Underdog Draft Strategies: Late-Round Targets

Fantasy football drafts are always fun, however, after the initial ten or so rounds, making picks in the later rounds can start to get tricky. Every manager is looking to hit on later picks in the hope that one of these players becomes an asset to their team. Whilst this may not apply to redraft leagues as much due to managers wanting that bit more security in their bench spots, for dynasty players, we can typically leave these players on our bench as we typically have more room to roster players that are seen as “flyers” or low-risk players that can be dropped on to waivers without losing a key member of the team.

Today, I am going to be naming some players that I believe could be a worthwhile pick later in your drafts, and hopefully gain dynasty managers some surprising value! With all that said, here are some of my favorite late-round targets in Underdog drafts.

What is Underdog Fantasy? Learn all about it here.

Darwin Thompson, RB, Seattle Seahawks

Former Kansas City Chiefs running back, Darwin Thompson is the perfect definition of a flyer, in my opinion. During his time with the Chiefs, Thompson got limited touches, but he looked like a very capable player. Thompson, now 25, joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice squad last season before re-joining the Chiefs in the postseason. Thompson signed with the Seahawks on a reserve/future contract, so he is by no means a lock to be on the roster by the start of the season, however, he is with a team that has multiple running backs with an injury history.

Rashaad Penny, Chris Carson, and Alex Collins all had injuries at some point last season. Collins finished the season on injured reserve, as did Carson after undergoing neck surgery. Penny’s injury history is not exactly a secret, so whilst Thompson still has guys in front of him such as DeeJay Dallas and Travis Homer, there is always the possibility that Thompson could find himself playing a meaningful role for the Seahawks next season if injuries crop up in the Seahawks backfield.

Antoine Wesley, WR, Arizona Cardinals

Anyone who read my article on Deep Dynasty Stashes will already know that I think Wesley could be moved into a more valuable role in 2022. With Christian Kirk joining the Jacksonville Jaguars and A.J. Green a free agent, things are looking up for Antoine Wesley. DeAndre Hopkins picked up injuries in 2021, and if the veteran receiver fails to shake off injuries in 2022, Wesley could be thrust into a major role with the Cardinals.

Wesley played for coach Kliff Kingsbury at Texas Tech, hopefully, that connection will allow him more time on the field. Wesley can be drafted anywhere beyond the 15th round in start-ups. At that kind of draft price, he is well worth drafting, later on, the upside is there, the potential for an increased role is there, he has a coach who knows him well, and the Cardinals have not added any more wide receivers to the team to compete with him. Arrows are pointing up for Wesley.

Kylen Granson, TE, Indianapolis Colts

It has been a bit of a crazy off-season for the Colts. The team moved on from quarterback Carson Wentz and brought in Matt Ryan to replace him, however, they have done little to add to their offense. Zach Pascal re-signed with the team and Mo Allie-Cox signed a contract extension, however, the team still needs weapons on offense. Step up the 24-year-old tight end, Kylen Granson. Jack Doyle retired from football earlier in the off-season paving the way for an increased role for Granson in 2022.

Granson has the chance to develop a connection with Ryan and work his way onto the field. This is Granson’s opportunity to become a key part of the Colts offense, and that could be very rewarding for fantasy football players, especially in tight end premium dynasty leagues. Granson will be available very late in drafts, and with the upside he offers, he is definitely worth taking a punt on in new start-up drafts.

Olamide Zaccheaus, WR, Atlanta Falcons

It is no secret that the Atlanta Falcons are short on offensive firepower. With very few legitimate weapons for new quarterback Marcus Mariota to throw to, 24-year-old Olamide Zaccheaus should be one of Mariota’s preferred weapons. Kyle Pitts should lead the team in targets, but with little competition at wide receiver, Zaccheaus is in a good spot to get a healthy amount of targets. It would be expected that the Falcons will draft at least one wide receiver in the NFL draft. Zaccheaus can be drafted as late as the 18th round, decent value for a player who should be a starting wide receiver.

Antonio Williams, RB, New York Giants

Former Buffalo Bills running back Antonio Williams could have some late-round value in drafts. With Devontae Booker released, the 24-year-old has a little less competition behind lead back, Saquon Barkley. One downside for Williams is the addition of Matt Breida to the backfield. Whilst this would likely move Williams to be the number three running back on the team, he would still be worth a stash as Barkley is very injury prone and Breida is a downgrade from Devontae Booker, in my opinion, therefore Williams could give the former 49ers running back good competition to be Barkley’s handcuff. The Giants could always look to add depth in the NFL draft as there are some very talented running backs that could be fantastic depth options for the Giants.

Larry Rountree, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

A former sixth-round pick, Larry Rountree could have a valuable role in the Chargers offense next season as Austin Ekeler’s handcuff. The 23-year-old running back no longer has Justin Jackson ahead of him on the depth chart and he should be able to beat out Joshua Kelley for that valuable RB2 role. Similar to Antonio Wiliiams’ situation with the New York Giants, Rountree could see added competition via the NFL draft. In the event of an injury to Ekeler, Rountree would have a massive opportunity to take the lead role and possibly give legitimate competition to Ekeler. As a dynasty asset, his value would definitely get a boost and he would automatically become a player that managers could trade away for a decent draft pick.

Quintez Cephus, WR, Detroit Lions

Detroit Lions wide receiver Quintez Cephus had a solid start to his 2021 campaign before injuring his collarbone and needing surgery which caused him to miss the rest of the season. Cephus had 15 receptions from 22 targets for 204 yards and 2 touchdowns in the opening five games of the season. Cephus certainly seemed to build up a good rapport with quarterback Jared Goff in those five games. The 24-year-old could be the WR2 behind Amon-Ra St. Brown next season, although it is expected that the Lions will add a wide receiver through the NFL draft which could see a shift in the depth chart.

Cephus can be drafted around the 14th round which is fantastic value for a player that looked so promising at the start of the 2021 season. Cephus will face competition from D’Andre Swift and T.J. Hockenson as well as St. Brown and anyone else the Lions bring in at wide receiver, however, there is solid upside for where you would be drafting him. Cephus is one of the safer options on this list, and he is someone that I feel should be a common late-round target for managers.

If you are a new user and make your first-time deposit, get a 100% deposit match of up to $100. Take advantage of this terrific offer here. 

All of our Sportsbooks partners can be found here!

Sports Betting Home

DFS Home

Free NFL Picks

Player Prop Bets