Fantasy Football Today: The best and worst values in CBS, ESPN and Yahoo drafts (2024)

One mistake a lot of Fantasy Football players make is taking a player they don't actually like just because "the price is too good to pass up."

There is, of course, always a right price to pay for any player, and if you're playing in multiple leagues, there can be value in hedging your bets a bit and drafting a player to one team you've avoided on your other rosters. But you also have to have the strength of your convictions: If you don't think a player is going to help you win your Fantasy championship, it doesn't really make sense to draft him just because ADP "says" he was supposed to be drafted higher than he was.

Similarly, if you believe in a player, you should absolutely be willing to jump his ADP if that's what it takes to end up with him on your team. If you believe Garrett Wilson is going to be the next great Fantasy wide receiver, you're sitting there with the 14th pick and he's the top player on your board, you should definitely take him, even if it's a few spots ahead of ADP.

We spend plenty of time looking at ADP during Fantasy Football draft season, but the important thing to keep in mind is, you shouldn't be a prisoner to it. That's especially true when you're comparing ADP across different sites, because prices can vary drastically depending on if you're drafting at, for example, CBS vs. ESPN or Yahoo. Our default rankings are different from theirs; their projections are different from ours too. So, of course their draft rooms look different.

Today's Fantasy Football Today Newsletter is all about comparing ADP across those three different sites to help you find the best and worst values at each site. I've compared prices at each site, identifying the players who cost more or less at each site, so you can go into your draft knowing what you might be able to take advantage of in the default rankings.

Before we get there, however, Heath Cummings finished his Position Preview series for the 2023 Fantasy Football season, and there's a ton of great information in there – sleepers, breakouts,and busts for each position, for example, along with Heaths' projections, and a whole bunch more. So, before we get to the rest of the Newsletter, make you don't miss this:

• QB Preview: Allen, Mahomes, Hurts worth the price?
• RB Preview: The times they are a-changin'
• WR Preview: Goodbye, discounts
• TE Preview: Who's next?

The Best Values at CBS

• Rondale Moore, WR,Cardinals(unranked in CBS ADP)
• Luke Musgrave, TE,Packers(unranked)
• Treylon Burks, WR,Titans(151)
• Chris Godwin, WR,Buccaneers(97)
• Diontae Johnson, WR,Steelers(100)

I'm not surprised Godwin ranks this low, given how skeptical my CBS Fantasy colleagues are about him this season, though it's worth noting that even while Jamey Eisenberg, Dave Richard, and Heath Cummings are low on Godwin, they all have him as a top-70 player in their rankings. As I wrote about in theFantasy Football Today Newsletterearlier this week, I'm worried about making the mistake with the Buccaneers that I did with theSeahawkslast year, where I just assumed they were going to be a disastrous offense – a mistake that burned me when the Seahawks ended up being competent. I don't expectBaker Mayfieldto play as well asGeno Smithdid last season, but if he's even the 20th-best QB in the NFL, Godwin (and Mike Evans) is likely to smash this price.

Fantasy Football Draft Kit

Your ultimate football draft guide

Dominate your Fantasy Football draft with our free printable Draft Kit, which gives you must-have top-200 rankings for PPR, half-PPR and non-PPR leagues, plus see the top ranked players at every position. Get average draft position data for every ranked player to help strategize before Draft Day, and keep track of your roster with our lineup builder for both snake and salary cap formats.

I agree to receive the "Fantasy Football Draft Kit" and marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers), and other information from CBS Sports and the Paramount family of companies.

By pressing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge Paramount's Privacy Policy.

See All Newsletters

Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe.

Thanks for signing up!

Keep an eye on your inbox.

Sorry!

There was an error processing your subscription.

Best values: ESPN

• Rashod Bateman, WR,Ravens(214th)
• Rashaad Penny, RB,Eagles(130)
• J.K. Dobbins, RB, Ravens (83)
• Kadarius Toney, WR,Chiefs(153)
• David Montgomery, RB, Lions (81)

I've got Montgomery as my RB22, so I'm a decent amount higher on him than the consensus right now. That's especially true at ESPN, where he's behind the likes ofDalvin Cook,Isiah Pacheco, andCam Akersat RB and players likePat Freiermuth,Mike Williams, and Isiah Pacheco at other positions. Montgomery is splitting a backfield withJahmyr Gibbs, who should go ahead of him, to be sure. But it's a backfield that produced the most Fantasy points in PPR (and the 10th-most targets) for running backs of any team last season. Even baking in some regression, there is room for both Montgomery and Gibbs to be No. 2 RBs, and that's how I've got it ranked right now.

Best values: Yahoo

• Jakobi Meyers, WR,Raiders(205)
• Russell Wilson, QB,Broncos(193)
• Quentin Johnston, WR,Chargers(173)
• Skyy Moore, WR, Chiefs (158)
• Christian Watson, WR, Packers (77)

Skyy Moore's price just feels like a mistake, but one you'll want to take advantage of if it continues over the next few weeks. Moore is a top-36 WR and a top-75 pick for me at this point. Yes, the Chiefs will spread the ball around, and yes, Travis Kelce is still the top option in this passing game until further notice. But even a 19% target share in this offense – a relatively low number, all things considered – could lead to a significant, valuable role for Fantasy, because that would have been 124 targets last season. Moore has clearly established himself as one of the team's starting wide receivers in camp, and while the default rankings suggest you might be able to wait in Yahoo leagues, I'd be thrilled to get him even around 100th overall.

Worst values: CBS

• Dalton Kincaid, TE,Bills(98)
• De'Von Achane, RB,Dolphins(131)
• Brian Robinson, RB, Commanders (66)
• Alexander Mattison, RB,Vikings(37)
• Khalil Herbert, RB,Bears(75)

Robinson goes off the board 30 picks later in Yahoo leagues; he goes off the board40 picks laterin ESPN leagues. That's where I'm more comfortable taking Robinson, though even then, I have a hard time seeing myself ever actually drafting him unless I'm just desperate for certainty at the RB position. He's unlikely to have much of a passing game role, which leaves Robinson as an early-down plodder who we're hoping gets a handful of touchdowns. I'd rather haveAntonio Gibsonstraight up, let alone more than 50 picks later, as CBS ADP suggests.

Worst values: ESPN

• Courtland Sutton, WR, Broncos (96)
• JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, Patriots (112)
• Treylon Burks, WR, Titans (101)
• Rachaad White, RB, Buccaneers (51)
• Odell Beckham, WR, Ravens (99)

None of the Ravens wide receivers are really targets for me, despite the injection of talent. I just don't have a good feel for how the hierarchy is going to shake out, except that they are competing to be the No. 2 behind Mark Andrews in what I still expect to be a low-volume passing offense. Rashod Bateman goes outside of the top 200 in ESPN leagues, while rookie Zay Flowers goes a few rounds after Beckham. If I'm going to bet on this passing game taking a big step forward, I'd rather do it with Lamar Jackson, but if I am going to take one of these guys, it's going to be whichever one is cheapest. That isn't Beckham, at least not at ESPN.com

Worst values: Yahoo

• Mac Jones, QB,Patriots(124)
• Damien Harris, RB, Bills (107)
• Breece Hall, RB,Jets(30)
• Cam Akers, RB,Rams(50)
• Greg Dulcich, TE,Broncos(122)

Hall is a classic high-variance player this season. As a rookie, he looked like a potential No. 1 pick candidate, with legitimate, three-down skills and the ability to break long plays in every facet of the game. However, he's working his way back from a torn ACL, and it's still not clear if he's going to be ready to play in time for Week 1. I'd bet on it, but there is, of course, a big difference between, "Ready to play in time for Week 1," and, "Ready to be a star again." I've got Hall ranked lower than this, more in the 50 range, where he's going in ESPN and CBS leagues. But I can't necessarily say picking Hall 30th is abadpick, because if he gives us superstar production for half the season, that's probably a worthwhile pick. I wouldn't take him this high, but if you want to, that's understandable.