Best Late-Round Flyers in PPR

Everybody that plays fantasy knows that the best part of the year is draft season. You don’t win the draft in the first round; you win it in the late rounds. So, as we get closer and closer to the start of the year, I wanted to talk about some of my favorite high-upside flyers to take near the end of the draft. The criteria for these players is pretty simple: they have to be available in the 10th round or later. 

Chase Brown – ADP:116.6 – RB38

While Brown’s ADP is barely outside of the 10th round, he is squarely in the 10th round if you are playing on any platform other than RTSports. Last season, Brown played very well in relief of Joe Mixon. Bringing in Zack Moss has certainly hurt his value, but I am confident in Brown going into next season. Zac Taylor has favored a feature back since he joined the Bengals, and I don’t think that will suddenly change. The competition between Brown and Moss won’t be easy, and in terms of fantasy, Moss seems to be favored to win the job. I’ll take a gamble on Brown’s youth and pop over Moss’ experience. If Brown wins the job, he could easily be a high-end RB2 over the course of the season.

Trey Benson – ADP:126.2 – RB41

Benson is an incredibly talented rookie and the only rookie I have on this list. Going to the Cardinals has put him in a really interesting position. James Conner has been one of the most reliable fantasy running backs in football when he’s been on the field. The problem is that he’s never played a full season in his career. No real sports fan will ever wish somebody would get injured. However, handcuffing has been a strategy for a long time. If you find yourself drafting Conner, handcuffing him with Benson could be the best way to get yourself out of a bind. If you don’t draft Conner, he could be worth holding on to just to see what happens.

Curtis Samuel – ADP:136.4 – WR51

The Bills traded away their best wide receiver, Stefon Diggs, this offseason, which leaves a lot of targets on the table. Before Diggs, the Bills were in a similar situation, and they managed to get John Ross over 1,000 yards. You can take a gamble on whatever Bills receiver you want; I think the best pass catcher will be Dalton Kincaid. Curtis Samuel brings a level of versatility that the other wide receivers don’t. Last season, he lined up at both running back and wide receiver. I believe that versatility will be enough for him to be the best wide receiver in Buffalo.

Kirk Cousins – ADP:144.2 – QB19

Kirk Cousins is currently getting drafted in round 12. The only concern I have with Cousins is that the offense might revolve more around Bijan Robinson than the passing game. With that said, the Falcons can’t ignore their generational athlete at tight end, Kyle Pitts, or their premier young wide receiver, Drake London. Kirk’s ceiling is a solid QB1, and his floor is a solid QB2. At worst, you’ll be getting a solid backup quarterback, and at best, you could get a guy that will win you a league. He’s being drafted behind what I would say his floor is, and he’s the safest pick on this list.

Josh Palmer – ADP:160.2 – WR57

The downside for Palmer is obvious. Not only have the Chargers completely gutted their wide receiver room, but they’ve also hired an extremely run-first coach, signed not just one but two Ravens running backs, and Justin Herbert has been plagued by a foot issue all offseason. The upside is also very tempting. Ladd McConkey is Palmer’s only competition for targets, and whoever the number one receiver is will absolutely be fantasy-relevant. When it comes to receivers, I would rather wait a couple of rounds to take the guy who has played in the offense for a few years and has some good chemistry with the quarterback. Josh Palmer could be a league winner this year.

Isaiah Likely – ADP:185 – TE18

Likely is a player that I would be more inclined to take in a tight end premium league or a league with a deeper bench. He was an absolute stud last season when he came in for Mark Andrews, and there’s talk about the Ravens splitting him out wide. He could end up being a very good backup tight end to hold on to for a couple of weeks, and if he hits, he’ll be a diamond in the rough, and if he misses, you can drop him and stream another TE. His ceiling is very high, but his floor is very low.

Justin Fields – ADP:198.8 – QB27

Justin Fields has an absurd amount of potential. With a standard roster, I wouldn’t draft Fields. But in any kind of superflex or 2QB format, I am absolutely rostering Fields with a late pick. When he was with the Bears and healthy, he was a QB1. And that was with Luke Getsy calling the plays. In Mike Tomlin’s offense, Fields could be one of the best fantasy quarterbacks in football. The obstacle is that he needs to beat out Russell Wilson. That’s a lot easier said than done, but Wilson didn’t exactly set the world on fire with the Broncos. If Wilson doesn’t come out and win some games, you could be very happy that you took a shot on Fields. 

Taking shots on these kinds of guys and hitting is what wins fantasy leagues. Late-round flyers are the lifeblood of every good team. There is a time to know when to cut your losses. You don’t want to reach too far to get them, and you don’t want to hold them for too long. These guys are all some really high-upside players, but some of them have very low floors. Know when you’ve seen enough, and don’t be afraid to cut ties with them if you need to bolster your roster somewhere else.