• Nico Collins is among the league’s top wide receivers: Collins has posted a 93.2 receiving grade over the last two seasons combined, which ranks first among all wide receivers.
• Bucky Irving exceeded all expectations: Irving went from a fourth-round pick and backup to one of the best running backs in the league.
• Subscribe to PFF+: It’s quick and easy. You’ll unlock industry-leading rankings, unlimited Fantasy Mock Draft Simulator use, Live Draft Assistant and weekly our Start/Sit Optimizer. It’s time to win.

Estimated reading time: 14 minutes

Identifying underappreciated players is one of the best edges in the fantasy football landscape. Thus, we will do our best to identify a few today to give managers an advantage before they begin their drafts. The average draft position listed is from a consensus between ESPN, Sleeper and Yahoo! for where the player is picked on average in a 12-team, redraft league.

Last updated: Saturday, August 30

WRNico Collins,Houston Texans (ADP: 2.01)

Collins was a third-round pick by the Texans in 2021 and immediately started playing a minimum of 55% of the Texans’ offensive snaps. In 2022, he was in a rotation with Brandin Cooks, Chris Moore and Phillip Dorsett. In 2023, Houston moved on from all three other receivers and added C.J. Stroud at quarterback. This was enough for Collins to completely break out. 

His target rate only increased slightly, but his catch rate increased from 57.8% to 73.4%, thanks to higher quality passes. His average depth of target decreased slightly, but he became much more elusive, leading to an elite avoided tackle rate. This led to more yards after the catch, ultimately leading to more yards per reception. In 2024, Collins didn’t make quite as many big plays but was more consistently receiving positive grades when targeted, and he was targeted even more often.

Collins has 0.612 fantasy points per route run in PPR leagues, which is the best for wide receivers over the past two seasons. This includes the most yards per route run at 3.0 and the second-most touchdowns per route at 0.02. When he can get open, there has been no receiver better in recent seasons. However, he’s not able to get open as often as other receivers, and he’s not as successful as plenty of other receivers when he’s not open.

The main problem is that Collins runs fewer routes than other receivers, so he’s only finished seventh and eighth in fantasy points per game over the last two seasons. Collins has also missed at least two games in every season and averaged over four games per season. This has led him to finish even lower in total fantasy points each season. However, it’s worth noting Collins’ per-game numbers from 2024 are deceiving because of games where his time was limited. He played nine snaps in Week 5 prior to injury, 30 snaps in Week 11 returning from injury and 11 snaps in Week 18 with a playoff spot clinched. He was often playing over 80% of the snaps for the rest of the season. He averaged 18.9 fantasy points per game, removing those three games, which would have ranked third last year. He also averaged 19.1 points per game in the NFL playoffs.

The Texans swapped out offensive coordinators, bringing in Nick Caley, but Ben McDaniels remained the wide receiver coach and passing game coordinator, a job he’s held since 2022. Caley has never been the lead offensive coach for a team, so we haven’t seen exactly what his vision looks like, but his past teams have relied heavily on three-receiver sets.

The big question is how much playing time Collins will get in Caley’s offense. It’s possible his limited playing time in the past was a coach’s decision by previous coaches, but it’s also possible that the Texans know something about Collins, particularly with his injury history, and know they need to limit Collins’ snaps. Caley has been around wide receivers playing at least 85% of offensive snaps regularly before, so a notable increase in snaps for Collins is at least possible.

Collins is a very talented wide receiver with a history of top-10 success. There is reason to believe he can improve with more playing time or an improvement from C.J. Stroud. The main concern is his injury history, where he’s missed time each season.

RBBucky Irving,Tampa Bay Buccaneers (ADP: 2.11)

Irving was a fourth-round pick by the Buccaneers and won the backup job behind Rachaad White before Week 1. By Week 10, he was an essential part of the Buccaneers’ offense, running at least 12 times each game, outside of one where he suffered an injury. Over the last five games, including the playoffs, he ran at least 15 times and caught at least two passes each week. In Week 18 and the wild-card round of the playoffs, the Buccaneers gave him a significant increase in snaps to 72% and 69%, respectively.

Irving averaged 0.29 avoided tackles per attempt and 0.096 avoided tackles per route run, which were both the best among running backs last season. He also led the league in yards after contact per attempt (4.03) and the percentage of his carries that gained at least 30 yards (3.4%). He was incredible when the situations were less than ideal but struggled on zone runs.

Irving is expected to be the starter after taking a much larger role in the offense in the last two games of the season. Irving’s snap rate in those games was better than usual for players like Derrick Henry, Josh Jacobs, Joe Mixon, De’Von Achane and James Cook.

The Buccaneers retained Rachaad White and Sean Tucker to be the backup and third-string running backs. In those last two games, Irving played nearly every snap on early downs, at the goal line and in short-yardage situations, while White played almost all of the third-down and two-minute drill snaps. 

The Buccaneers retained their starting five offensive linemen from last season, who all played at least 950 offensive snaps, including the playoffs. At left tackle, Tristan Wirfs had one of the best pass-blocking seasons by a left tackle in recent memory but also had his worst season as a run blocker. The rest of the young veterans on the line played notably better in 2024 than in previous seasons.

Irving was the fourth-highest graded running back last season and, by the end of the year, he started playing a snap count more akin to one of the top running backs in the league. A new offensive coordinator could return to more of a committee, but he could also make Irving even more of a focal point of the offense.

WRJameson Williams,Detroit Lions (ADP: 6.04)

The Detroit Lions made Jameson Williams the 12th overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, despite his ACL tear just months before the draft. He returned for the last six games of his rookie season, playing at most 18 snaps in a contest. He touched the ball only twice, but both went for 40 or more yards.

Williams missed the first four games of the 2023 season due to the NFL’s gambling policy, and he was then eased into action, playing less than 50% of snaps over his first four games back. After the Lions’ Week 9 bye, Williams played between 50%-70% of snaps over the rest of the season. His impact was minimal, with three total touchdowns, no games over 70 receiving yards and no games over five receptions.

He started Week 1 of 2024, and it was the best game of his career to that point. He played 85.2% of offensive snaps and caught five passes for 121 yards and a touchdown. He played 79.3% of snaps over the season, excluding the two games for which he was suspended due to the league’s PED policy. Williams gained at least 75 receiving yards in more than half of his games and averaged a touchdown every other game. There were two games early in the season where he was held to single-digit yards, but after his suspension, his floor was eight PPR points. From Weeks 10-18, Williams averaged 15.3 PPR points per game, which ranked 22nd among wide receivers.

Williams started his career as strictly a deep threat. He ranked in the top seven in average depth of target and deep target rate from 2022 to 2023 among wide receivers with at least 250 routes. Last season, the goal became to get him the ball in more situations. He increased his deep targets by two, his medium targets by 18 and his short targets by 21 compared to 2023. His 8.4 yards after the catch per catch was the best among wide receivers last season.

With Ben Johnson off to helm the Chicago Bears, John Morton now leads the Lions‘ offense. Morton has been part of several offenses with different wide receiver rotations at each stop. His run-to-pass ratios have also changed, so it’s hard to tell how much his offense could help or hurt Williams. In his one season as an offensive coordinator with the New York Jets in 2017, he had a clear top two receivers in Chosen Anderson and Jermaine Kearse. While Williams is an undersized receiver, his PFF run-blocking grade last season was among the highest for wide receivers under 200 pounds, and higher than that of Amon-Ra St. Brown. He shouldn’t lose any playing time in the base offense despite his size.

Morton and new wide receivers coach Scottie Montgomery have given a lot of praise to Williams early in the offseason for his preparation, and they are expecting a breakout year. While early offseason praise doesn’t always lead to results during the season, it is certainly better than not receiving plaudits at all. While there is plenty of competition for touches in Detroit, there is at least a chance Williams can move up the priority list while others slip down. The Lions have the talent to have another great season on offense, and in that case, there should be at least two to three wide receivers who excel.

Jameson Williams became more than a deep threat in 2024, which allowed him to be a top-30 wide receiver, despite playing for a Detroit Lions team with several fantasy assets at the top 10 of their position. With a new offensive coordinator, Williams could get a larger part of the Lions’ pie this season, at the expense of one or more players, due to his unique talents and playmaking ability.

TETucker Kraft,Green Bay Packers (ADP: 9.06)

Jermichael Finley topped 660 receiving yards in three seasons with the Packers before his career was cut short by injury in 2013. In the decade since, Green Bay cycled through several tight ends, with Robert Tonyan’s 11-touchdown campaign in 2020 standing as the only fantasy-relevant season during that span. The Packers sought a long-term solution in the 2023 NFL Draft, selecting Luke Musgrave in the second round and Tucker Kraft in the third.

Heading into 2024, many expected the snaps between Musgrave and Kraft to be more evenly split. Instead, Kraft emerged as the clear starter. He played at least 80% of snaps in three of the first four games, while Musgrave missed over two months and was eased back into action, allowing Kraft to maintain a lead role. By season’s end, he averaged 85% of the Packers’ offensive snaps.

Kraft finished 2024 with 9.6 fantasy points per game, ranking 15th among tight ends. While his 14.5% target rate was the fourth lowest among 28 tight ends with 300 or more routes, his work after the catch stood out. Kraft led all tight ends with 229 yards after contact and averaged 9.3 yards after the catch per reception, 1.5 yards more than any other player at the position. He also ranked first in avoided tackles per reception (0.32) and second in avoided tackles on receptions per game (0.94).

Though his target volume kept him from consistent fantasy relevance, Kraft’s 707 receiving yards were the most by a Packers tight end since Finley’s 2011 season, giving Green Bay hope they’ve finally found their answer at the position.

There was plenty of buzz after the 2024 season about the Packers needing to feature Tucker Kraft more in their offense. Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich doubled down on that sentiment after the draft, saying the team is working on new ways to get him the ball. With consistent praise from Green Bay’s coaching staff and a clear desire to expand his role, Kraft’s outlook remains strong despite the presence of promising young talent around him.

Kraft will continue to operate in Matt LaFleur’s offense with Jordan Love under center — a pairing that’s shown steady improvement. As the Packers’ offense found its groove late last season, Kraft benefited, tying for the fourth-most touchdowns among tight ends in 2024 with seven.

While Kraft hasn’t yet seen the target share needed to be a weekly fantasy starter, his ability after the catch makes him one of the position’s most dynamic playmakers. If Green Bay follows through on its plan to get him more involved, Kraft has top-12 fantasy tight end upside for 2025.

QBJustin Fields,New York Jets (ADP: 10.08)

Justin Fields spent three seasons as the Chicago Bears’ starting quarterback after being drafted in the first round in 2021. While his rookie season was largely forgettable, he broke out as a fantasy star in 2022, averaging 20.7 PPR points per game, the fifth-highest among quarterbacks that year. Fields led all quarterbacks with 1,143 rushing yards, nearly 350 more than the next closest player. That season included two historic rushing performances of 147 and 178 yards in November, both ranking in the top 10 for single-game rushing yards by a quarterback in NFL history.

In 2023, Fields continued to flash his rushing upside, averaging 21.2 points per game over the first five weeks and 19.8 from Weeks 11-17, excluding a midseason injury absence. Throughout his career, his fantasy production has been fueled primarily by his legs. Among quarterbacks with at least 2,500 snaps over the past four seasons, Fields ranks third in rushing grade (behind only Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson) and first in scramble yards per game (31.3) and scramble touchdowns per game (0.26). His passing, however, remains a work in progress. His 62.4 passing grade over that span ranks last among qualifying quarterbacks, with Mac Jones and Daniel Jones as the next closest.

After the Bears traded Fields to the Steelers following their selection of Caleb Williams at No. 1 overall, Fields began 2025 as Pittsburgh’s starter while Russell Wilson recovered from injury. In that stretch, he averaged 19.1 PPR points per game, seventh-best among quarterbacks over that span, before returning to a reserve role when Wilson returned. Encouragingly, Fields’ passing grades over his last two seasons have improved significantly from his early career, helping keep him in the conversation as a potential NFL starter.

Justin Fields joins the New York Jets with a fresh start under new offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand. After signing a two-year, $40 million deal last season, Fields is positioned to get an extended opportunity as the team’s starting quarterback.

He will bring a clear rushing element to the Jets’ offense, but how heavily the Jets lean into designed runs remains a key variable. That usage could be the difference between Fields finishing as a top-five fantasy quarterback or landing outside the top 12.

One intriguing wrinkle is the Jets’ vote to keep the “tush push.” Fields has only four career carries from the 1-yard line, converting two for touchdowns, but if New York fully commits to using him in short-yardage situations, his rushing touchdown total could spike. That extra goal-line work could be a key factor in Fields cracking the top tier of fantasy quarterbacks in 2025.

Fields has been a fantasy starter whenever he’s held the job and stayed healthy, and that should remain true in 2025 if he gets enough rushing volume.