by Brian Abate, Chris DiGeronimo, and Gianluca Milea
"When there are doubters, it always fuels the fire a little bit. When people say you can't do something, if you are a competitor, that drives you." - Ben Roethlisberger
It's that time of year again... Mock drafts are in full swing, cheat sheets are updated seemingly daily, and the countdown to week one has begun. There are many keys to a fantasy championship, perhaps the most obvious being depth. In a year filled with much uncertainty, depth will prove to be that much more important in 2020. We break down our favorite undervalued players that could be the difference between a nice fantasy championship payout, and another off season filled with "what-ifs."
QB Daniel Jones:
Danny Dimes had a spectacular debut for the Giants, but struggled with turnovers throughout the season. He also didn’t get much help around him as Saquon Barkley, Evan Engram, Sterling Shepard and Golden Tate all missed significant time last season. The Giants attempted to improve their disappointing offensive line in the draft, taking tackle Andrew Thomas with their first round pick and tackle Matt Peart in the third round. Improved protection along with experience should help Jones limit his turnovers. Look for Jones to put up big numbers if Barkley and his skilled receiving corps can stay healthy.
QB Joe Burrow:
Burrow had a historic season in 2019 for the LSU Tigers and he will now try to translate that talent to the NFL as the face of the Cincinnati Bengals. The 2019 Heisman Trophy winner and 2020 number one overall pick has some good assets to work with in this developing Bengals offense. Rising star Tyler Boyd and the return of AJ Green should give Burrow some great targets to throw to and get comfortable with as the season goes on. Joe Mixon is also a great target out of the backfield to help as a security blanket. If Burrow can limit the rookie mistakes and elevate the talent around him, there is no doubt that it will lead to lots of fantasy production in 2020.
RB Jordan Howard:
Howard is currently RB33 in the ESPN fantasy rankings, but there is some optimism with his new role in Miami. Howard has had some injury issues in the past but he did show a lot of promise with the Eagles at the end of last season. He was a top-20 fantasy running back in his first three seasons and the Miami running game under Brian Flores should give him an opportunity to get back to that type of production in 2020. Howard will be sharing snaps with Matt Breida, but he should play the role as the early down back and get a lot of goal-line touches, which should lead to a lot of fantasy matchup advantages. Look for Howard to be a revelation on the fantasy scene.
RB Jonathan Taylor:
Taylor was prolific during his time at Wisconsin and the rookie is set up to succeed in the NFL after the Colts selected him in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Indianapolis has a dominant offensive line and they should pave the way for Taylor. The Colts will rely on that line and their running game to try to control possession of the ball and take pressure off of veteran quarterback Philip Rivers. Taylor will have to split playing time with Marlon Mack, who has established himself as a very good running back, but Taylor should still get plenty of touches and will be an important part of the Colts’ offense.
WR Anthony Miller:
Currently ranked as WR59 on ESPN’s fantasy rankings, Anthony Miller has the potential to greatly outplay his current projections. Although he did not see the TD production fantasy owners would have hoped for last season, Miller finished the year with nearly 700 yards and 52 receptions. While his stats don’t necessarily jump off the page, Miller is quickly becoming the second option on a Bears team that has a lot of room for growth on offense. Allen Robinson is sure to be the first option in Chicago, but Miller will definitely see his fair share of targets, with opposing defenses honing in on Robinson. Hopefully the emergence of either Nick Foles or Mitchell Trubisky will propel Chicago’s offense to exceed current expectations as well.
WR Stefon Diggs:
Stefon Diggs is currently the WR30, which seems rather low compared to his projections in recent years. After an up and down 2019, Diggs finds himself in a new offense. With the arm strength of Josh Allen to go along with the speed of Diggs, Buffalo is poised to take the next step in a division that recently lost Tom Brady. Look out for Diggs to produce nicely given mid rounds he will likely be drafted.
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