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

PPR Draft Targets - Undervalued Wide Receivers

Antonio Losada evaluates wide receivers that should become targets in PPR fantasy football drafts due to their low ADP compared to potential return on investment (ROI).t and reception volume.

For fantasy football GMs, draft season is gearing up. Preparing for what is waiting for us in our virtual war-rooms is a key part of the process and the first thing to know is the format of the league we're going to be part of. The difference between Standard and PPR (Point-Per-Reception) scoring systems is really simple, with the latter awarding one extra point to players that catch a pass. Standard scoring was a staple in the early days of fantasy football, but PPR has become the most played system lately.

It doesn't take a genius to know who this benefits the most: over-targeted receivers, pass-catching running backs, and reliable tight ends. While some players are good enough to put up good numbers on their pure talent, others might fall shorter on the ability leaderboard. Some of those, though, trump the most talented ones in fantasy leagues due to a heavier usage and racking up receptions that go for extra fantasy points.

Having the PPR scoring system in mind, it's time to discover which players are surefire bets to excel in leagues following that format that are currently being undervalued in drafts by fantasy GMs. Today, I'm highlighting four wide receivers who are primed to become studs in these leagues that have lower ADPs and prices than those they should be attached to.

Editor's Note: Find sleeper picks, undervalued ADPs, and draft targets to help you dominate your fantasy football drafts. Try our free who to draft tool for personalized recommendations.

 

Julian Edelman, New England Patriots

ADP: 148.2, Projected PPR: 189.8

I get the concerns. Tom Brady is no longer leading the Patriots, which is to say the Patriots have lost the GOAT at the QB position. That, no matter how you look at it, can only make things worse for the team's receiving corps. Or can it? In the last two seasons, Edelman has averaged 9.4 targets per game in the 28 matches he's been active, catching an average of 6.2 of those 9.4 targets (65.9%).

Edelman was the clear no. 1 WR of the Pats those two years, and nothing will change that in 2020. New England has brought no new threats to Edelman, will feature a "rookie" quarterback in Jarred Stidham, and Edelman is the safest option to throw the ball to. You can almost count the times he's dropped below five receptions in the last 28 games. He's a virtual lock to get his 5 PPG only by catching passes.

PFF projects Edelman to 189.8 PPR in 2020 thanks to 73 receptions, 869 yards, and 4 TDs. I'd say those are tamed predictions. Even with that, though, Edelman is getting off the board in the last round of 12-team drafts yet his projections have him as a low-end WR2 at the very least. He's the cheapest no. 1 option, the only player with an ADP below 100 projected to get targeted more than 110 times, and one of only 20 WRs expected to get more than 23% of his team's targets (23.5%).

 

Marvin Jones Jr., Detroit Lions

ADP: 158.5, Projected PPR: 206.9

Somebody explain Jones' case to me because it has me completely lost. Sure, Jones was a little bit bouncy last season from week to week, but even with that the gap in ADP between Jones (158.5) and Kenny Golladay (37.6) is massive. Not only that but when comparing his projections it makes even less sense: PFF projects Jones to reach 206.9 PPR in 2020 and Golladay to 270.1. Jones would be the WR16 and Galladay the WR5. But we're looking for undervalued receivers and the ROI returned by Jones (2.44) is much higher than that of Golladay (2.06).

Let me hand you some interesting takeaways from PFF projections: Jones in the only WR projected to get 205+ PPR with an ADP above 75 (Tyler Lockett); only Edelman (114) projects to get more targets than Jones (108) among those with an ADP above 100; Jones is one of only 11 WRs projected to finish 2020 with 105+ targets, 65+ receptions, 975+ yards, and 6+ TDs.

All of that at the sweet ADP of 158.5. No other WR with a 105/65/975/6 projection has an ADP above 46, by the way. There is no WR2 in the NFl that has the upside to reach better numbers than Jones in 2020 other than perhaps Mike Evans/Chris Godwin, depending on how you order them. And again, those two are currently being drafted at ADPs of 30.8 and 20.9 respectively. Now tell me Jones is not a clear bargain these days.

 

Jamison Crowder, New York Jets

ADP: 153.7, Projected PPR: 164.5

Last season, the Jets featured Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde on offense. While WR Robby Anderson was the quick, deep threat to use on long boom/bust passes, Jamison Crowder played the safety valve role. That's why Anderson had an average AYT of 14.2 (14th-highest in the NFL) compared to Crowder's 7.3 (98th-highest). Crowder is the ultimate PPR asset at the wide receiver position. He's a short-pass catcher, reliable, and his floor is always going to be high because of the way he's used and how he can rack up reception-points that way.

Things have not changed much in New York. Flip Anderson for newly acquired Brashad Perriman, and add rookie Denzel Mims to the equation but don't expect the latter to get a lot of opportunities from Crowder. PFF has Crowder projected as the no. 1 WR of the Jets in terms of targets (94) and target share (20%, including all Jets RBs/TEs/WRs). Crowder is projected to catch 68 passes for 724 yards and 4 TDs.

While Crowder might not get to a high yardage number, his upside relies mostly on his pass-catching prowess. He's one of 26 WRs league-wide projected to 68+ receptions. Consider Crowder the poor man's Marvin Jones: tons of catches, only accruing fewer receiving yards due to his short-distance usage.

 

Sterling Shepard, New York Giants

ADP: 147.9, Projected PPR: 166.5

Remember Julian Edelman, from the blurb above? Well, if Crowder is poor man's Marvin Jones then Shepard is the equivalent only compared to Edelman. As you can see in the chart, Shepard has played 26 games in the last two seasons and only seven times has he finished with fewer than four receptions. He averaged 4.7 per game (with 7.4 targets) with a 63.5% catch rate in that span, and in 2019 alone he raised his targets to 8.5 per game and his receptions to 5.7 per.

Looking at PFF projections, Shepard is expected to score 166.5 PPR points in 2020, making him the WR35 and thus a WR3 or FLEX option in 12-team leagues. That being said, he projects to catch 62 passes while getting a great 18.3% of the Giants targets. He's the fourth-cheapest wideout by ADP projected to catch 62+ passes other than the three discussed above.

In a similar fashion to Jamison Crowder, Shepard's depth of target is often short (9.6 yards per target, 74th in the league) and that boosts his value in PPR leagues as he's far from a boom/bust player on a per-snap basis. The injury concerns are probably dragging him down a bit but he was able to string six active games to close 2019 while racking up 77.9 PPR points in that span.

More ADP Values and Sleepers




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