Ben Gretch said Keaton Mitchell is a must-roster because the Ravens "can’t keep him off the field." Gretch called Mitchell the offense’s most dynamic change-of-pace option and expects Todd Monken to actively scheme touches for him. Justice Hill – who produced 500+ scrimmage yards in both 2023 (mostly rushing) and 2024 (mostly receiving) – becomes "undraftable" after Derrick Henry’s arrival and the subsequent collapse of Hill’s rushing share. With Baltimore committed to funneling touches to play-makers and Henry likely handling the grinder work, Gretch believes Mitchell will soak up the backfield pass-game snaps and any hurry-up usage, giving him week-winning spike-week upside in Best Ball and a stash-and-see profile for season-long leagues.

Ben Gretch said Brandon Aiyuk is a screaming value in the 12th round and should be stashed everywhere even though he may not return until roughly Week 6. Gretch reminded listeners that Aiyuk carried a second-round ADP last season while Deebo Samuel was still on the roster and healthy. That same front office just paid Aiyuk "like a clear top-10 receiver," and camp reports have him sitting in on meetings and mentoring young wideouts despite rehabbing the knee. With Deebo traded and only Jauan Jennings plus first-round rookie Ricky Pearsall competing for targets, Gretch expects Aiyuk to reclaim alpha status as soon as he’s 90 percent healthy. If that happens by the fantasy playoffs, drafters are getting a possible No. 1 option in a Kyle Shanahan offense at a double-digit ADP discount, making him a priority stash in both best-ball and season-long formats.

Ben Gretch labeled Michael Pittman Jr.’s ninth-round ADP "utterly absurd." Pittman has logged 156 and 141 targets in his last two seasons and now benefits from Daniel Jones steering what Gretch expects to be a fast-paced, high-play-volume offense. Pittman will "run all the routes" and dominate first-read looks even with Josh Downs and rookie Tyler Warren involved. Gretch urged drafters to select Pittman multiple rounds ahead of market as a reliable target hog with top-20 positional upside.

Ben Gretch said Adam Thielen’s impending move opens a runway for Jalen Coker and makes the rookie one of the best deep-bench swings in drafts. Gretch already had Coker ranked in the low-50s at wide receiver, far above his WR81 ADP, but bumped him higher because extra routes will come against weaker perimeter defenders. With a strong collegiate targets-per-route profile and a now-clearer path to immediate snaps, Coker offers outsized upside at the very end of best-ball drafts.

Ben Gretch advised passing on Isaiah Likely even in the double-digit rounds. Likely is expected to miss the first month with a lower-body injury, and Gretch sees almost no path to fantasy relevance once he returns because Baltimore funnels targets to its wide receivers and Mark Andrews when healthy. He dismissed the idea of "massive second-half upside," quipping that "nobody does in Baltimore." Instead of burning a roster spot on a long-term stash who may never crack your lineup, Gretch urged drafters to prioritize players who will actually score in September.

Ben Gretch called Saquon Barkley "the ultimate fast-start guy," projecting week-winning production right out of the gate in Philadelphia’s run-heavy attack behind its elite offensive line. He did, however, caution that Barkley carries legitimate wear-and-tear risk after years of high usage and could slow or break down by November. For tournament teams, Gretch likes pairing Barkley with upside backs such as TreVeyon Henderson and RJ Harvey so the roster can ride Barkley’s early spike weeks and still have replacements if injuries hit late. The takeaway: Barkley is premium early-season firepower; just make sure your draft build includes contingency plans for December.

Ben Gretch expressed skepticism about Dalton Kincaid at his current ninth-round price. Kincaid’s multiple knee injuries last season left him unstartable despite an allegedly perfect situation, and Gretch pointed out that the tight end has already missed more camp time with the same knee this summer. While one preseason catch looked "spry," that single play does not erase the durability red flags. Because Buffalo continues to spread targets and Kincaid was a roster clogger in 2024 drafts, Gretch warned listeners not to pay up unless the tight end slips at least another round. In his view, managers should treat Kincaid as a low-floor option whose ceiling only materializes if the knee finally holds up for 17 games.

Ben Gretch called Jordan Addison the single most undervalued wide receiver in fantasy right now. Gretch rattled off the resume: three-year early declare, Biletnikoff winner at 19, double-digit touchdowns in each of his first two pro seasons, and he still won’t turn 23 until mid-season. In Minnesota’s first preseason series Addison caught the first three J.J. McCarthy passes, convincing Gretch that if Justin Jefferson ever misses time Addison immediately steps into an alpha role. He likened the contingent ceiling to Tee Higgins or George Pickens but noted Addison is two rounds cheaper in current drafts. Critics harp on a modest yards-per-route-run, but Gretch argued that metric ignores age context and the target siphon Jefferson creates. Even with a possible (still-uncertain) league suspension hanging over him, Gretch believes Addison’s blend of early production, speed, and touchdown prowess makes him a smash eighth-round pick in best-ball builds.

Ben Gretch took Jaylen Waddle several picks after ADP because multiple camp reports have Tyreek Hill “having a really bad August” while Waddle has functioned as Miami’s primary option. Gretch reminded listeners that Waddle caught 106 balls as a rookie with Tua Tagovailoa and that Tua’s scramble and designed-run rates have cratered, forcing Miami to rely on red-zone passing where targets concentrate on skill players. With the quarterback offering no rushing-TD threat, Gretch sees an environment ripe for another 100-plus-catch campaign and even hinted Waddle could challenge for the league lead in receptions, making him a priority in both best-ball and traditional PPR formats.

Ben Gretch argued that J.K. Dobbins remains an undervalued piece of Sean Payton’s backfield. Sports Info Solutions graded Dobbins as a top-five runner against heavy boxes, and Gretch noted that Payton swapped out last year’s inefficient backs specifically to capture that trait. Denver still finished fourth in RB targets in 2024 – which Gretch labeled a floor outcome – so he expects a jump that could push Dobbins to roughly 40 catches even while sharing with RJ Harvey. Payton’s offenses have perennially lived off backfield receiving, and with Bo Nix’s conservative, success-rate style, Dobbins’ elite short-area burst should translate to steady PPR production well ahead of his current ADP.

Ben Gretch dropped Derrick Henry down his ranks after projecting the Ravens to shift roughly 50 of last season’s 300 carries to Keaton Mitchell. Henry would still dominate goal-line work, but even a three-carry-per-game haircut meaningfully dents his weekly floor and makes him overpriced at his current ADP. Gretch emphasized that Baltimore’s staff is "too excited" about Mitchell’s explosiveness to keep him off the field, so the volume reduction comes directly out of Henry’s base-down workload.

Gretch, once a vocal Justice Hill supporter, now calls Hill "undraftable in all formats." Last year Hill’s value came from designed wheel routes and swing passes, but Gretch argues Baltimore must hand those looks to Keaton Mitchell to exploit his 24-mph speed. With no realistic early-down role behind Derrick Henry and his change-of-pace snaps in jeopardy, Hill offers neither ceiling nor floor and is a land mine in the last few Best-Ball rounds.

Gretch said he has pushed Nick Chubb well below draftable range. The 29-year-old is still rehabbing last season’s catastrophic knee injury, has not practiced, and is now competing with Dameon Pierce and Jawhar Jordan for early-down work in Houston. Gretch would rather chase healthy upside plays in the same ADP window.

Gretch removed Woody Marks from his draft board after watching Houston’s beat reporters note that the rookie hasn’t flashed in camp and is buried behind Dameon Pierce and Jawhar Jordan. Marks lacked any rushing profile in college—0.09 missed tackles forced per attempt, lowest among drafted RBs—and still hasn’t generated a single positive camp report. In an ambiguous backfield that should be creating sleeper buzz, Marks’ silence is deafening.

Ben Gretch called Isaac Guerendo a "really strong handcuff" behind Christian McCaffrey after charting his 2024 efficiency: yards per route run 0.32 above Jordan Mason and a targets-per-route rate that ranked first among San Francisco backs in preseason action. The former Louisville sprinter posted 4.32 forty speed at 221 lbs, giving him one-play upside McCaffrey’s other backups lack. Durability remains a concern—Guerendo has already missed time with a quad—but in Gretch’s view the combination of true home-run speed and demonstrated receiving chops justifies a mid-teen best-ball pick.

Gretch reminded listeners that Atlanta cut last year’s RB3, leaving no legitimate depth behind Bijan Robinson. If Robinson were sidelined, Tyler Allgeier would reclaim the every-down role he handled for stretches in 2022. Atlanta ran the ball 52 % of the time inside the 10 last season, third-highest in the NFL, so Allgeier would inherit both volume and goal-line work.

Ben Gretch moved Keaton Mitchell way up his board after the back "looked like the best running back in the league" during Baltimore’s first preseason game. Mitchell ripped off two 20-yard gains on consecutive snaps, sidestepped traffic behind the line, shook a 300-pound defensive tackle’s arm tackle, and spun past an unblocked edge defender for a first down. Gretch recalled that two seasons ago Mitchell tied for fifth in the NFL with seven 20-plus-yard runs on only 47 carries, clocked a 1.48-second ten-yard split and hit 24 mph on the GPS gun. Beat writers have matched that film with daily camp buzz, rating him alongside Jacori Krosky-Marek as the team’s most consistent playmaker. Gretch expects Baltimore to siphon roughly 50 carries from Derrick Henry and re-route Justice Hill’s swing-pass work to Mitchell, giving the speedster weekly spike-touch potential and elite handcuff upside in both Best Ball and season-long formats.

Ben Gretch pushed back on the "best handcuff in football" narrative around Ray Davis. He noted that the one game people cite—where Davis replaced James Cook—was a clear hot-hand situation in which Ty Johnson still handled significant third-down snaps the team values so highly. Buffalo’s coaches call Johnson the best pass-blocking back on the roster, and he looked more explosive than Davis in the preseason opener. Gretch compared the hype to 2023 Alexander Mattison: extrapolating a single spot start over 17 weeks and ignoring middling prospect grades and poor SIS efficiency marks.

Ben Gretch said he is comfortable rolling Jerome Ford out in Week 1 because Cleveland routinely uses him on obvious passing downs. Gretch pointed out that Ford posted reception totals of 7, 6 and 5 in individual games last season despite never topping 12 carries, proof that the receiving role is secure even when Nick Chubb is healthy. With the Browns projected to trail against Dallas in the opener, Gretch expects a pass-heavy script that could give Ford 4–6 catches and keep zero-RB drafters from opening the year with a goose egg.

Ben Gretch predicted Jerome Ford will see roughly 15 touches right out of the gate and maintain that volume for several weeks, making him a late-round safety net for RB-light drafters. Gretch acknowledged Ford’s 2024 workload was limited—he hit 10 carries only five times—but highlighted efficient peripherals plus seven-, six- and five-reception games when coaches unleashed him. With the Browns’ depth chart thin and no clear early-down challenger, Gretch expects Ford to handle a steady mix of carries and passing-down work, providing an inexpensive path to usable fantasy points while drafters wait on higher-upside stashes to develop.

Ben Gretch urged drafters not to panic over Kenneth Walker’s limited August workload, framing it as the Seahawks’ deliberate plan to protect a critical starter who battled late-season durability issues in 2024. Walker has already returned to practice, and passing-game coordinator Clint Kubiak praised him for “making plays in the pass game and the run game” before the team again rested him. With three weeks until Week 1, Gretch reads Seattle’s actions as load management, not a hidden setback, turning the current draft discount into a value grab for managers comfortable betting on the team’s commitment to Walker as their offensive centerpiece.

Ben Gretch advised fading Chris Olave until the Saints resolve what he called a ‘bleak’ quarterback situation. Preseason reports have Spencer Rattler tentatively ahead of rookie Tyler Shuck, yet Rattler again displayed the same scatter-shot accuracy that torpedoed drives last season. Shuck looked marginally better but is still an unknown. With neither passer demonstrating consistent ball placement or command of the offense, Gretch projects sub-par efficiency across the entire passing game, limiting Olave’s weekly ceiling and making him an unnecessary risk at his current eighth-round price in FFPC best-ball drafts.

Gretch predicted J.J. McCarthy will smash ADP because the Vikings paired him with an offensive line that Brandon Thorne labeled the most improved in football, added Aaron Jones as a pass-game outlet, and already boast Jefferson, Addison and Hockenson. Even though two of McCarthy’s first throws were off-target, the receiving corps erased the mistakes, illustrating the fantasy floor he inherits. Gretch added that McCarthy’s reasonable mobility gives him sneaky 400-plus rushing-yard upside, making him the last quarterback in drafts with a plausible dual-threat ceiling.

Ben Gretch said he is drafting Jordan Addison everywhere after watching the first preseason drive in which J.J. McCarthy hit Addison for three effortless completions, including one throw behind him and another low that Addison cleanly scooped. Gretch argued the sophomore’s sticky hands plus Minnesota’s upgraded offensive line (Brandon Thorne’s ‘most-improved’ unit) and the attention Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson command will force secondaries into single coverage, setting Addison up for an early-season target spike that beats his current mid-round ADP in both best-ball and season-long formats.

Ben Gretch called Chase Brown’s meteoric rise to pick 2.03 “probably aggressive.” Gretch and Siegele were scooping Brown at 3.10 only weeks ago, gaining value and structural uniqueness. Now that drafters are paying a mid-second premium, Brown no longer offers either. Passing on Tier-1 wideouts to chase the steam, in Gretch’s view, erodes expected win rate. His guidance: fade Brown at his new second-round cost and wait for running-back value later in the draft.

Ben Gretch said he "can’t get over" Jahmyr Gibbs after re-watching Week 18 and the Lions’ playoff game, noting Gibbs was “unstoppable” with the division on the line and again when Detroit’s offense stalled early in the postseason. Gretch believes that kind of high-leverage usage shows the coaching staff trusts Gibbs as the focal point and will expand his workload in 2025, making last year’s regular-season touch splits irrelevant. He views Gibbs as a priority early-round pick whose role and upside are still climbing despite an already aggressive ADP.

Ben Gretch acknowledged that FFPC leagues are a sprint from Week 1 but still advocated drafting Jordan Addison even though he will miss the first three weeks. Gretch argued Addison’s ceiling is so high that the short-term points sacrifice is insignificant compared to the wide-receiver punch he provides from Week 4 forward. In his view the roster construction already carries enough early scoring to absorb the delay, and Addison’s explosive profile makes him a league-winning stash at current draft cost.

Ben Gretch reiterated that reports of the Cowboys defense “looking terrible” are actually bullish for Dak Prescott’s fantasy outlook. A leaky Dallas unit would force the offense into pass-heavy scripts, padding Prescott’s drop-back volume and keeping his weekly ceiling intact even if efficiency regresses. Gretch drafted Prescott specifically with this game-script angle in mind and believes the defensive concerns are a feature, not a bug, for anyone counting on Dak in managed leagues.

Ben Gretch called Keaton Mitchell "almost a must select" in the double-digit rounds, citing daily camp buzz that the explosive back "looks incredible" whenever he touches the ball. Mitchell profiles as the clear upside handcuff to Derrick Henry; if the 30-year-old starter misses time, Gretch notes that Justice Hill is not built to handle 20 carries, leaving Mitchell in line for a feature workload. The Ravens have historically leaned on a single runner when injuries strike, making Mitchell’s contingent value immense relative to his depressed ADP.

Ben Gretch identified J.J. McCarthy as a priority late-round quarterback, explaining that his projections spit out a top-10 finish thanks to Kevin O'Connell’s aggressive pass rate and the NFL’s best trio of receiving weapons: Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson. Minnesota also fortified the interior offensive line and added Aaron Jones as a high-end outlet receiver, creating a path to elite passing efficiency so long as McCarthy "doesn't suck." Camp reports indicate the first-rounder has been scrambling naturally, giving him a little rushing juice on top of the aerial volume. Gretch believes McCarthy’s realistic ceiling is overall QB6 with a floor around QB20, making him an ideal upside pairing with a safer starter like Dak Prescott in one-QB season-long leagues.

Ben Gretch said Dak Prescott is a screaming value at his current ADP, calling the Cowboys signal-caller a "huge discount" after he slid to pick 13.03 in their FFPC Main Event draft. Gretch expects Dallas to "throw a ton" this season and emphasized that Prescott has historically oscillated between ordinary and league-winning fantasy stretches. If managers land one of Prescott’s hot seasons they can remain competitive without paying up for an elite quarterback. The discount is particularly appealing because Dallas keeps a consolidated target tree and shows no inclination to lean run-heavy even when protecting leads. Gretch recommended scooping Prescott in the mid rounds of one-QB formats when the elite tier is gone, betting on volume and his proven ceiling.

Ben Gretch endorsed Dak Prescott as an upside QB1 target, explaining that Dallas is “going to throw a ton” after investing in perimeter speed and letting Tony Pollard walk. Gretch reminded listeners that in seasons where Prescott has averaged 35-plus attempts, he has finished no worse than QB7 on a per-game basis, thanks to career marks of 0.58 fantasy points per drop-back. With CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens and rookie Luther Burden stretching the field, Gretch expects Dallas to finish top-5 in pass rate over expectation, giving Prescott 4,600-yard, 30-TD potential at a mid-round price in season-long and best-ball drafts.

Ben Gretch placed Najee Harris at RB93—literally the last spot in his rankings for the second straight year—and said he "should still be available" in the double-digit rounds. Gretch cited Harris’s continued sub-4.0 YPC, the Chargers’ commitment to a three-back rotation, and the presence of more explosive options on passing downs as reasons the former first-round pick no longer carries startable upside. With Los Angeles projected to finish bottom-10 in rush attempts after hiring a pass-centric coaching staff, Gretch sees no path to workloads that once propped up Harris’s fantasy value and recommends avoiding him entirely.

Ben Gretch celebrated grabbing Luther Burden in the double-digit rounds, arguing the rookie has a realistic path to pace the Chicago Bears in receiving yards. Gretch recounted that whenever Burden practices, beat writers rave about his explosiveness—"this guy’s just something"—despite occasional absences that have given him a reputation as a headache. Gretch is willing to eat that volatility because Burden’s ceiling dwarfs the veterans going in the same range; if Burden’s camp buzz translates, he could quickly jump ahead of DJ Moore and Rome Odunze on the target totem pole. After seeing fallback options like Brandon Aiyuk coming off the board, Gretch viewed Burden as the last receiver in the tier who can materially swing an FFPC Main Event league and advised drafters to stay aggressive before his price climbs.

Ben Gretch called Jordan Addison the ultimate boom-bust pick but worth selecting over Tee Higgins at similar cost. Gretch noted that camp observers have said Addison looks "night and day" better than DJ Moore and Rome Odunze, framing him as a legitimate threat to lead his team in receiving. He acknowledged a wide range of outcomes—Addison could post 120 yards in Week 1 or see only a handful of snaps—but argued that the chance at an immediate WR1 role outweighs that volatility. Because Addison’s ADP still sits several rounds below elite receivers, Gretch recommended chasing the upside in season-long formats and living with any early-season turbulence.

Ben Gretch said Chris Olave is performing like a round-three player but routinely lasts until the 6-7 turn because of a spring concussion and panic over the Saints’ quarterback depth chart. Gretch noted Olave has topped 2.0 yards per route run every season, wins via polished route-running, and will "run a ton of routes" in an offense devoid of other target earners. He expects new coach Kellen Moore to keep a fast tempo that inflates play volume even if Spencer Rattler or Tyler Shough struggles. The quarterback uncertainty caps ceiling a bit, but Gretch views the combination of guaranteed route share, career-long targets-per-route excellence, and historical efficiency as a clear buying opportunity in Season-Long and Best-Ball formats.

Ben Gretch endorsed taking Chris Olave at the Round-6/7 turn despite lingering concerns about the Saints’ quarterback play. Gretch’s case hinges on raw opportunity: Olave will "run a ton of routes" and command a high targets-per-route rate because the rest of the receiving corps lacks proven volume earners. He added that new head coach Kellen Moore historically pushes tempo; even on a bad team that should translate into more total plays and pass attempts. Gretch acknowledged the offense may struggle, but he views Olave’s projected route share and target dominance as enough to beat ADP and provide the high-ceiling swing this roster needs after starting RB-heavy.

Ben Gretch selected George Pickens as his WR1 and argued the production gap between CeeDee Lamb and Pickens may be smaller than ADP suggests. Dallas lacks a credible running game and projects for a "ton of passes" behind what Gretch called a "tragic" defense, creating a Bengals-like environment where two wideouts can feast. Pickens remains an "electric" big-play threat, and if defenses funnel throws his way the way they did for Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins last season, he could push for high-end WR2—if not fringe WR1—numbers at a Round 5 cost. Gretch acknowledged Pickens’ volatile personality but believes the upside justifies the risk, especially for managers who skipped wide receiver early.

Ben Gretch argued that pairing Bucky Irving with Jonathan Taylor creates a uniquely powerful RB start. Irving was the duo’s favorite prospect last year, and coaches are now comparing his lateral agility to Barry Sanders. Gretch noted that while Irving lacks true 4.3 long-speed, his side-to-side quickness lets him cut without decelerating, making him lethal on swing passes and angle routes. In a Tampa offense that already leans on the short passing game, that receiving profile could translate to weekly spike weeks. Because many Bowers-led builds skew RB-heavy, Gretch likes Irving in Round 3-4 as both correlation with Taylor and a way to build a roster that very few Main Event managers can replicate.

Ben Gretch said Brock Bowers should be the first overall pick in FFPC Main Event drafts, calling him the 'true 101' and stating that landing him at 1.03 was only possible because average draft position has not yet caught up. Gretch dismissed the small-sample narrative that early-round tight ends rarely repeat year-two breakouts, arguing that none of the historical misses carried Bowers’ all-around production profile or early breakout age. He views Bowers’ combination of target-earning ability, run-after-catch skill, and red-zone dominance as unique at the position. Because of that, Gretch is willing to bypass top-five wide receivers and running backs and build rosters around Bowers, believing the scoring edge at tight end will outweigh positional fragility elsewhere.

Ben Gretch said Jalen Coker is the sneaky second-year receiver to tether to Bryce Young in FFPC Best Ball drafts. Despite entering 2023 as a UDFA, Coker forced his way onto the field late, ultimately inheriting David Moore’s boundary routes and finishing with 10-plus yards per target. Gretch emphasized that Coker had to "earn every snap," whereas Round-1 pick Xavier Legette was handed seven-to-ten target games and still underwhelmed. That efficiency-to-volume progression, coupled with Coker’s ability to play outside while Tetairoa McMillan operates as the primary, sets the stage for what Gretch called a clear "secondary breakout." He expects Carolina’s passing pie to expand under Dave Canales, projecting Coker’s targets-per-route to climb sharply and framing him as the late-round stack that justifies taking Young as a two-QB window play over pricier names like C.J. Stroud or Matthew Stafford.

Ben Gretch warned that Rashee Rice’s Round-5 best-ball price ignores two red flags. First, any early-season suspension means the sophomore will have to "board a moving train," Mike Tomlin’s term for players trying to re-enter an offense that has already found rhythm without them. Second, Rice’s 2023 fantasy appeal rested on an 81 % catch rate on ultra-short targets (league-low 4.5-yard aDOT), a combo Gretch doubts is sustainable over a full season. With Travis Kelce, new arrival Hollywood Brown and rookies Xavier Worthy and Jalen Royals all demanding snaps, Gretch sees a realistic path where Rice returns, plays fewer routes than drafters expect, and never justifies his mid-round cost. He prefers taking the rookies or even buying Patrick Mahomes naked rather than assuming Rice reprises last year’s volume-plus-efficiency blend.

Gretch called ninth-round Bo Nix the cheapest on-ramp to what he expects will be a surprise top-10 offense in Denver. He and Siegele built a full-season bet around the rookie by adding college running mate Troy Franklin and late flier RB RJ Harvey, reasoning that if Sean Payton’s tempo uptick hits, the stack captures every fantasy touchdown without paying Courtland Sutton’s or Javonte Williams’ pricetags. Gretch stressed that unlike one-off DFS stacks, this is not about Nix throwing every TD to Franklin; it is about Denver simply scoring a lot more total points than the market projects. In that scenario Nix’s round-9 cost bakes in very little risk while unlocking top-12 quarterback seasons that advance best-ball teams.

Ben Gretch said drafters can treat Bryce Young as this season’s Baker Mayfield-style rebound and stop at two quarterbacks in FFPC Best Ball. He and Shawn Siegele purposely paired Young with first-round rookie wideout Jalen Coker, arguing the upside in that mini-stack offsets passing on a third signal-caller and frees a mid-late pick for an additional breakout WR or RB. Gretch believes Young’s Year-2 environment— second season in Dave Canales’ quick-game system plus continuity with veteran targets — sets up a high-completion, low-turnover profile similar to Mayfield’s 2023 leap. If that materialises, Young supplies weekly 20-point floors at a double-digit ADP, making the common three-QB safety valve a wasted roster spot.

Ben Gretch identified seventh-round pick Jacori Croskey-Merritt as a nearly free dart throw who could carve out an explosive-play role in Washington’s backfield. Austin Ekeler is 29 and the only proven juice on the roster, while Brian Robinson and Chris Rodriguez are straight-line grinders. Gretch’s projections leave room for a speed back who can flip field position and catch passes in Kliff Kingsbury’s uptempo offense. Although Merritt is far from a roster lock—Gretch conceded he could be cut—he costs a Round-20 pick, exactly the type of asymmetric bet that can swing Best Ball tournaments if Ekeler’s age shows or the Commanders simply want more big-play potential. Gretch prefers stashing Merritt over veteran dust backs in the same range because any path to snaps in a Jayden Daniels offense could translate to lineup-cracking spike weeks down the stretch.

Ben Gretch warned drafters to fade Rico Dowdle, insisting the market is paying for a handcuff label that probably does not exist. Dowdle is coming off the board in Round 15 of FFPC Best Ball—seven full rounds ahead of fourth-round rookie Trevor Etienne—even though Dowdle’s entire four-year resume is special-teams snaps and last season’s volume was purely a by-default situation. Gretch stressed that Carolina just invested meaningful draft capital in Etienne, a clear signal the front office views the rookie as the preferred contingency plan behind Chuba Hubbard. Handcuff certainty is mostly an illusion, and in this specific backfield Gretch sees zero evidence Dowdle would monopolize touches if Hubbard missed time. With an ADP that assumes a locked-in backup role, Dowdle is one of the easiest double-digit-round fades, whereas Etienne five rounds later offers superior talent, draft investment and upside.

Ben Gretch highlighted how Carolina’s own draft-room comments reveal Trevor Etienne is being badly discounted in Best Ball. GM Dan Morgan admitted the Panthers ‘couldn’t live with not getting ETN’ and leaned on an Eric Eager analytics simulator that projected an imminent fourth-round RB run. Carolina took Etienne ahead of bigger fantasy names like Jarquavious Hunter and Jaylen Wright because their internal grades had him well above the rest of the tier. Gretch emphasized that fantasy drafters are ignoring that conviction, letting Etienne slide past Round 16 despite a depth chart that currently features only Chuba Hubbard and journeymen. New HC Dave Canales just fed Rachaad White 336 touches in a weaker offense, and Gretch expects a similar workhorse inclination. If Etienne simply inherits 60-percent of that opportunity in a presumably improving Panthers attack, he smashes cheap ADP while still leaving room to draft upside backs later.

Ben Gretch said Harold Fannin Jr. is the most mis-priced tight end in FFPC Best Ball drafts. Cleveland spent an early-third on Fannin and GM Andrew Berry immediately labeled him "the queen on the chessboard," stressing his ball-in-hand skills, movement-style blocking and mismatch potential in 12 personnel. OC Tommy Rees has already schemed touches for him in camp and publicly vowed to "push to find ways to get him involved." Gretch noted the Browns view Fannin and David Njoku as complementary—Njoku will stay in-line while the 233-pound rookie moves around the formation—so the two are not fighting for the same targets. Fannin posted dominant college production and is virtually free after Round 18, yet he offers a ceiling well above mid-draft names such as Ben Sinnott, Taysom Hill or Noah Gray who routinely go earlier. In TE-premium scoring, even modest early-season route counts could turn Fannin into a weekly lineup cheat code, making him a priority TE4 flier.

Ben Gretch advised fading Jalen McMillan at current late-round ADP, arguing the rookie’s 2023 efficiency masks a serious volume problem. Even with Chris Godwin hobbled and Mike Evans missing snaps last season, McMillan produced a sub-par targets-per-route rate while tight end Cade Otten— long considered a pure cardio play— saw his own TPRR spike. Gretch expects that target squeeze to intensify now that first-rounder Emeka Egbuka is in the slot rotation. Any McMillan breakout requires (1) an unexpected Godwin shutdown and (2) Father Time finally catching Mike Evans. Gretch acknowledged camp buzz and McMillan’s big-play profile, but said drafters are stacking too many ifs and treating 2023’s touchdown luck as predictive. In his Tampa projection McMillan profiles as an occasional spike-week WR6/7, not a reliable piece for Best Ball advance rates.

Ben Gretch called Wan'dale Robinson a no-brainer Round-16 pick when your Best Ball roster is light on early wideouts. Robinson quietly drew 140 targets last season and Gretch projects another 110 looks— roughly five short-area catches per game— even after Malik Nabers’ arrival. That translates to 80-plus receptions at virtually no cost, a profile Gretch likened to vintage PPR glue guys who keep lineups afloat while you chase ceiling elsewhere. He dismissed concerns about Russell Wilson’s accuracy, noting low-aDOT throws are the one thing Wilson still executes. On teams where WR3 and WR4 are spike-week dice rolls like Jermaine Burton and Rashod Bateman, Gretch wants Robinson’s bankable volume to raise weekly floors and early advance rates.

Ben Gretch said Marvin Mims is still being drafted too early because Sean Payton simply does not give secondary receivers enough routes to matter. He pulled PFF’s raw participation numbers and noted Mims topped out at just 21 routes and 48 percent of Denver drop-backs in Week 16, with his third-highest mark only 15 routes all season. Before Week 13 the second-year wideout never cleared a 33 percent share and spent most contests in the low-20s. Gretch believes that four-wide rotation is a design feature of Payton’s offense, pointing out that Troy Franklin, Devon Vele and Lil’Jordan Humphrey all stalled in the same 40–60 percent range and that new arrivals Evan Engram and rookie Pat Bryant will only deepen the rotation. With Denver also talking up more RB usage in the passing game, he doubts Mims gets the Year-3 route spike that Blair Andrews’ research typically forecasts. Gretch prefers Franklin three rounds cheaper and called Mims “pretty overvalued” at current FFPC Best Ball ADP.