DLF’s 2016 Predictions: Most Undervalued Player

Ryan Finley Posted On September 4, 2016

Most rookie drafts are in the rearview mirror, and the NFL Preseason is winding down. We’re all busy combing the news sites trying to keep abreast of all the important developments as we prepare for the best time of the year, the NFL season. That can only mean one thing – it’s time for us to put a bow on those reams of offseason content with DLF’s 2016 Fantasy Predictions. As we did last year, we have eight different prediction articles for you in the following categories:

Fantasy MVP
Fantasy Rookie of the Year
Most Overvalued Dynasty Player
Most Undervalued Dynasty Player
Fantasy Sleeper
Best Dynasty Buy
Best Dynasty Sell
Fantasy Comeback Player of the Year

Today we have our staff picks for this year’s Most Undervalued Dynasty Player, and we’ll drop a new article each day leading up to the first day of the season. Let’s get to it.

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Jerick McKinnon, RB MIN

McKinnon stands apart athletically in a game of athletic freaks, and unlike a lot of spandex warriors, he’s played well when he’s gotten on the field. Adrian Peterson is 31. I don’t know when the wall is coming, but it’d sure be nice to acquire McKinnon on the cheap before Peterson starts declining. – Austan Kas

Marvin Jones, WR DET

People are starting to come around on him now that reports are that he is the Lions WR1, but the writing has been on the wall all off-season. Expect him to be a monster in a high volume passing offense with redzone upside for days. – Trevor Bucher

Stefon Diggs, WR MIN

Who is going to be the WR1 in Minnesota this season? It’s none other than Stefon Diggs, who has an ADP of 71. I’d happily take him in the sixth round. Laquon Treadwell has talent, but he’s not four rounds better than Diggs, who really came on late last season. I’d much rather have something like Stefon Diggs (in the late sixth round) and Jarvis Landry (late second round) than Emmanuel Sanders (in the late sixth round) and Laquon Treadwell (late second round). – Ken Kelly

Dwayne Allen, TE IND

Dwayne Allen’s August ADP is 127.33 and the TE11. He was one of the best all-around tight ends in the 2012 draft and is finally getting his chance now that the Colts chose to keep Allen and part ways with Coby Fleener. Allen’s got three-down ability and can make some noise as a security blanket and red zone target for a rebounding Andrew Luck. Especially given the lack of depth at the top of the dynasty TE rankings, I wouldn’t be surprised if we were talking about Allen as a top five dynasty TE this time next year. – Jarrett Behar

Melvin Gordon, RB SDC

Gordon was actually decent with what he was given last year and now he can really show off for those that purchased him at 1.03 last year. Couple that with Keenan Allen being back, a slightly improved line, and another year in the system. I think Gordon can easily out rush his current ADP of 66th overall. – Adam Tzikas

Michael Crabtree, WR OAK

While he’s not a sexy pick or someone who will excite you by their selection, Crabtree finished with double digit fantasy points in 11 out of 17 weeks, finished as the WR17 and outscored teammate Amari Cooper on the year. Crabtree is a top-24 wide receiver being draft as the WR47. Criminal. Honorable mention: Golden Tate. – Eric Olinger

Zach Miller, TE CHI

A tight end barely being valued as a TE2, but has a decent chance of finishing as a TE1 this year is an easy choice for me as the most undervalued player. Yes, he is older; but at a position littered with question marks, he has a positive outlook for 2016 at a very cheap price. – Andrew Lightner

Melvin Gordon, RB SDC

Recency bias is causing dynasty owners to over evaluate his rookie season, causing his value to drop farther than it should. Most rookies don’t perform well during their initial rookie season, which is why dynasty owners should be patient with younger players. He’s looked good in preseason and it appears he’s slowly starting to acclimate to the NFL level. – Bruce Matson

Tavon Austin, WR LAR

In PPR leagues. Austin finished as the WR29 in terms of total fantasy points in 2015, including two 20+ point performances in the final four weeks of the season. Currently, he is being drafted in the late eighth / early ninth round as the 57th wide receiver off the board. This is too low for a dual-threat player who got a quarterback upgrade and really seemed to put it together last season. Still only 25 years old. – Matt Price

Julian Edelman, WR NEP

I get the concerns with Edelman. He’s coming off an injury, there’s the Tom Brady suspension, he’s aging himself, etc. But all the way down at 61, I see a screaming value. Even if there are just two years of production left, those could be elite PPR seasons in which Edelman returns tremendous value. I’d buy all day there. – Rob Leath

Emmanuel Sanders, WR DEN

A 6th round ADP (68 overall) is far too low for a guy who has caught 177 balls over the last two years, including 15 games (last year) split between a noodle armed Peyton Manning and a pretty bad Brock Osweiler. People fearing the quarterback situation in DEN should be favoring Sanders. He can, and will, work as the “safety valve” in that offense, but he has plenty of upside. Buy now, before the window closes. – Dan Sainio

Julius Thomas, TE JAX

He’s a fringe top ten tight end in startups, but he has proven he can be a top three tight end in years past. Once he gets that chemistry with Blake Bortles, I think he could get right back to that point. The Jags need someone dynamic to help out Allen Robinson. – Jacob Feldman

Matthew Stafford, QB DET

He was my most undervalued last year, and he takes it again. He’s being drafted as WR17 and it’s because of Jim Lombardi. He had his worst fantasy season in 2014 with Lombardi calling the shots and he finished as QB15. He was QB20 in 2015 until Lombardi got fired and Jim Bob Cooter entered the mix. He finished as the QB10-12 (depending on your format). Out of all quarterbacks under the age of 34, only three have had four out of the last five as QB1 finishes. Those three you ask? Cam Newton, Aaron Rodgers and – you guessed it – Matthew Stafford. – Izzy Elkaffas

Julius Thomas, TE JAX

I think the Jaguars defense will be much improved in 2016 and The Allen Brothers – (Allen Hurns & Allen Robinson) may find themselves with more quality targets over quantity. This will open opportunities for Julius Thomas in the endzone. He will finish a top seven TE. – Carla Gruse

Emmanuel Sanders, WR DEN

I’m curious what Sanders has to do to convince the masses that he’s actually a good football player. He produced with good Peyton, bad Peyton, and Brock Osweiler. Despite poor QB play in 2015, he finished at WR18 in PPR leagues and WR5 in 2014, despite playing across from an elite talent in Demaryius Thomas. He’s not a fluke, but a very good WR because of his elite route running, hands, and athletic ability. – Nick Whalen

Jeremy Langford, RB CHI

I’m not confident he’s good, but he’s best positioned to be this year’s Devonta Freeman. He’s fast, he’s young, he’s a decent receiver, and he’s in line for a good workload in 2016. At mid-RB3 prices, you can’t ask for much more. – Brian Malone

Eric Decker, WR NYJ

This guy is more invisible than cellophane attached to a toilet seat. He has only missed two games in the last five seasons and 13 over the stage of his career. He has thrived under horrible quarterbacks year after year, including last season, with Ryan Fitzpatrick (80-1027-12). Yet, he is still on DLF poop-list. He is the 30th ranked wide receiver by DLF and is below players such as Kevin White, Laquon Treadwell, Josh Doctson, Corey Coleman, Donte Moncrief and DeVante Parker among others. Excuse me, fellas, what have any of these receivers listed done in the NFL? Yes, he is 29-years old, but until he starts showing some decline, as of right now I take him over those guys any day of the week. – Mike Valverde

Eric Decker, WR NYJ

Another easy one. Did you know, excluding bye weeks and one injury week, Decker outscored A.J. Green 8 out of 14 weeks when they both suited up in the same week? He also scored over 15.2 fantasy points 10 times. Quietly consistent, and one of the most undervalued players that can help you win a championship. – Adam Bendzick

Jeremy Langford, RB CHI

Few players in the NFL have as a great an opportunity to break-out and become a fantasy force than Langford this season. For some unknown reason, there is a sentiment in the community that he’ll be a disappointment, and eventually get surpassed by the rookie Jordan Howard. ADP-wise, Langford is slated to go after a handful of truly head scratching selections- Melvin Gordon, whose rookie season inspired zero reason for optimism, the fluke that is Matt Jones, Jay Ajayi, whom I like, but has a very unclear path to relevance, and C.J. Prosise who will be locked in a timeshare with Thomas Rawls and Christine Michael. Langford is more talented than most realize. – Mo Brewington

Here’s how the picks for the Most Undervalued Dynasty Player fell:

Eric Decker (2 votes)
Melvin Gordon (2 votes)
Jeremy Langford (2 votes)
Julius Thomas (2 votes)
Emmanuel Sanders (2 votes)
Dwayne Allen (1 vote)
Tavon Austin (1 vote)
Michael Crabtree (1 vote)
Stefon Diggs (1 vote)
Julian Edelman (1 vote)
Marvin Jones (1 vote)
Jerick McKinnon (1 vote)
Zach Miller (1 vote)
Matthew Stafford (1 vote)

Like the picks for the Most Overvalued, these things are all over the place. Here there isn’t even a clear winner (or loser, as the case may be) with a five-way tie. But this is an area where a lot of folks have “their guy.” Anyone who knows Izzy knows he loves him some Stafford, for instance, and Nick is a frequent champion of MG3. And since these picks were made before the Teddy Bridgewater injury, Ken’s pick looks a lot less likely today. Them’s the breaks though – perhaps a poor choice of words. I think my favorite call here is Trevor with Marvin Jones. Jones has been much maligned as a “meh” sort of guy since his signing in Detroit, but now with word he may actually be the WR1 over there maybe the worm has turned. I’m glad to be an owner in more than one league, anyway.

So who’s your guy? Who is your pick for the Most Undervalued Dynasty Player this year?

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