Fantasy Football returns!

By Martin Richardson

Fantasy Football draft season is here everyone, and boy am I excited. It promises to be another amazing season of NFL football and Fantasy Football will be no different. Christian McCaffrey will no doubt be the first overall pick in most drafts, then you have the wide receiver discussion of Hill, Jefferson or Lamb as the first WR off the board. Where will breakout star Sam LaPorta go this year (spoiler alert, I don’t think he makes it past round 2), and who will be the big new star that everyone wishes they had drafted?

Well, that’s where Under the Radar comes in: I will scour the depths of Fantasy Football and come back with players who are sleepers in drafts, players who have production but don’t seem to be liked by fantasy players and players who have the potential to make an impact on fantasy teams. 

With this being the first article in the series, let’s have a look at one player per position to give you a thorough look at who is ‘under the radar.’ 

QB: Tua Tagovailoa

Monster new deal? Check.

Star wide receivers locked in for at least one more season? Check.

Then why do people still want to pile it on Tua when it is clear he is a top QB in the league? Is it because he isn’t Justin Herbert and people prefer him? Who knows? And at this point, who cares? Tua has carved his own path and it’s one that I think will lead to success in the long term.

Last season, Tua finished the season with the most passing yards (4624), which is over 300 yards more than everyone’s fantasy QB1, Josh Allen (4306) and just under 500 yards ahead of Patrick Mahomes (4183). What is even more interesting is when you dive deeper into his numbers in comparison to those two ‘elite’ QBs. Tua finished the season with 29 touchdowns, the same as Josh Allen and two more than Mahomes’ 27 touchdowns. Tua had 14 interceptions, the same as Mahomes, but four less than Josh Allen’s 18. So why do people continue to label him as a QB that is in the 12-18 range when looking at QB average draft position in fantasy terms?

This is exactly why a move for Tua in those mid to lower rounds will benefit you. He is a great pickup once you have nailed down those star picks early on in the draft. Think about it, he has the most yards on offense last season, which means he will get you points for yards per game. He has the top WR in fantasy football in Tyreek Hill as his main weapon, as well as Jaylen Waddle who is perhaps one of the best WR2 options out there, so if it isn’t Hill getting the ball, you know Waddle will.

Adding to this, Hill has over 600 yards AFTER the catch, which means that Tua’s fantasy numbers will only skyrocket each week. Add those numbers to his 13 touchdowns last season, Hill and Tua are a perfect fantasy combination. Even Waddle will get you points as he has over 1000 yards in each of his three years in Miami, so again, that’s just points for Tua on offense every game. As if those two were not enough for him, Tua also has the explosive De’Von Achane as a catching back to support him on offense who could also be in line for a breakout year.

So what are you waiting for? I’d be keeping him on your radar and if he falls to you in those mid rounds, which he will, snatch him and then stash someone like Caleb Williams or Baker Mayfield as your solid back up.

RB: Zamir White

I play in a RB heavy fantasy league, where they fly off the board early doors and people are left scrambling to find value by the time they reach round four. So why not Zamir White? It looks likely that he will be the lead back for whoever is at QB for the Raiders, be it Aiden O’Connell or Gardner Minshew, so having a RB that they can lean on will be a massive part of any success they have. The Raiders didn’t get the production they wanted from Josh Jacobs and decided to move on for him, paving the way for White to be the main man.

In terms of production, yes White has a small sample size, that can’t be ignored. But, when he has had the chance to showcase his ability, he has done exactly that. He tore the Broncos apart with over 100 yards in that game, then went on to demolish a very good Chiefs defense with 145 yards rushing. Even in games where he was not as productive, he still got 60+ yards, so he will get you points. You just have to hope that the Raiders can get White into the redzone so he can double his points tallies with those valuable touchdowns. What is clear is that the talent is there, it’s just whether people who are not Raiders fans think as highly of him in your fantasy leagues.

There is the threat of Alexander Mattison being a part of a committee system in Vegas, but when he had the opportunity to be a lead back in Minnesota, he quite literally fumbled the chance. So, I would certainly go for someone like White who has the chance to be a real fantasy option for you in those mid rounds when people start scrambling for starters.

WR: Mailk Nabers

There is no hiding it, Nabers at LSU was electric, with some mesmerizing stats that should have Giants fans, and indeed Fantasy players, very excited. With over 1500 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns last season in college, Nabers was the obvious choice for the Giants who are in need of a successful campaign in 2024. With a tough schedule in 2024, the sixth toughest by the looks of it, the Giants need a talisman to get them over the line and I believe that Nabers can be that guy.

Nabers has the potential to get people excited in New York and make them believe that they can be solid on offense after a pretty tepid few years. Nabers is already WR1 on that roster and only has the likes of Allen Robinson and Isiah McKenzie to contend with when wanting the ball. Now obviously that comes with the understandable counter argument: defenses will just double up on Nabers. The other argument will be is that is Daniel Jones the guy to maximize what Nabers can offer? Only time will tell. But I honestly don’t think it matters. You can’t double Nabers all the time, and Jones can be a good QB when given time, and when it all comes off and it connects, I think that Nabers is going to get the Giants, and fantasy players across the land, lots of valuable points.

 

So why is he under the radar? Well, simply, he isn’t Marvin Harrison and he isn’t part of the Bears new offense with Rome Odunze now catching the ball from number one draft pick Caleb Williams. In fantasy terms, people will want someone who is going to get points for them from week one, and there is always a seed of doubt with the Giants and their ability on the field. People will take Harrison because of the name, Odunze because of the Williams hype and then they will fall back on players from previous years like breakout stars Tank Dell and Zay Flowers.

If I was you, I’d watch Malik Nabers with interest in your drafts because I think he could be a star player by the time they hit their bye week in week 11.

TE: Trey McBriDe

I know the focus here will be on McBride, but I want to point out that Sam LaPorta is perhaps the reason that McBride is still a little under the radar. With LaPorta smashing records in his rookie season and perhaps breaking into the TE1 fantasy discussion, this has meant that the production of McBride has gone as this this article suggests: ‘under the radar.’

McBride had 825 receiving yards last season, and LaPorta had 889, the difference is that LaPorta got 10 touchdowns and McBride only got 3. I think that changes this season and he will be closer to that 10 mark and build on his production with a solid season with Kyler Murray under centre. What makes McBride a fantasy option is that he averaged over 10 yards per reception, so he will get you points in every game he plays. And in some games, he went off in terms of yardage, without that touchdown. Against the 49ers, he got over 100 yards, and against the Falcons he went for over 130 yards.

Add to the mix that the Cardinals offense now has more targets for defenses to worry about, mainly WR Marvin Harrison Jr, McBride will no doubt be wide open on some plays to hep move the chains and score points for a Cardinals team who are in need of swift improvements.

People will no doubt still go for the legacy pick of Travis Kelce and then aim for Sam LaPorta, but after that, look to McBride as the one who can be a difference maker to your Fantasy Football team.  

So, there you have it, the first few players who I think are going under the radar this offseason. No doubt there will be more as training camps and fantasy football discussions and drafts take place, but that is all the fun of the fair when it comes to this game we love so much. I hope its given you some players to watch out for and I look forward to the next time that we look at players who are going ‘under the radar.’

MARTIN RICHARDSON

NFL/FANTASY FOOTBALL ANALYST

A Yorkshireman living in Lancashire, Martin is a massive NFL fan but his heart belongs to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Also a huge Fantasy Football enthusiast and spends far too long crunching the numbers! Follow him at @MRBucsFan31

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