A little over a month ago, I previewed the 32 most intriguing players heading into their respective training camp. Now that the offseason buzz has come and gone, it’s time revisit their current ADP heading into the final weekend of drafts to see if these players can be targeted or avoided.
Today, we’re taking a look back at all 16 NFC players to see where they’re at now. (We did the AFC Tuesday.) For some of these players, not much has changed. For others, the lightbulb came on or slowly dimmed out entirely. Either way, it will impact your final drafts and valuations.
Terrelle Pryor, WR, Washington Redskins
Pryor’s training camp was flush with highlight grabs in one-on-one drills. When the pads came on in the preseason, Pryor and the entire Redskins passing game was quiet. Jamison Crowder continued to operate as Kirk Cousins’ main target between the 20s alongside TE Jordan Reed. Pryor’s ADP has risen all the way into the fourth round and his upside no longer outweighs his cost given the Redskins’ tough schedule and competition for targets.
Evan Engram, TE, New York Giants
Engram might end up emerging as the Marques Colston-like cheat code. He qualifies at tight end but the Giants have been using him early and often on third downs and in the red zone. Engram has taken almost every snap with Eli Manning this preseason and he has quietly racked up six receptions for 75 yards. The Giants are using him primarily as the in-line tight end, but also out of the slot, as the flanker, and as a fullback. Engram is free in drafts, so it makes sense to gamble on the 235-pound prospect with excellent 3-cone numbers and 4.41 speed.
Jahad Thomas, RB, then-Dallas Cowboys
Swing and a miss here for us. Thomas fell out of favor with the Cowboys early in camp and has since signed with the Jets. Injuries played a factor in the Cowboys’ decision to let him go.
Samaje Perine, RB, Washington Redskins
Perine’s preseason and training camp couldn’t have gone much worse. Perine struggled to pick up the blocking scheme, struggled to hold on to the football, and struggled with pass protection. Once a trendy mid-round pick, Perine is being drafted now as a late-round flier. He has dropped multiple rounds from his 87.1 ADP before training camp. Now is the best time to buy.
Ty Montgomery, RB, Green Bay Packers
Montgomery’s ADP has tanked due to question marks about how his sickle cell trait might affect his ability to stay healthy. Montgomery missed the final part of training camp and the first two preseason games, but when he returned to action in Preseason Week 3, he was the same elusive runner we saw in 2016. Montgomery offers the same league-winning potential but you can now get him at a two- or three-round discount.
Ameer Abdullah, RB, Detroit Lions
Although Abdullah has backed up the words of Lions management when they called him the true featured back, his ADP remains stagnant. Abdullah has handled most of the first-team touches this preseason, but concerns about his durability and red zone role have kept him cheap. If Abdullah stays healthy and takes over the red-zone role, he could emerge as 2017’s version of Melvin Gordon and he will come at a similar cost as Gordon did a year ago.
Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings
When we last wrote about Cook, his ADP sat at 54.0. That ADP seems laughable in the current draft landscape where he is going as early as the beginning of round three. Cook’s passing game usage in the preseason has boosted his stock, but concerns about the Vikings offensive line and Latavius Murray’s lingering red-zone potential are not currently factored into his draft price.
Cameron Meredith, WR, Chicago Bears
Meredith was a mid-round favorite target who unfortunately tore his ACL during the Bears’ third preseason game. Prior to that, he had all the makings of a breakout player after reportedly developing an amazing rapport with quarterback Mike Glennon. This chemistry was evident in their limited snaps together.
Devin Funchess, WR, Carolina Panthers
Funchess won the No. 2 wide receiver job outright but in the quietest fashion ever. With Cam Newton playing limited preseason snaps, and with Kelvin Benjamin hogging all the buzz due to his red-zone success this preseason, Funchess remains available at the very end of fantasy drafts. He is a worthy flier given his role on the offense, potential for a third-year NFL leap, and the Panthers’ easy passing game schedule.
Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints
Kamar flashed the same kind of explosiveness that Abdullah flashed during his rookie season in the preseason. A preseason hero like Kamara usually shoots up draft boards, but he hasn’t due to the Saints’ crowded backfield. There is still potential for Kamara to carve out a passing game role so you can do worse for a PPR flier with one of your final picks.
Austin Hooper, TE, Atlanta Falcons
Hooper has had a quiet preseason and training camp after drawing a lot of buzz during the spring. He remains a high-upside TE2 flier with the potential to emerge as the Falcons’ top red-zone threat and Matt Ryan’s No. 2 target in the overall passing game.
O.J. Howard, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Howard offers tantalizing physical tools at 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds with 4.51 speed. He is currently still being overdrafted, though, due to these physical tools. Howard is second in the pecking order at tight end on his own team behind Cameron Brate. Howard’s ADP has finally started to fall, as a reflection of his projected role, and you can do much better spending a tight end flier on Evan Engram or a host of wide receivers and running backs at the end of your drafts.
Carlos Hyde, RB, San Francisco 49ers
Hyde’s ADP and value have swung back and forth since the start of training camp. Recency bias will likely boost his ADP for this weekend’s final drafts after he strung together a successful third preseason game. There are still major concerns for Hyde including his lengthy injury history, his running style in Kyle Shanahan’s scheme, and most importantly, game flow and scheduling issues for the 49ers.
Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams
Kupp was flying under the radar until preseason action got underway and he quickly emerged as Jared Goff’s obvious favorite target. Kupp missed the third preseason game with an injury, but it hasn’t affected his ADP. He remains a preferred late-round flier target and you’ll have to jump on Kupp in Rounds 13-14 to guarantee you get him.
C.J. Prosise, RB, Seattle Seahawks
Prosise has gone from preferred late-round target to undrafted across the board after another injury-plagued training camp and preseason. The emergence of rookie Chris Carson has put a dent in Prosise stock. Carson has excelled in the passing game in addition to running the football. If you’re stuck at the RB position, Prosise isn’t the worst dart throw out there.
John Brown, WR, Arizona Cardinals
After entering training camp with so much hype, Brown’s ADP plummeted when head coach Bruce Arians called him out for not getting healthy in time to practice. Perhaps because he felt the pressure, Brown responded with two touchdowns during the Cardinals’ third preseason game after finally returning to action. Brown is the definition of a boom-or-bust pick in 2017 fantasy drafts.
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