X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Notable UDFAs to Watch in Dynasty

Justin Carter identifies some undrafted free agents (UDFA) worth targeting through waivers or in the late rounds of dynasty rookie drafts for 2019 fantasy football.

Last year, no one was talking about Phillip Lindsay even as late as August. With Royce Freeman drafted by the Broncos and dominating a lot of the dynasty rookie draft discussion, Lindsay flew so under the radar that he went undrafted in our staff league's rookie draft.

Lindsay went on to rush for 1,000 yards, make the Pro Bowl, and establish himself as the Broncos' top rusher.

Every year, undrafted free agents make some kind of impact. With the expanded roster size of dynasty leagues, you should definitely be keeping an eye on the UDFA market, so here are some UDFAs to watch for in dynasty.

Editor's Note: RotoBaller’s Dynasty content delivers year-round dynasty fantasy football rankings, trade advice, rookie analysis, and player outlooks. Build a title-winning roster with sleepers, stash targets, and our full dynasty fantasy football guide.

 

Karan Higdon (RB, Houston Texans)

As a Houston Texans fan and a player of fantasy football, I know more than anyone that Lamar Miller's time as a viable option is nearing its end. Miller's finished outside the top-10 in fantasy points by running backs for three years in a row and while the 2017 season showed that he could be a top back with Deshaun Watson under center, that didn't really play out as expected in 2018.

Miller is in the final year of his contract and the Texans will very likely move on after this season. Their top backup, D'Onta Foreman, returned late last season from an Achilles tear suffered back in 2017 and didn't look like a guy who could be a lead back for this team moving forward. Houston didn't address the situation in free agency or in this year's NFL Draft, so...what are they going to do? Trade for Le'Veon Bell? Sign someone next offseason? Maybe! But they also signed Michigan running back Karan Higdon as an UDFA, and he's already got a great shot to be the number-three guy heading into the season, if not better.

Higdon's going to have question marks when it comes to short yardage usage, but he's an explosive runner with good vision who should be able to get to the second level. My one concern is that, since he's a smaller back, you'd probably want him to be effective in the passing game, but he caught just seven passes last year for the Wolverines. He'll need to do more than that to have a future with the Texans, but with his ability to hit holes and rack up big chunks of yardage, there should be space for him in a Texans offense that should be more explosive this year.

 

Keelan Doss (WR, Oakland Raiders)

How different is the receiving situation in Oakland this year? Below, you'll find a chart listing all the players on this current Raiders team that was on this team last year and how many times they were targeted:

Player Position 2018 Targets
Jalen Richard RB 81
Marcell Ateman WR 31
Doug Martin RB 24
Derek Carrier TE 12
Dwayne Harris WR 6
Keith Smith FB 6
Keon Hatcher WR 2
Deandre Washington RB 1

So, aside from Richard, there's not really anyone who played a big role last year on this team.

The Raiders did bring in some veterans, including one of the NFL's best wideouts in Antonio Brown. They also signed J.J. Nelson and Tyrell Williams, plus they drafted Hunter Renfrow in the fifth round. This is a receiving corps in flux, which suggests to me that a player like Doss has a shot of at least making the final roster.

Doss was able to play inside and outside in college, and that versatility can come in handy as he tries to earn snaps on this team. He's got good speed once he gets moving and should be able to use his 6'3'' frame to grab contested balls. Played at the FCS level, so expect some trouble transitioning to the size and speed of NFL secondaries, but as a dynasty stash who can be useful by his second or third year once he has figured some things out about getting open at this level? He's got the chance to be a very solid player.

 

Jalen Guyton (WR, Dallas Cowboys)

Homer alert: Guyton and I both attended the University of North Texas at the same time, so I've seen plenty of him play. Guyton ran a 4.35 40-yard dash at UNT's Pro Day, and he potentially gives the Cowboys a guy who can take the top off of defenses:

Now, while Dak Prescott isn't known for his deep ball and connected on just 33 percent of his deep throws last year, that's not to say Guyton won't get opportunities to get downfield work.

I live in the Dallas area and listen to a lot of sports radio, which means I've heard a lot of optimism about what Kellen Moore, a former Cowboys quarterback, will bring to the team as their new offensive coordinator. This city hated Scott Linehan. They hated how predictable the offense was under him and they hated the way he used certain players. Linehan -- fairly or not -- received a lot of the blame for this offense sometimes getting really, really anemic.

If that changes under Moore, it'll mean only good things for a passing attack that found its stride late in the year, and Guyton's got a chance to benefit from that. He just has to make the team and show he's more than just a really fast dude.

 

Jazz Ferguson (WR, Seattle Seahawks)

Doug Baldwin's retirement leaves a big opening in Seattle, and Ferguson will have a chance to make the final roster and contribute in the passing game.

Tyler Lockett, D.K. Metcalf, Jaron Brown, David Moore, Amara Darboh...that list gets bleak pretty fast, doesn't it? Seattle's lack of depth at receiver is one of the big reasons why Ferguson can stick with this team. His main competition for one of the last roster spots should be one of his fellow rookie receivers, Gary Jennings and John Ursua, but even though those two were actually drafted, that doesn't mean they're locks to make it over Ferguson.

Another reason? He's a strong, physical receiver who can provide Seattle with a useful red zone target, but he can also be used as a deep threat for Russell Wilson. There's a little bit of fellow Seahawks rookie D.K. Metcalf in Ferguson, so Seattle pretty clearly has a type they were looking to add this offseason. Ferguson's no guarantee to be a future fantasy-relevant player, but he's a big-bodied, strong player with good speed, so if you're making end-of-bench dynasty decisions based on talent and measurables, you'll like Jazz.

 

Tyree Jackson (QB, Buffalo Bills)

Because I felt I should highlight a quarterback in this piece, I'll briefly mention Jackson, mainly because the new Bills quarterback reminds me a lot of current Bills quarterback Josh Allen. He's got a big arm. He's mobile and has the size to use that mobility to gain tough yardage. Like Allen, he's also fairly inaccurate and needs to work on his pocket presence. But the Bills had an offense last year that allowed Allen to be a sneakily effective fantasy QB, so of all the undrafted rookie quarterbacks, I'll take the one with a similar game to Allen on the same team as him.

More Dynasty League Strategy




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Yordan Alvarez

Resumes Swinging -- Return Imminent?
Jake Burger

to Miss an Additional 2-3 Weeks
TreVeyon Henderson

Signs Rookie Contract
Christian Watson

Goes on PUP List
Austin Riley

Hopes to be Activated Next Week
Ketel Marte

Lands on Restricted List After Burglary
Ricky Pearsall

Heads to PUP List
Brandon Aiyuk

Placed on PUP List
Luther Burden III

Signs Rookie Deal
Washington Nationals

Eli Willits Expected to Sign Contract on Saturday
Grayson Rodriguez

Being Shut Down Again - Will We See Him Again This Year?
Ezequiel Tovar

Activated and Back in Lineup on Friday
Max Fried

"Hopeful" to Pitch Next Week - Looks Like He'll Avoid IL Stint
Steven Kwan

Receives Injection in Wrist, Considered Day-to-Day
CJ Abrams

Back to Start Second Half
Alec Bohm

Back From Rib Injury on Friday
Trey Hendrickson

Holdout to Spill into Regular Season?
Jalen McMillan

Bucs Offensive Coordinator Not Forgetting About Jalen McMillan
Levi Onwuzurike

to Miss at Least Four Games
Nick Emmanwori

Seahawks, Nick Emmanwori Reach Agreement on Rookie Deal
Max Holloway

Set For Main Event
Brandon Lowe

Back From 10-Day Injured List
Dustin Poirier

Set For His Final UFC Fight
Roman Kopylov

Set For Co-Main Event
Paulo Costa

Returns At UFC 318
Luis L. Ortiz

to Remain on Leave for Another Month - Will he Pitch Again?
Daniel Rodriguez

Looks For Third Win In A Row
Kevin Holland

Set For His Fourth Fight This Year
Dan Ige

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
MMA

Patricio Freire Set For His Second UFC Fight
Daniel Zellhuber

Set To Open Up UFC 318 Main Card
Michael Johnson

Looks For Third Consecutive Win
Elijah Arroyo

Signs Rookie Deal
Jaydon Blue

Described as "Borderline Lazy"
T.J. Sanders

Bills Sign T.J. Sanders to Rookie Deal
Christian Wilkins

Raiders Put Christian Wilkins on PUP List
Jabari Small

Lions Add Jabari Small to Backfield
Quinshon Judkins

Remains Unsigned, Won't Report With Rest of Rookies
Mason Taylor

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Jets
Hendon Hooker

Leading Lions QB2 Battle Entering Training Camp
Ozzy Trapilo

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Bears
Tate Ratledge

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Lions
Jack Bech

Signs Rookie Contract with Raiders
Yegor Chinakhov

Requests Trade
Dakota Joshua

Maple Leafs Acquire Dakota Joshua
Lukas Dostal

Signs Five-Year Extension with Ducks
Shemar Stewart

Not Practicing With College Team
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Expected Back Friday
Damian Lillard

Returning to Portland
Paul Skenes

Pirates Could Preserve Paul Skenes in Second Half
Brooks Barnhizer

Grabs 19 Points, Nine Boards in Summer League Win
Jeremiah Fears

Scores 22 Points in Summer League Loss to Thunder
Isaiah Collier

Collects 17 Points In Summer League Win
Caleb Houstan

Joins Hawks
AJ Johnson

Erupts for 25 Points in Summer League Loss
Washington Wizards

Leaky Black Logs Double-Double in Loss to Jazz
Connor Norby

Undergoes Surgery, Expected to Miss 6-8 Weeks
Trey Alexander

Tallies 25 Points in Losing Effort
Johni Broome

Records Second Consecutive Double-Double
Jahmir Young

Has Historic Summer League Outing
Rob Dillingham

Plays Big Role in Wednesday's Win
Tyrese Proctor

Erupts for 35 Points Against Kings
Cody Williams

Leads Jazz to Victory Against Wizards
LeBron James

Mavs Not Interested in "Gutting its Roster" For LeBron James
Josh Hart

Undergoes a Procedure on Right Finger
Jake Burger

Goes on 10-Day Injured List With Quad Strain
Sal Frelick

Dealing With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain, TBD for Start of Second Half
Chris Sale

Plays Catch
Los Angeles Clippers

Bradley Beal Heading to Los Angeles to Join Clippers After Contract Buyout
Rayan Rupert

Scores 24 Points in Summer League Win
Derik Queen

Collects Third Consecutive Double-Double in Summer League Loss
GG Jackson II

Records 13 Points in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Johni Broome

Logs Double-Double Against Wizards
DaRon Holmes II

Records Double-Double in Summer League Loss to Raptors
Kyle Schwarber

Named All-Star Game MVP
Harris English

Takes Stellar 2025 Performance to The Open Championship
Aldrich Potgieter

Seeks Better Result in Northern Ireland
Cameron Young

Likely to Hang Around at The Open Championship
Cameron Smith

Just Trying to Make the Cut at Royal Portrush
Jordan Spieth

Is Jordan Spieth Still a Natural for Links Style Golf?
Patrick Reed

a Viable Option at The Open Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Wants to Rebound from Last Experience at Royal Portrush
Xander Schauffele

Looks to Defend His Claret Jug at Royal Portrush
Tony Finau

Trying to Turn Tide at Royal Portrush
Daniel Brown

Seeks a Rebound at The Open Championship
Rory McIlroy

Will be the Most Watched Player This Week at Royal Portrush
Daniel Berger

Trending Poorly as The Open Championship Looms
Clayton Kershaw

Retires Both Batters In ASG Appearance
Robert MacIntyre

Hoping to Bounce Back at Open Championship
Shane Lowry

Hopes to Repeat at Royal Portrush
Brian Harman

Hopes to Rekindle Some Magic at the 153rd Open
UTA

Michael Carcone Returns to Utah on One-Year Contract
Bowen Byram

Signs Two-Year Deal with Sabres
Morgan Barron

Jets Re-Sign Morgan Barron for Two Years
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF