Late-Round Targets for Early Best Ball

The 2025-2026 NFL season wrapped up earlier this month with the crowning of the Seattle Seahawks as Super Bowl champions. For football junkies, the Super Bowl conclusion ushers in a time of mourning, as it will be over half a year before meaningful games will once again be played. 

However, for the fantasy football enthusiasts, there is no reason to lament, as 2026-2027 leagues are starting to fill!

Early best ball leagues not only give fantasy gamers a chance to enjoy a favorite pastime year-round, but they also provide an opportunity for the savviest drafters to roster players at a cost that could potentially look like robbery by the time ADP’s settle at the end of the summer. 

While we do not have an early ADP to consult until leagues fill, we can get an idea of players that are likely to be readily available in the final rounds based on the early FantasyPros Expert Consensus Ranking (ERC), as well as how players were viewed at the end of last season. 

The following players are ones that I am looking to target based on the possibility of their ADP steadily climbing this offseason. I want as many shares of these players as I can while their cost is low. At best, these players have league-winning upside based on their cost and pathway to a starting position (and the numbers that come with it). At worst, rostering them only costs a late pick.

Malik Willis (QB21 ECR)

Malik Willis is the epitome of late-round player who could see his ADP skyrocket. Willis is expected to hit free agency and compete for starting spot. If he were to start, the dual-threat (19 carries, 104 yards, 2 rushing touchdowns) signal caller has weekly QB1 upside. The only problem, as evidenced by his ECR being higher than several lock-in starters, is that he is already starting to generate sleeper buzz, so his late-round status may not last long.

Fernando Mendoza (QB26 ECR)

Going into last season, the 2026 draft was expected to be heavy with quality quarterbacks. As of now, that doesn’t appear to be reality, with the exception of Fernando Mendoza. Mendoza is the consensus QB1 of the class and is expected to be the first quarterback off the board. If this ends up being the case, Mendoza is a fairly safe option for those who favor three-QB builds, likely readily available in the final rounds of early best ball. 

Chimere Dike (WR63 ECR)

Chimere Dike was quietly consistent last season, seeing five or more targets in seven games. Dike has go-to receiver size (6’1”, 196) and seems to be developing Cam Ward’s trust. At WR63 (ECR), he is a high-floor/ceiling option at a late-round cost. 

Tory Horton (WR85 ECR)

Tory Horton seems to be a forgotten man in Seattle after his season ended in Week 9. Prior to his season being cut short, however, Horton flashed seeing four targets in seven games and turning his 13 receptions into five scores. With Cooper Kupp aging and Rashid Shaheed being largely a one-dimensional deep threat, Horton has a real opportunity to be the second option in the Seattle passing attack. His ECR of WR85 could be a true steal of the early draft season. 

Terrance Ferguson (TE20 ECR)

Everything seems to point to a potential Terrance Ferguson breakout in 2026. Ferguson only secured 11 receptions his rookie season, splitting time with veteran Tyler Higbee. However, those eleven catches included three touchdowns and averaged a gaudy 21 yards per-reception. With Higbee expected to leave via free agency (or retirement), Ferguson should find himself in more of a feature-role in the Rams offense, especially if Davante Adams were to begin to show any signs of his age. 

David Njoku (TE27 ECR)

Njoku was one of fantasy’s biggest disappointments last season as he suffered a number of injuries and relinquished the TE1 role to talented rookie, Harold Fannin. Njoku’s season came to an end after a Week 14 knee injury, but if the free agent to-be is healthy for week 1 and lands in a spot where he can command consistent targets, he would smash his early TE27 ranking. Njoku is only two years removed from back-to-back top-ten fantasy seasons and does not turn 30 until July. I’m buying at cost in both best ball and dynasty. 

Kenyon Sadiq (TE21 ECR)

Expect the ADP for this year’s consensus top rookie tight end, Kenyon Sadiq, to steadily climb in the coming months leading up to the NFL Draft. Simply put, short of a disastrous landing spot, Sadiq will never be easier to acquire than he is now. 

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