With so many players to choose from in drafts and so many to rank, some underrated gems are bound to fall through the cracks. But here, fantasy football analyst Sal Vetri wants to help you make sure you don't miss the players possessing great value, and those with potentially league-winning upside. First up, the quarterbacks.
No. 5 — Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
The No. 1 overall pick enters one of the NFL’s most improved offenses. Chicago will look to throw more under new play-caller Shane Waldron, who passed at a top-10 rate the past two seasons in Seattle.
The Bears' offseason moves indicate a more pass-heavy approach by trading for Keenan Allen and signing TE Gerald Everett in free agency, then drafting WR Rome Odunze with a top-10 pick in April.
One more thing: the Bears quietly have a strong offensive line that played like one of the best units in the NFL the second half of last season. Williams is primed for success in Year 1.
No. 4 — Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns
Believe it or not, Watson was a solid fantasy option when healthy last season. He completed five starts in 2023 and produced a top-15 weekly finish four times, including three top-10 finishes.
Watson appears to be healthier in camp, and he'll play behind PFF's fourth-ranked offensive line this season. The Browns were forced to throw at a higher rate last year with Nick Chubb injured, and it sounds like they could be doing something similar this season with Chubb not expected to be ready to start the season due to injury.
No. 3 — Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
Lawrence has quietly produced top-12 fantasy numbers in the past two seasons. He ranked eighth in total pass attempts last year but only 18th in red-zone passing. Expect this to balance out this season and for Lawrence to see an uptick in red-zone volume. His 21 passing touchdowns ranked just 15th in the NFL in 2023.
The Jaguars should continue to pass at a high rate this year with Press Taylor entering his second season as the play-caller. Jacksonville also fields a bottom-tier secondary on paper, which could force more pass attempts by the offense to keep up in games.
Lawrence is a solid option late in drafts as the 16th QB off the board.
No. 2 — Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
Mobile QBs win fantasy championships and Jayden Daniels has the chance to be one of the best rushers at the position this season. The Commanders rookie rushed for over 100 yards per game last season at LSU when you exclude negative yardage from sacks.
Daniels will have a solid supporting cast entering the NFL with weapons like Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson and Austin Ekeler to lean on in the passing game. His new play-caller is Kliff Kingsbury, who helped Kyler Murray rush for 40 yards per game in their four seasons together in Arizona.
Daniels has league-winning upside in Round 9 of drafts and has already been listed as the team's QB1 on the depth chart ahead of the preseason.
No. 1 — Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
Speaking of Kyler – he deserves way more attention right now in drafts. Murray goes in Round 7 after C.J. Stroud and before Joe Burrow. But these QBs don’t possess the cheat code upside that Murray has with his legs.
Murray has averaged over 30 rushing yards per game in his five-year career with 5.2 rushing TDs per season during this stretch. He’s now another year removed from his torn ACL, which should only help his explosiveness in the run game.
As for his passing, this should take another step forward in Year 2 of the Drew Petzing offense that welcomes top-five pick Marvin Harrison Jr. to the offense. Murray is a must-have QB in Round 7.
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