5 Fantasy Players That Gained More Value After The NFL Draft

We’ve all heard the phrase “be careful what you wish for,” but we may have never thought of that phrase much as it relates to fantasy football.  As fantasy fans we all eagerly anticipate the NFL draft, hoping that our favorite rookie prospects will land in situations that will lead to immediate production.  What gets lost in all of this is the impact on the current veterans when they are met with new rookie competition.  Whether redraft, keeper, or dynasty the role of the shiny new prospects and what it means for those veterans cannot be overstated.  But what about those veterans that not only got out of the draft unscathed but actually saw their value rise because of a lack of competition?  When deciding who to highlight here I found that there were many players that saw their star rise after the NFL draft.  Here are five of those individuals.  

James Conner, RB, Arizona Cardinals

There’s no way to sugarcoat it.  The Cardinals’ offense will live or die by the health of their star QB, Kyler Murray, who is currently recovering from an ACL injury.  But the one person on this offense that could actually see an increase in fantasy production is Conner.  Arizona actually had quite a bit of draft capital in the 2023 draft but failed to pick a single RB.  They clearly believe in James Conner as their lead dog at least for one more year.  Sure, with a backup QB under center, there is a high probability that Conner will see more stacked boxes, but fantasy success is all about talent and opportunity.  Conner has shown he has talent, and with a running back room that includes Corey Clement, Keaontay Ingram, and Ty’Son Williams, he should also have the opportunity.

Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens

Now that the drama surrounding Jackson’s extension has finally subsided it’s time to discuss just how kind the off-season and draft was to Jackson’s potential 2023 fantasy production.  Jackson has continued to improve year after year as a passer, but other than Mark Andrews and a few young, unproven weapons he hasn’t had the personnel to aid in his development.  The Ravens finally decided to invest in bulking up the WR room by acquiring Odell Beckham, Jr. and Nelson Agholor in the off-season and Boston College WR Zay Flowers, selecting him 22nd overall in this years draft.  One could argue that the Ravens will still be a run-first team, which, regardless of what the team says is still going to include Jackson.  Add to his mobility the new weapons in the passing game and Jackson may have more upside than any QB in 2023.  

Geno Smith, QB, Seattle Seahawks

Regardless of what you think of the talent of Smith, it is a fact that the success he found last season was short of miraculous.  Not only did Smith lead the Seahawks to an unlikely playoff berth, but he also earned himself a Pro Bowl and Comeback Player of the Year along the way.  Even after all of that, it would have been easy for the Seahawks to turn the page on the Geno Smith experiment and go in another direction.  Instead, they chose to invest in putting pieces around him to help him develop even further.  Seattle already had one of the more dynamic duos at wide receiver in D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, but they also chose to use the NFL draft to select the top wide receiver in this draft class when the selected Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba at 20th overall, a dream come true for any quarterback looking to level up.  In the second round, they chose to add to their offense by drafting Bruins running back Zach Charbonnet 52nd overall.  Not only does Charbonnet provide another weapon for Smith due to his pass-catching skills but he will also make the team more well-rounded, which will in turn open things up downfield.  This is where Smith really excelled last year leading the entire league in downfield scores with 13.  It is possible that none of this translates to Smith exceeding or even duplicating his 2022 season, but one thing is for sure, if it doesn’t, he won’t have anyone to blame but himself. 

Juwan Johnson, TE, New Orleans Saints

Admittedly, this one is a bit speculative, but I still firmly believe in the talent of Juwan Johnson.  Truth be told, I never really saw Adam Trautman as much competition for Johnson, but the fact that he has been sent to the Broncos and that the Saints did not use a draft pick on a TE, Johnson now finds himself as the obvious starting TE in a Derek Carr lead offense.  Recent history shows us that Carr loves throwing to his TE.  Does Johnson possess the elite combination of size, speed, and talent that Darren Waller does?  Probably not.  But will being the primary TE in an offense run by a QB who loves to target his TE lead to an increase in fantasy production?  Absolutely.  

Tony Pollard, RB, Dallas Cowboys

This one is pretty easy.  Pollard showed in 2022 what he is capable of when given the chance.  So much so that the Cowboys were comfortable making Ezekiel Elliott a free agent and only using a sixth round draft pick on Kansas State’s Deuce Vaughn.  While Vaughn is a nice sixth-round prospect and could add some solid depth at the position, he isn’t any real competition for Pollard.  The only other RBs on the roster of any note are Malik Davis and Ronald Jones neither or which provide any real competition for Pollard, so I don’t see any reason to be anything but optimistic about Pollard’s upcoming fantasy season.  In this offense, with this roster, Pollard has top 5 upside.  Of course, there’s always the risk of injury, but that exists with any RB.  I cannot think of another RB that was a backup in 2022 that now finds themselves with the mix of talent and opportunity of Pollard.  The sky is the limit.