Fantasy Football: 10 players going into Year 2-3 who shouldn't be undervalued in drafts

Rashod Bateman, WR, Baltimore Ravens

Fantasy football Twitter doesn’t have anything else going on right now — I recommend some outside time — so naturally, a report about Bateman getting a cortisone shot sent gamers into a tizzy of panic.

It sounds like it was far from a big deal, although monitoring his health is of the utmost importance. I believe staying healthy is all he needs to become a true No. 1 receiver and locked-in breakout candidate.

Bateman has shown a full-field skill set through two NFL seasons. He’s a smooth underneath route runner who can win at all three receiver positions and in the vertical game. It’s not a coincidence the entire Ravens passing game fell apart the moment he started dealing with injuries. He’s a really good player, we just need him to stay on the field.

If healthy — big if for some of these names — give me Bateman as the clear WR1 in Baltimore over Odell Beckham Jr. and Zay Flowers. I am a big fan of Flowers’ game but liked Bateman more as a prospect and have no issues with what he’s shown us in the league so far.

I will gladly take any injury draft discount on a player that I was all-in on as a breakout candidate last season.

Skyy Moore, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

Moore didn’t clear 40% of the Chiefs' snaps in any game during his rookie season after being a Round 2 selection despite the team employing a mercurial receiver room. Some analysts want you to believe that fact is a death knell to his status going forward. It’s not.

Moore was a developmental receiver after playing at a lower level in college and going to a complex Andy Reid passing game. Not having a big Year 1 workload is not shocking at all. He was good when he got playing time last year and has been drawing good reviews this offseason from Reid and Patrick Mahomes. I don’t know that Moore or any Chiefs receiver is going to be a star but he’s currently my favorite bet at that position for KC … by a lot.

Jaylen Warren, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

Warren is going to be a fascinating player to track this season. He’s a space-type back who surprisingly popped and earned a role as a rookie. It seems like he’s kept up that momentum this offseason.

I’m confident that Warren is going to continue to be a factor in the Steelers' backfield. I’m less sure exactly how much work he’ll shave off of Najee Harris’ projection. Harris has touched the ball a whopping 694 times since entering the league in 2021. He hasn’t been an efficient or explosive player but if the offense improves around him, perhaps metrics like his yards-per-carry average get a boost going forward.

Right now, I view Warren as a desirable running back insurance pick but I’m skeptical he holds any legitimate startable standalone value in fantasy. He will, however, be a nice addition to the Steelers' rotation.

Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Philadelphia Eagles

I can envision a scenario where fantasy analysts spend all summer arguing about the value of D’Andre Swift and Rashaad Penny and yet, we'll arrive in December and Gainwell has played more snaps than both.

Swift is a bit of an underachiever as a player and has dealt with injuries. Penny has been downright excellent when healthy the last two seasons but is a major injury risk. Gainwell is a reliable back who functions well in the passing game. He’s earned playing time in high-leverage moments.

Gainwell goes way later in drafts than both of his backfield-mates. He’s going to be a nice late-round target this summer.

Alec Pierce, WR, Indianapolis Colts

Pierce is a big vertical X-receiver who can get off the line against press coverage and function as a ball-winner down the field in tight coverage. There are other receivers who fit in this archetype that go far earlier in fantasy drafts.

Pierce doesn’t have a clear pathway to production — he is not going to overtake Pittman as the WR1 and the passing volume should be low in Anthony Richardson’s first year — but he’s a completely overlooked, talented player on an offense I find interesting. His vertical game should overlap well with Richardson’s strengths. At the very least, he’s going to offer some sporadic big games even though his stat lines won’t be predictable.

Then again, I feel the same way about guys like Pickens and certainly Davis.

Romeo Doubs, WR, Green Bay Packers

Doubs is already a hit for the Packers as a Day 3 pick. He showed he could play in the league as a rookie last year but also showed some flaws and limitations to his game. He’s not going to be a consistent separator and his ball-skills are a bit of a roller coaster.

At the same time, it sounds like Doubs is going to hold down a starting job to open the season and has connected with Jordan Love in OTAs. Doubs will have to play well to hold off rookie Jayden Reed once the season opens but if he does, he’s going to eat into Christian Watson’s target share on a low-volume, super-young passing offense.

Greg Dulcich, TE, Denver Broncos

People have been arguing over the overrated Broncos receiver room for going on two years now. I don’t think any of those guys will be priority targets for me for the second season in a row. Dulcich makes much more sense to me as a breakout tight end bet.

He’s the type of tight end that works in fantasy. He’s a receiver first and second, and a blocker third. Dulcich showed flashes of downfield ability as a rookie and if Sean Payton sprinkles some magic dust on this passing game, Dulcich will be a beneficiary who won’t get nearly the same level of hype as some of the Denver wide receivers.

Pierre Strong/Kevin Harris, RBs, New England Patriots

A two-for-one special on the Patriots’ backup running backs. I am fully on board with Rhamondre Stevenson as a legitimate RB1 in fantasy and a workhorse for New England. He’s a physical, aggressive runner with strong passing game chops. The team loves him and stuck with him through some injuries and mistakes at times last year — we can’t say that for every back under Bill Belichick through the years.

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However, it’s still vital to know who is the second man up in that backfield. Strong and Harris were both drafted last year and offered very minimal flashes — both of them played well and scored in the Arizona game when Stevenson got banged up.

It’s hard to say either has a leg up right now. This is one of the sneakier training camp battles to follow. We need to know who Stevenson’s backup is by the time Week 1 rolls around.

Jelani Woods, TE, Indianapolis Colts

I am turning my wandering eye to Woods after years of chasing Mo Alie-Cox as the hulking intriguing athlete in the Colts’ tight end room. It was well known Woods was a developmental player coming into the league and he didn’t do much as a rookie. I find the entire Colts offense intriguing, even if the passing output might not be excellent to start the season as Anthony Richardson gets his feet wet. Woods is a low-ADP path to getting exposure to this team as a mega-late best-ball option only.