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Finding bargains in a salary cap draft is how you take a good draft and turn it into a great one. It is how you turn a team that can make the playoffs into a team that can win a title. Targets aren’t limited to low-dollar players. Instead, they are players you anticipate your league being lower on than their value. Finding those deals isn’t always easy, but that’s why you’re here. Below are some salary cap targets at all price points.
Elite Targets
It is surprising to call one of the NFL's most dynamic players a possible bargain in drafts, but that’s what is happening. Jackson is checking in at QB4 for most drafters, and he’s slipping even further than that in some cases. Fantasy drafters tend to have a short memory, and last year’s injury has clouded people’s judgment. Jackson is still a threat to rush for 80+ yards on any given week, and if people are doubting him, that’s your cue to strike. Nominate him before Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes II, and Justin Herbert come off the board for the best shot at getting a depressed price. Jackson may be the single biggest opportunity at the quarterback position in salary cap drafts this year.
Calling him an elite target this year somehow feels a little premature after seeing him start for only one year. But since he’s coming off the board as the sixth quarterback, he’s officially in that territory. It might look like there isn’t much room for value there, but the situation in Philadelphia is stronger than it seems. The Eagles want to see if they have their quarterback of the future, so his starting job is fairly secure for 2022. Combine that with his upside due to his rushing ability, and you have the perfect target. Quarterback prices tend to drop quickly after the top guys have been rostered, so let Mahomes or Allen come off the board to set the market and then see if you can get QB6-8 pricing for Hurts. If Hurts continues to improve with A.J. Brown in town, he has the potential to finish at the top of the position for an extremely reasonable price. That’s what salary cap drafts are all about.
Middle-Tier Targets
There is often value to be had between the elite quarterbacks and the bargain quarterbacks. Managers in your leagues will likely go for one or the other, creating lower-than-expected prices on the middle-tier targets. Watch for this tendency in your salary cap rooms.
All he did last year was lead the league in touchdown passes, attempts, completions, and passing yards, and yet here he sits as a low QB1 option on most people’s boards. The key in salary cap drafts is correctly taking the temperature of the fantasy community, and right now, people aren’t as interested in Brady as they should be. Losing tight end Rob Gronkowski and the uncertain health of Chris Godwin has people thinking this year is finally the year Brady fails to deliver. That’s your opportunity to swoop in and grab him for a reasonable price. A well-timed nomination when there is a deep quarterback pool left is a good way to see what kind of deal you can get on the Tampa Bay signal-caller.
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