Value Value Value!! 

All offseason, fantasy football managers everywhere are looking for value. Whether it’s a true sleeper that goes super late in a draft, or simply a WR2 on a team on a certain team that falls in ADP, but ends up finishing as that team’s WR1. There are examples like this across the NFL every season, you just want to be on the right side of them.  

Here are some examples in the last few years when the ADP didn’t match up with who finished as the top WR on the team. If you can find that value, you are giving yourself a way better chance of winning your fantasy season.  

• Jordan Addison & Justin Jefferson (JJ missed seven games last season, Addison filled in nicely!) 

• • 2022 ADP – JJ finished WR1 overall and had an ADP of WR2
  • 2023 Finish – Addison WR23, Jefferson WR33
    • 2023 ADP – JJ WR1 and Addison WR37 
  • 2024 ADP – JJ WR3 and Addison WR42 

• Brandon Aiyuk & Deebo Samuel (Aiyuk beat out Deebo two years in a row with a lower ADP!!) 

• • 2022 Finish – Aiyuk WR15, Deebo WR38 
    • 2022 ADP – Deebo WR 6 and Aiyuk WR 40 
  • 2023 Finish – Aiyuk WR14, Deebo WR15 
    • 2023 ADP – Deebo WR17th, Aiyuk WR21
  • 2024 ADP – Aiyuk WR13, Deebo WR17

• Cooper Kupp & Puka Nakua (Kupp was out most of the year and Puka crushed!)

• • 2023 Finish – Cupp 40th, Puka 4th 
    • 2023 ADP – Cupp WR9 and Puka WR 52
  • 2024 ADP – Puka WR10 and Cupp WR21

DeVonta Smith 

• 2024 ADP – A.J. Brown WR7, DeVonta WR19

Past Two Seasons: 

• 2022 – AJ Brown 6th, Devonta 9th 

• 2022 ADP – AJ 11, Smith 37th 

• 2023 – AJ Brown 5th, Devonta 19th 

• 2023 ADP – AJ Brown 5th, Devonta 15th 

AJ Brown is clearly the #1 guy in Philly, and the recent extensions given to both him and DeVonta Smith this offseason reflect that as the Eagles gave Brown 3 years, $96 million, and his partner in crime Smith, 3 years, $75 million. They are both very involved in this offense, though, and that does allow Smith a path to potentially be the Eagles top receiver this year or any of the years they play together in Philly.  Brown and Smith are highly regarded as one of the best WR duos in the league, and it was smart of the Eagles to lock them both down for the next three years.  

As we think about this upcoming season, let’s just look at their last two seasons together.  In 2022, AJ Brown finished WR6 on the season (88 receptions/145 targets/1,496 yards/11 touchdowns). Smith finished just behind him as WR9 (95 receptions/136 targets/1,196 yards/7 touchdowns). 

Then, last year, in 2023, Brown followed that up with a WR5 finish (106 catches/158 targets/1,456 yards/7 touchdowns).  Smith, yet again, finished closely behind Brown at WR19 (81 catches/112 targets/1,066 yards/7 touchdowns).   

They both are very durable, having played in every game the last two years except for Smith missing one game last season. I expect Brown to still be the top dog and hopefully he can stay healthy all season yet again, but there is a clear path to Smith finishing ahead of him in fantasy this season if he can potentially take another step forward and/or Brown misses time due to injury.  At some point in the next few years, Smith could be the more productive fantasy asset, but we’ll see if that can happen this season! 

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