This is part three of the four-part series. This section features players that will typically land around the third or fourth round in fantasy drafts. The players below sit just outside the elite tier of fantasy players. Check out part one and part two before reading.
50) Drew Brees (QB) – New Orleans Saints
Newly acquired wide receiver, Emmanuel Sanders, says, “nobody is going to outwork him.” The 41-year-old is entering his 20th season looking to add to his already impressive resume. He is looking to extend his four-year streak of completing at least 70 percent of his passes during the season.
49) D.J. Chark (WR) – Jacksonville Jaguars
Chark should improve going into his third season as a pro. After an unremarkable first season, he broke out by catching 73 passes for 1,008 yards and 8 touchdowns last season. The third-year-pro is an underrated star that stands alone as a real threat for Gardner Minshew and the Jaguars.
48) Calvin Ridley (WR) – Atlanta Falcons
Ridley’s first two seasons in the league look pretty similar on paper. Expect the third-year-pro to have a similar season this year as well. He would be a lot higher on this list if he showed more consistency. His quarterback, Matt Ryan, sees him as an elite player who could break out this season.
47) D.J. Moore (WR) – Carolina Panthers
The Panthers are looking for more out of their star wide receiver, and he has all the talent to be a dominant player in this league. What hurts Moore are the weapons that surround him. With Christian McCaffrey, Curtis Samuel and Robby Anderson on the team, it is hard to imagine Moore putting up larger numbers than last year. Expect the young star to be the leading receiver on the team with slightly less numbers than last season.
46) Courtland Sutton (WR) – Denver Broncos
This list consists of a ton of young wide receivers coming off promising seasons last year. Sutton is one of those players in a big way. He increased his receptions by 30, and he produced about 400 more receiving yards compared to his rookie season. Rookies Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler could prevent another big jump from Sutton this year.
45) Jarvis Landry (WR) – Cleveland Browns
Now entering his third season with the Browns, Landry will have another playmaker surrounding him in the offense this season. Pro Bowl tight end, Austin Hooper, joins the offense that already features David Njoku, Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, and of course Odell Beckham Jr. That’s a lot of talent to go around, and Landry could start off slow as he is recovering from offseason hip surgery.
44) A.J. Brown (WR) – Tennessee Titans
Brown is coming off a very impressive rookie season where he caught 52 passes for 1,051 yards and 8 touchdowns. Quarterback, Ryan Tannehill, connected well with Brown once he took over as the starter early in the season. Expect Brown to put up big numbers this season as he is by far the best receiving option on this team.
43) DeVante Parker (WR) – Miami Dolphins
Parker finally broke out last season in his fifth year as a pro. He was drafted 14th overall by the Dolphins in 2015, and he was supposed to be a dominant player right away. In his first four seasons, he hadn’t surpassed 800 receiving yards nor 4 touchdowns. Last season, he accomplished both as he caught 72 passes for 1,202 yards and 9 touchdowns. Expect the talented receiver to lead the team in every receiving category once again this season.
42) James Conner (RB) – Pittsburgh Steelers
Conner comes into this season motivated and healthy. This should be the 25-year-old’s best year yet as he gets his starting quarterback back in Ben Roethlisberger. The fourth-year-pro is a reliable back who can run the ball well (career 4.4 yards per carry) and catch out of the backfield. Expect at least 250 touches for Conner this season.
41) Deshaun Watson (QB) – Houston Texans
The dual-threat quarterback is looking to extend his Pro Bowl streak to three this season as he tries to run the offense without DeAndre Hopkins for the first time. Although “Nuk” is no longer in Houston, Watson has a lot of weapons that surround him. He has two running backs who can run and catch out of the backfield who both have the last name Johnson (David and Duke). He also has five wide receivers that bring experience and success in Brandin Cooks, Will Fuller, Randall Cobb, Kenny Stills and Keke Coutee. Expect the fourth-year-pro quarterback to be a top five fantasy QB once again.
40) Russell Wilson (QB) – Seattle Seahawks
The six-time Pro Bowl quarterback is entering his ninth season in the league, and he is looking to extend his streak of 128 straight games started. He has yet to miss a game in his career, and this is a great statistic for a fantasy quarterback. Wilson consistently lands inside the top ten among fantasy quarterbacks, and he serves as a very safe one to draft.
39) Dak Prescott (QB) – Dallas Cowboys
Prescott threw for an astronomical amount of passing yards last season (4,902) to go along with 30 touchdowns. He finished second among quarterbacks in fantasy points, and he should finish in the top five once again. Rookie CeeDee Lamb adds to an already impressive receiving group for Dak and the Cowboys. Expect the fifth-year-pro to be hungrier than ever as he seeks that huge contract extension.
38) Melvin Gordon (RB) – Denver Broncos
Gordon joins a backfield that already features Phillip Lindsay. Although Lindsay isn’t worried about the former pro bowler’s arrival, he should be. Gordon is a talented back who can run and catch out of the backfield. He won’t put up ridiculous numbers like he did in 2017, but he is still a good fantasy option at running back. The 27-year-old will receive a lot of touches both on the ground and in the passing game.
37) Keenan Allen (WR) – Los Angeles Chargers
The Charger receiver has surpassed the 1,100-yard mark three seasons in a row. He is by far the best receiver on his team, but he will have to play this season without Phillip Rivers as his quarterback for the first time in his career. He is a good WR2 or a great WR3 for your fantasy teams.
36) Odell Beckham Jr. (WR) – Cleveland Browns
Beckham Jr. has promised a strong year this season with the Browns. Although he had a quieter year last season, he still surpassed 1,000 receiving yards for the fifth time in his six-year-career. The 27-year-old is a safe fantasy pick option but shows a lot of bad behavior and inconsistencies.
35) Juju Smith-Schuster (WR) – Pittsburgh Steelers
This should be a bounce back year for Smith-Schuster and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Big Ben is back as the starting quarterback, and that could really help the third-year-pro wide out. The last time Ben Roethlisberger played a full season, Smith-Schuster hauled in 111 catches for 1,426 yards and 7 touchdowns.
34) Chris Carson (RB) – Seattle Seahawks
Carson was having a huge year last season before he went down with a hip injury that prevented him from finishing the year. In 15 games, he rushed for 1,230 yards, 7 touchdowns to go along with 37 receptions, 266 yards and 2 receiving touchdowns. Carson is expected to be fully healthy going into the start of this season, and expect the running back to pick up where he left off.
33) Cooper Kupp (WR) – Los Angeles Rams
With Brandin Cooks gone, Kupp and Robert Woods should have larger roles for this season. Kupp will serve as the main deep-threat option who should lead the team in yards. Expect the fourth-year-pro to be a solid WR2/WR3 option in your fantasy drafts.
32) Kyler Murray (RB) – Arizona Cardinals
Murray has the surrounding playmakers in his offense to have a huge season. The addition of wide receiver, DeAndre Hopkins, is huge, and this should only add more value to the second-year-pro. His ability to take off and rush for a lot of yards is what makes him such a dynamic fantasy quarterback.
31) Zach Ertz (TE) – Philadelphia Eagles
The future Hall of Famer is entering his eighth season, and he has been one of the more consistent tight ends in the game. He serves as a reliable TE1 option that sits right inside the elite tier (top 4) of fantasy tight ends. Over the last three seasons, he has been the second most valuable fantasy tight end, behind Travis Kelce.
30) Amari Cooper (WR) – Dallas Cowboys
Cooper’s stock did drop a little because of the addition of rookie receiver CeeDee Lamb. Lamb will take some of his targets away, but he still serves as an elite receiver in this league. The 26-year-old has set high goals for this season as he wants Dallas to have the first trio of receivers to top 1,000 yards in the same season.
29) Austin Ekeler (RB) – Los Angeles Chargers
Although Ekeler doesn’t rush for a ton of yards, he produces a ton of receiving yards for a running back. Last season he caught 92 passes for 993 yards and 8 touchdowns. A lot of starting receivers don’t do that in a season. Other than Christian McCaffrey, Ekeler led all running backs in receiving yards last season. Therefore, the fourth-year-pro serves as a reliable RB2 or RB3 in your fantasy leagues.
28) Mark Andrews (TE) – Baltimore Ravens
The first-time Pro Bowl tight end looks to keep rolling in 2020. Andrews is coming off a monster year that features 10 receiving touchdowns to go along with 64 receptions and 852 yards. Look for Andrews to take another step forward as he serves as a reliable TE1 option for your fantasy teams.
27) Todd Gurley (RB) – Atlanta Falcons
Gurley is coming off a disappointing season where he only averaged 3.8 yards per carry. Although he had 12 touchdowns, the 26-year-old only rushed for 857 yards. A new scenery, and possible future Hall of Fame quarterback (Matt Ryan) should help Gurley bounce back this season. The sixth-year-pro is a great downfield runner who has tremendous playmaking ability as a receiving back out of the backfield. Expect Gurley to be a great RB2/RB3 for fantasy teams this season.
26) Joe Mixon (RB) – Cincinnati Bengals
Rookie quarterback, Joe Burrow, loves to show off his strong arm, but he also relies on his running back as a threat in the receiving game. Mixon could take the next step as an elite fantasy running back by providing more receiving yards this season. He’s also rushed for over 1,100 yards two seasons in a row. With a better passing game this season, it will open even more opportunities for Mixon to shine.
