Last week, we were all over Colston Loveland, who finally delivered the breakout game we’d been waiting for. We also encouraged you to draft Jalen Coker, who rewarded believers with 13 targets and 97 receiving yards. That’s exactly what we’re hunting for every week: overlooked players with the opportunity to significantly outperform their draft capital. This week, we’ve got four more cornerstone values, including a couple of late-round picks who could separate your lineup from the field.
>> Worried about injuries if you draft early? Don’t sweat it; you have two post-draft edits for each lineup
Malik Willis (QB – GB)
Want a quarterback with legitimate slate-breaking rushing upside in the seventh round? Look no further than Malik Willis. He’s already flashed his wheels this season with games of 74 and 56 rushing yards, and now he gets his easiest opponent of the year: the New York Jets. Better yet, Green Bay is coming off its bye, and Willis gets standout rookie Caleb Douglas back after Douglas exploded onto the scene in Week 1. The rushing floor alone makes Willis intriguing, but the ceiling is what has me excited. We’re talking about a quarterback who could put up 40-plus rushing yards and two touchdowns against an overmatched Jets defense. That would put him firmly in the top-10 fantasy QB conversation for the first time this season, with upside for even more. At a seventh-round Quicktasy price tag, that’s the kind of value I want in my tournament lineups.
Dameon Pierce (RB – PHI)
This one might not feel sexy, but fantasy points don’t care about sexy. Dameon Pierce played an absurd 95% of the Eagles’ offensive snaps last week and caught four passes out of the backfield. That’s bell-cow usage, plain and simple. He’s practically a stone-cold lock for a dozen touches, with legitimate upside for 20-plus, which is exceedingly rare for an eighth-round Quicktasy pick. But here’s the real kicker: Philadelphia gets the Dallas Cowboys and their universe-worst rushing defense. You couldn’t draw up a much better matchup for a running back seeing this kind of workload. Even if Pierce isn’t the most explosive player on the slate, volume plus matchup is a beautiful combination. Twenty-plus fantasy points is absolutely within reach, and you can get him several rounds later than other backs with similar opportunities.
Love your lineup? Duplicate it up to 89 times and use our Smart Variations feature to create unique versions of your best work →
Konata Mumpfield (WR – LAR)
Here’s your late-round dart throw of the week. Konata Mumpfield is sitting there in the 11th round of Quicktasy drafts, and if you’ve already drafted, he makes for a sneaky replacement using one of your two post-draft edits. We know the Rams have lost Davante Adams, and while Puka Nacua is an absolute target monster, he can’t catch EVERY Matthew Stafford pass. Those targets have to go somewhere. Enter Mumpfield, the second-year wideout who has been productive whenever given an opportunity. Remember Week 3? He torched Denver for 93 yards and a touchdown despite limited opportunities. Now he gets a potential shootout against the Raiders, where Stafford could be throwing early and often. We’re not looking for a safe floor in the 11th round. We’re looking for a player who can turn a handful of extra targets into a tournament-winning performance. Mumpfield fits that description perfectly.
Evan Engram (TE – DEN)
Want a player who could appear in fewer than 5% of Quicktasy lineups but has the upside to propel you into the top 1% of tournament prizes? Say hello to Evan Engram. Yes, I know his production has been disappointing this season, but context matters. Five of his six matchups have come against top-quartile defenses versus tight ends, giving him arguably the toughest positional schedule in the league. Despite the lack of production, Engram is still playing the majority of the offensive snaps. Now he finally gets some relief against an Arizona Cardinals defense that might be the single best matchup to target with opposing tight ends. This is precisely the type of situation where I want to buy low before everyone else catches on. The opportunity is there, the matchup is tremendous, and the roster rate should be microscopic. Engram has the potential to be one of the biggest positional values of Week 7.
Jett Morris is a Sr. Fantasy Analyst for Quicktasy. Follow him on Twitter @JettMorris for more fantasy sports content.
Leave a Reply