Cockcroft pegged Tre Tucker as a post-draft helium play after the speedster delivered three games of 15+ fantasy points and drew at least a 20 percent target share four times in 2024. In the first preseason series Tucker hauled in a 15-yard pass before sitting with the rest of the starters, a subtle but clear sign the new Pete Carroll/Geno Smith brain trust views him as part of the first team. Smith has praised Tucker’s route refinement, and Cockcroft expects the vertical slot to see an expanded role that could vault him into weekly flex consideration, particularly in leagues that award bonuses for long touchdowns.

Tristan H. Cockcroft sees seventh-round pick Kyle Monangai as a legitimate threat to Roschon Johnson for backup duties behind D’Andre Swift. Monangai went an FBS-best 607 carries without a fumble over the past three seasons at Rutgers and forced 156 missed tackles, seventh-most in the nation, evidence of elite contact balance even if he lacks top-end speed. New head coach Ben Johnson used multiple backs for double-digit carries in 20 of 51 games while coordinating Detroit’s offense, a tendency that could translate to Chicago. Cockcroft believes Monangai’s ball security and rugged running style give him a real chance to claim weekly flex-level volume if injuries strike or if the Bears deploy a true committee.

Cockcroft labeled Keaton Mitchell an almost mandatory insurance policy for anyone rostering Derrick Henry or playing in formats deeper than default ESPN settings. Mitchell spent most of 2024 regaining form after a devastating multi-ligament knee reconstruction but still saw all 10 kick returns travel at least 23 yards. His 2025 preseason debut—68 rushing yards and a touchdown—suggests the trademark speed is fully back. With Henry now 31 years old and carrying 2,355 career attempts, Cockcroft warned that the Ravens’ bell-cow could finally hit a wall, making Mitchell’s explosive profile a league-swinging stash.

Tristan H. Cockcroft urged managers not to give up on Adonai Mitchell after a rough rookie season that featured a league-worst 42.6 percent catch rate among receivers with 50+ targets and a 5.6 percent drop rate. Mitchell’s speed remains elite, and Colts camp reports plus a preseason opener featuring catches of 15 and 22 yards indicate cleaner hands and better chemistry with the quarterback room. If his efficiency merely reaches league average, Cockcroft expects Mitchell to push Alec Pierce for a full-time perimeter role and become an upside bench option who can break long scores in any given week.

Cockcroft called Theo Johnson a forgotten name who can pay off handsomely once healthy. Before suffering a metatarsal fracture that ended his year, Johnson owned a 17.5 percent target share from Weeks 8-12 and produced 35.2 fantasy points in that short span. The 6-foot-6 playmaker posted the second-fastest 40-yard dash among tight ends at the 2024 combine, and the Giants have since upgraded the quarterback room with Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston, and Jaxson Dart. Cockcroft believes that combination of size, speed, and improved passing efficiency positions Johnson to jump into the low-end TE1 conversation in deep formats and makes him a savvy stash in any league where tight-end depth is scarce.

Tristan H. Cockcroft highlighted Tory Horton as an overlooked big-play option who already threatens Marquez Valdes-Scantling for Seattle’s third wide-receiver job. Despite a knee issue that limited him to six collegiate games in 2024, Horton ranked seventh in the FBS with 3.5 yards per route run and finished his Colorado State career with a 193-2,620-17 receiving line in just 30 contests. He now joins a depth chart where Cooper Kupp has missed an average of six games per season over the last three years, creating a likely path to early starts. Cockcroft likes Horton’s after-catch burst and views him as a priority late-round pick or first waiver claim in formats that reward long receptions.

Cockcroft told readers to keep Jaxson Dart atop their in-season watch list. Although the Giants have not named a starter, general manager Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll surrendered picks Nos. 34 and 99 plus a 2026 third to jump nine spots for him, a signal they want to play the big-armed passer sooner rather than later. Dart led all qualified FBS quarterbacks with 10.8 yards per attempt last season and brings rushing juice that translates directly to fantasy points. Cockcroft argued that the moment Dart is announced as the starter he becomes an immediate add in any format that starts a single quarterback, with superflex managers needing to roster him now.

Tristan H. Cockcroft advised targeting Jacory Croskey-Merritt in leagues that go beyond the standard 160-player draft pool. The seventh-round pick’s eligibility issues limited him to one game at Arizona in 2024, depressing his draft stock, but he has since lit up rookie camp and early preseason practices with eye-popping straight-line speed and sharp one-cut agility. With 30-year-old Austin Ekeler and a scuffling Brian Robinson Jr. atop the depth chart, Cockcroft believes Croskey-Merritt could carve out touches quickly and even threaten for the starting gig if his camp momentum carries into September. He labeled the back a prime bench stash whose athleticism and thin depth-chart competition give him league-winning upside.

Tristan H. Cockcroft said Dyami Brown is the kind of late-round dart throw managers want in deep season-long leagues and especially in best-ball contests. Brown parlayed a pair of playoff blow-up games with Washington into a three-year deal from Jacksonville that includes $9.5 million guaranteed. Cockcroft pointed to Brown’s 227 postseason receiving yards (second-most of any player) and a career 13.5-yard average depth of target that ranks 12th among wideouts with at least 100 targets. Remarkably, 45 percent of that yardage has come after the catch, illustrating a rare combination of vertical usage and YAC ability. Even with first-round pick Travis Hunter crowding the target tree, Cockcroft expects Jacksonville to use Brown as its designated field-stretcher, creating the spike-week profile best-ball drafters crave and making him a worthwhile bench stash in deeper formats.

Tristan H. Cockcroft highlighted Jayden Higgins as a cheap breakout bet thanks to his rare size/speed combo. The 6'4", 80-inch-wingspan wideout finished fourth in the FBS in first-down catches (64) and sixth in contested grabs (20), while averaging 4.5 yards per route and scoring six deep TDs at Iowa State. Cockcroft thinks those traits will let Higgins challenge Christian Kirk for perimeter snaps and make him one of the most profitable late rookie picks even if he opens as the WR3 in Houston’s three-receiver sets.

Tristan H. Cockcroft advised scooping Blake Corum as Kyren Williams’ primary handcuff even after the Rams drafted Jarquez Hunter. Corum’s Michigan resume—school-record 58 rushing TDs, Heisman finalist, National Championship Offensive MVP—proves he owns NFL-quality juice, and Sean McVay has publicly praised his vision. Cockcroft expects the rookie to stay locked in as RB2 and called him one of 2025’s most critical insurance policies in case Williams’ heavy usage catches up to him.

Tristan H. Cockcroft said Trey Benson belongs on every late-round watch list because his big-play profile makes him the obvious heir if James Conner’s body finally gives out. Cockcroft reminded readers that Benson ripped off 5.4 yards per carry and a 19% explosive-run rate from Weeks 9-15 last year before an ankle sprain shut him down. The former Florida State burner clocked a 4.39 forty and turned 13 of his 23 college TDs into 15-plus-yard house calls, proof of true home-run speed. Conner is 30 and has averaged 3.3 missed games per season, so Cockcroft believes one injury is all it will take for Benson to jump from draft afterthought to weekly RB2 value.

Tristan H. Cockcroft reminded readers that Cedric Tillman was on the verge of breaking out before a Week 12 concussion. From Weeks 7-11 he averaged 6.0 receptions and 18.6 fantasy points, connecting on four deep receptions and two TDs on 20-plus-yard throws. Quarterback uncertainty still clouds Cleveland, but Cockcroft views Tillman as one of the league’s most talented young vertical receivers and a priority late-round stash.

Tristan H. Cockcroft pinpointed Diamondbacks hitter Gabriel Moreno as an excellent streaming option in DFS against veteran RHP Carlos Carrasco. While Carrasco making the Yankees rotation is a compelling feel-good story, Cockcroft notes that his roster spot comes from team desperation rather than his merit, evidenced by a troubling 5.02 ERA and 1.40 WHIP since 2019. Cockcroft believes Moreno, along with teammates Jake McCarthy and Pavin Smith, are set up for success facing Carrasco's shaky pitching and offers a clear actionable DFS recommendation.

Tristan H. Cockcroft pointed out Nestor Cortes as a potential streaming candidate despite his disastrous season opener against the Yankees, which included surrendering five home runs and issuing five walks. Cockcroft attributed the poor performance partially to first-game jitters against his former team. Returning to Milwaukee (American Family Field), a park that suppresses hits and inflates strikeouts despite being friendly to home runs, provides Cortes an excellent bounce-back scenario. Given the sparse selection of starters on Thursday's slate, Cortes presents high strikeout upside if his first outing proves an anomaly.

Tristan H. Cockcroft recommended targeting bullpen arms rather than risky starters on Thursday's slate. Jordan Romano, available in more than half of ESPN leagues, was specifically highlighted. The Phillies offer Romano a favorable environment for save opportunities given Thursday's matchup scenario against Colorado, which offers a projected average ERA of 3.55 for pitchers. Romano and other relievers like Trevor Megill and A.J. Puk represent better and safer streaming alternatives compared to thin starting pitcher options.

Tristan H. Cockcroft identified Merrill Kelly as a viable pitching stream despite the challenging road matchup against the Yankees. Though Yankee Stadium is known as a hitter-friendly park, Cockcroft highlighted Kelly’s ability to limit home runs, evidenced by having the 11th-lowest HR/9 rate among pitchers with at least 450 innings since 2022. The Diamondbacks pitcher faces a potent New York lineup led by Aaron Judge, amplifying the risk, yet his history of suppressing long balls makes him worth consideration on a difficult slate with limited streaming options.