X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


LINEUP RESOURCES

Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Player Comparisons
News and Alerts

Must Have Mid-Round Draft Targets

Fantasy football draft season is in full swing. While championships aren't won solely in the draft, they can set your team up for much success during the season. While the early rounds should be used to anchor your team, it's the middle rounds that can really make or break your draft.

In this article, I'll highlight five players I believe you must be targeting in the middle rounds of your fantasy football drafts. There may be some question marks on these guys, but there's no denying their immense ceilings this season. Let's get right to it!

Note: ADPs are half-point PPR from FantasyPros, and for the purpose of this article, mid-round is defined as rounds six through 10 in a 12-team, 1QB league (picks 61 - 120).

Featured Promo: Get any full-season NFL Premium Pass for 50% off and win big in 2023. Exclusive access to our Premium articles, 15 lineup tools, new Team Sync platform, Lineup Optimizer, Premium DFS tools and cheat sheets, and much more! Sign Up Now!

Chase Edmonds, Arizona Cardinals

ADP: #64 Overall, RB27

I've been banging the drum for Chase Edmonds all offseason after the Raiders signed former Cardinals RB Kenyan Drake. Even when Arizona signed James Conner to a one-year, $1.75M contract, I was still a believer in Edmonds. And after most of training camp and two preseason games, I'm starting to become even more bullish on his prospects this season.

Conner missed the first preseason game, but in the second one, Edmonds out-snapped him seven to three with the first-team offense on the field. Edmonds was also on the field for two of the three Cardinal third downs. Conner also saw some time with the second unit, while Edmonds did not. This could simply be the Cardinals giving their newly acquired asset more reps, or it could be a sign of things to come in the regular season.

For what it's worth, I'm in the camp that believes Drake's sizable role last season was due in large part to the fact that the Cardinals traded for him in 2019 and paid him $8M on the transition tag to keep him around in 2020. They had to feature him, and that's what they did early and often. This season, things are bound to change. Edmonds is the superior talent over Conner, and there's not much tying Arizona to the former Steelers running back.

Edmonds' touchdown total should also increase in 2021. In 2020, he scored a touchdown every 32.6 opportunities (carries + targets). In 2019, he scored every 16.2 opportunities. He now has a 1a role rather than a 1b role, and he should be able to capitalize on that opportunity.

 

DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles

ADP: #90 Overall, WR36

The Eagles head into the 2021-2022 season without their "top-two" wide receivers from a season ago, Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson. Sure, these guys were aging veterans, but they were still the de facto top-two wideouts for Philadelphia.

Even after going wide receiver in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft (Jalen Reagor), the Eagles clearly prioritized the position in the 2021 NFL Draft, going with Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith. Talk about an alpha WR1, right? Per PlayerProfiler, Smith had a 51.3% College Dominator rating, which was in the 96th percentile of all pass-catchers. Simply put, he's going to command targets at the next level by creating space with his incredible route-running ability.

Outside of the Eagles' two sure-handed tight ends, Dallas Goedert and Zach Ertz, no other pass-catchers will come close to Smith in terms of target share this season. 23% doesn't seem outlandish for the Alabama product. If we project a modest 33 pass attempts per game this season for Philadelphia, Smith would see close to 123 targets. Truthfully, that feels like his floor given the Eagles are likely going to be playing from behind quite a bit this season.

 

Tyler Boyd, Cincinnati Bengals

ADP: #94 Overall, WR37

Are you playing in a PPR league? If you answered yes, then you shouldn't leave your draft without the Bengals' slot receiver. In Weeks 1-11 last season with a healthy Joe Burrow, Boyd averaged 6.9 receptions and 71 yards on 8.7 targets per game. That's more targets than Cooper Kupp averaged all of last season (8.3). I'm not saying I'd draft Boyd over Kupp, but what I am saying is that Boyd is severely undervalued right now. And he's a better athlete than you might realize.

Boyd is undervalued because of one reason, and one reason alone. The Bengals drafted Burrow's former teammate, Ja'Marr Chase, with the fifth overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. There's no other explanation for Boyd to be ranked outside of the top-30 wide receivers this season, especially in PPR leagues. He hasn't finished lower than WR29 in any of the past three seasons and Burrow averaged 40.4 pass attempts per game last season.

Even in half-PPR leagues, he's still a guy I'll be targeting in the middle rounds of my fantasy drafts. In non-PPR leagues, however, consider me out on Boyd, as he's not much of a field-stretcher and relies on the short, underneath targets for his fantasy value.

 

Gus Edwards, Baltimore Ravens

ADP: #112 Overall, RB42

Did you know Edwards had four more carries inside the 10-yard line (17) than J.K. Dobbins (13) last season? You might think, well that's because Dobbins didn't see the field a whole lot until after the bye week. While that's somewhat true, let's take a look and see what the split was between Edwards and Dobbins after the rookie took over for Mark Ingram II in Week 8.

Dobbins averaged 12.1 carries per game from Week 8 on, while Edwards averaged 9.6 carries per game. That's only a difference of 2.5 carries per game. Why on Earth is Dobbins RB15 while Edwards is RB41? That's a great question. Both aren't utilized much in the passing game with Lamar Jackson at the helm, so there's no real advantage there. And both Dobbins and Edwards are utilized almost the same amount inside the 10-yard line.

And why wouldn't the Ravens continue giving Edwards a fair share of work? He's pretty good at this whole running back thing.

He's flex-worthy as it is in half-PPR and non-PPR leagues in particular. If Dobbins is forced to miss any time, we're talking about a possible RB2 in Gus Edwards. He's one of my favorite targets at running back in the middle rounds of fantasy drafts this season.

 

Corey Davis, New York Jets

ADP: #124 Overall, WR47

The Jets prioritized signing a true WR1 this offseason and they landed on Corey Davis, who for all intents and purposes, had a career year in 2020 with the Tennessee Titans. He averaged 6.6 targets per game and a career-best 10.7 yards per target on a team that averaged just the 30th-most pass attempts (30.1) per game. He finished the season as the WR32 on a points per game basis in PPR leagues.

Now he joins the Jets, a team desperate for a go-to option in the passing game. They drafted Elijah Moore, but they also signed Davis to a three-year, $37.M contract, making him the 20th-highest-paid wide receiver in average annual salary. It's clear the Jets have plans to get him the football.

Take one good look at his target share in the preseason, and you'll quickly realize why you should be all-in on Corey Davis this season.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!




Win Big With RotoBaller

Be sure to also check out all of our other daily fantasy football articles and analysis to help you set those winning lineups, including this new RotoBaller YouTube video:

More Fantasy Football Analysis




LINEUP RESOURCES

Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Player Comparisons
News and Alerts

ROTOBALLER PLAYER NEWS

Torrey Craig33 mins ago

Knicks May Pursue Torrey Craig In Offseason
Kevin Love46 mins ago

Expected To Start Sunday
Grant Williams51 mins ago

Teams Expected To Pursue Grant Williams In Offseason
Evan Fournier1 hour ago

Spurs Reportedly Interested In Evan Fournier
Caleb Martin1 hour ago

Will Play Sunday Night
Tyler Soderstrom2 hours ago

Launches Pair Of Home Runs
José Alvarado2 hours ago

Jose Alvarado Could Be Back Next Weekend
Andruw Monasterio3 hours ago

Injured On Sunday
Hanser Alberto3 hours ago

White Sox Release Hanser Alberto
Cody Bellinger3 hours ago

Not Expected Back During Road Trip
Nestor Cortes3 hours ago

Won't Start On Wednesday
Christian Walker4 hours ago

Absent From Lineup Again On Sunday
Brandon Lowe5 hours ago

Dealing With Leg Pain
Zach Plesac5 hours ago

Designated For Assignment
Michael Conforto5 hours ago

Can’t Get Back Into Lineup On Sunday
Anthony Rendon5 hours ago

Likely To Return This Week
Sean Murphy6 hours ago

Taking A Seat On Sunday
Anthony Duclair6 hours ago

Scores Fourth Playoff Goal
Alex Wood6 hours ago

Lands On The 15-day Injured List
Gunnar Henderson6 hours ago

Not In The Lineup On Sunday
Jack Eichel6 hours ago

Opens Stanley Cup Finals With Two Assists
Leody Taveras6 hours ago

Taking A Seat On Sunday
Jonathan Marchessault6 hours ago

Extends Point Streak With Another Goal
Amed Rosario6 hours ago

Absent From The Guardians Lineup
Randall Cobb6 hours ago

Expected To Be Included In Rotation
Matt Bush6 hours ago

Set To Begin A Rehab Assignment On Tuesday
Eric Lauer6 hours ago

Will Start A Rehab Assignment On Tuesday
Willy Adames6 hours ago

Expected To Rejoin The Brewers On Thursday
CeeDee Lamb6 hours ago

Not Distracted By Extension Concerns
Jose Siri6 hours ago

Scratched From The Lineup On Sunday
Luis Urías7 hours ago

Luis Urias Expected To Return Tuesday
Denny Hamlin9 hours ago

The Favorite To Win Gateway After Strong Practice
Ross Chastain10 hours ago

Really Happy With His Chances At Gateway
NASCAR11 hours ago

B.J. McLeod Does Not Start Last This Week
Ty Dillon11 hours ago

Starts 33rd At Gateway On Sunday
Gray Gaulding11 hours ago

Debuts At Gateway On Sunday
Noah Gragson11 hours ago

Begins 32nd For Gateway On Sunday
Ryan Preece11 hours ago

May Have Long Afternoon Sunday
Erik Jones11 hours ago

Another DFS Possibility For Gateway
Justin Haley11 hours ago

Can Move Up On Sunday Again
NASCAR11 hours ago

Bubba Wallace Needs To Keep It Together Sunday
Austin Dillon11 hours ago

Mired In Middle Of Pack Sunday
Daniel Suarez11 hours ago

Begins 13th For Sunday Race In Illinois
Tyler Reddick12 hours ago

Could Be One To Watch Sunday
Michael McDowell12 hours ago

Begins Near The Middle For Gateway
Austin Cindric12 hours ago

Qualifies Tenth For Enjoy Illinois 300
Ricky Stenhouse Jr12 hours ago

. Could Slide At Gateway
Ty Gibbs12 hours ago

Begins 15th On Sunday In Illinois
Kevin Harvick12 hours ago

Fires Up Strong Qualifying Effort Saturday
Kyle Larson12 hours ago

Starts 22nd At Gateway On Sunday
Gabe Vincent15 hours ago

Good To Go For Game 2
Caleb Martin16 hours ago

Questionable For Sunday Night
Bam Adebayo16 hours ago

Available For Game 2
Tyler Herro16 hours ago

Remains Out On Sunday Night
Tom Brady19 hours ago

"Certain" He'll Remain Retired
Buffalo Bills19 hours ago

Ed Oliver Agrees To Four-Year Deal With Buffalo
Harrison Burton20 hours ago

Could Fall Back At Gateway
NASCAR20 hours ago

Martin Truex, Jr. Starting In The Top Five
Justin Fields1 day ago

Was Last Year's Most Explosive Rusher
Kenneth Walker III1 day ago

Has Top-End Speed
Travis Etienne Jr.1 day ago

One Of The Most Explosive Backs In NFL
Lamar Jackson1 day ago

Remains Big-Play Threat On The Ground
Jonathan Taylor1 day ago

Not Taking Part In OTAs
Dalvin Cook1 day ago

A Real Possibility For The Dolphins
Julius Randle1 day ago

Has Ankle Surgery
Domantas Sabonis1 day ago

Not Ruling Out Surgery To Fix Thumb Issue
Danuel House1 day ago

Jr. Exercises Player Option
Phoenix Suns1 day ago

Suns Set To Hire Frank Vogel As New Head Coach
Cooper Kupp2 days ago

Rams Playing It Safe With Cooper Kupp
Kyle Pitts2 days ago

Could Be Ready For Week 1
Javonte Williams2 days ago

: "Everything Is Going Good"
Buffalo Bills2 days ago

Von Miller Believes He'll Be Ready For Season Opener
NFL2 days ago

Yannick Ngakoue Wants To Play For Contender
Hayden Hurst2 days ago

To Resume Running Routes
Michael Pittman Jr.2 days ago

Dealing With Injury
Breshad Perriman2 days ago

Visits With Colts
Greg Dulcich2 days ago

Could Have Expanded Role
Amir Albazi2 days ago

Can Earn Biggest Victory Of His Career
Daniel Pineda2 days ago

Set For Co-Main-Event Matchup
Jared Gordon2 days ago

Jesse Butler Replaces Injured Jared Gordon
Victor Altamirano2 days ago

Set For Dangerous Task On Saturday
Ketlen Souza2 days ago

Set For UFC Debut
Muhammad Naimov2 days ago

Steps Into Octagon For Debut This Saturday
James Harden2 days ago

Nick Nurse Hopes James Harden Will Return To Philadelphia
Aleksej Pokusevski2 days ago

Suffers Right Humerus Fracture
Jimmy Butler2 days ago

Struggles In Game 1 Loss To Denver
Bam Adebayo2 days ago

Leads Miami With 26 Points In Losing Effort
Jamal Murray2 days ago

Secures A Double-Double In Game 1 Win
Nikola Jokic2 days ago

Notches Another Triple-Double In Game 1
Dallas Cowboys2 days ago

Micah Parsons Looking To Become More Complete Player
Simi Fehoko2 days ago

Battling For No. 4 Spot
Payton Pritchard3 days ago

Reportedly Wants To Be Moved
Boston Celtics3 days ago

Joe Mazzulla Will Remain Celtics Coach
Max Domi3 days ago

Hopes To Remain In Dallas
Eetu Luostarinen3 days ago

Expected To Be Available For Game 1
Patrick Kane3 days ago

Out 4-6 Months After Hip Surgery
Kai Kara-France4 days ago

Hoping To Secure Top Position With Main-Event Win
Alex Caceres4 days ago

Set For Explosive Co-Main-Event Bout
Jim Miller4 days ago

Looks To Add To All-Time UFC Wins Total
Tim Elliott4 days ago

Veteran Tim Elliott Set For 18th UFC Bout
Karine Silva4 days ago

Can Continue Flyweight Climb Saturday
Jamie Mullarkey4 days ago

Looking For Third Straight Victory
PGA4 days ago

Matthew Fitzpatrick Looks To Rebound At Memorial
Brendon Todd4 days ago

Playing Well Heading To Ohio
Christiaan Bezuidenhout4 days ago

A Volatile Option This Week
Tom Hoge4 days ago

Playing Well But Tough To Trust At The Memorial
PGA4 days ago

K.H. Lee Looks To Extend Consecutive Cuts-Made Streak
PGA4 days ago

Byeong Hun An Continues Playing Well Heading To The Memorial
Billy Horschel4 days ago

To Defend Title At The Memorial
Keith Mitchell4 days ago

Hoping To Replicate Last Year’s Performance
PGA4 days ago

Cameron Davis A Risky Play At The Memorial
Keegan Bradley4 days ago

A Volatile Play Heading To Muirfield Village
4 days ago

Tom Kim Making Debut At The Memorial
Justin Thomas4 days ago

To Contend At The Memorial
Rory McIlroy4 days ago

Looks To Keep Momentum Going At The Memorial
Viktor Hovland4 days ago

In Search Of Signature Win
Xander Schauffele4 days ago

A Favorite At The Memorial
Thomas Detry4 days ago

Set For Memorial Debut
Kurt Kitayama4 days ago

A Boom-Or-Bust Option At Muirfield
Corey Conners4 days ago

Should Stay Hot At Muirfield
Cameron Young4 days ago

Continues To Struggle
Tyrrell Hatton4 days ago

Continues To Stay Hot
Patrick Rodgers4 days ago

Continues To Struggle On Approach
Adin Hill5 days ago

Shuts Out Stars In Game 6
Reilly Smith5 days ago

Hands Out Two Assists In Game 6 Victory
William Karlsson5 days ago

Tallies Three Points As Vegas Eliminates Dallas
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF