The Weekly Bender: Early Draft Favorites
Sat May 24 9:54am ET
By HOWARD BENDER
Fantasy Writer
Nix seems like a great value
It’s never too early to start drafting your fantasy football teams. No, seriously. It’s ever too early.
Just give a look around the fantasy sports community and you’ll see what I’m talking about. Hardly anyone plays season-long fantasy basketball or fantasy hockey and if I’m being morbidly honest, the game of fantasy baseball is dying out as well. It hurts me to say it and I will continue to play, but the general public has moved more towards DFS and betting in those sports and it’s getting increasingly more difficult to find a legitimate league with legitimate owners.
But football paints a much different picture. Sure, the DFS and betting work has increased, but fantasy football will seemingly never die out. It is insanely popular with adults and there is always a strong contingency of the younger generation looking to create leagues with their friends. You have dynasty leagues that run 365 days a year, the rise of best-ball and, of course, the growing community of high-stakes players who invest thousands of dollars chasing six-figure prizes like The Fantasy Championship offers. Heck, we even have a $10,000 tournament prize for the Beat Bender Best Ball Leagues this year!
Now I get it. The calendar still says May and we’re not even getting full news cycles that discuss what is happening at spring OTA’s or what we can expect from certain position battles around the league. But that doesn’t mean our research doesn’t need to start today. Between free agency, all the coaching movement, the rookies from the NFL Draft and the 2025 NFL schedule release there is plenty to analyze and discuss. You just have to dig a little deeper than checking the player news.
To get things started, I’m going to give out a few of my favorite targets for the 2025 fantasy football season. Some of the reasoning is speculative, but for the most part, these early flag plants come from all of the research I’ve done leading up to today. Coaching movement, free agency and how a team drafted this year all play a factor in some way. For those who have competed against me in these early Beat Bender drafts or have watched the Fantasy Championship Draft livestreams I’ve done with Jeff Paur, you know how much I like drafting these players. If you haven’t, get ready to start taking notes.
Bo Nix, QB Denver Broncos
Drafting quarterbacks has become quite different over the last few seasons as more and more people are drafting the position early in order to obtain one of the top rushing quarterbacks. It’s a sound strategy if your guy is going to add 4-50 rushing yards per game and a rushing touchdown on top of any passing numbers, but you don’t have to use a top pick on Josh Allen or Jalen Hurts to gain said advantage.
Nix rushed for 430 yards and four touchdowns during his rookie campaign and his 3,775 passing yards and 29 passing touchdowns were actually better than the passing totals both Allen and Hurts produced. Now in Year 2 of Sean Payton and Joe Lombardi’s system, we expect Nix to take a step forward this season as the team increases the weaponry at his disposal. And in looking at current fantasy football ADP, I think I’d rather have a third or fourth-round Breece Hall with Nix over Allen and say, Travis Etienne.
Kenneth Walker III, RB Seattle Seahawks
This one is all about coaching schemes. Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald fired offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb because he felt the offense was too pass-heavy and not conservative enough for him. He replaced him with Klint Kubiak who, like his father Gary, has a run-first mentality and is ready to deliver exactly what Macdonald is hoping to see. Kubiak brought in long-time offensive line guru Rick Dennison who, with the elder Kubiak, developed one of the most effective run-blocking schemes and helped churn out 1,000-yard rushers almost every season from the late-90’s to present day.
In addition to bringing in Dennison, Kubiak re-signed fullback Brady Russell and then requested the team draft Robbie Ouzts, a massive tight end out of Alabama who was just converted to fullback. All signs point to Kubiak running the football early and often which puts Walker near the top of my draft lists. His explosiveness is going to be huge whether it’s inside or outside-zone running and if you’re concerned over his injuries in recent seasons, just handcuff him to Zach Charbonnet. Remember, it’s about the system, not necessarily the player.
Garrett Wilson, WR New York Jets
Are you telling me that people are so down on the Jets and so down on Justin Fields that Wilson deserves to fall down to the late fourth round? That seems incredibly egregious to me and I am grabbing Wilson every chance I get at this value. I understand that Fields has been a disappointment for us over the first three years of his career, but I do feel like there’s promise ahead and that should spill into more work for Wilson.
Fields is now onto his fourth offensive coordinator in four years but in this case, the coordinator (and head coach) actually wanted Fields and is designing the scheme around his strengths. Offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand has already discussed the need to work on Fields’ accuracy and he plans on doing it with a lot of short, high-percentage passing. He wants to get the ball into Wilson’s hands and turn him into a YAC monster. And considering the competition for targets is almost non-existent, Wilson is going to see a boatload of work.
Evan Engram, TE Denver Broncos
Many of you have already heard me discuss Engram and the “joker role” developed by Sean Payton and Joe Lombardi, but if you haven’t, it’s quite simple. Here’s what I wrote in the last Weekly Bender:
“Payton and Lombardi have been looking for a player to serve as their “joker,” a non-receiver who can line up as such, run clean routes and has good hands. Engram showed us that he can play that part after dominating with targets and receptions in Jacksonville. The correlation between what Payton and Lombardi are doing now versus how they built their team in New Orleans is evident. Harvey plays the Alvin Kamara role, Sutton is the Michael Thomas role and that leaves Engram to be the next Jimmy Graham? Yes, please!”
With people grabbing Brock Bowers and Trey McBride in the second and then watching Sam LaPorta and George Kittle go in the fourth and fifth, it’s nice to get a bargain in the sixth or seventh in Engram. Just think if what could be should he start to see a target share similar to what Graham did back in the day.
Just a few examples of some of my early favorites. If you want to see more, just jump into one of the Beat Bender Best Ball Tournament leagues, scout my picks and try your hand at beating me for $10,000.
Bender out!
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- Jets place LB Quincy Williams (shoulder) on IR, trade for Titans CB Jarvis Brownlee
- Commanders WR Terry McLaurin (quad) uncertain for Week 4
- Texans releasing S C.J. Gardner-Johnson
- Giants to add ex-Falcons K Younghoe Koo
- Giants rookie QB Jaxson Dart to start vs. Chargers
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- Bucs WR Mike Evans (hamstring) out multiple weeks
- Before reunion Sunday, Jerry Jones recalls teams 'mitigating Micah Parsons'
- Former Bengals RB Rudi Johnson dies at 45
- Week 4 Power Rankings: Don't forget Detroit
- Texans S Jimmie Ward comes off commissioner exempt list
- Vikings G Donovan Jackson (wrist) out two games after surgery
- Texans' DeMeco Ryans on 0-3 start: 'It's not about being close'
- Falcons look for ways to set Michael Penix Jr. up for success after Sunday struggles
- Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb to miss 3-4 weeks
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The Paur Report
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver KaVontae Turpin caught two of his three targets for 64 yards while adding a rush for four yards in their 31-14 blowout loss to the Bears. Turpin saw more action in this game after CeeDee Lamb left with an injury. He ran 70% of the routes, which was third on the team behind Jalen Tolbert and George Pickens. Turpin made a tough catch after taking a big hit for an explosive gain down the sideline and has plenty of speed to threaten the defense vertically. Most of his usage last year came as a ball-in-hand guy with screens and underneath passes. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer could opt to incorporate that more with their best YAC threat, Lamb, who will be sidelined for a few games. That gives Turpin some short-term appeal in deeper leagues to see how the receiver usage shakes out.
From RotoBaller
New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson rushed for 28 yards on a team-most 11 carries during Sunday's Week 3 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. While the rookie was incredibly inefficient, he was still trusted as the primary option out of the backfield after Rhamondre Stevenson lost two fumbles and Antonio Gisbon and Drake Maye each fumbled once. Henderson's ball security made up for his lack of efficiency, and given that Stevenson's fumbling issues are nothing new, the second-round pick may be in line to lead the backfield once again in Week 4. His 46 percent snap share last Sunday paints a picture of what his usage might look like next week. Fantasy managers will want to see his yards per carry and red-zone usage both increase before trusting him in lineups, but on a positive note, his ball security, pass catching, and blocking have all been quite dependable. He's trending upward and ranks as a fringe top-36 fantasy running back for this week's clash with Carolina.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Davante Adams continues to produce at a high level despite vying for opportunities alongside a star-studded group of teammates, including Kyren Williams and Puka Nacua. Adams caught three of his eight targets for 56 yards in Week 3, making up for his low reception total with modest yardage and a big score. He now has 213 yards and two touchdowns this season, ranking as the overall WR14 in PPR leagues. At the same time, Williams is the overall RB15 and Nacua is the overall WR1, so it's not like Adams has the show all to himself. Nevertheless, the talented veteran receiver is producing at a high level within a strong offense during his age-32 season. He remains in must-start territory for the rest of the season, regardless of matchup. A potential shootout against the Eagles in Week 4 bodes well for Adams' fantasy value.
From RotoBaller
New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs has seen his snap share increase every week so far. However, his target, reception, and yardage totals have declined every week. To this point, the more he's on the field, the less he has been involved. This is unlikely to continue going forward, as his playing time and volume should start to balance out. Nevertheless, his fantasy value has been somewhat underwhelming, as he ranks as the overall WR58 in PPR leagues through three weeks. He caught just three passes for 23 yards last Sunday, and things won't get any easier for him in Week 4 against a Panthers defense that just shut out the Falcons. Diggs is worth scooping up off the waiver wire given his consistency and veteran presence, but it's hard to justify starting him in leagues with 14 teams or fewer.
From RotoBaller
New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte led the position groups last Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, getting on the field for 56 snaps, which equated to a 76 percent snap share. Boutte saw the field for at least 10 snaps more than each of his fellow receivers, and the only pass-catcher who out-snapped him was tight end Hunter Henry. Despite playing more than three quarters of the snaps this season, the LSU product has failed to replicate the Week 1 showing in which he caught six passes for 103 yards. Over his last two games combined, he has just three catches on four targets, though he did add a touchdown along the way. Boutte's snap share suggests he should be a low-end WR3/flex option, but his volume and production indicate that he should be left on the bench. For now, managers should oblige and leave the 23-year-old on the bench in most fantasy leagues. However, his ability to get on the field does spark some optimism.
From RotoBaller
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed 16 of 23 passes for 139 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in Sunday's 21-14 win over the Patriots. It was a low-play volume day for the Steeers, running only 49 plays to the Patriots' 71. Rodgers checked down to running back Jaylen Warren most often, leading the team with six targets. But he did find both top wide receiver options in D.K. Metcalf and Calvin Austin III for touchdowns. He's established a solid connection with Austin in the early going, and he could be a valuable piece for them to help generate explosive plays. The upside for Rodgers with the Pittsburgh offense is not interesting enough for fantasy purposes, and he is best left on the waiver wire in standard redraft leagues and viewed as a low-end QB2 in superflex leagues.
From RotoBaller
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz completed 14 of 20 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns while adding two rushes for four yards in Minnesota's 48-10 rout of the Bengals. He also took three sacks for a loss of 19 yards. Wentz made his first non-Week 18 start since New Year's Day in 2023 with the Washington Commanders, when he had one of the worst games of his career, throwing for only 143 yards and tying a career high of three interceptions in a 24-10 loss to the Browns that essentially eliminated Washington from the playoffs. Wentz managed the offense well in this game; however, targeting Justin Jefferson most often and finding tight end T.J. Hockenson for a touchdown to get him going. There will inevitably be some frustrating moments with Wentz, but he will be able to operate Kevin O'Connell's offense at a competent level with the assortment of weapons at his disposal, plus Jordan Addison returning from suspension in Week 4. There's a chance he keeps it for the rest of the season if he plays well and the winning continues. He should be viewed as a priority pickup in most superflex leagues.
From RotoBaller
Tennessee Titans wide receiver Elic Ayomanor hauled in four of his five targets for 38 yards and a touchdown in their 41-20 loss to the Colts on Sunday. Ayomanor continues a productive start to his NFL career with five targets in each game and scoring again after his highlight first touchdown last week. He tied veteran Calvin Ridley for the team lead in targets in Week 1 with seven, tied Ridley and Chig Okonkwo in Week 2 with six, and then dropped down slightly to third against Indianapolis behind Okonkwo and Ridley with five. So the fourth-round rookie is running a full number of routes and earning volume right out of the gate. There is a lot to like with Ayomanor's start in the NFL and his prospect profile, putting him in the WR3/WR4 range with some upside moving forward, but Tennessee's offense will likely continue to struggle moving the ball.
From RotoBaller
Jacksonville Jaguars rookie running back Bhayshul Tuten scored a touchdown for the second straight week in his team's 17-10 Week 3 win over the Houston Texans. The 23-year-old finished the game with six carries for 21 yards and a score, and has now logged 106 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns on 19 total touches this season. Tuten remains behind veteran running back Travis Etienne Jr. in the Jaguars' backfield pecking order. Still, Tuten has consistently flashed high-end upside and may be able to steal touches away from Etienne Jr. as the season progresses. Tuten should be rostered in all league formats, and he profiles as a low-end RB3/flex option in Week 4 against the San Francisco 49ers.
From RotoBaller
Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt logged 10 carries for 34 yards and a touchdown in his team's 22-9 Week 3 win over the New York Giants. Hunt has rushed for 81 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries this season, adding four catches for 23 yards on five targets as well. While the 30-year-old has not been efficient on a per-touch basis, he could still be slowly stealing a larger share of the workload from Chiefs running back Isaiah Pacheco. Over the last two weeks, Hunt has recorded 20 touches, compared to 22 for Pacheco. Hunt may not have a ton of fantasy upside, but he should be rostered in deep leagues. In a tough Week 4 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, both Chiefs' backs profile as low-end RB3/flex options.
From RotoBaller
Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson was targeted a whopping 14 times in his team's Week 3 loss to the Chicago Bears, hauling in 13 catches for 82 yards. Ferguson now has 27 catches for 183 yards on 32 targets through his first three games of 2025. With star Dallas wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (ankle) potentially facing a multi-week absence due to a high ankle sprain, Ferguson should be expected to maintain a sizable role in the Cowboys' passing game. The 26-year-old faces a tough matchup in the Green Bay Packers' defense in Week 4. Still, Ferguson profiles as a must-start tight end and is a priority waiver wire target in any league where he remains available.
From RotoBaller
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney drew 11 targets in Sunday's 30-0 loss to the Panthers, three more than No. 1 receiver Drake London. Unfortunately, he was onlyable to haul in four of those targets, tallying 44 yards in the process and no scores. The 27-year-old's involvement is encouraging, but it seems that after three weeks, Michael Penix Jr.'s efficiency (47.9 QBR - 20th) and short passes (6.1 yards per attempt - 24th) are going to limit the entire receivingcorps in terms of receptions, yardage, and touchdowns, at least in the short term. On occasion last season, Mooney outtargetedLondon, but he earned double-digit targets just one time in 16 games played (compared to eight times for London), so this typeof target share should not be expected goingforward. Nevertheless, it appears the Tulane product is fully healthy after missing Week 1 with a shoulder injury, and he should settle in as an every-week PPR Flex option at a minimum. The 5-foot-11 wideout gets a favorable home matchup in Week 4 against the Commanders in what should be a competitive game, as Washington is only 1.5-point favorites early in the week.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford completed 19 of 33 pass attempts for 196 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in his team's 33-26 Week 3 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. The 37-year-old is off to a solid start to his 2025 season, completing 66.3% of his passes for 739 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions through three games. Stafford's complete lack of rushing ability limits his fantasy upside. Still, he's averaging over 30 pass attempts per game while piloting a Rams offense that can put up points in bunches. Stafford is worth rostering in all two-quarterback formats, and profiles as a low-end QB2 heading into his Week 4 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts.
From RotoBaller
Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet was targeted just once in his team's Week 3 win over the Dallas Cowboys, but he made it count with a 10-yard touchdown grab. Kmet now has four catches for 70 yards and a touchdown on seven targets through the first three games of 2025. Perhaps most importantly for Kmet's fantasy outlook, Bears rookie tight end Colston Loveland (hip) suffered a hip injury in Week 3. Loveland's injury is not considered serious, and he reportedly has a chance to play in Week 4 against the Las Vegas Raiders. Still, Kmet could be a low-end streaming option in deep leagues in Week 4 if Loveland is sidelined.
From RotoBaller
Seattle Seahawks rookie tight end Elijah Arroyo (groin) was deemed limited for the team's walkthrough on Tuesday ahead of its Week 4 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday night. Arroyo has just three catches for 38 yards on five targets through the first three games of his NFL career. Arroyo is behind AJ Barner on the tight end depth chart in Seattle, and third-stringer Eric Saubert could be in line for more playing time if Arroyo is unable to play on Thursday. Even if Arroyo is good to go in Week 4, he should remain off of fantasy radars.
From RotoBaller
Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (foot) was listed as a full participant for the second straight day this week on Tuesday's estimated injury report, according to John Boyle of Seahawks.com. Charbonnet missed the team's Week 3 blowout win over the visiting New Orleans Saints on Sunday with a foot injury, but he appears to be on track to return despite a short turnaround in Week 4 for a divisional clash against the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday night. The 24-year-old was unable to practice at all last week. Charbonnet's status on Wednesday will be worth watching. If he's able to return this week, it will be bad news for Kenneth Walker III's upside. In the first two games of the year, Walker and Charbonnet were involved in a timeshare. The former second-rounder has averaged just 2.1 yards per carry on 27 rushing attempts for 57 yards and a touchdown. If Charb is active on Thursday night, he'll be in play as an RB3/flex in fantasy lineups.
From RotoBaller
The New York Jets announced on Tuesday that they placed linebacker Quincy Williams (shoulder) on Injured Reserve. Williams injured his shoulder in the first half of the Week 3 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and was unable to return. The 29-year-old will now be forced to miss at least four games, and he will not be eligible to play again for the Jets until Week 8 on the road versus the Cincinnati Bengals. The Jets also placed Marcelino McCrary-Ball (hamstring) on IR. Williams, a former third-rounder by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019 out of Murray State, will now have a tough time recording 100-plus combined tackles for the fifth straight season in 2025. He had 15 tackles (eight solo), 1.5 sacks, and two pass breakups for the Jets in the first three games this year.
From RotoBaller
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said that cornerback Darius Slay (leg) has a "leg contusion" and was in and out of the Week 3 win over the New England Patriots on Sunday. The injury may limit Slay in practice this week, but Tomlin expects him to be available for the Week 4 tilt this Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. The 34-year-old should be able to suit up for this weekend's international game in Dublin, Ireland, but it's possible he won't play every defensive snap like he did the first two weeks of the season. The six-time Pro Bowler and former All-Pro has 10 solo tackles, two pass breakups, and a fumble recovery in his first three games with the Steelers in 2025. Pittsburgh's defense was uncharacteristically sloppy in the first two weeks before turning it around a bit in last week's win over the Pats. They'll look to keep it going in Ireland against Vikings veteran quarterback Carson Wentz.
From RotoBaller
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers placed tight end Ko Kieft (leg) on Injured Reserve on Tuesday with a leg injury, according to Greg Auman of FOX Sports. It's a key loss for the Bucs' special-teams unit, and Kieft will be forced to miss at least four games. The earliest that he'd be able to return would be in a Week 8 divisional matchup on the road against the New Orleans Saints. However, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times is reporting that Kieft's leg injury could keep him sidelined for the rest of the 2025 season. The 27-year-old tight end apparently injured his leg in the Week 3 win over the visiting New York Jets on Sunday. With Kieft now out for the foreseeable future, Devin Culp will jump up into the No. 3 spot on the team's TE depth chart behind Cade Otton and Payne Durham, heading into a Week 4 showdown against the 3-0 Philadelphia Eagles.
From RotoBaller
The Houston Texans released safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson on Tuesday amid "friction behind the scenes with him complaining about his role," league sources told Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Sports. Gardner-Johnson also wanted to blitz more and even said he wanted to be traded. With the 27-year-old no longer in Houston, the Texans will move forward with M.J. Stewart as the next man up at safety. Gardner-Johnson actually played at least 94 percent of the defensive snaps in the Texans' first three games of the season, but he was still unhappy with his role and wanted out. In his short time in Houston, he racked up 15 tackles (11 solo). The former fourth-round pick in 2019 by the New Orleans Saints should be able to latch on quickly with another team in need of reinforcements in their defensive backfield.
From RotoBaller
