Who are this year’s mid-round value picks in fantasy football Here are three guys that you should keep an eye on as the middle part of your draft rolls around:
Fantasy Football: 3 Mid-Round Value Picks For Your Draft
The Cam Akers bounce back pic.twitter.com/jwuejIVQKt
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Cam Akers – Rams RB
He won’t be one of the first running backs off of the board, and you’d be reaching if you grabbed him in one of the early rounds. But Rams’ running back Cam Akers could be one of the better RB2 options this coming year.
His numbers from 2022 don’t exactly jump off of the board, as it was a tale of two seasons for the then-third year back. His usage varied over the first 8 weeks of the year, but Akers was able to turn things on when he began being the regular starter. In fact, he led the entire NFL in rushing during the final six games of the season, including a 118 yard, 3 touchdown performance in Week 15 against the Broncos.
There won’t be a lot of competition in terms of people coming for his job. The Rams’ running back depth chart is not exactly wildly impressive, with Kyren Williams, Zach Evans, and Royce Freeman being the current backups.
Drake London – Falcons WR
London had just 4 touchdowns during his rookie season, but his 72 catches and 866 yards were promising enough to make him a potential value in fantasy this year.
The biggest issue is the quarterback situation. Desmond Ridder will be the starter for the Falcons, and he isn’t exactly one of the elite passers in the game. But London did see a spike in his usage and statistics when Ridder took over for the final handful of games in 2022. Over the last 5 games of the season, London caught 31 balls for an average of 86 yards per game, though he didn’t score any touchdowns in that span.
London’s number of targets could be affected if Kyle Pitts has a bigger year in 2023, but he is easily the most talented wide receiver that Atlanta has on its roster.
Justin Fields has the POTENTIAL to be the No. 1 QB in fantasy this season
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Justin Fields – Bears QB
He likely won’t be one of the first few quarterbacks off of the board, unless someone reaches, of course. Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and plenty of others will be considered in the early rounds, meaning that you might find yourself with a chance to draft Justin Fields in one of the mid-rounds.
Fields showed serious promise during the latter half of the 2022 season, especially from a fantasy standpoint. During the final 7 games that he was active, he rushed for 85+ yards 5 different times, including his 178 against the Dolphins that set the single-game record for a quarterback.
The Bears are hoping that Fields can take a big step forward in his development. Third-year quarterbacks are generally prone to take leaps in their progression, and it is especially so for Fields now that he has a bona fide #1 wide receiver target and is in the second year running the current offensive system.
His passing stats from last year won’t blow anyone away, but if Fields is able to improve on his throwing ability in order to match how dangerous he is with his legs, then he could be one of the better fantasy football values this year.