 3 receiver role in the waning weeks of 2021. Over his last five games, Palmer had more snaps, targets, and receptions than incumbent Jalen Guyton. The Chargers are heavy users of 11-personnel, putting three receivers on the field 64% of the time in 2021. While that wasn't lucrative for fantasy in 2021, Palmer and Herbert have already built chemistry at training camp this year. Palmer likely has standalone flex value in favorable matchups, but his upside lies with replacement opportunity. If Keenan Allen or Mike Williams were injured, Palmer would immediately become a No. 3 receiver in fantasy lineups. Fantasy managers are currently drafting Palmer as the WR73, but I have him ranked at WR54 to account for the chance that he is a thing in 2022.

WR Velus Jones, Chicago

Many have written off Velus Jones for 2022 redraft leagues, but a few factors contribute to a belief that he will have value and crack lineups this fall. First, Jones has something that the Bears offense will covet: speed. He ran a 4.31-second forty-yard dash at the NFL Combine, and his college film was full of breakaway runs-after-catch. The Bears used a Day 2 pick to acquire him, and the depth chart ahead of him is bleak. Outside of Darnell Mooney, the Bears lack playmakers at the position. Byron Pringle and Equanimeous St. Brown will fight for snaps, with NKeal Harry hoping to revitalize his career after his recent arrival. But Jones Jr. offers a skill set unlike theirs, and his ability to win in the short areas of the field without sacrificing his big-play ability is something Luke Getsy and the offense will value. The Bears will likely operate in garbage time at times, and Jones Jr. could be the recipient of some late-game production. His ADP of WR101 suggests he has no upside. He currently ranks as my WR64.