Although the early rounds get all the attention, the middle rounds are where fantasy football leagues are often won and lost. For example, in 2023 Mike Evans, Evan Engram, Brandon Aiyuk and Raheem Mostert had terrific seasons that started as middle-round draft selections.
When looking for the best middle-round options, I typically target players from these groups:
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Running backs who are part of an unsettled backfield and have a significant role in the passing game. These players have a solid floor due to their receiving work, and they possess upside on the potential of emerging as their team’s top rusher.
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Wide receivers or tight ends who are one of the top-two targets in an offense that could take a step forward. The target share for these players supports their floor, and they have breakout potential if their offense really clicks.
3. Quarterbacks who score plenty of points with their legs. These men can post massive fantasy totals by having respectable passing seasons.
Now that you understand where I’m coming from, here are my favorite middle-round targets (Yahoo! ADP picks 61-120) this year.
Picks 61-70
WR Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs
Rice emerged as the Chiefs’ No. 1 wide receiver when he produced 577 yards in his final eight games of 2023. Sure, he will have to share targets with Xavier Worthy and Hollywood Brown (when he returns from injury), but there also should be a significant recovery from Patrick Mahomes, whose passing statistics dropped by 1,067 yards and 14 TDs last year.
TE Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills
The loss of Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis has turned the Bills WR room upside down, leaving Kincaid as Josh Allen’s most reliable target. The 2023 first-round pick could lead Buffalo in catches.
Picks 71-80
TE Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
I don’t believe that Pitts, or any player, could overcome the horrendous QB play in Atlanta over the past two seasons. The jump from Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke to Kirk Cousins is enormous, which could enable Pitts to return to the 1,000-yard plateau he reached as a rookie in 2021.
QB Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
Daniels could lead all QBs in rushing yardage, and he is available much later than Lamar Jackson and Anthony Richardson, who are the other leading candidates for that title. Ideally, I would like to stack my roster at other positions and then take a couple of middle-round shots on QBs such as Daniels and Caleb Williams.
Picks 81-90
RB Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans
Spears should be heavily involved in the running game, as last year he was more effective on a per-carry basis than his new teammate, Tony Pollard. After showing skills as a receiver (52 catches), Spears is the type of dynamic back who will force his way into the team’s passing plans. I have greater interest in Spears in PPR leagues, but I’ll take him in any format based on the expectation of over 1,000 total yards.
WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks
JSN was unremarkable as a rookie (63-628-4), but he still established himself as part of Seattle’s passing attack after being selected 20th overall in the NFL draft. Tyler Lockett will soon turn 32, and new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb knows that establishing Smith-Njigba as a high-volume receiver is key to his upcoming tenure with the Seahawks.
Picks 91-100
TE Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys
As I detailed in a recent article, Dak Prescott consistently throws for plenty of yards. And if that happens again this year, Ferguson needs to have a high yardage total. After all, outside CeeDee Lamb, there aren’t any great weapons for Dak to target. Brandin Cooks will soon turn 31 and fell short of 700 yards in each of the past two seasons, and there isn’t a skilled receiver in the Dallas backfield. The 761 yards Ferguson tallied last season represent his floor, and he could accumulate more than 900 yards this year.
RB Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals
During Zac Taylor’s five seasons in Cincinnati, Joe Mixon was an average runner (4.0 yards per carry) who averaged 66.9 rushing yards per game while also being involved in the passing attack. The obvious takeaway is that Taylor loves to lean heavily on one RB, and Brown has more ability to handle that role than Zack Moss. I don’t love Brown’s floor, but as we head later into the middle rounds, I’m willing to chase his ceiling.
Picks 101-110
QB Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
Unlike many former No. 1 overall picks, Williams has been set up for immediate success. Not only is he joining a team that won seven games last year, but he has one of the most exciting WR corps in the league with DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze. And Williams has skills as a runner, as is evidenced by his 27 rushing TDs in three NCAA seasons.
WR Jordan Addison, Minnesota Vikings
Addison is coming off a memorable rookie season (911 yards, 10 TDs) and with T.J. Hockenson on the mend from surgery to repair a torn ACL, he will clearly be the No. 2 target in Minnesota’s passing game. Sure, Sam Darnold is no Kirk Cousins, but he’s better than the Vikings’ QBs were during the second half of 2023.
Picks 111-120
RB Jerome Ford, Cleveland Browns
I’m happy to grab Ford on the chance that Nick Chubb cannot handle a heavy workload when returning from his gruesome 2023 knee injury. Additionally, Chubb has never been a big part of the passing game. At the very least, Ford will get a significant percentage of Cleveland’s carries and plenty of receptions. And there is a chance that Chubb can’t make a significant impact, leaving Ford with a heavy workload in a decent offense.
RB Trey Benson, Arizona Cardinals
As a rookie who is the clear backup on his own team, Benson has no significant floor. But the youngster has a high ceiling, as a skilled, young rusher who is playing behind a 29-year-old (James Conner) who has missed multiple games in each of his previous seven NFL seasons. There will likely be a few weeks when we all want Benson on our team.
