Many fantasy owners make the mistake of not paying close enough attention to the last few rounds of drafts. By then, their rosters are pretty much set. They may even reach for a defense or kicker to make sure they have rounded out their lineup. They also may not pay the proper attention to the latest news around the NFL. When fantasy owners fail to do the proper research and draft based on a cursory glance of ADP, they miss out on players who have worked their way into larger roles as the preseason has progressed. These are the players you want to take at the end of drafts. If they don’t pan out, no big deal. You drop them and move on. If they do, however, you will be rewarded nicely. Here are some of my favorite lottery tickets at the back end of fantasy football drafts.
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Four Late-Round Lottery Tickets That Could Hit Big
Albert Wilson, WR, Miami Dolphins (Current ADP: 256th overall, WR83 in PPR leagues)
If Albert Wilson sounds familiar to you, it’s because I wrote about him a few weeks back. I won’t regurgitate the same arguments I did then. That piece can be found here. But I wanted to mention him again for a few reasons. Any updates surrounding Wilson’s circumstances since that piece came out have all been positive. First and foremost, he has had no setbacks in his recovery from a hip injury. Wilson has been cleared to do everything on the football field and is on track to play in Week 1. Secondly, rumors are circulating that Miami will trade or possibly even release wideout Kenny Stills. Wilson may have a bigger target share than previously anticipated. Finally, Wilson’s ADP has gone down since my initial piece! His value has increased, yet his ADP has dropped. Owners should scoop Wilson up as early as Round 14.
Trey Quinn, WR, Washington (Current ADP: 286th overall, WR90 in PPR leagues)
Fantasy owners continue to undervalue Trey Quinn as the 2019 season approaches. Quinn should easily outperform his current ADP. He has locked down the slot receiver position in Washington, replacing the departed Jamison Crowder. Crowder missed seven games last year but finished as a WR3 in PPR leagues in 2016 and 2017. That level of production is in Quinn’s range of outcomes. Washington has arguably the worst receiving corps in all of football. They are also shopping wide receiver Josh Doctson. Doctson led all Washington wideouts in receptions, targets, and receiving yards a year ago. His exodus would certainly not hurt Quinn’s chances for a greater target share. The team’s leading receiver, tight end Jordan Reed, is dealing with yet another concussion. Quinn may very well be the team’s leading receiver, and he can be had for a song. I would grab him before pick 200 if possible.
Darrel Williams, RB, Kansas City (Current ADP: 411th overall, RB112 in PPR leagues)
If you do not believe that Damien Williams will be a fantasy stud this season (how dare you!), and you are not willing to pay the rising price to grab Darwin Thompson, might I suggest giving Darrel Williams a look-see? Williams is going undrafted in most leagues. But it appears more evident with each passing day that Carlos Hyde’s days with the team are numbered. All three backs sans Hyde have seen work with the first-team offense in recent days. Head coach Andy Reid has also suggested that he will use multiple backs this season. That gives Darrel Williams a puncher’s chance of becoming fantasy relevant. If Damien Williams and/or Thompson struggle to carry the workload, Darrel Williams could find himself in the catbird seat. Finding a player attached to the league’s most prolific offense is a good place to start when looking for that late-round lottery ticket.
Dare Ogunbowale, RB, Tampa Bay (Current ADP: 428th overall, RB119 in PPR leagues)
Since I double-dipped on Albert Wilson, I figured I would throw another name into the mix. Dare Ogunbowale is the perfect example of a player who has been picking up steam of late. If you are drafting solely based on ADP or “official” depth charts, just send me your entry fee instead. You are missing the boat. Ogunbowale is making a bit of a name for himself in Buccaneers camp. Bruce Arians praised Ogunbowale for his prowess picking up the blitz earlier this month. The former undrafted free agent then saw some reps with the first-teamers when Ronald Jones was sidelined. Ogunbowale acquitted himself quite nicely, and now seems firmly entrenched as the team’s third-string back. I believe Ogunbowale’s ceiling is much higher, given his competition for snaps in Tampa Bay’s backfield.
Peyton Barber is likely the team’s first choice on early downs. But Barber is the living embodiment of “three yards and a cloud of dust”. Barber owns a career 3.8 yards per carry, and that number has decreased in each of his three seasons. Last season, he became the first player since 2013 to amass fewer than 1,000 total yards on at least 250 touches. He also offers nothing in the passing game. Barber has a total of 41 receptions in 47 career games. He is the JAG (Just A Guy) of JAGs. Jones is not any better. Last year’s second-round pick has routinely struggled in pass protection and as a receiver. The fact that Jones has not been able to usurp Barber for the lead role in either of the last two years is a ringing indictment. Which brings us back to Ogunbowale.
Bucs beat reporter Trevor Sikkema believes that Ogunbowale is slated to be the team’s third-down back. This leads me to believe that he has surpassed Jones, despite the depth chart saying otherwise. The passing down back in Tampa is going to be a valuable fantasy commodity this season. The Bucs figure to throw the ball early and often. They have a dynamic group of pass-catchers in Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and O.J. Howard. The Bucs figure to be in plenty of shootouts this season given their high-powered offense and porous defense. I would not be shocked if Ogunbowale ends up leading this backfield in fantasy points when all is said and done. He is slowly climbing up draft boards but can still routinely be had at the tail end of drafts. Instead of reaching for a kicker or defense, grab Ogunbowale in the 17th or 18th round. I Dare You.
Which players are your late-round lottery tickets? Head on over to the 2019 Fantrax Fantasy Football Draft Kit for more great strategy, analysis, and rankings.
Mick Ciallela has been writing for FantraxHQ since July 2017. He has also written for Bleacher Report. He is a lifelong sports fan and has been an avid fantasy sports player for many years. Mick was the Overall Champion of both the 2016 Football Challenge – Roto and 2017 Play 3 Football contests hosted by CDM Sports. Mick was born and raised in Mount Vernon, New York and currently resides in New London, Connecticut.
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