Five Major Values Based On 2020 Rankings

It’s early in fantasy draft prep, but players like the ones below who start off way too low will likely still be values by the time your draft rolls around. Keep an eye on these guys throughout the summer to make sure they don’t get hurt, then enjoy them as they give you one of the deepest teams in your league.

Matt Breida, RB, Dolphins (No. 91 overall, RB37)

The Dolphins traded for Breida on draft night, and went through all three days without selecting a running back, choosing to enter 2020 with Breida and Jordan Howard. Howard is currently the RB34 on Fantasy Pros, which means the fantasy community doesn’t think much of either guy or the Dolphins situation. While Howard has become a bit of a journeyman – this is his third team in six seasons – Breida has always performed well with limited opportunity.

Breida has been part of crowded San Francisco backfields since he entered the league, averaging better than five yards per carry in each of the past two seasons while notching at least 120 attempts. He has also caught 27 and 19 passes, respectively, in each of the past two seasons while fighting for work. Injuries have been a bit of a concern, but Breida has mostly fought through them never appearing in fewer than 13 games in any of his first three campaigns. Breida has been a big play threat, scoring half of his career touchdowns from 20 yards out or further and offers a major contrast from Howard, a grinder with little in the way of receiving ability.

While Breida has been an overperforming, underutilized weapon, Howard hasn’t averaged better than 4.4 yards per carry in three years. The early picture seems like a thunder and lightning tandem with Howard earning early down and goal line work, but Breida’s simply more talented and more effective than Howard. He’s never had the chance to be a three-down back, and when the Dolphins realize his electricity his role is going to expand rapidly. There is going to be a ton of value for Breida, especially if rookie Tua Tagovailoa takes over at some point.

Matthew Stafford, QB, Lions (No. 100 overall, QB13)

Stafford is ranked as the no. 13 QB, a.k.a. not a starter for fantasy purposes unless you are in a very deep or two-QB league. That’s a mistake. It seems like Stafford’s been around forever, but he’s only 32 years old and he was going off in 2019 before injury cut his season short. Last year, without Golden Tate, Stafford 2,499 yards and 19 touchdowns in just eight games. He was averaging 13.4 yards per completion working with one of the best WR tandems in football in Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones. Second-year TE T.J. Hockenson will have benefitted from a year of seasoning, and they’ve added rookie RB D’Andre Swift who should not only improve the running game, but add a legitimate receiving weapon for Stafford. Last but not least, Stafford is durable. Yeah he was hurt last year, but he hadn’t missed a game prior to that since 2011. Stafford’s health is important, because he is annually among the league leaders in attempts. From 2011 to 2018, Stafford surpassed 550 attempts every single time and eclipsed 4,400 yards every year but 2018. He is rock solid in terms of opportunity, and his weapons are the best they’ve ever been. Enjoy the late round steal; Stafford might be a Top 5 QB in 2020.

Mike Gesicki, TE, Dolphins (No. 118 overall, TE13)

When obtaining value in fantasy, it ain’t about where you’ve been, it’s about where you’re going. Gesicki’s numbers last year – 51 receptions, 570 yards, five touchdowns – don’t jump off the screen at you. But things are looking up for this athletic beast. Gesicki leapt from 32 targets as a rookie to 89 last season, and he earned six or more targets in all but one game last season after Week 7. Gesicki closed the season with three touchdowns in his final two games, including a score against the Patriots in Week 17, the NFL’s top defense in 2019. He will enter his third season as arguably the No. 2 receiving option behind WR DeVante Parker, and might get Tua Tagovailoa at some point. He should get to 100 targets this season and with his talent, there’s no way he does not end up a Top 12 TE.

Emmanuel Sanders, WR, Saints (No. 120 overall, WR44)

I was very down on Sanders last season and he proved me horribly wrong, despite catching passes from Joe Flacco, Drew Lock and Jimmy Garoppolo all season. With that mediocre trio he finished 2019 with 66 catches, 869 yards and five scores. It was remarkably similar to his 2018 campaign, in which he ended the year with 71 catches, 868 yards and four touchdowns. Those numbers would place him right about here in terms of rankings, except he now has Dree Brees throwing the ball. Even at Brees’ advanced age, he remains one of the elite, most accurate QBs in football in an offense with the potential for high passing volume. He will also be the best No. 2 receiver Brees has had in many seasons. The Saints WR2 role hasn’t been a goldmine, which is likely driving down his value at the moment, but that role’s also been occupied by guys like Ted Ginn Jr. and Tre’Quan Smith. Sanders is in another class as a route runner, he’s retained his speed at 33 years old, and he will be an afterthought for defenses that have to deal with Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara. Scary good value here, especially in full-PPR formats.

CeeDee Lamb, WR, Cowboys (No. 128 overall, WR50)

Lamb was atop many draft boards this season, but surprisingly was just the third WR off the board. His ranking has been hurt by his landing in Dallas, where he has to fight with Amari Cooper and 2019 breakout Michael Gallup for looks. While that makes some sense, Lamb’s talent is such that he was going to produce wherever he landed, and the Cowboys offense should support plenty of skill players’ fantasy relevance.

Really, Lamb’s numbers at Oklahoma were startling. He caught 62 passes for 1,327 yards (21.4 yards per reception) and 14 touchdowns. He caught double-digit touchdowns in back-to-back seasons, and is known for his ability to win battles down the field. That’s important when playing with Dak Prescott, who can certainly drive the ball deep but isn’t the most accurate QB in the league. Even though Cooper and Gallup established themselves last season, there are 166 targets from last season being vacated by Randall Cobb and Jason Witten. CeeDee Lamb will be able to do incredible things with 83 targets, and he could flirt with 100 if we assume Blake Jarwin isn’t seeing the same target share as Witten would have. Lamb could have a very big season, and being in an offense with other weapons to take pressure off him is not a detriment.