These players have all recently seen their ADP spike for various reasons.
Risers
Quarterbacks
Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
Nix has been very good so far this preseason that has been enough to spike his ADP in Superflex leagues. Fantasy owners are desperate to see anything positive in a Sean Payton offense so they can jump in and draft them.
People believe in the coach and want pieces of his offense, but the valuable assets have been few and far between so far during his tenure as the head coach. Many owners are hoping Nix is a key piece in turning that trend around. He still has a way to go before we are willing to truly believe in him as a QB2 who we can trust this year.
Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings
Most experts were going into the season under the assumption that J.J. McCarthy would at some point take over the starting job from Darnold. With McCarthy now ruled out for the season due to a knee injury that is no longer a concern when drafting Darnold.
He is still only a consideration in Superflex leagues, but he is now a considerably more valuable asset regardless. With all that being said, he should still be a last resort who you pick up as your QB3 unless you really missed the boat on the position.
Running Backs
J.K. Dobbins, Los Angeles Chargers
Dobbins didn't even look like he was going to be on an NFL roster in 2024 a few months ago and now there is a chance that he could be the Week 1 starter on what's expected to be one of the most run-heavy offenses in the league.
Injury concerns and the presence of Gus Edwards in Los Angeles have prevented his ADP from skyrocketing, but it is still clearly on the rise as he's creeping up draft boards. Surprisingly, Edwards has also seen his ADP increase.
A big part of the increase for both backs seems to be the belief that rookie back Kimani Vidal will not be the potential threat he was viewed as earlier in the offseason after the NFL Draft.
Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs
The drum beat for Pacheco has been steadily growing all summer and he's now being drafted as an RB1 as the RB11. It's not inconceivable that he could climb all the way up the RB8 spot by the time we get to the season. He continues to trend up like he has for months and doesn't show any signs of slowing down. The fantasy community is finally catching up on Pacheco and drafting closer to where he should have been going all along.
Wide Receivers
Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs
As we get deeper into the offseason and closer to the regular season, a suspension for Rice in 2024 is looking more and more unlikely. It's the only thing that has depressed his fantasy value because he's a stud on the field.
Had he not dealt with off-field issues this offseason he would easily be a top 15 WR off the board and may even be flirting with being a WR1. Watching Patrick Mahomes treat him like his clear WR1 in this week's preseason game has only helped fantasy owners get over the risk of a potential looming suspension.
Tank Dell, Houston Texans
It took one big TD from C.J. Stroud to spike Dell's fantasy value. He showed that he was both healthy and isn't going to be overshadowed when playing on the field with Nico Collins and Stefon Diggs. Not to mention he reminded the world exactly who he was and the playmaker he can be.
Dell has an elite upside and a talented young quarterback who absolutely loves him. Watching him actually get on the field and play has alleviated a lot of fears fantasy owners had about him just a few weeks ago.
Tight Ends
T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings
This one is perplexing to me. Unless I missed something, there haven't been any overly positive reports in regard to his health or availability heading into the season. At a position where leagues only play one option and many don't even carry a backup it's shocking he's now being drafted as the TE13.
I guess people are just stashing him on the bench in hopes that he'll help their team later in the season. This is a mistake in any league that doesn't have an IR spot and even then his ADP feels too high for a guy coming off a catastrophic knee injury so late in the season.
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