These are the players that Dave Kluge and I believe could have career-best seasons and massively outperform their ADP. We each revealed four players, and I took direct quotes from our recent podcast and put them in an easy-to-read article with timestamps that link to the discussions on YouTube.
1. Jameson Williams, WR – Detroit Lions (Dave)
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- Current ADP: WR24
- Dave's Rank: WR20
- "Over the last 8 games of last season: 7 targets, 73 yards, and 0.5 touchdowns per game. Extrapolate that over a full season and you're looking at potential WR1 production."
- "I think Jameson Williams already kind of broke out over the last 8 games. He could legitimately not just finish as a WR1, but be a top-five or top-three player. He is that type of talent."
- With Ben Johnson gone, "we might see a shift in target share from Amon-Ra to Jameson."
- Dave compared Williams to Tyreek Hill in upside: "Early-career Tyreek is a good comp for Jameson Williams."
2. Rome Odunze, WR – Chicago Bears (Alfredo)
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- Current ADP: WR38
- Alfredo's Rank: WR34
- "The offensive line is improved, and we should see more pre-snap motion and play action to get Caleb Williams comfortable in the offense."
- "Odunze's catchable target rate was second-worst among all NFL WRs over the last three years."
- "Keenan Allen took so many high-value targets in the intermediate and middle of the field from Odunze because of the pressure getting to Caleb. He just needed to get easy completions to someone.
- "Odunze reminds me of Nico Collins – not a speedster, but a vertical winner with sure hands."
- "DJ Moore, Luther Burden III, and Colston Loveland will be moving all over the formation. It'll be hard to figure out their roles. But we know that Odunze will primarily be the X-receiver on the outside."
- "ADP has him at WR38, and he could easily beat that with Ben Johnson running the offense."
3. Tyjae Spears, RB – Tennessee Titans (Dave)
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- Current ADP: RB41
- Dave's Rank: RB36
- "In his one start last year: 20 carries, 4 targets, 103 total yards."
- "ADP has dropped even further this year despite more opportunity last year."
- "Brian Callahan wants a two-headed backfield; Spears could be a contingent bet."
- "He has burst, quick-twitch ability, and long speed for breakaway runs."
- "The Titans remind us of the Texans two years ago – a team no one expected to produce value."
4. Josh Downs, WR – Indianapolis Colts (Alfredo)
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- Current ADP: WR48
- Alfredo's Rank: WR36
- With Joe Flacco at quarterback, Josh Downs averaged 15.5 fantasy points per game. That would have been WR17 over a full season.
- Daniel Jones, now expected to start in Indy, heavily targets slot receivers, including 140 targets to Wan'Dale Robinson last year.
- The Colts' offensive line has declined, and when Jones is under pressure, he consistently looks to the slot for quick throws.
- Downs ran the 6th-most routes from the slot in the NFL last season and finished 4th in slot receiving yards.
- Downs creates separation at an elite rate, consistently getting open regardless of coverage type.
5. Tyrone Tracy Jr., RB – New York Giants (Dave)
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- Current ADP: RB31
- Dave's Rank: RB32
- "Elite 9.77 RAS score and 4.48 40-yard dash."
- "He's a converted WR with upside as a pass catcher and big play threat."
- "Fumbles and drops were issues, but fixable in Year 2."
- "Cam Skattebo's 4.71 speed and poor RAS (7.42) is a red flag."
- "He could become a slot/RB hybrid similar to Wan'Dale's role."
- "In a low-scoring, ball-control offense, his role could be essential."
6. Ricky Pearsall, WR – San Francisco 49ers (Alfredo)
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- Current ADP: WR41
- Alfredo's Rank: WR35
- Pearsall got shot in the chest just before his rookie season and ended up missing six weeks and all of training camp.
- Not surprisingly, he started slow and was mostly used in a gadget role early on—just a way to get him involved.
- The data bros love to knock his yards per route run and overall production, but context really matters here.
- As he got healthier, the coaches gave him more responsibility, and he started getting open consistently.
- In the final two games, he averaged 7 catches on 9 targets per game and looked like a legit breakout candidate.
7. Trey Benson, RB – Arizona Cardinals (Dave)
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- "4.39 speed at 6'0, 216 lbs – 98th percentile size-adjusted speed."
- "Benched early, but returned more decisive and physical."
- "James Conner has never played a full season; RB46 ADP bakes in upside."
- "Could be the Arizona version of what we saw with Roschon Johnson or Gus Edwards."
- "He's a top 10 RB if given a full-time role."
- "The perfect Year 2 leap candidate – added strength and NFL feel."
8. Drake Maye, QB – New England Patriots (Alfredo)
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- Current ADP: QB16
- Alfredo's Rank: QB13
- Late-round QB strategy is still very much alive. 41% of last year's top-12 QBs were drafted in Round 9 or later.
- The Patriots completely overhauled the offense around Maye: They added five new offensive linemen. Brought in legit weapons like Stefon Diggs, Kyle Williams, and TreVeyon Henderson.
- Maye brings big-time rushing upside. He actually averaged more rushing yards per game last season than Josh Allen.
- He also led all QBs in yards per carry (among those with at least 8 starts).
- He only scored two rushing TDs, but the team was rarely in scoring position during his 10 full games.
- Even so, he was a top-12 fantasy QB in 40% of those games, and top-16 in 80%. We're drafting him at his floor.
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