Best Ball has been a huge focus for us at FantasyLabs this offseason. We’ve rolled out a new Best Ball tool, which features our expert rankings along with each player’s ADP on both DraftKings and Underdog. We’ve also rolled out a handful of helpful articles to help you construct your rosters.
Today, I want to dive into five players who stand out as solid late-round options to bolster any best-ball squad. These players are all going outside the top 100 picks on Underdog, and all have the potential to outperform their current ADPs. Let’s dive right in.
CLE TE Harold Fannin
- Overall Rank: 78
- Underdog ADP: 105.1
2025-26 was a banner year for rookie tight ends. Tyler Warren and Coleston Loveland were both first-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, and they had big impacts as rookies. Big things are expected for both in their sophomore seasons, with Loveland coming off the board at pick 46.7 and Warren at pick 64.7 on Underdog.
Fannin didn’t enter last year with as much hype as his rookie cohorts, thanks mostly to being a third-round pick. That said, he was an absolute monster in college. He had 117 catches and 1,555 receiving yards in his final collegiate season, and he earned All-American honors. Fannin had an immediate impact at the NFL level, finishing with 72 catches, 731 yards, and six touchdowns as a rookie with the Browns.
Fannin could definitely take a step forward in his second year. For starters, he’ll no longer have to worry about splitting playing time with David Njoku. He had just a 71% route participation last year, which ranked merely 20th at the position last year.
When Fannin was on the field, he was as busy as any tight end in football. He was targeted on 24% of his routes run, which was tied for the top mark among TEs with at least a 50% route participation. It was better than even Trey McBride (23%), who turned in a monster season. Fannin ultimately averaged 1.65 yards per route run, so with more routes in 2026-27, he could easily become a top-five option at the position.
The fact that Todd Monken has come over from Baltimore could also help. When he was with the Ravens from 2023-25, Ravens TEs ranked in the top 10 in receptions, receiving yards, touchdowns, and fantasy points. They were No. 1 and No. 2 in the latter categories, respectively, so his addition could help Fannin take his game to another level.
MIN RB Jordan Mason
- Overall Rank: 123
- Underdog ADP: 116.2
Mason’s price tag is steadily starting to creep up, and he doesn’t stand out as a huge value per our rankings. Both Sean Koerner and Chris Gimino have him ranked below his ADP, so neither is particularly bullish on him.
Still, I can’t help but love Mason’s prospects this season. He enters the year in a committee with Aaron Jones, but Jones will turn 32 in December. That is ancient by NFL RB standards, and we’ve already started to see some signs of decline. He averaged just 4.2 yards per carry last season, and injuries limited him to 12 games played.
Jones will still be a factor in the passing game, and that definitely matters for fantasy purposes. However, Mason is clearly the superior runner at this point. He averaged 4.9 yards per carry in the same situation last year, and he’s averaged better than five yards per carry for his career.
The advanced metrics paint an even rosier picture. He was one of the best pure runners in the second half of last season. Among RBs with 50+ carries from Week 10 on, Mason ranked third in explosive run rate, 10th in missed tackles forced per attempt, and ninth in Success Rate.
Mason should serve as the clear lead back in Minnesota, with most of the goal-line work. 1,000+ yards and double-digit touchdowns is a reasonable outcome, which makes him well worth a selection outside of the top 100 picks.
BUF WR Khalil Shakir
- Overall Rank: 112
- Underdog ADP: 127.2
The sexy, big-play receivers are usually the ones that get the most attention in Best Ball leagues, and that makes sense. You need upside to win a big tournament, but having some “floor raisers” is also important. Guys who are going to give you double-digit points most weeks can help get you to the playoffs, where some of your more explosive players can hopefully take over.
Shakir is one of those floor raisers. He averaged 11.2 PPR points per game last season (including playoffs) and led the Bills’ receiving corps with a 22% target share.
D.J. Moore is expected to be the team’s No. 1 receiver this year, but he and Shakir can definitely coexist. Shakir does most of his damage in the short-to-intermediate part of the field, while Moore has been a premier deep threat for most of his career. Moore should be able to earn most of the snaps and targets away from guys like Keon Coleman, Gabe Davis, and Brandin Cooks, so Shakir’s role should be largely unchanged.
Sean Koerner sees Shakir as one of the better pure values at the WR position, with his ADP checking in 15.2 spots after his ranking. Playing alongside one of the best QBs in football certainly doesn’t hurt, either.
Updated on 7/15/26
DAL RB Jaydon Blue
- Overall Rank: 257
- Underdog ADP: 195.2
I’m going out on a bit of a limb with this one. Neither of our expert rankers is as high on Blue as I am, who was a massive disappointment as a rookie. He was expected to compete for the starting job with Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders, but he ended up being a complete non-factor. He appeared in just five games, and he racked up just 3.4 yards per attempt on 38 total carries.
Williams is back for the Cowboys this year, and he should continue to serve as the team’s lead runner. However, there has been a steady drumbeat with Blue all offseason. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer has repeatedly praised his work ethic heading into his second season, and The Athletic’s Jon Machota believes he is the “ideal” complementary back to Williams in Dallas.
Catching passes is one area where Blue should be much more involved than he was in his first year. He was an excellent receiving back at Texas, including 42 receptions for 368 yards and six touchdowns in his final collegiate season. He could definitely earn a role on third downs in his second year, which would give him some standalone value.
Of course, the real upside scenario for Blue involves an injury to Williams. If that were to happen, Blue could be a potential league winner. He’s a priority backup target for me with an ADP just inside the top 200.
NEP WR Kayshon Boutte
- Overall Rank: 197
- Underdog ADP: 211.4
The Patriots had one of the most underwhelming groups of pass-catchers last season. Stefon Diggs was their de facto No. 1 option, but he was used on a part-time basis. Bringing in A.J. Brown should alleviate that issue, but there will still be opportunities for other players to contribute.
Boutte should be one of them. He didn’t get much usage last year, but he made the most of his opportunities. He had seven games with double-digit PPR points (including playoffs), and he finished inside the top 12 among receivers in two regular-season weeks. That’s solid upside for a player who is basically free in drafts right now.
Boutte should keep his role as a field stretcher for the Patriots despite the addition of Brown, and there’s always the chance that Brown isn’t the same player he was in his prime. His numbers were way down in his final year with the Eagles, both in terms of volume and efficiency. While that’s likely due to the Eagles’ offensive struggles more than Brown himself, it’s still possible that Boutte has a bigger role than most expect heading into 2026-27.
Pictured: Khalil Shakir
Photo Credit: Imagn
