In fantasy football, having a flashy roster on Sundays is always more fun. Guys that can make highlight plays that get plastered on social media: one-handed catches, 70-yard touchdowns, and swagger after the play. We’re not here to talk about those guys, though. In this article, we’ll run through the most boring players who are still great fantasy-wise. Players that are consistent, quiet, but efficient. Players that slide down draft boards because people just forget they exist. That’s where you can find value!
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Oh, Baker Mayfield, the prodigal son who never was. The #1 pick in the draft that was supposed to turn things around in Cleveland, but it just didn’t happen for him. After all his Progressive commercials came down, it felt like the collective NFL consciousness forgot about him. Yes, he had a cameo on the Rams, where he did well, but after that, poof! It felt like he was gone. In reality, though, he fell onto a scrappy post-Brady Tampa Bay team, where he’s done well. Quietly, he’s become a solid fantasy QB there. As the 10th-best quarterback in fantasy last year, he’s a serviceable option. Consistently selected as the 20th QB in drafts, he’s epic value at the end of the draft. If you want to test out a rookie quarterback, grab Baker as a backup!
Jared Goff could be the poster child for solid football on a Lions team that has become a true threat in the NFC North. He is nothing flashy; he just does this job, moves the ball down the field, and competes at a high level. He landed as the 7th best quarterback in fantasy last year. With Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs flanking him, the offense is brisling with talent. He’s a solid choice for any fantasy roster, but he’s commonly the 14th or lower QB off the board. Why? He’s just so boring. Yes, he makes great passes, but compared to other QBs, he just stands there. That doesn’t mean you should ignore him; if you can pick him up late in your draft, DO IT. He’s set to have another explosive season with a great core group.
After a move south, Mixon found a new home in Houston this off-season. Joining a stacked offense next to CJ Stroud, Stephon Diggs, Tank Dell, Nico Collins, and more. He’s been one of the most consistent RBs in fantasy football. Landing as the 6th best RB last year, he’s going as the 16th RB off the board, around the 45th pick. All be it; he is on a new roster, so we don’t know exactly what his role will look like, but still. The man is consistent; he clocks in at nine on the dot and is out at five. He puts in the work and is rarely a letdown in fantasy. Will he be your savior when you desperately need 25 points on a Monday night? Absolutely not, but he probably won’t give you four either. If you draft heavily for WR early, look for Mixon late round 3 or early round 4. He won’t let you down.
Back to Detroit, David Montgomery made it clear that he was the team's workhorse. Montgomery quietly had a stellar year with Gibbs as the flashy, explosive RB. He averaged 13 points a game in fantasy, making him the 9th best running back last year. It’s easy to see how he could do it again on a Lions team that didn't change much. He’s being drafted much lower than the top 10, landing as the 22nd RB off the board near the 70th pick. He’s slated to be an excellent pickup as an RB2 midway through your draft. With two of his teammates commonly going in the first round, Montgomery is the true boring value of that team!
A cross-country flight and reuniting with his former coach, Gus Edwards, you are a Charger! After leaving Baltimore for the LA lifestyle, Gus Edwards is entering a completely new environment. Last year, Gus became a stealthy great waiver add. Finishing last year as the 16th-best RB. He’s joining a Chargers team with an injured QB and a run-heavy coach. The football isn’t likely to be pretty, but Edwards might excel on his new team. He is likely to share carries with J.K. Dobbins, but in a rebuilding year for LAC, there should be enough carries to go around. Especially with Edwards going off the board around 120 as the 37th RB, he’s not going to light up your world, but he could be a steal!
Death, taxes, and Mike Evans are the only sure things in this world. The man has been a beacon of consistency. He’s never put up a season under 1000 yards in his ten years of service. Yet, fantasy players consistently take him below WR with half his resume. He was the 4th best WR last year, and STILL he’s going off the board behind 14 other WRs near the third round. Yes, he is getting older at this point, but he arguably just had one of his best seasons last year. He could easily be a WR1 again this year, but he is being slept on in fantasy. Do yourself a favor, and just take Mike Evans this year.
New city, no problem. Keenan Allen finally left a broken Chargers team for a sexy, younger Bears team. As the 11th-best WR last year on a team in the toilet all season, there is a lot to like about Allen on the Bears. Even being the WR2 behind DJ Moore with a rookie QB throwing him the ball, Allen has great value. He’ll be the consistent vet presence on the team, making the passing game easy for the young guys and likely having a solid fantasy year. He probably won’t see the usage he did last year, but as a WR2 or Flex, you can’t go wrong. He’s going in the 60s in most drafts as the 33rd WR taken. He offers crazy value.
It’s a new dawn in Pittsburg. With Russel Wilson out of Denver and Fields out of Chicago, the Steelers have options for QB. Either way, this is great news for Pickens. Even though this is only his 3rd year in the league, the Steels are generally a team easily overlooked in fantasy. Pickens didn’t light up the fantasy scene last year, landing as the 23rd-best WR. He is trending in the right direction, finishing his first 1000-yard season. With Pickens going in the 50 in drafts as the 27th WR, there is a ton to like here. He might sneak his way into becoming an excellent fantasy player hidden on a team that always feels inevitably good.
Engram just fills the void at TE. Obviously, TE is one of the least sexy positions in fantasy, with a couple of elite standouts. Grabbing one of those elite guys in the first three rounds can be costly. Why bother when Engram will do? He’s not a guy that jumps off the page, but he’ll be solid week in and week-out. He finished as the 6th best TE last year, so it's hard to argue that he can get the job done. With most drafts having him land near the 70s, he’s great value for a guy who could break into the top 5 of TEs. On a Jacksonville team that will continue to use him, he’s an easy grab in fantasy.
It feels like Njoku is finally hitting his stride. Coming off a top 5 fantasy TE year, he’s a strong bet to be there again. Even though he was stellar last year, he still seems to be falling on fantasy boards, landing near the 90s. That feels too low for a guy who might provide production similar to Kelce or Kittle. Cleveland is far from a sure-footed team; however, with QB troubles, they adding another pass catcher in Juedy. Njoku’s role is far from a sure thing, but when you can get him in the 8th round, that’s a strong value.