In the last of a six-part fantasy draft preview series leading up to the NFL season, Fantasy Insanity recaps changes in draft value over the past several weeks across the fantasy spectrum.
To paraphrase Verbal Kint’s last line of “The Usual Suspects: “And like that … it’s gone.”
The fantasy football draft season is almost over, already. It comes and goes so fast. But there is some good news: The actual football season is about to start. We’re not going to lie: That’s a pretty good parting gift.
So as those late drafts close out our 2022 festival of drafts, it is a good time to revisit some of those players whose value has shifted since we first started. In there preferred order of reasonable humans, we’ll broach the bad news first.
Where the Down Boys Go
If you don’t know where the Madman got that topic header, well, it warrants a Google search. Something else warranted? A downgrade for Pittsburgh running back Najee Harris.
It was reported a few days ago that Harris was dealing with Lisfranc sprain in his foot. That injury normally requires in the range of 4-6 weeks to get back on the field. It was also revealed, however, that he had been dealing with this since the beginning of camp, which means the clock has been running.
So first, the Steelers hid the actual injury and downplayed any long-term issues, so no big deal. Then, wait, it’s a Lisfranc. That’s a big deal! And now, well, maybe it isn’t quite as big of a deal. But here’s the thing: We don’t like running backs who have foot problems — they tend to use their feet a lot.
Najee Harris was dealing with Lisfranc sprain in his foot, according to reports. Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty ImagesSupposedly, Harris could still start in Week 1. But if we have him, we’re not using him. And if we don’t have him, chances are, we’re not going to get him.
Lisfranc issues are notorious for being very painful. So when he finally does start to feel 100 percent healthy, there is still a confidence factor required to put a full amount of stress on that foot, along with the possibility of reinjury.
Before we fully understood the timeline, we were taking Harris off our board until the middle rounds — which means he is out of our reach. Now, we still have concerns over his production level, even if he doesn’t miss time. So we’ll wait until maybe the third round — which means he is out of our reach.
Breece Hall also has seen his ADP slip, thanks to a Twitter post by a trusted NFL writer that Michael Carter could start the year as the Jets’ top RB. Whether true or not, we’ve been arguing all draft season that Carter was not going to disappear, and that Hall was being overdrafted. But if he slips all the way into the fifth round, then this Down Boy has some genuine upside.
Running Up That Hill
Some others are seeing their stocks soar. In a messy Chiefs backfield, Isiah Pacheco has gone from largely undrafted to a popular late-round pick. With no other names in the backfield to get excited about, the rookie does have legitimate upside in one of the league’s best offenses.
Bills receiver Isaiah McKenzie has been getting some love lately. We consider this more of a mirage. He had one great game last season. We think this is just backlash to all the Gabe Davis love.
A couple of rookie wide receivers are also rising. The Steelers’ George Pickens has looked great in the preseason. Even in a lackluster offense with no good quarterback options, we are willing to take a last-round flier on him. But we would prefer Romeo Doubs. The Packers rookie has Aaron Rodgers as his QB. That’s a pretty big edge.
