Though many see Labor Day weekend as their last chance to enjoy the summer, fantasy football enthusiasts see it as their last chance to squeeze in as many drafts as possible.
Forget the beach.
Forget the family barbecues.
Hop into a draft room and build yourself one more team.
High stakes?
Dynasty start-up?
Whatever your hearts and wallets desire.
Just remember, when you do, be sure to seek out the best value possible.
Over the past two weeks, the number of mainstream fantasy football players, or fantasy tourists, has dramatically increased and changed the way we draft.
With trendy players such as Emeka Egbuka and Ricky Pearsall going in the fifth round, the inevitable has happened.
Names that don’t get as much hype but still offer strong fantasy production are being pushed down the draft boards, presenting us with much more reliable value picks.
Texans wide receiver Christian Kirk is a prime example.
Though some may be sitting with a bad taste in their mouths from his injuries the past two seasons, Kirk has become a fantastic value pick in the 10th or 11th round.
He has quietly outplayed all of the Texans newly drafted rookie receivers in camp and is locked in as the team’s No. 2 behind Nico Collins.
Kirk plays a strong game, especially for full-point PPR scoring, as he becomes the reliable, move-the-chains, guy for quarterback C.J. Stroud.
He can work from both the outside and the slot ,and has a route tree that sets up the short, high-percentage passing that allows Stroud to march up and down the field.
With so many drafters swinging for the fences, having a high-floor asset like Kirk on your roster provides your lineup with some stability.
Betting on the NFL?
Another great value pick we are seeing comes from the backfield of the Jaguars.
Right now, there are plenty of question marks surrounding the Jaguars ground game.
Travis Etienne Jr. is the most recognizable, but few people have really dug in to see just how inefficient a runner he has been over the past few seasons.
The team drafted Bhayshul Tuten, but he has been rather unimpressive in camp and seems to have a lingering fumbling issue that dates back to college.
That leaves an unheralded 12th-round fantasy pick in Tank Bigsby as their true hope.
When Jaguars head coach Liam Coen was in Tampa Bay last season, he had a very similar situation.
Rachaad White was the leader of the backfield, but Coen grew tired of his inefficiency.
He gave Bucky Irving increased opportunities and, eventually, handed the rookie the full-time job.
Bigsby already has shown better production with his 4.6 yards per carry average, and he is better at breaking tackles as well.
The previous regime rarely gave him the chance to catch passes, but he has shown that ability in camp this summer as well.
Should Coen take the same path here in Jacksonville as he did in Tampa, Bigsby should be leading the charge very soon.
Resisting the hype and drafting for value may not yield the most exciting fantasy roster, but it certainly will deliver the proper production your way.
If you’re drafting this weekend, let the fantasy tourists in your league grab the trendy names early.
It will only push down more value your way and guide you to a championship.
Howard Bender is the head of content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on X @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 6-8 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for all your fantasy football news and advice.
