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The Patriots running back situation got a little more messy Friday when it was reported that Rex Burkhead has a "slight tear" in his knee. I'm not sure that having a tear of anything on your body is a positive, but reportedly Burkhead can play through this injury.
With Sony Michel (knee) also out for the preseason, it's hard to have full confidence in the New England backfield going into the season. James White is going to play on passing downs, and he looked great in the second preseason game against Philadelphia on Thursday night. Jeremy Hill also appears set for touches, and his role could become a big one depending on the health of Burkhead and Michel early in the season.
Excited about this backfield, Fantasy owners?
We're looking at Average Draft Position here, and heading into the second weekend of preseason action, Burkhead (No. 74 overall) and Michel (No. 76) are both going in Round 7. James White (No. 114 overall) is being selected in Round 10, and Hill has yet to register an ADP on CBS Sports.
For those of you drafting this weekend, I still look at Burkhead as the first Patriots running back to draft in the majority of leagues. If he can play through the knee injury, which appears to be the case, he should be the starter in Week 1. Just keep in mind that he missed six games in 2017 due to injury.
Michel is also worth a look in Round 7, although I would prefer to draft him a little later. We don't know how his knee will be for Week 1, and it's not good that he's missed so much time in the preseason as a rookie. But he has the most upside of any of these running backs given his pedigree at Georgia.
White is worth drafting in Round 10 in non-PPR leagues, but his value is higher in PPR. He should be drafted in Round 8 in those formats, and he had four catches for 31 yards against the Eagles, along with six catches for 61 yards and a touchdown on six targets.
White has never had more than 43 carries in any of his four years in the NFL, but he does have two seasons with at least 56 catches. And with Julian Edelman (suspension) out for the first four games, White could see a bump in playing time and production, especially his receptions, which should increase his value in PPR.
As for Hill, he's competing with Mike Gillislee for a roster spot, but Hill appears to be leading that competition. Through two preseason games, Hill has 17 carries for 82 yards (4.8 yards per carry) and one touchdown and two catches for 14 yards. I have no problem taking a late-round flier on Hill given the injuries to his teammates.
Now, let's take a look at the ADP for every position heading into the second week of preseason action. To see all the ADP data, go here.
Quarterbacks
Overvalued
Wentz was always in the overvalued category since he was being drafted as a top-five quarterback for most of the offseason, but he's still going as the No. 6 quarterback off the board in Round 5 at No. 57 overall. No thanks. He's still trying to prove he's 100 percent recovered from last year's torn ACL, and his No. 1 receiver in Alshon Jeffery (shoulder) may open the season on the PUP list. I'm only drafting Wentz as a No. 2 Fantasy quarterback this year, and there's no way he should be drafted in Round 5 in one-quarterback leagues.
Undervalued
Mahomes didn't have the best preseason debut in Week 1 against Houston, completing 5-of-7 passes for 33 yards in limited action. And hopefully he'll respond better in Week 2 against the Falcons. But his preseason performance should not be a reason for his low ADP, which is in Round 10 at No. 111 overall. He's being drafted as the No. 16 quarterback off the board, which is crazy. I'm looking for upside with my quarterbacks this year, and he has plenty of it, including a standout receiving corps (Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins and Travis Kelce) and a great system under Andy Reid. Mahomes also will get production on the ground, and he should be considered a low-end starter in all leagues this year.
Running backs
Overvalued
If McCoy falls to a spot on Draft Day where he becomes good value then I actually might consider drafting him, and this has nothing to do with anything that could happen off the field. But in Round 2 at No. 24 overall, that's just way too high. He has concerns about his age (30), potential wear-and-tear (more than 2,100 career carries and 2,500 career total touches) and questionable talent around him with a new quarterback and three new offensive linemen. As a No. 2 running back in Round 4, he's fine. But avoid him in Round 2 at all costs.
Undervalued
Johnson had a fantastic preseason debut in Week 1 against Oakland with seven carries for 34 yards and four catches for 33 yards, and another solid outing in Week 2 against the Giants should help his ADP continue to rise. He's currently at No. 83 overall in Round 7, and that's a steal. I was drafting him in Round 6 in all leagues before his outing against the Giants, and now I need to take him in Round 5 if I want him on my Fantasy team. He's one of my favorite players this year, and I love the potential of this Detroit offensive line. Hopefully, the Lions lean on Johnson as their featured back, but if you can still draft him in Round 7 then do it without hesitation.
Wide receivers
Overvalued
Hill is being drafted in Round 3 at No. 35 overall, and he's the No. 12 receiver off the board. That's a mistake. He should still be considered a starting Fantasy option this year, but the addition of Watkins should impact his targets and potentially his touchdowns. And while I like Mahomes, I don't see him playing like Alex Smith did last season, which was a big reason why Hill had such a dynamic campaign. Hill was a non-factor in the red zone last year, so his touchdown total should decline unless he gets more than four targets inside the 20-yard line. He's a No. 2 Fantasy receiver worth drafting in Round 4, and his value is lower in PPR.
Undervalued
All the reports out of San Francisco have been glowing about Goodwin, who is a tremendous bargain in Round 8 at No. 95 overall. He appears set to be the No. 1 receiver for the 49ers, and hopefully he can build off his final five games when Jimmy Garoppolo finally took over as the starting quarterback. In those games, Goodwin had 29 catches for 384 yards and one touchdown on 43 targets. Over 16 games, those stats project to 93 catches for 1,229 yards and three touchdowns, and hopefully that's what Goodwin can do this year, with a few more scores. Having a healthy Pierre Garcon (neck) back will impact Goodwin, but he's someone to consider in Round 6 in the majority of leagues.
Tight ends
Overvalued
Engram was awesome last year, but you have to evaluate him with the Giants not having their two best players on the field. Odell Beckham was out with a broken leg, and Saquon Barkley wasn't yet in the NFL. Along with Sterling Shepard, Engram has to share plenty of targets, and his production should suffer. He's being drafted in Round 6 at No. 62 overall, which isn't horrible, but he's the No. 5 tight end off the board. I don't agree with that, and I'd rather have Greg Olsen, Delanie Walker and Kyle Rudolph ahead of Engram this year. He's still a No. 1 Fantasy tight end, but don't draft Engram as a top-five option.
Undervalued
Njoku's Fantasy value could change depending on a couple of things happening, and right now he's being drafted in Round 11 at No. 122 overall. If the Browns sign Dez Bryant and get Josh Gordon back for Week 1, this is an overcrowded receiving corps when you factor in Jarvis Landry, which would hurt Njoku's Fantasy status. But if the Browns don't sign Bryant, and are maybe without Gordon for a few weeks, then Njoku could be a star. You saw the upside in the first preseason game against the Giants when he had two catches for 46 yards and two touchdowns, and he could be a sophomore sensation with enough targets. If you like Njoku then hope Cleveland decides to pass on Bryant as a free-agent acquisition.
So what sleepers should you snatch in your Fantasy Football draft? And which huge running backs do you need to jump all over? Visit SportsLine now to get Fantasy Football cheat sheets from the model that called Alvin Kamara's huge breakout last season and find out.
