While the early rounds get a lot of attention, fantasy football leagues are often made or broken by the middle rounds. For example, in 2023, Mike Evans, Evan Engram, Brandon Aiyuk and Raheem Mostert all had great seasons as mid-round draft picks.
When looking for the best midfield options, I usually target the following group of players:
Running backs who are part of a shaky backfield and play a key role in the passing game, these players have a stable base thanks to their receiving work and have the potential to emerge as the team's top rushers.
A wide receiver or tight end who is one of the offensive line's top two targets and could take a step forward. These players' target shares are supporting their bottom line and could have breakout potential if the offensive line plays really well.
3. Quarterbacks who score a lot with their legs. These players can score a ton of points in fantasy if they have a great passing season.
Now that you know my thoughts, here are my favorite mid-round targets this year (61st-120th on the Yahoo! ADP).
61st to 70th place
WR Ruchy Rice, Kansas City Chiefs
Rice has emerged as the Chiefs' No. 1 wide receiver with 577 yards over his final eight games of 2023. Of course, he'll be sharing targets with Xavier Worthy and Hollywood Brown (when he returns from injury), but we're also looking for a big bounce back from Patrick Mahomes, whose passing statistics were down from last year (1,067 yards and 14 TDs).
TE Dalton Kinkaid, Buffalo Bills
The departures of Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis have left the Bills receiver corps in disarray, making Kinkaid Josh Allen's most reliable target. The 2023 first-round draft pick could lead Buffalo in catches.
71st to 80th place
TE Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
It's hard to imagine Pitts, or anyone else, can overcome the terrible QB play the past two seasons in Atlanta. The jump from Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke to Kirk Cousins is big enough that Pitts could return to the 1,000-yard mark he reached as a rookie in 2021.
QB Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
Daniels could lead all quarterbacks in rushing yards and get there much later than Lamar Jackson and Anthony Richardson, who are the leading contenders for that title. Ideally, they'd like to solidify their team at other positions and then get a quarterback like Daniels or Caleb Williams in the middle for a couple of rounds.
81st to 90th place
RB Tyjay Spears, Tennessee Titans
Spears should be heavily involved in the running game, as he was more effective on a per carry basis than new teammate Tony Pollard last year. Spears' skills as a receiver (52 catches) show that he's the type of dynamic back who can break into a team's passing schemes. I'm more interested in Spears in PPR leagues, but I'd pick him in any format if he can expect to gain 1,000+ total yards.
WR Jackson Smith-Njiba, Seattle Seahawks
JSN didn't have a standout rookie season (63-628-4), but established himself as a part of Seattle's passing attack after being selected 20th overall in the NFL Draft. Tyler Lockett will soon be 32, and new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb knows establishing Smith-Njiba as a high-volume receiver will be key to his future tenure with the Seahawks.
91st to 100th place
TE Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys
As I detailed in a recent article, Dak Prescott consistently throws for plenty of yards, and if that continues this year, Ferguson needs to get some high numbers. After all, outside of CeeDee Lamb, Dak doesn't have any great weapons to target. Brandin Cooks is almost 31, didn't reach 700 yards in either of the past two seasons, and Dallas doesn't have a skilled receiver in the backfield. Ferguson's 761 yards last season is a low point, and he could get 900+ yards this year.
RB Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals
During Zac Taylor's five seasons in Cincinnati, Joe Mixon was an average runner (4.0 yards per carry) who averaged 66.9 rushing yards per game and was also part of the passing attack. What's clear is that Taylor likes to rely heavily on one running back, and Brown is better equipped to fill that role than Zack Moss. I'm not a fan of Brown's bottom line, but I'll be chasing his top line as we move into the middle rounds.
101-110th place
QB Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
Unlike many former No. 1 overall picks, Williams is set up for immediate success. Not only is he joining a team that won seven games last year, but he also has one of the most exciting wide receivers in the league in DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze. Williams also has the skill to be a runner, having recorded 27 rushing touchdowns in three NCAA seasons.
WR Jordan Addison, Minnesota Vikings
Addison is coming off a memorable rookie season (911 yards, 10 TDs) and with TJ Hockenson recovering from surgery to repair a torn ACL, he's the obvious choice to be the No. 2 target in Minnesota's passing game. Sam Darnold isn't as good as Kirk Cousins, but he's better than the Vikings' QB in the second half of 2023.
111-120th place
RB Jerome Ford, Cleveland Browns
It's nice to have Ford in case Nick Chubb can't handle the strain when he returns from a gruesome knee injury in 2023. Plus, Chubb has never played a big role in the passing game. At the very least, Ford will get a fair share of the carries and plenty of the receiving for Cleveland. And there's a chance Chubb can't make a big impact, leaving Ford with the strain of a decent offensive line.
RB Trey Benson, Arizona Cardinals
Benson is obviously a rookie who is a reserve for his team, so he's not going to have the bare minimum of ability, but the young man has high potential as a skilled young rusher playing behind a 29-year-old (James Conner) who has missed multiple games each of his last seven seasons in the NFL, and there will be a few weeks where we all want Benson on the team.
