The Highest Upside Draft Picks in Each Round (1-8)

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Any seasoned manager knows that when it comes to a tough draft choice between two players, you draft the guy with the higher upside. Take these guys in mind when you sit down to draft with your buddies.

Today in 5 minutes or less, you’ll learn:

• The players with the highest ceilings in each round 🚀 

• How to access the 2024 Draft Guide for FREE 🏆

• The latest news from around the NFL 🏈

Round 1: Tyreek Hill (MIA), ADP 3.1, WR2

The Cheetah was the WR2 in 3 of the last 4 seasons, which is easily the most consistent fantasy performance in that time frame. Last year, he had 8 weekly performances as a top-five WR. But that’s not all - he tied for 2nd in the league in percentage of his team’s air yards with a ridiculous 43%.

Jaylen Waddle remains a talented receiver, but Hill is easily the alpha in that offense. He led the league in yards per route run with 3.80, scored 13 TDs, was 2nd in juke rate, and 1st in route win rate. This is a guy who will continue to terrify opposing defenses… and your league mates.

Round 2: Saquon Barkley (PHI), ADP 19.4, RB6

Round 2 has some solid upside candidates at WR, like Drake London and Chris Olave, but I'm sticking with Saquon. The Eagles have a top offensive line and ranked in the top 3rd of the league in rushing without Barkley. So, his talent gives them an added dimension.

In terms of fantasy football, Saquon has been a top-10 RB in each of the last two seasons in fantasy points per game with elite passing game usage. He was 2nd in the league in air yards at the position to Christian McCaffrey. Jalen Hurts may possibly cap some of the red zone usage here, but I still think Saquon has RB1 potential.

Round 3: Michael Pittman (IND), ADP 34.6, WR24

Pittman had the best fantasy points per game of his career in 2023, hitting career highs in receptions, yards, and air yards. But, there are signs that things could be even better. Despite averaging 148 targets over the last 2 seasons, he's only got 8 touchdowns in that span. So, if that number rises, Pittman could be a top-10 WR.

Let’s see what Anthony Richardson can do returning from his injury. But, things looked promising for a few games last year. Pittman carries some risk at this spot, but seems to have the best upside of the round as well.

Round 4: Mark Andrews (BAL), ADP 48, TE4

No offense to Sam LaPorta, who is a dominant young player on a good offense, but Andrews has the higher ceiling this season. Lamar Jackson is coming off his finest throwing season in terms of yards per attempt, completion percentage, and yards. So, that continued growth is good news for Andrews.

The risk with Andrews, as always, is whether or not he will stay healthy and productive throughout the season. It’s fair to wonder at this stage. Still, he’s the only TE besides Travis Kelce to finish at the top in points per game in the last 6 years. So, he’s got the potential to outscore any of the tight ends being drafted before him.

Round 5: Terry McLaurin (WAS), ADP 50, WR31

Terry had a career-low fantasy output in 2023. He ranked 34th in PPR points per game (12.3). But, he did prove he was still the Commanders’ number 1 guy. He has 128 targets and went over 1,000 yards with poor QB play. In fact, he was 13th in total air yards but had the 9th-most unrealized air yards. That’s because he was 76th in catchable target rate.

So Jayden Daniels and his NFL-ready talent might fix that. If he can be more accurate than Sam Howell, then Terry’s fantasy value rises, and this draft price looks like a value in hindsight.

Round 6: Christian Watson (GB), ADP 69.5, WR41

I could have gone with George Kittle in this round in light of the possible Brandon Aiyuk issues. But, I’m going with Watson here instead. Despite going a whole round later than Jayden Reed, Watson bested him in target share, average target depth, and air yard share.

In fact, his 15.4 average target depth was 6th in the NFL, and his yards per reception ranked 22nd. But that was while dealing with a bum hamstring. He and the team hired a specialist to help solve the issues. So, with an offense on the rise under Jordan Love, Watson could soar past his value this season.

Round 7: Kyler Murray (ARI), ADP 78, QB7

I’m looking at Murray to bust back out of the gates in a big way. He had finishes as the QB3 and QB4 in fantasy points per game in 2020 and 2021. Unfortunately he’s been slowed down by his knee injury the last 2 seasons.

But, according to Cardinals’ reporters, Murray is a full-go in summer workouts and he’s recovered some of his lost speed from the last few seasons. The team has specifically addressed its WR position by drafting Marvin Harrison Jr., and Trey McBride’s emergence at tight end will give them even more firepower to work with. So, Kyler Murray is my dark horse candidate to lead the position in fantasy. He’ll be a lot cheaper than guys like Richardson, who is still largely unproven.

Round 8: Zamir White (LV), ADP 87.2, RB23

The training wheels are finally off for Zamir White in Vegas. His opportunity share alone should vault him into anyone’s top-20 RBs. Starting in Week 15 last season when he really took over the starting role in earnest, White was a top-20 running back every week in PPR formats with 3 weeks as a top-16 guy or better. The Raiders fed him the ball for totals of 20, 22, 25, and 26 touches over those final 4 games, which should be a preview of how things will go in 2024.

Alexander Mattison and Ameer Abdullah sit behind White on the depth chart, and neither of them has proven they can be an every-down back with consistency. White’s current ADP is somewhere in the 7th round, which is a nice draft price for a guy who projects to get so much work.

🤕 Hopkins to Miss Weeks with Knee Strain

📈 Payton on Javonte: “Completely Different Player”

🚑 Dalton Out a Few Weeks with Quad Injury

🩻 Geno Smith’s Knee and Hip to Undergo Imaging

🩼 Bucs' Diaby Out 4-6 Weeks with Ankle Sprain

🧀 Rookie Lloyd Challenging for Packers' No. 2 RB Spo

🔥 Burrow Predicts Big Year for WR Iosivas

✍️ Cowboys Sign EDGE Al-Quadin Muhammad

⚡️ Herbert Week-to-Week with Foot Injury

Like any game of chance, you have to navigate the risks to come out on top. Hopefully these players give you a good starting point.

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