Fantasy Football: 5 Undervalued Players on ESPN

You shouldn't just go into a fantasy football draft with just players you like and players you don't at certain draft positions.

You should also know the terrain you're traversing.

As crazed as we are about every movement, news item, or advantage we can get in fantasy football, a lot of players aren't. Human nature gravitates toward the top of the pre-draft rankings -- especially if there isn't much time to pick and evaluate who might be a looming value.

Therefore, if you enter the draft knowing which players to target on a specific platform, it gives you a leg up when building the blueprint for how to draft in your league on that site.

In a three-part series, I'm going to compare the average draft positions (ADP) of players on ESPN, Yahoo, and Sleeper. By the end of it, we'll know which sites present the best opportunity to draft certain players.

Note: ADP data is current as of August 3, 2026.

Undervalued Fantasy Football Players on ESPN

Christian Watson, WR, Green Bay Packers

ESPN ADP: 97.6
Average ADP at ESPN, Yahoo, and Sleeper: 78.9

For the record, I agree with ESPN's handling of the Packers' pass-catchers, but there's no doubt that ESPN is the place to get Christian Watson if he's the one you want to buy.

Watson's health and playing time are really the lone elements in question with him. Otherwise, he was 10th in yards per route run (2.28 YPRR) a year ago among WRs to draw at least 50 targets.

Then, there's the frustration of Green Bay's routes, which should be slightly alleviated by Romeo Doubs' exit toward the Patriots. But, this isn't a one-size-fits-all fix as the Packers were still eighth in rush rate over expectation (+4.4%) last year, per nfelo.

Watson is undervalued because Matthew Golden's ADP at ESPN (104.4) is much higher than the other two sites. I'd argue that's actually the most accurate portrayal of the situation.

Tucker Kraft, TE, Green Bay Packers

ESPN ADP: 110.2
Average ADP at ESPN, Yahoo, and Sleeper: 79.2

Unlike Watson, I'm willing to draft Tucker Kraft at other sites with his ADP closer to 80. Some best ball formats have him in the top 75.

Positional scarcity is the reason why. Kraft and Sam LaPorta seem like the final two of a six-man tier of "elite" tight ends, and Kraft very much fits that bill as he seems to be trending positively as he recovers from last year's season-ending knee injury.

He led tight ends in yards after contact per reception (10.8 YAC/c) among those with at least 25 targets. His 18.8% target share trailed only Watson on the team.

ESPN is the most "casual" fantasy football platform, so you do see mid-round quarterbacks and tight ends fall compared to other sites as some fill out kickers and defenses in their starting lineup. Kraft, Dalton Kincaid, and Mark Andrews are all going a round later there than at Yahoo or Sleeper.

Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers

ESPN ADP: 107.6
Average ADP at ESPN, Yahoo, and Sleeper: 85.9

I mentioned mid-round quarterbacks a moment ago, and here's my favorite one in 2026.

The reasons for "If Man" optomism seem to exist every year, but it seems like it'll be now or never for Justin Herbert. Mike McDaniel joins the L.A. Chargers as offensive coordinator after captaining a Tua Tagovailoa-led offense to consecutive top-11 seasons as he started out in Miami. Herbert's weaponry is loaded. The team also spent four draft choices on offensive linemen to prevent last year's cluster injuries from derailing another season.

Overall, I also think Herbert's 2025 campaign is slept on from a fantasy perspective. He trailed only Josh Allen in total rushing yards (479).

Herbert's ADP is lower than that of Trevor Lawrence, Dak Prescott, Bo Nix, and Brock Purdy at ESPN. None of those four have his combination of arm talent and true rushing upside.

Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, New England Patriots

ESPN ADP: 110.9
Average ADP at ESPN, Yahoo, and Sleeper: 93.1

If there's a running back that's undervalued everywhere, it's Rhamondre Stevenson. ESPN is the best place to get him.

Even consensus ADP is handing the throne to TreVeyon Henderson (57.2 ADP), but it just doesn't mirror reality. Stevenson had 70 postseason touches to Henderson's 35. He led all running backs in yards per reception (10.7) last year. You have to think the 227-pound bruiser is the internal go-to guy at the goal line last year, too.

Frankly, if Stevenson didn't cough up 3 extremely untimely fumbles, there wouldn't even be a debate who the strong "1A" is in the Patriots' backfield. I actually think he's just the "1" to Henderson's "2". ESPN's platform is leading the hype train.

RJ Harvey, RB, Denver Broncos

ESPN ADP: 123.3
Average ADP at ESPN, Yahoo, and Sleeper: 95.0

Now, there is context worth mentioning for ESPN's draft data. It lumps all formats -- PPR, half-PPR, and standard -- together. There's a huge difference in drafting RJ Harvey in those different formats, but it's not this huge.

The Denver Broncos' backfield is unnerving, but I think ESPN makes it easy to still get exposure to it. J.K. Dobbins' ADP (120.2) is lower than at Yahoo or Sleeper, too.

Unfortunately for him, Dobbins has missed 36 total games in the last four seasons. It seems like a "when" rather than an "if" he'll miss time, opening the door for Harvey. The second-year back didn't have the dream rookie season he'd hoped, but he was still the RB20 in total PPR points (206.6) due to his surprising prowess in the pass game.

Harvey is really the lone logical option for those duties in this backfield, and he should still split rushing work with Jonah Coleman in the likely event Dobbins goes down. He's got a top-100 ADP on the other two platforms, so this is insane value.

Add us as a preferred source on Google