Continuing with the top bargain and bust in each draft round, I want to get through a few more rounds before the season begins. Here's round 11, based as always on ADP:
121 Preston Williams MIA (11) WR49
122 Alexander Mattison MIN (7) RB44
123 Robby Anderson CAR (13) WR50
124 Daniel Jones NYG (11) QB14
125 T.J. Hockenson DET (5) TE14
126 Mike Gesicki MIA (11) TE15
127 Buffalo Bills DST (11) DST4
128 Justin Tucker BAL (8) K1
129 Duke Johnson HOU (8) RB45
130 Harrison Butker KC (10) K2
131 Golden Tate NYG (11) WR51
132 Ben Roethlisberger PIT (8) QB15
Drafting is, undeniably, one of the best parts of the fantasy season. If I could make a modest living as a professional drafter, man, that'd be the life. And this summer's 11th round reinforces the thrill of draft day. There are still plenty of largely unproven, high-upside guys remaining: Mike Gesicki and T.J. Hockenson are poised to take steps forward. Daniel Jones will start the season with a healthy offense full of playmakers, and should make a play for QB1 status. Alexander Mattison is one injury away from being a must-start RB1. And among the veterans, Big Ben is always a threat to hit the top 10.
But for my money, there's no bigger bargain on this list than Preston Williams. He was headed toward a top-40 season before going down, and I don't see a regression in his near future. Williams is the real deal, and even if he plays second fiddle to DeVante Parker, he's a top-40 WR at worst. While some other players have higher ceilings, Williams is the most automatic bargain in the group as the #1 or #2 target in a Josh Rosen-less offense (Williams averaged only eight fantasy points per game when Rosen started last year).
As for biggest bust, I oscillated between Ben and my eventual choice. The thing about Ben is that he might not play more than 10 games. So while you might get some 300/3 performances out of him, the soon-to-be career leader in sacks is an injury waiting to happen. Now 38 years old, Ben's best days surely are behind him. That said, he's in better shape than he's been in a while, and by all accounts he's the healthiest he's been in years, thanks in part to offseason elbow surgery.
So my seemingly unlikely "biggest bust" of round 11 is the perennially near-peerless Justin Tucker. What's wrong with Tucker? A highly efficient offense. Baltimore led the league in time of possession and third-down conversions, and they were fourth in red-zone TD efficiency. This is great if you're a Ravens fan and not-so-great if you need Tucker to net double-digit points every week. After averaging 38 field goal attempts per season for his career, Tucker attempted only 29 last year. Even if he returns to uber-elite form, he probably won't be the #1 fantasy kicker, and he certainly won't give you the positional advantage you need at this stage of the draft. Most of the other 11 guys have much higher upsides. Tucker should remain undrafted in round 11.
121 Preston Williams MIA (11) WR49
122 Alexander Mattison MIN (7) RB44
123 Robby Anderson CAR (13) WR50
124 Daniel Jones NYG (11) QB14
125 T.J. Hockenson DET (5) TE14
126 Mike Gesicki MIA (11) TE15
127 Buffalo Bills DST (11) DST4
128 Justin Tucker BAL (8) K1
129 Duke Johnson HOU (8) RB45
130 Harrison Butker KC (10) K2
131 Golden Tate NYG (11) WR51
132 Ben Roethlisberger PIT (8) QB15
Drafting is, undeniably, one of the best parts of the fantasy season. If I could make a modest living as a professional drafter, man, that'd be the life. And this summer's 11th round reinforces the thrill of draft day. There are still plenty of largely unproven, high-upside guys remaining: Mike Gesicki and T.J. Hockenson are poised to take steps forward. Daniel Jones will start the season with a healthy offense full of playmakers, and should make a play for QB1 status. Alexander Mattison is one injury away from being a must-start RB1. And among the veterans, Big Ben is always a threat to hit the top 10.
But for my money, there's no bigger bargain on this list than Preston Williams. He was headed toward a top-40 season before going down, and I don't see a regression in his near future. Williams is the real deal, and even if he plays second fiddle to DeVante Parker, he's a top-40 WR at worst. While some other players have higher ceilings, Williams is the most automatic bargain in the group as the #1 or #2 target in a Josh Rosen-less offense (Williams averaged only eight fantasy points per game when Rosen started last year).
As for biggest bust, I oscillated between Ben and my eventual choice. The thing about Ben is that he might not play more than 10 games. So while you might get some 300/3 performances out of him, the soon-to-be career leader in sacks is an injury waiting to happen. Now 38 years old, Ben's best days surely are behind him. That said, he's in better shape than he's been in a while, and by all accounts he's the healthiest he's been in years, thanks in part to offseason elbow surgery.
So my seemingly unlikely "biggest bust" of round 11 is the perennially near-peerless Justin Tucker. What's wrong with Tucker? A highly efficient offense. Baltimore led the league in time of possession and third-down conversions, and they were fourth in red-zone TD efficiency. This is great if you're a Ravens fan and not-so-great if you need Tucker to net double-digit points every week. After averaging 38 field goal attempts per season for his career, Tucker attempted only 29 last year. Even if he returns to uber-elite form, he probably won't be the #1 fantasy kicker, and he certainly won't give you the positional advantage you need at this stage of the draft. Most of the other 11 guys have much higher upsides. Tucker should remain undrafted in round 11.