A few years ago I noticed a major difference between the in-draft rankings on various draft sites. Drafting on ESPN gave you a different order of players than drafting on Yahoo did.
Think about it. If you’re drafting and you don’t have an extra set of rankings on hand, you’re probably going to pick based on who the draft site has ranked higher. It’s round eight and you want another running back, the draft site has Chris Olave as the next best receiver available so you think to take him. However, Chase Claypool is sitting there 8 spots behind Olave and the consensus rankings on FantasyPros have Claypool ranked several dozen spots ahead of him.
Am I telling you that you should draft based on other people’s ranks? No, I’m just highlighting that there’s a way to find value in draft rankings by comparing them to other expert rankings. If you have guys you want you should take them, but if you’re looking strictly for value in later rounds this may help.
I’m going to highlight a few guys that I find are great values on certain draft sites based on FantasyPros and draft room rankings. These are guys ranked much higher on FantasyPros than they are in draft rooms, so you can find some super value picks.
I have a spreadsheet that you can dig into everything on your own if you’d prefer.
AJ Dillon – ESPN
Draft room rank: 104 | Expert rank: 46-51
This is criminally low on ESPN’s part for an RB that is going to be a stud this season. On average, Dillon is ranked as the RB21. In ESPN draft rooms he is showing up as the RB35. Not only is that an 14-spot jump in the position, but that is about a FOUR ROUND DIFFERENCE. Dillon is an absolute STEAL at that price.
Chase Edmonds – Sleeper
Draft room rank: 92 | Expert rank: 58
Say what you want about the Miami backfield and how it’s a crowded RB room, but all signs point to Edmonds being the primary weapon in reports. By FantasyPros experts, he is the RB25. In Sleeper draft rooms he is the RB34 to show up. Like Dillon above, that equates to about three rounds of difference between rank and draft rank. A value. Drafting doesn’t need to be hard.
David Montgomery – Yahoo
Draft room rank: 58 | Expert rank: 39
I think the David Montgomery slander has gone on long enough. He may be the final RB before the perceived RB dead zone in my opinion. He has one of the safest floors for an RB in this area and for an RB2 on your squad, that’s all you need. I think the only reason he’s going this late is because it’s not a sexy pick, but it’s a good one. Give me the Montgomery value.
