Favorite Fantasy Football picks in the first 10 rounds

Round 4: Calvin Ridley, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

The last time we saw Ridley play a full season, he finished as the WR5. He should now be the top target on an offense that threw the ball just shy of 600 times last season. While many think that the year and a half off may be a detriment, I think that it could allow him to come into this season completely healthy and hungry for success.

The Jaguars' offense produced three 700-plus-yard receivers last season, with Christian Kirk collecting 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns. That was good for a WR11 finish. No offense to Kirk, who is a solid receiver in his own right, but he isn’t at the level that Ridley is. With two viable threats in the run game and weapons all around him, Ridley could see a lot of one-on-one coverage. Where Ridley is being drafted right now (WR16) is closer to his floor than his ceiling, in my opinion. I think he has a legitimate chance of being a top-10 receiver, and getting that level of production in the fourth round is an absolute steal.

Round 5: Cam Akers, RB, Los Angeles Rams

Sometimes a lack of competition leads to a workhorse role for a guy who hasn’t necessarily earned said role. That is exactly what might happen in Los Angeles. Akers has never had more than 188 carries in a season, but his only competition for touches is Kyren Williams (who had 35 carries as a rookie) and Zach Evans (who was a sixth-round pick in this year’s draft).

A couple of returning players should also be major factors in Akers’ success. Cooper Kupp should be the focal point of opposing defenses, allowing Akers to see lighter boxes on run plays. Matthew Stafford is also back, and he targets running backs at a solid rate. Last year, the Rams’ top three running backs saw just 52 combined targets. In 2021, with a healthy Kupp and Stafford, they saw 73 targets. That is nearly 1.5 more targets per game.

While it isn’t anything game-changing, it could be enough to raise Akers’ floor up just a little bit. Akers also saw just 46 percent of carries last season. That number should easily get up near 55 to 60 percent in 2023 due to a lack of competition. While the ceiling for Akers may be capped, he should be a solid RB2 for your team (or, in my preference, your RB1 in a zero RB draft strategy).

Round 6: Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons

London’s rookie campaign was a bit overshadowed by Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, but he still put together a very solid first season. On a team that ran the ball a nearly unbelievable 559 times, the fact that London still saw 117 targets just goes to show the type of talent he has.

A 55 percent run rate is likely to drop for the Falcons, even with the addition of first-round pick Bijan Robinson. That will almost certainly lead to more targets for London. What should also help him is the return of Kyle Pitts, who missed seven games last season. That will draw some attention away from London and potentially give him more one-on-one opportunities. His touchdowns were also quite low, as his four touchdowns were matched by teammate MyCole Pruitt (who saw a total of 21 targets).

If the Falcons pass the ball closer to 50 percent of the time and London keeps the same target share, it would lead to around 25 more targets. If his touchdowns get closer to the double-digit range, it could be a huge jump for London in his second year. His ADP outside the top 60 just doesn’t make sense to me.