We are very early in the fantasy football season so the ADP consensus has a long way to go before it actually comes to be a consensus. Today, we are going to cover 5 guys who are going to rise significantly in ADP over the next two months of drafting. We are going to skip on the easy answers of big names with no team like Dalvin Cook and DeAndre Hopkins.
1. D’Andre Swift – RB – Philadelphia Eagles
I am not sure I buy into the hype train just yet with Swift in Philly because of how crowded that backfield is already with Rashaad Penny and Boston Scott. However, Swift is not made of glass like Penny is and he has something to prove this season after multiple seasons of misuse in Detroit. Swift has an elite skillset that the Eagles are going to be able to put to use much more effectively than the Lions ever did. Don’t forget that Swift was coming off the board in the second round of 2022 fantasy drafts and right now on a better team with the same sort of committee backfield he is going in PPR leagues as the RB23 and 77th overall. He will rise easily 10 spots into the realm of Miles Sanders, Cam Akers, and Dameon Pierce with relative ease.
2. De’Von Achane – RB – Miami Dolphins
This entirely depends on the Dolphins on signing anyone like Dalvin Cook or Zeke Elliott into this backfield to muddy the waters. Right now the only hurdles to touches for Achane are Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. Achane should have no issue rising to the top of this backfield whether it happens through talent or by injury to the perpetually injured Mostert but he is going to be the starter on this team in short order. The head of this backfield is going to be valuable this season with Hill and Waddle requiring so much attention. Mostert and Wilson combined for 1,283 rushing yards last season. I think this third round pick takes hold and once camp starts and it becomes obvious who the best back in this backfield is and his stock will rise dramatically from RB39 and 120th overall.
3. Jordan Addison – WR – Minnesota Vikings
Addison is in a very interesting spot on the ADP chart because the list of guys ahead of him are obviously more accomplished in the NFL than the rookie and they have more name recognition, but they all have just horrendous quarterback play expected this season. Wide receivers ahead of Addison in ADP right now include: Jahan Dotson, Treylon Burks, Mike Evans, Jaxson Smith-Njigba, Tyler Lockett, Michael Pittman Jr., Marquise Brown, Diontae Johnson, Chris Godwin, and Brandon Aiyuk. Now obviously many of those guys in the same circumstance there is no debate between them and Addison right now, but the issue is that for wide receivers to be valuable in fantasy they need to be on high powered aerial attacks. Their quarterbacks in week 1 are probably going to be Sam Howell, Ryan Tannehill, Baker Mayfield, Geno Smith, Anthony Richardson, Colt McCoy?, Kenny Pickett, and Trey Lance (maybe). None of those guys are touching the 4,500 passing yards we should see from Kirk Cousins this season. Now, Justin Jefferson is going to catch close to half of that, but someone is going to be there for the rest and Addison is all alone behind Jefferson right now. Fantasy players are going to figure this out and Addison’s hype train will launch him from his current perch of WR39 and 74th overall.
4. Van Jefferson – WR – LA Rams
Jefferson is in the mix for the WR2 for the Rams this season after no one took hold of the role and Allen Robinson was a complete disaster and is now off the roster. The Rams are in a weird spot where they have two of the top five players in the NFL in Aaron Donald and Cooper Kupp, but don’t seem overly invested in winning this year. Quarterback Matt Stafford is back and hopefully healthy now so Cooper Kupp is going to receive and elite target share, but Kupp can’t take all the work and if Jefferson can consolidate into the WR2 role that was so valuable to Robert Woods there is going to be a lot of excitement around him as drafts ramp up. Jefferson is currently coming off the board as the WR66 and 143rd overall. I think we easily see him jump up the list by 10 wide receivers and get past the likes of Rondale Moore, Romeeo Doubs, and Zay Jones.
5. Dalton Kincaid – TE – Buffalo Bills
Dalton Kincaid was one of the most widely praised prospects during the draft process and he ended up in a great situation with Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. Kincaid should pretty immediately surpass Dawson Knox who has failed to live up to the preseason hype for him in seasons past. Looking at the Bills’ depth chart right now there is a clear opening for the #2 spot behind Stefon Diggs. Gabe Davis was thought to be the next big thing after an 8/201/4 line in a January 2021 playoff game and his overall season line of 48/836/7 looks solid it was mostly buoyed by a single game of 3/171/2. Gabe Davis is not talented enough to hold off a real challenge for that #2 spot and I think Kincaid even as a rookie is capable of surpassing the 2022 Knox stat line of 48/517/6 which was good enough for the TE9 spot on the season. Right now Kincaid is coming off the board as the TE13 and 134th overall.