I thought of this topic because of Frank Gore, on Monday Night Football. I am pretty sure for the last 2 or 3 years most of us have written him off for dead, the same could be said about MJD, and Tony Gonzalez. So who else seems to always seems to produce fantasy wise? Yet they are always drafted way below where they rank at the end of the year.
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Most underrated fantasy players (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Chazzhawk
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doeseatplace
Footballguy
Marques Colston
Tornacl
Footballguy
Eli Manning. Before last year, he was consistently a mid-low QB1, yet no one ever wanted him as a starter.
In the past, when I think of underrated fantasy players, the names that came to mind immediately were Derick Mason, Donald Driver, and Jimmy Smith. Those guys always out performed their draft position, and would always be written off for the next season. They were written off at least five years before they were truly done, and were never even valued where they should've been.
In the past, when I think of underrated fantasy players, the names that came to mind immediately were Derick Mason, Donald Driver, and Jimmy Smith. Those guys always out performed their draft position, and would always be written off for the next season. They were written off at least five years before they were truly done, and were never even valued where they should've been.
doeseatplace
Footballguy
Definitely yes on Derrick Mason. He was underdrafted for so long that by the end of his career he was being overdrafted because you never knew when he would stop posting solid seasons.Back in the day, it was also Joe Horn, who was a WR1 from 2000-2004, but was never drafted as such
SSOG
Moderator
Tony Gonzalez had a streak where his season ending VBD rank surpassed his preseason ADP for six straight seasons. And then, in 2005, his streak ended. And then he put up another six season streak of outperforming his preseason ADP. And this year, he's a near-mortal lock, barring injury, to make it 13 of the last 14 seasons where he has matched or exceeded his preseason ADP. Somehow, I very much doubt we will ever see another player match that feat.
I like this list, like Ward and Jones a lot.
doeseatplace
Footballguy
Absolutely; Smith and McCardell
Time Kibitzer
Footballguy
That's the first guy I thought of. He had 5 straight seasons of 1100+ rushing yards and bookended those 5 years with 890+ rushing yard seasons. He was pretty incredibly consistent, and I don't think his ADP was ever higher than the 4th round.
wiscstlatlmia
Footballguy
Nobody said Roddy White yet? lol
Nucker101
Footballguy
I'd add Tony Gonzalez as also mentioned in this thread. There's always a couple of old veterans that end up being great value picks, Wayne and Gonzalez this year were great and same with Peyton Manning.
SSOG
Moderator
You want really under the radar, I'd nominate Eddie Kennison and a guy I've been comparing to him a lot recently- Lance Moore. Your Smiths (Rod and Jimmy), Wards, and Drivers were all pro bowlers with name recognition who people universally agreed we're very good WRs. Kennison was seen as absolute junk, a poor NFL receiver, and someone not even worth drafting.
At QB, Aaron Brooks put up some good quality seasons, and Mike Vick was ludicrously overdrafted in 2003 (saw him go #1 overall in a lot of drafts), but outperformed his draft position pretty much every year after that as the backlash to that season guaranteed you qb1 production would be available for qb2 prices.
At QB, Aaron Brooks put up some good quality seasons, and Mike Vick was ludicrously overdrafted in 2003 (saw him go #1 overall in a lot of drafts), but outperformed his draft position pretty much every year after that as the backlash to that season guaranteed you qb1 production would be available for qb2 prices.
just_want_2_win
Footballguy
Roddy White. I tried to find a log of his ADP for the last few years before posting this but couldn't. Anecdotally though he seems to slide a bit in drafts I've been in yet the last few years has quietly put up great numbers while the Calvins and Welkers go earlier and yet sometimes (esp. Calvin) disappoint. This year he hasn't faded like many experts said he would and came cheaper than Julio yet is giving similar production.
SSOG
Moderator
http://football.myfantasyleague.com/2012/adpUse that link for ADP data. If you want a different season, just change the year in the link. Roddy was the 7th receiver off the board this year. He was 3rd off the board last year. He was 7th off the board the year before that. He's not exactly flying under the radar.
just_want_2_win
Footballguy
Great, thanks for finding that link, SSOG. Yeah, that's why I wanted to look that up before posting, but I've seen him tumble a bit the last few year -- this year especially. Obviously what I saw was more the exception than the rule according to those ADP stats. Still, he doesn't get the attention other primo WRs get when you consider the production. So you're right, not exactly under the radar but I think still underrated.
Last edited by a moderator:
Mario Kart
Footballguy
The last 10-15 years people have obsessed about RB's and drafting RB's with their first three or four picks. No one ever drafted this guy as their #1 RB though. He rarely would go in the 2nd round let alone the 1st. But, he always pub up decent numbers.
Curtis Martin
Curtis Martin
Cyclones
Footballguy
In leagues with IDP, Rodney Harrison was always a beast yet didn't get the same pub as the stud MLBs of the day (Lewis, Brooks, etc.) Hell, I remember drafts where Bailey, Sanders, Woodson would go ahead of him. He won me two championships.
SSOG
Moderator
MFL has ADP data going back to 1999. Martin was one of the first 8 RBs off the board every year from 1999-2002, and finished rb8, rb8, rb5, and rb18 over that span. In 2003, he was drafted as the 19th RB off the board (31st overall) and finished as the 18th best RB (45th overall). 2004 he obviously demolished his draft position, finishing as rb4. In 2005, he was drafted as rb18 and finished as rb29. So, 4 years where his ranking was right on the money (1999, 2000, 2001, 2003), 2 years where he was rated too high (2002 and 2005), and one year where he was rated too low (2004). Sounds like the FF crowd had him pretty much pegged, not underrated in the slightest.
TheDirtyWord
Footballguy
Roethlisberger
Not Sleeping
Footballguy
I agree with Roethlisberger and Stevie Johnson. I'll add Ahmad Bradshaw.
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
Usually somebody on Buffalo.
Mr. Soup Nazi
Footballguy
Jonathan Stewart
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