It’s mid-July and while typical redraft leagues may not be drafting yet, there certainly are plenty of people playing in MFL best-ball leagues as well as dynasty, and beyond. Suffice to say, there are plenty of people running some sort of draft which has created our consensus average draft positions (ADP). Based on these early results, we’re able to gauge how the market currently views certain players.

As for using the information, it’s not hard to figure out who’s going in the top 10. What’s useful, however, is seeing whose current draft values are lower than the expectations of our featured experts below. Simply put, we want to know who the experts feel are their must-have players based on current draft cost. Here’s what they had to say.

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Once you get past the first few rounds (ADP #36), who is one ‘must-have’ player you’ll be targeting in all drafts?

Donte Moncrief (WR – IND): Overall ADP: #79

“If you’re looking for a post-hype sleeper, Donte Moncrief is it. Injuries limited Moncrief’s production in 2016 as he played in just nine games and only broke 50 yards twice. He did have seven touchdowns though, including scoring in five straight games from Weeks 8 – 13. He’s only 23 years old and entering a contract year. After finishing as WR68 (standard scoring) in 2016, he will be undervalued heading into 2017 with an ADP of 79 right now (WR33). Over the past two years, Moncrief has only played in 15 games with Andrew Luck. If both can stay on the field for a full season the sky is the limit. Moncrief offers high WR2 upside. The Colts love utilizing his big frame (6-2 / 222) in the red zone. Eleven of his 13 TDs over the past two years have come inside the 11-yard line. Amazingly, 70.5 percent of his fantasy output in 2016 came from inside the 20. Only three wide receivers with 10 or more red-zone targets had a higher catch rate in 2016 than Moncrief.”

– Dan Clasgens (Pro Football Focus)

Martavis Bryant (WR – PIT): Overall ADP: #60

“Bryant is a wide receiver I look for in the fourth or fifth rounds now that he has been completely reinstated from his suspension. He has averaged 17.3 yards per catch in his two active seasons and has scored a touchdown on 18.4% of his receptions and 10% of his targets. These numbers don’t even include playoff games where the alien has dominated the competition. In three playoff games, Bryant has averaged over 15 standard fantasy points a game, against some tough competition in Cincinnati, Denver, and the Baltimore Ravens. Martavis’ per game average including playoffs produces a 16 game pace of 63 catches on 113 targets for 1,039 yards, plus 92 rush yards and 11 total TDs. He is a flat out freak, and his ADP doesn’t reflect the upside that most players are being drafted at. After he catches the ball it looks like he is on rails or surfing a wave, that’s the type of player that I ‘must have’.

– Stagg Party (Pyromaniac)

Joe Mixon (RB – CIN): Overall ADP #41

“Mixon is a player I’ll be considering inside the top 30 overall. He’s a dynamic talent with a fully-featured skill-set and in my opinion, is the best all-around running back in the ’17 draft class. Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis has gushed over Mixon’s ability and the fact that the team took Mixon as early as they did despite his well-publicized off-the-field problems speaks volumes about Cincy’s intentions for Mixon – in other words, they are turning the page from the sub-4 YPC, fumble-prone Jeremy Hill. Under Lewis, Cincinnati has been in the top 10 in rush attempts five of the past six seasons. If the offensive line can avoid a major dropoff after a couple key defections, Mixon has the potential to finish as a top 10 fantasy back, especially in PPR environments.”

– Brandon Funston

Keenan Allen (WR – LAC): Overall ADP #44

“The “must-have” player that I am targeting after ADP #36 is absolutely Keenan Allen, who is going off the board as a WR21 with an ADP of #44. As the season draws closer, Allen may rise from a late fourth round pick to a mid-third round selection so the time to grab the value is now. The Chargers WR has been marred by injuries in his career so folks tend to have a short memory that his season was cut short for the second year in a row. Assuming he can stay healthy, which isn’t a sure thing, in the Chargers offense with Philip Rivers behind center, Allen should end the season with well over 115 targets and if you’re getting him at 44th overall, you’re earning WR2 value.”

– Tony Mauriello (ProjectRoto)

John Brown (WR – ARI): Overall ADP #127

“I’ve attached my name to John Brown this offseason, saying that he’s fantasy football’s best-kept secret. His current ADP sits as the No. 49 wide receiver off boards, behind guys like Kenny Britt, O.J. Howard, and Rishard Matthews. Fantasy players often have short memories, remembering what Brown did last year and not what he did prior to dealing with his conditions last year. He not only dealt with the sickle cell trait last year, but also dealt with a cyst on his spine. He had it removed this offseason and said he felt like himself for the first time in a long time. That’s really saying something considering he was still an electric player when given the opportunities in 2016, as there were just four games he saw more than four targets. In those games, here were his receiving lines: 6/70/0, 10/144/0, 5/54/0, and 5/81/1. The last time he was healthy (2015), he was one of three wide receivers who finished inside the top-24 with less than 105 targets. The other two (Sammy Watkins and Doug Baldwin) are being drafted inside the top three rounds this year.”

– Mike Tagliere (FantasyPros)

Doug Martin (RB – TB): Overall ADP #80

“I’m targeting Doug Martin on all of my teams. Even though he is being drafted at #80 overall and just #94 on ESPN, I am comfortable adding him a round early just to ensure I land him. He will miss the first three weeks with a suspension so I’ll need to fill his flex spot with a Duke Johnson or Quincy Enunwa, but when he returns, we are talking about a player more likely to be an RB1 than not. Martin is said to be over his demons and in his two full seasons, he has been #2 and #12 VBD overall. He is far and away the most likely of any player outside the top 70 to perform like a first round player come the fantasy playoffs.”

– Bobby Sylvester (FantasyPros)

Adrian Peterson (RB – NO): Overall ADP #65

“I think AP, with an ADP of 65-70 overall, will end up being one of the biggest steals of 2017. He is going to finally prove doubters wrong in regards to his catching skills, and he is, for the first time, in an explosive offense, which will provide him with double-digit scoring opportunities and a chance at 50+ receptions. It wouldn’t at all shock me if AP had one more top 5 RB season in him. At 65-70, what are you risking?”

– Smitty (SleeperU)

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Thank you to the experts for naming their must-have players. Be sure to give them a follow on Twitter for more great advice and check out our latest podcast below.



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