Late-Round Players We Love & Jacobs Suspension

JJ Zachariason notes that Blake Corum scares people because of committee concerns, but he's one of his guys and would have found a reason to discuss him if the assignment had been different. He's certainly not going outside the top 100 in ADP, but Zachariason is squeezing him in anyway. He views Corum as undervalued relative to the backfield situation in Los Angeles.

Zachariason ranks Brenton Strange at tight end 8, one slot higher than Jawan Johnson at tight end 9. Strange winds up being the tight end flag player discussed more frequently on the show due to his slightly higher ranking, though Johnson could have received equal attention given the strength of his situation.

JJ Zachariason notes that Brock Bowers will get a million targets for the Raiders, establishing him as the clear focal point of the passing game when discussing Trey Tucker's opportunity.

Power back and Chris Rodriguez type; good pass blocker with very little wiggle or big play ability; not likely to make many people miss. Has played in 41 NFL games with Miami and Green Bay with 80 total carries and some receiving work but not a dynamic playmaker. Ranked 10th or 11th round. If Brooks is the main guy at week one, it's not expected but wouldn't be a shock given he's now the veteran in the room.

JJ Zachariason ranks Boston at 54 overall and has taken him late in every draft; despite Conception going ahead of Boston in ADP, Browns beat reporters say Boston has been the more electric player and is the primary reason the Browns parted with Cedric Tillman; at 14th round pricing, Boston offers upside relative to market perception.

Boston is being drafted 156th overall ADP versus Concepcion at 113th overall, a significant discount despite Boston's 6'4" frame and red-zone upside in a dysfunctional Chargers passing game. JJ Zachariason views this as a 51-49 situation favoring Concepcion, but prefers Boston as a 14th-15th round puncher's chance bet given the new coaching staff and potential offensive improvement; the logic that short-yardage situations will go exclusively to slot receiver Concepcion is overstated, and Boston's size gives him touchdown upside if the Chargers can move players around the field.

JJ Zachariason characterizes the Browns quarterback situation as 'utter hot garbage' and suggests Watson will be 'a hot mess'; speculates the team may be using Watson just to fail and bench him, though acknowledges it's hard to assume the Browns are doing anything that makes sense.

Won the number two job in Kansas City behind Kenneth Walker, who was often hurt in Seattle. Had a running and receiving profile in college, suggesting he could have diversity if he gets a role. Value tied to starter injury, but Johnson is encouraged as a good football player who would be interesting the moment he steps into the chair. One of 12-15 guys fitting this backup profile, but quasi-prioritized. Can be grabbed in double-digit rounds whenever desired.

JJ Zachariason mentions Fernando Mendoza as a potential quarterback option for the Raiders, hoping he or Kirk Cousins will improve the passing game relative to Geno Smith's performance last year.

JJ Zachariason notes that Garrett Wilson is the alpha receiver for the Jets, establishing him as the clear top pass-catcher in the offense when discussing AD Mitchell's role and opportunity.

JJ Zachariason notes that Gino Smith was bad last year but was actually pretty good not that long ago. He's had a previous run with the Jets. Zachariason acknowledges the uncertainty around Smith's performance as a risk factor for Jets receivers like AD Mitchell, but argues it's too early to dismiss the Jets entirely given the team's talent.

Zachariason notes that a buddy recently drafted George Kittle and needs a tight end to bridge the first quarter of the season until Kittle's role and production become clear. This context illustrates the use case for Jawan Johnson as a complementary tight end pick for those targeting Kittle early.

JJ Zachariason notes that Jalen Naylor is not any good and the market has moved on from him. Earlier in the summer, Naylor was going ahead of Trey Tucker in drafts, which Zachariason questioned. Now, in live drafts on Fantasy Pros, Tucker is going ahead of Naylor, which Zachariason views as the correct market correction. Zachariason didn't see anything in Naylor's Minnesota performance that warranted the earlier hype.

Hyatt is implicitly discussed as part of the Chargers' passing game dysfunction. The source notes that the Chargers' quarterback room was a 'clown car' last year, and even with new coaching staff (Kellen Moore), the offense is unlikely to improve significantly. JJ Zachariason references Sanders' ponderous play and slow decision-making as reasons to be skeptical of any meaningful offensive improvement, suggesting limited upside for pass-catchers.

Been in on Jordan Love all summer; situation gets stronger because Packers' running back room is unsettled with uncertainty about other guys' ability to play. Has a quarterback five finish on his resume; got hurt early the following season which basically wiped out that year. Team has been very run-heavy in general, but defense looks a little worse. Good quarterback value in late rounds given there are so many good quarterbacks this year; can do well at any price point.

JJ Zachariason has been bullish on Jordan Love all summer and sees the Packers' unsettled running back room as strengthening the case for him as a second-quarterback target. Love has a QB5 finish on his resume; Zachariason ranks him QB17 but believes he's more talented than that ranking suggests. The market has given him a giveaway price all summer. Zachariason notes Love is one of the 12 most talented quarterbacks in the league and that Matt LaFleur's conservative play-calling last year (the team ranked sixth in pass-to-run ratio) may have suppressed his volume; with a potentially weaker running back situation, there's a crease for increased passing volume. Zachariason expects LaFleur to streamline pass catchers and play main guys without heavy platooning, making Love a perfect second-QB target at a discount.

Tyson won't be available for a couple of months, creating an extended window for Jawan Johnson to accumulate volume and production. JJ Zachariason explicitly states he is not betting on Tyson's return as a league-winner scenario, suggesting he views the upside as limited or the timeline as too late in the season to matter for fantasy purposes.

JJ Zachariason expresses caution on Tyson despite his current ADP around 10th-11th round, citing his injury history from college and the practical difficulty of holding him through the season when roster injuries inevitably mount. The speaker argues that drafting injury-prone players early creates a trap: if you can't hold them through injuries and bye weeks, someone else picks them up off waivers later without having invested draft capital, making the early investment wasted. Zachariason's overall rank is lower than Tyson's current ADP and prefers not to draft into injuries.

Placed on commissioner's exempt list on Sunday midday; almost certainly a long-term absence. Baseline suspension is at least six games for first-time domestic violence offender, but initial court appearance isn't until mid-November, making activation before then unlikely. After legal proceedings, suspension could be tacked on or weeks reduced based on time served. For fantasy purposes, he is a much later-round pick and probably only if your league has reserve spots.

Johnson is JJ Zachariason's number-one late-round tight end target, with proof of concept from last season: 77 catches, 889 yards, and 3 touchdowns. He's being drafted in the late teens at tight end early in the season, but Zachariason expects to find him outside the tight end run in Yahoo drafts. The Raiders play at a quick pace under new head coach Kellen Moore, and Jordan Tyson won't play for a couple of months, giving Johnson early-season volume. Zachariason is not betting on Tyson's return creating a league-winner scenario; instead, he views Johnson as a boring but reliable late-round value play.

JJ Zachariason ranks Jawan Johnson at tight end 11 or 12, significantly ahead of market ADP where he's being drafted in the teens to early teens at tight end in most formats, sometimes outside tight end 20 in Yahoo drafts. Zachariason has numerous shares and views Johnson as fitting any tight end strategy—early, medium, or late—and as a perfect bridge option for those who draft George Kittle and need coverage until they know what Kittle produces.

Jawan Johnson is described as essentially a big slot receiver with 77 catches last year; he has proof of concept as a productive player. He has prior connection to quarterback Tyler Shuck from their time at Oregon together, which Zachariason notes helped them hit the ground running and look comfortable together in their first season, reducing the typical ramp-up risk.

Zachariason is comfortable starting Jawan Johnson in week one and expects him to be one of his most rostered players across leagues. He notes there's no big difference among tight end options early in the season, but Johnson's combination of production, role clarity, and quarterback familiarity makes him a reliable week-one starter.

Arrested for DWI over the weekend; found parked in no-parking zone and blew over legal limit. Fortunately didn't hurt anybody. NFL makes distinctions for DWIs without extreme blood alcohol content. Current thinking from Colts beat reporters is Allen will face suspension eventually, but usually these DWI suspensions without extreme circumstances only happen after legal stuff plays out, typically around nine months. Not changing Allen's rank for 2026; similar to Jordan Addison who had DWI in July 2024 and wasn't suspended until start of 2025.

JJ Zachariason mentions Kenyon Sadiq as a tight end the Jets would like to develop into a major contributor. Sadiq had a great combine and was an interesting first-round rookie pick, but his health status is uncertain.

JJ Zachariason references Keon Coleman in the context of waiting for his emergence, noting the draft evaluation that defenders cover him like a backpack. Zachariason makes a light joke suggesting Coleman might need to return to basketball, implying skepticism about his current trajectory.

JJ Zachariason lists Khalil Shakir as his number-four late-round player he loves. Shakir is a pure slot receiver who goes too late (around pick 140) because he's unsexy, but Zachariason views him as a borderline great player with a limited fantasy role. He expects Shakir to catch 70 balls again given his exposure to Josh Allen and the Bills' lack of depth at receiver behind him. While there's no huge ceiling, Shakir is a reliable baller his team trusts; Zachariason highlights a clutch fourth-down catch against the Patriots last year as evidence of his quality. The addition of DJ Moore should help everyone, including Shakir. At his ADP, Shakir is way too low for a player of his caliber.

JJ Zachariason mentions Kirk Cousins as a potential upgrade for the Raiders passing game, hoping that some version of Cousins or Fernando Mendoza will be better than what Geno Smith provided last year.

JJ Zachariason references Kyron Williams in the context of committee backfield concerns, noting that people worry about taking him high due to committee risk, but Dave Montgomery doesn't go as high as Williams, suggesting a tiered approach to the Rams backfield.

Ranked sixth round standard, seventh PPR following Josh Jacobs suspension. Has only six carries in two years and played exactly one game that counted; has been hurt basically entire two-year pro career (hamstring, ankle, appendix, hamstring, calf). If he was as talented as boosters claimed, ranking is too low, but downside is he can't play at all or his body can't take it. Ranking attempts to account for full probability matrix rather than just best case.

JJ Zachariason notes he would like to draft Fant but is avoiding him due to the Browns quarterback situation; Fant has an expectant ADP that makes him unattractive relative to the QB uncertainty, despite his quick onboarding last season.

Zachariason notes that the Saints drafted Oscar Delp but does not view him as an immediate threat to Jawan Johnson's role, though he acknowledges the possibility of being wrong about the timeline.

JJ Zachariason notes that while Matt Waldman's evaluations of Skylar Bell were positive during the offseason, Zachariason doesn't think Bell will be a story this year. He hasn't heard much from training camp reports and expects Bell's situation to remain quiet.

JJ Zachariason lists Trey Tucker as his number-two late-round player, noting that while the Raiders passing game is uncertain past Brock Bowers, Tucker is available when people are drafting third receivers and speculation running backs. Zachariason believes Tucker could be the Raiders' best wide receiver, though he acknowledges Bowers will get a million targets and Gentry will catch passes if healthy. Zachariason sees Tucker as a number-one receiver on a team that improved its offensive infrastructure under Clint Kubiak, and he expects some version of Kirk Cousins or Fernando Mendoza to be better than Geno Smith was last year. Tucker had a three-touchdown game out of nowhere last year. Zachariason notes Tucker could have 950 yards and 7-8 touchdowns, which is in his range of outcomes. He's a fast guy with long-touchdown upside and could have 100+ targets. Even if Tucker hits the high end of his range, he'll likely remain a WR4-5 on most rosters, useful for bye weeks. Zachariason also notes that Jalen Naylor, who was going ahead of Tucker earlier in the summer, has now fallen behind Tucker in live drafts on Fantasy Pros, which is the correct market correction.

JJ Zachariason lists Woody Marks as his number-three late-round player he loves, calling him a play towards what if Houston's offense is better than expected. Marks is undersized but understood the assignment and mostly didn't bounce everything outside; he took a lot of shots but is quick and a pretty good runner. Zachariason sees potential for Marks to be the third-down back and is skeptical that Dave Montgomery is a true three-down back at this stage. Zachariason is often taking Marks by himself, not just as a handcuff, betting on him getting 40% of the work and being pretty good in scoring touchdowns. He notes Marks is a bench spot that could become the number-one waiver wire pickup if Montgomery gets hurt. Zachariason emphasizes that Marks' 3.6 YPC last year is misleading—the entire Houston offense was terrible, the offensive line was a mess, and CJ Stroud had his worst game in the Patriots loss. Marks had 19 carries for 112 yards and a touchdown against Pittsburgh. Zachariason criticizes the narrative that Marks was terrible and needed to be replaced, noting he was a productive part of the Texans' playoff run. He also highlights Marks' college pedigree: 261 receptions over five years at Mississippi State, including 83 catches in one season, making him very comfortable in pass-game work and credible in blitz pickup.