There's a magic word of sorts in fantasy football. One word that, more than any other, can mean the difference between success and failure.
That word, of course, is abracadabra.
No, wait. That's not it—it's Shazam!
Nope, still not right.
Got it. It's value.
Value is king in fantasy. Having a great draft is all about picking players at a position of value. Drafting guys who will outperform their draft slot in the season to come.
Do that, and you are one step closer to a championship. Fail to, and a team's title aspirations can vanish in a puff of smoke.
What, you thought I was going to let the whole "magic" theme go? Have we met?
There is value to be had throughout the draft. Players who fall into the back end of Round 1 who should have been top-five picks. Guys available in Round 3 who go on to produce like first-rounders. Mid-round picks who become high-end contributors.
And there is one player in every round who stands out as the best potential value of the lot.
You just need to know where to look.
Let's make some magic happen.
The Most Undervalued Player in Each Round
Round 1: WR Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota (ADP: 11)
Yes, Jefferson was a disappointment last year, but that was largely due to a laughably bad catchable target percentage from a quarterback in J.J. McCarthy, who was also second among quarterbacks in bad-throw percentage.
Two years ago, with a competent quarterback running the offense in Sam Darnold, Jefferson had more PPR points than any wide receiver in the NFC. The year before that, he was fifth in PPR points per game in an injury-shortened campaign. In 2022, he was the only wideout to top 350 PPR points.
That kind of finish is possible again with Kyler Murray under center.
Round 2: Derrick Henry, RB, Baltimore (ADP: 20)
It's not that hard to see why some are reluctant to trust Henry in 2026. He's the active carries leader by a wide margin. He'll turn 33 next January. And Henry isn't exactly a factor in the passing game—one season in a decade with over 30 receptions.
The thing is, though, he's also King Henry. Father Time pays him protection money.
Last year, Henry was second in the NFL with 1,595 rushing yards. He averaged over five yards per carry for the second straight season. Scored 16 times on the ground for the second straight season. And tied for the AFC lead in runs of 40 yards or more.
That's good.
Round 3: RB Javonte Williams, Dallas (ADP: 34)
Starting off a draft with Jefferson and Williams as two of the first three picks makes drafting from the back end of Round 1 look more than a little attractive.
Yes, 2025 was far and away the most productive of Williams' career. He also had his share of injury issues over his four seasons in Denver, including a torn ACL back in 2022. But last year in Dallas it all came together—over 1,200 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns on the ground and top-12 fantasy numbers.
Injury is the only reason to doubt that Williams can back up last year's numbers—a Cowboys offense that was among the league's best a year ago is intact in 2026.
In fact, bettering last year's fantasy finish wouldn't surprise me.
Round 4: WR Emeka Egbuka, Tampa Bay (ADP: 37)
Nope. Not climbing off this soapbox. Won't do it. Can't make me.
To be fair, after a scorching start to his rookie season, Egbuka cooled off over the second half of last season. But that was due to a hamstring injury. That injury is now long since healed, and even a banged-up Egbuka had more targets than Mike Evans and Chris Godwin Jr. combined last year.
Evans is in San Francisco now, by the way.
Over the first five weeks of last season, Egbuka was third in PPR points among receivers. He has that kind of upside this year. Seriously.
