I want to welcome everybody to the beginning of my 2021 Fantasy Best Ball Underrated players articles for Best Ball Championship.
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Let's get started for what you are really here for, I'm going to give you some 2021 Fantasy Football Best Ball Underrated Players that I am targeting.
2021 Fantasy Football Best Ball Underrated Players
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Logan Thomas, TE, Washington Football Team (ADP 106 - TE11)
Let's start this list off with someone I will be attempting to grab in all my Best Ball teams. Logan Thomas finished as TE6 in the 2020 season but is currently being drafted as the TE11 in Best Ball.
Thomas is an older player coming into the 2021 season at the age of 30. Although normally this would be a red flag, don't let this deter you. Tight end is one of the few league positions that older players generally tend to do better.
While this is not an elite tight end pick, I consider Thomas to be an upside pick. I still recommend drafting two more tight ends to complement him.
Why I'm Buying Thomas
Thomas's breakout season came out of the blue, but this feels very reminiscent of a Greg Olsen type of breakout. This means I don't expect him to be a one-hit-wonder tight end that we fantasy managers are accustomed to.
In his five seasons with the Bears, Olsen averaged 495 yards and five touchdowns per season. Over his first six seasons with the Carolina Panthers, he increased those averages to 897 yards and 5.3 touchdowns per season. The common denominator between Olsen and Thomas is Head Coach Ron Rivera. Under Rivera's game plan, Thomas was the third-highest targeted tight end in the 2020 season.
With the upgrade at quarterback in Ryan Fitzpatrick, I expect Thomas to continue what he did in 2020 in the 2021 season. As of right now, Thomas is currently TE11 off the board, being drafted around the ninth round. I expect him to finish ahead of his ADP.
Melvin Gordon, RB, Denver Broncos (ADP 55 - RB26)
Melvin Gordon finished the 2020 season as RB13 even though he was in a running back committee with the talented Phillip Lindsay. For some reason, he is currently be taken as RB26, putting him in the flex discussion rather than an every-week starter.
I understand that he is coming into the season with dismissed DUI charges and is still on a lackluster team. None of those reasons are good enough to allow Gordon to end up on another Fantasy manager's team.
Why I'm buying Gordon
In 15 total games, Gordon totaled 1,144 yards from scrimmage and ten touchdowns. Gordon is a dual-threat running back that is going to be playing behind an improved o-line. Without the competition from Lindsay, I don't expect much to get in the way of Gordon's production.
Zack Moss/Devin Singletary, RB, Buffalo Bills (ADP 131/181 - RB43/55)
I know that this may look confusing, and spending two picks to hopefully obtain the right guy seems like a terrible idea. This is normally true when you are spending high picks and one of the players seems more of a sure thing. As of right now, nobody knows what the running back situation in Buffalo will end up looking like in 2021. Singletary didn't look good on the field, but he still accumulated 956 total yards and two touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Zack Moss put up 576 total yards and five touchdowns. With the addition of Matt Breida, I do not expect a high draft capital pick to be used to replace either Moss or Singletary. If you want either Moss or Singletary, you will need both, since this looks to be a committee, and either guy may end up with the better production week-to-week.
Why I'm Buying Both Moss and Singletary
I am only taking both Moss and Singletary to hedge my bet and overall get solid value. I do not expect either running back to finish as a top 16 RB, but the combination of the two could warrant week-to-week flex value. Take these two as your fourth and fifth running backs. This should return better value than most handcuffs or dart throws.
DeVante Parker, WR, Miami Dolphins (ADP 107 - WR 47)
Devante Parker didn't have the greatest season in 2020, as he was battling injuries for most of the year. That's not even considering the QB shuffle in the middle of the season. That being said, he was still productive overall, finishing with 793 yards and four touchdowns on the season.
Will Fuller's addition may hurt Parker's production, but I don't expect it to put Parker out of fantasy relevancy. A second-year Tua Tagovailoa will only be able to succeed by utilizing both his best weapons. This is a WR duo that both could get 1,000 yards each.
Why I'm Buying Parker
Devante Parker is a 1st round talent and we have seen him continually show sparks of this year after year. When healthy, he has been fantasy relevant and has put up week-winning numbers.
I do not see many if any wide receivers in the 10th round that I consider more talented than Devante Parker. This is a value pick that will find a way into your week-to-week Best ball roster.
Carson Wentz, QB, Indianapolis Colts (ADP 141 - QB 18)
Wentz had an atrocious 2020 campaign, and putting him in the underrated portion is probably going to confuse a few people. I do not excuse Wentz's terrible play this past season, but I do not blame him entirely. Wentz definitely did regress physically and mentally as an NFL player - his 16 touchdowns to 15 interceptions definitely proved that.
That being said, Wentz played with one of the worst offenses in the NFL. His receiving corps and o-line were revolving doors that set Wentz up for failure. The change of scenery is a prove-it situation for Wentz, and I believe that 2020 will be the exception and not the rule for Wentz.
Why I'm Buying Wentz
While Carson Wentz is a value buy this season, I am not expecting him to repeat his 2017 year. I do believe that the change of scenery will get him back into form, but I am not sold on the Colts' pass-catching options. Nevertheless, we have seen Wentz make do with worse options.
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