When you are getting to the late round portions of your draft, some owners get flustered and confused. They start fumbling with their cheat sheets and can’t make a solid decision on who to take because they are not prepared enough for the final rounds of the draft. After reviewing this list, you certainly will not have that problem. These are the late round targets to watch for when you get to the double-digit rounds of your fantasy football drafts.
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Late Round Fantasy Football Targets
Running Backs
Ronald Jones – He may indeed drop to double-figure rounds after his disastrous rookie season, but he will get another opportunity to restart his career the right way under a new regime.
Ito Smith – If Devonta Freeman cannot stay healthy, Smith could emerge as the new lead RB for the Falcons. He rushed for four TDs in a five-game span during the earlier part of his rookie year.
Mike Davis – David Montgomery simply isn’t going to win lead RB duties in Chicago by default. Davis could give him a good preseason battle to see who will be the No. 1 ball carrier when the season opens.
Carlos Hyde – If Damien Williams cannot prove he can handle the rigors of being a featured back over an extensive period, Hyde could at least creep back into Fantasy relevance as a flex play with some TD potential. Late round targets like Hyde can be hit or miss, but when they hit it’s almost like a free player.
Damien Harris – Injuries will always be a concern for Sony Michel, and if he misses significant time, Harris could actually get a chance to carry the ball frequently. He is a good late round target if you draft Michel.
C.J. Anderson – If Kerryon Johnson stays healthy, he could have a breakout season. If not, Anderson already showed us last season that he is still capable of being an effective starter.
Dion Lewis – Derrick Henry has disappointed before, and Lewis is easily the better receiver, so don’t totally forget him in the late round portion of the draft.
Ryquell Armstead – Leonard Fournette is a notorious injury concern already, and if he goes down again, the rookie only has to contend with Alfred Blue to get his chances.
Kalen Ballage – He could turn out to be a complement to Kenyan Drake who may get some opportunities to be a goal-line runner. He also flashed some big-play potential late in his rookie year.
Qadree Ollison – A very physical rookie who could complement Ito Smith if Freeman cannot stay healthy in Atlanta. The Falcons could employ a timeshare if Smith cannot handle a heavy load, and both could be flex plays. He may go undrafted in many leagues but a savvy owner will remember him as a late round guy to consider.
Wide Receivers
Geronimo Allison – I am seeing him go quite late in drafts so far. He is ready to re-emerge as the new No. 2 WR for Aaron Rodgers. I would not hesitate to take him as your fourth WR, he is really going to pay off in 2019. He had three five-reception games, two TDs, and never was under 64 yards in the first four weeks of the 2018 season. If healthy Allison is one of the late round targets I feel most confident in.
Tyrell Williams – He was one of the prized free agent players at his position because of his combination of size and speed. He wanted to sign with a team that would utilize him more prominently, and the Raiders will. He will certainly and obviously benefit from playing across from Antonio Brown.
Anthony Miller – He scored seven times as a rookie and could have a breakout year in 2019 if Mitchell Trubisky puts together a more consistent season, which is very possible. Here is some nice late-round upside.
Tre’Quan Smith – He was the best example of boom or bust you could find in his rookie season. But obviously the Saints are looking for more of the boom this season, as no other WRs were brought in to contend with Smith for significant playing time, and Ted Ginn Jr. is now 34 years old.
Michael Gallup – He showed us glimpses of being a playmaker late in the regular season and in the playoffs in his rookie campaign. Some average Fantasy players may expect Randall Cobb to slide in across from Amari Cooper, but Gallup already has more upside and I predict he will become the starter and push for Fantasy WR3 status. You may be able to get a Fantasy starter with a late-round selection here.
Robert Foster – In the final seven weeks of the 2018 season, this undrafted free agent burst onto the scene with three 100-yard games and three TD receptions. He already has familiarity with Josh Allen, who won’t be afraid to gun to him downfield.
Albert Wilson – If Ryan Fitzpatrick starts for Miami, Wilson is a better bet to build on the brief heroics he displayed last year before a hip injury ended his season. Most notable was his 155 yards and two TDs in Week 6.
David Moore – There is much hoopla about D.K. Metcalf, but the Seahawks are high on Moore internally. He scored four times in a three-game span from Weeks 5-8 and is entering his third season working with Russell Wilson.
Trey Quinn – With mediocrity surrounding him at WR in Washington, Quinn may get a chance to become a reliable target for Dwayne Haskins or Case Keenum. If he stays healthy, Quinn could operate out of the slot and might get opportunities to be productive as a PPR type.
Dontrelle Inman – If N’Keal Harry is overwhelmed as a rookie and cannot play a prominent role for Tom Brady yet, Inman is a veteran who could possibly post some respectable totals. He finished 2018 with 123 yards and two TDs in his final two games. Sometimes late round targets are seemingly boring veterans who no one else is thinking about.
Tight Ends
Ian Thomas – Greg Olsen is admirably trying to soldier on again, but his body may not cooperate. Thomas started to make some noise late in his rookie year, scoring twice in the final two games.
Mark Andrews – He caught passes of 74 and 68 yards, the latter being a later-season catch-and-run TD. Andrews already has familiarity with Lamar Jackson and could emerge as his go-to guy in scoring situations.
Noah Fant – He is an incredible prospect, and is going to drive LBs crazy in coverage. I like Fant more than most Fantasy analysts. I predict stardom within the first two seasons. He absolutely jumps off the film at me.
Ricky Seals-Jones – Kyler Murray could help RSJ resurface to gain Fantasy relevance. He’ll need to look to his big target frequently in scoring situations.
Quarterbacks
Derek Carr – He has his best supporting cast ever and there can be no more excuses. If he takes advantage of all the weaponry around him, we could see the Carr of 2016 again. He has Antonio Brown and Tyrell Williams to scare secondaries, and a rookie RB who can ease pressure on him and catch balls out of the backfield.
Drew Lock – He is a gunslinger who throws a very good deep ball. I believe he can be a Brett Favre type, and Lock could end up being the second-best QB of the 2019 rookie class after Murray. Lock could start to draw some admiration and deliver some quality outings as a rookie.
Are you feeling Scott’s late round targets? Get more of The King with his full archive.
Scott Engel is an inaugural member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association’s Hall of Fame and a four-time award winner. He was one of the driving content forces in the rise of RotoExperts.com and was the lead host on the RotoExperts in the Morning for six years on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio. He was also instrumental in the launch of the FNTSY Sports Network. Scott was the first-ever Senior Writer and Managing Editor at CBS SportsLine and won a company Hall of Fame Award. He was also an Associate Editor and Fantasy analyst for ESPN.com. He has been the featured Fantasy Writer on Seahawks.com since 2012 and his work has been syndicated to the Associated Press, NFL.com, New York Daily News, New York Post, Yahoo Sports, Bloomberg Sports, Sports Illustrated and many others. He is a credentialed media member who won an FSWA award in 2016 for his Insider Fantasy Reporting. Known as “The King”, Scott is on Twitter @scotteTheKing
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