Sneaky Overlooked Veterans For Fantasy Football Best Ball Drafts

Nick Mariano's 2024 fantasy football sneaky overlooked veterans in best ball drafts. His quarterback, running back, wide receiver and tight end undervalued veterans to target in drafts.

Fantasy football drafters are often drawn to rookies and flashy, established names. Don't take it personally, as "shiny object syndrome" is a worldwide phenomenon where we always seek something new. Can you overcome your biology to build a best ball winner?

Most of you are likely reading this with a top-heavy tournament lens, but plenty of these names can help 50/50 builds as well. Your leaguemates may throw terms such as "dusty" at you, but you'll get the last laugh dusting off trophies for years to come.

For today’s purposes, we're using aggregate positional-rank data from best ball drafts as of July 09/2024. Let's dig in!

Overlooked Fantasy Football Veterans - Quarterbacks

Jared Goff, QB16

Goff was the QB7 last season but that drops to QB13 on a per-game basis (minimum six games), but even then he’s pushed down to QB16 early on. This is likely due to the perceived lack of ceiling spike weeks, yet he had weekly QB8, QB6, QB4, QB4, and QB1 finishes. He has several young playmakers around him who should benefit from another year’s worth of experience, with the biggest X-factor being Jameson Williams.

Goff had the third-most air yards (2,739) and second-most passes in the league of 20 or more yards (69). Dan Campbell loves the ground game but he knows to utilize it for playaction shots. Goff and Detroit led the league with 138 playaction attempts and 1,203 yards off of it, per FantasyLife.

Deshaun Watson, QB21

Watson's on-field performance didn’t last long in 2023 due to a rotator cuff injury in Week 3 that devolved into a fracture by Week 9. But he had two top-10 fantasy finishes in those first three weeks, with the bad week being against Pittsburgh. He also averaged five carries per game.

And now Nick Chubb isn’t healthy to spearhead the running backs so the passing game may carry the early mail. One doesn’t need the peak Watson to profit beyond the top 20. Here's a two-fer tweet with Kirk Cousins thrown into the mix:

Deshaun Watson:
- Played 5 full games last year, and finished as a Top 10 QB in 3 of those games
- Top 5 Fantasy QB in PPG 2018, 2019 and 202
- History of upside with his legs AND through the air. Joe Flacco’s 2023 success is a green flag

— Skrip (@P2WFantasy) July 1, 2024

Geno Smith, QB23

Smith had quite the tumble as a fringe top-20 option from being 2022’s QB5 but there’s no middle ground with this draft-day pricing. It’s all 2023 and no 2022. You can take your last-round shots on a late-season Sam Howell sighting but Smith still has an elite trio of WRs and two capable pass-catchers out of the backfield.

Kudos to Seattle for turning to a new generation of coaches in Mike Macdonald and Ryan Grubb to gamble on their newer approaches. Grubb leaned on vertical aggressiveness at Washington with a WR trio of Rome Odunze, Ja’Lynn Polk, and Jalen McMillan orbiting Michael Penix Jr. hitting nearly 10,000 yards in the last two seasons.

Smith had a down ‘23 but still ranked eighth in PFF’s deep-ball passing rating (95.6) after topping the chart in ‘22 (99.2). His strengths match how Penix and his crew crushed it at Washington so let’s not hastily discard Smith.

Overlooked Fantasy Football Veterans - Running Backs

Ezekiel Elliott, RB38

Elliott may not flash many bursts of speed in 2024 but it was only two seasons ago where he scored 12 rushing TDs for Dallas. He had 12 total TDs for them the year before that as well. Yes, his yards-per-carry tallies have slid, but drafters seem to misattribute the drop in performance last season to age/skill without acknowledging how terrible New England was. Even amidst the nonsense, Elliott was their leading receiver with 51 catches! And the biggest of them all was sadly called back:

The mainstream media has gone to astounding lengths to ensure nobody would see this (nullified) Ezekiel Elliott 74-yard TD from the year 2023 pic.twitter.com/2ouhGM5azX

— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) July 8, 2024

Blame cheap dump-offs all you like, this man created fantasy value out of thin Patriot air and now returns to a potent offense. Rico Dowdle could be dynamic in his own right but Elliott is a known and trusted red-zone back in an offense that saw Tony Pollard flounder in those spots last season. The committee should grant Zeke the right of first refusal by the goal line.

Dak Prescott led the NFL with 67 end-zone throws, 13 more than anyone else, with 28 EZ TDs. Does that extreme split hold up? Zeke could threaten another double-digit TD season and make good on the draft slot, providing a nice leverage spot against teams stacking DAL pass-catchers.

Austin Ekeler, RB40

Ekeler went from scoring 20 total TDs with a 4.4 YPC in 2021 and 18 TDs with a 4.5 YPC to seeing all burst sapped, leading to a 3.5 YPC and six TDs. Everything went down in ‘23, even his catch rate sank to 68.9% from 84.3% in ‘22. He now joins a Washington Commanders backfield that saw Brian Robinson Jr. look strong across 15 games, so can he stand out?

Well, an easy starting point is Ekeler stepping into Antonio Gibson’s 124 opportunities (BRob had 221). I think most agree that Ekeler is better than Gibson, so the split is likely closer, and Jayden Daniels should lead a more efficient offense than Sam Howell’s 2023 Commanders.

At RB40, most aren’t even betting on Ekeler being a FLEX-viable back, perhaps fearing that he’s the third rusher by the goal line behind Robinson and Daniels. It’s valid, but he’s not even 30 and was a top-five fantasy pick just last season.

Chuba Hubbard, RB53

Hubbard enters Year 4 of his career overlooked not only due to Jonathan Brooks coming to town, but the Panthers being such a disaster last season. He played behind Miles Sanders early only to finally get a weekly snap share above 60% starting in Week 12. Hubbard would be half-PPR’s RB9 from that week on, and the RB13 on a PPG basis (min. 4 games).

Carolina took Brooks with the No. 46 overall pick but he’s also coming off of a torn right ACL. Not only did Hubbard finish strong but he’s got a chance at early momentum. Brooks will get involved and perhaps Hubbard simply carries you into the second half of the best-ball season strong. But Brooks is no sure thing in 2024 and neither Sanders nor Raheem Blackshear have shown anything of late. If you’re digging that deeply then you might as well draft Rashaad Penny.

Overlooked Fantasy Football Veterans - Wide Receivers

Chris Godwin, WR36

Godwin is reportedly going back into the slot as either Jalen McMillan or Trey Palmer handles the perimeter alongside Mike Evans. Not only does this bump Godwin’s range of outcomes up, but the perception of him is also down after scoring just two TDs despite roughly five expected TDs. Rachaad White was not efficient and Cade Otton hasn’t hit the next level so we once again turn to the WRs in Tampa.

#Bucs HC Todd Bowles on the team’s plan to play Chris Godwin more in the slot this season:

“He’s an inside guy by nature. He can play outside, but he can make a living inside doing a bunch of things for us, and we plan to let him do a lot of things that he does best.”

Bowles… pic.twitter.com/anTo3SxTuV

— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) May 21, 2024

DeAndre Hopkins, WR40

Hopkins is being drafted behind Calvin Ridley as folks are drawn to Ridley’s younger upside versus an age-32 WR. But Ridley just disappointed in Jacksonville after missing 2023 due to a gambling suspension, with a particular problem converting end-zone looks into scores. Hopkins was PFF’s WR18 with an 81.0 grade while Ridley’s 71.4 was 47th.

Tennessee did everything possible to signal a seismic identity shift to be a pass-heavy team after the Derrick Henry era. Don't be afraid to lean on the vet unless you believe Hopkins’ sure hands won’t age gracefully.

Courtland Sutton, WR49

Sutton is surrounded by uncertainty at every skill position. Folks are fighting over the following rungs in the WR food chain, which of the four RBs will emerge, and whether Lucas Krull will take the TE job from Greg Dulcich. Sutton is also mulling a holdout during training camp. And would he catch passes from Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham, or (gasp) Zach Wilson?

The uncertainty joins a general perception that he overperformed with 10 TDs on 59 catches. That’s fair and no one should expect that TD rate moving forward, but he’s also certified “good” at making things happen with lesser volume.

His PFF receiving grades were 77.3 on short passes (0-9 yards), 98.3 on medium (10-19), and 97.8 on deep (20+), with only one drop on 20 deep targets in 2023. We can’t expect Nix/Stidham to be Russell Wilson but Sutton will do his part no matter who is slinging it. Don’t let the pendulum swing too hard here.

Tyler Lockett, WR51

Lockett is being left behind by those who assume the Jaxon Smith-Njigba ascension will knock the 31-year-old off. No, Lockett did not continue a four-year streak of 1,000 or more yards or a five-year run with eight or more TDs. But he’s now played in 16 or more games in seven straight seasons and while his yardage totals dipped, his average depth of target in 2023 was 10.8 after being 10.6 in ‘22.

Brandin Cooks, WR58

Cooks is part of a prolific passing offense that did not add a threat on the WR depth chart while downgrading at RB. CeeDee Lamb is an alpha and Jake Ferguson is an intermediate threat, but Michael Gallup is out and Jalen Tolbert/KaVontae Turpin are the next men up. Gallup outsnapped Cooks in Week 1 and Cooks missed Week 2 with a knee injury, with Cooks pushing Gallup aside near the Week 7 bye.

While Cooks was the WR36 in half-PPR scoring overall, he was the WR22 from Week 6 on and close to that with his 11.2 PPG as well. Cooks turns 31 in September and this is the final year of his contract so let’s ride one last time.

Darnell Mooney, WR68

Mooney gets an extremely competent downfield passer in Kirk Cousins in an offense filled with weapons. Very few defensive backs are going to get help over the top with Drake London and Kyle Pitts out there, with safeties creeping down to respect Bijan Robinson as well.

Mooney had a breakout 2021 with 81 catches for 1,055 yards and four receiving TDs but a down 2022 ended early due to a broken ankle. He and the 2023 Bears struggled for any sort of rhythm, but don’t overlook the fifth-year wideout’s potential in ATL.

One other thing I want to draw attention to:

Drake London & KhaDarel Hodge, the Falcons' top returning WRs from 2023, told Darnell Mooney the main difference they've seen in the 2024 offense.

"We're throwing the ball," London & Hodge told Mooney. "Putting the ball in the air." https://t.co/eIbAM9qo6v

— Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) July 10, 2024

Overlooked Fantasy Football Veterans - Tight Ends

Dalton Schultz, TE13

Schultz had a slow first few weeks of 2024 before being the TE8 on a half-PPR point-per-game basis between Weeks 4-17. That 9.6 figure would be higher if we remove the 0.7 from Week 12 when he hurt his hamstring (he’d miss Weeks 13-14).

Folks are frightened with Stefon Diggs and Joe Mixon coming aboard but the pendulum has swung too far. C.J. Stroud’s offense could live in the end zone this season. Being TD-dependent isn’t a death knell, especially after Bobby Slowik’s playcall led to nine EZ targets for Schultz, which trailed only David Njoku (10).

Hunter Henry, TE18

Henry is a beacon of experience on an extremely young Patriots offense. He caught 5-of-6 end zone targets as he navigated the inconsistent-at-best QB play from Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe.

For instance, Henry put up zero in Week 12 when Jones/Zappe combined for 143 yards and three interceptions in a 10-7 loss to Tommy Devito’s Giants. He then caught two balls for 15 yards in a 6-0 defeat with 141 team passing yards.

The Pats drafted Drake Maye and brought in Jacoby Brissett to bring their offense out of the 1930s, which means the flashes we saw out of Henry could become more sustained. The fact that Henry hit double-digit points and top-10 TE weekly finishes five times was a miracle.

Noah Fant, TE22

Fant once again played all 17 games but logged career-worst numbers, with 32 catches for 414 yards and zero touchdowns. He couldn’t break through with Seattle’s reliable WR trio in a down season from Geno Smith and the offense. But he re-signed with Seattle’s new coaching regime for a multi-year deal while both Colby Parkinson and Will Dissly went elsewhere. Buy the dip and trust that the new coaches have a plan in the works.

Jonnu Smith, TE26

Smith showed flashes of dynamic athleticism but was capped by Arthur Smith’s rigid gameplan. He now enters a Miami environment teeming with a big-play upside where no defense can afford to put a second man over him. He boasts top-end speed for a TE and is woefully underpriced with no competition for meaningful snaps.

I simply can’t quit Jonnu Smith…💰

TE26 sign me up! | @RotoBaller 🍿 pic.twitter.com/Hw8SKgOX3D

— LaQuan Jones (@RealDealFantasy) June 6, 2024

Mike Gesicki, TE27

Gesicki is a pure lottery ticket tied to Joe Burrow if you miss out on early stacking avenues and don’t trust Erick All Jr. to make an impact in 2024 with his back injury. Tanner Hudson has an outside chance of being the playmaker here but a breakout is likely coming via Gesicki or Tanner McLachlan.

Colby Parkinson, TE30

Parkinson is a plus run-blocker who’ll earn playing time with LAR’s heavy reliance on three-wide sets. Tyler Higbee didn’t look great in ‘24 and is a 31-year-old recovering from a torn ACL. Everyone’s worrying about Kyren Williams and Blake Corum, or who the WR3 will be, but Parkinson could play all sorts of valuable snaps.

Dawson Knox, TE31

Knox only tallied 36 targets over 12 games in an injury-dampened season yet he still saw more targets inside the 10-yard line (5) than Dalton Kincaid (4). Even if the Kincaid takeover does occur, the Bills could lean on both TEs by the red zone with Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis leaving and several new/smaller receivers in town.

Will Dissly, TE45

Dissly joined Donald Parham Jr. and Hayden Hurst as Justin Herbert’s tight ends on Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers. It’s likely a middling committee but it’s possible one of them stands out from the pack and earns early trust for momentum throughout the year. My money's on the elite run blocker, who could then fall into a few playaction TDs.

TE Will Dissly on being the blocking tight end the Chargers offense has longed for:

“You can see the younger generations are falling in love with 7-on-7 and passing camps, and that’s certainly not where I came from.” pic.twitter.com/ejc1rUhQse

— Kris Rhim (@krisrhim1) March 14, 2024

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