- Trey McBride has been incredibly consistent: McBride finished as a top-six fantasy tight end for over 50% of his games last season.
- Travis Hunter plays 100% of the 11 personnel snaps with the starters: The Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver and cornerback played significantly with the offense during the first week of the preseason, including several snaps out of the slot.
- PFF+ gives you the Fantasy blueprint: Test strategies with the No. 1 Mock Draft Simulator, use the Live Draft Assistant for pick suggestions and project next-round availability, and unlock industry-leading rankings.
Estimated reading time: 12 minutes
It’s exceptionally rare for a player to be a true “must-draft,” someone who makes sense for your roster no matter your draft strategy or team build. Last year, Rashee Rice fit that mold. Despite being drafted as late as Round 6 on some platforms, he emerged as the WR2 over the first three weeks before his injury.
While no player offers that kind of clear-cut value this early in the offseason, the three names below are ones I’m consistently drafting — even if it means reaching slightly ahead of ADP. They’re the kind of players I’m comfortable selecting regardless of how my roster is shaping up.
Average draft position (ADP) reflects a consensus of ESPN, Sleeper, and Yahoo! rankings for 12-team redraft leagues.
Last updated: Tuesday, August 26
TE Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals (ADP: 3.02)
Trey McBride was the 55th overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. He started his career as Zach Ertz’s backup. Ertz was injured midseason, allowing McBride to become the starter. He was held to 22 total receiving yards in his first three starts without Ertz. He showed a little promise at the end of the year, with seven receptions for 78 yards and a touchdown in Week 17. Ertz returned in 2023 but was again out for the season after Week 7.
McBride took over again, and this time, his play was much different. He caught 10 passes for 95 yards and a touchdown in his first start without Ertz. He averaged 15.0 fantasy points per game over the rest of the season. Ertz moved on to the Washington Commanders, allowing McBride to continue his quality play throughout 2024.
McBride led the league in both receptions per game (6.9) and receptions per route (0.21) last season. His yards per game (71.6) and targets per game (8.7) were both second-best. He’s achieved an 89.9 receiving grade over the last two seasons, which is second-best among tight ends behind George Kittle. Only five other receivers have receiving grades in the 80s, including Brock Bowers, Mark Andrews, T.J. Hockenson, Sam LaPorta and Travis Kelce.
The Cardinals made minimal changes to their offense this offseason, allowing us to expect more of the same from McBride.
Elijah Higgins and Tip Reiman remain the two backup tight ends. They will continue to play in some two-tight-end sets. The top three running backs and top four wide receivers on the depth chart remain identical to last season. Almost all of the Cardinals' additions in the draft and free agency occurred on the defensive side.
It’s worth noting that McBride has a relatively low average depth of target and is rarely targeted on deep passes. McBride caught 90 passes for 727 yards on short passes or passes from behind the line of scrimmage. Both ranked second to Brock Bowers, posting over 100 yards between them and third place. On intermediate and deep passes, McBride has 21 receptions for 419 yards, which ranks fifth among tight ends. The relatively low deep target rate might put a ceiling on McBride, making it unlikely he posts an all-time great season, but he can still be a top-two tight end in this role. Out of 18 tight ends with 11 or more intermediate or deep receptions, he was the only one without a touchdown on those passes. He should get a few more touchdowns on these kinds of passes from some regression.
McBride is one of the safest picks in fantasy football. His role in the offense is consistently catching short passes, which is sustainable. The Cardinals didn’t change the offense, making it easier to pick than most. McBride will likely finish among the top-three tight ends for another season.
WR Travis Hunter, Jacksonville Jaguars (ADP: 6.11)
Hunter spent the past two seasons as a full-time wide receiver and cornerback for Colorado. His efficiency at wide receiver was strong but not elite, and he produced on a surprisingly high sample size, given his additional playing time on defense. His numbers improved across the board from 2023 to 2024. His production by situation was strong, too, but it’s worth noting that many of his routes were gos or hitches.
His 89.7 PFF receiving grade over the past two seasons is directly in the middle of the other receivers who were drafted in the first or early second round. He racked up the most touchdowns and the fewest dropped passes of the five, and his separation rate against single coverage is the best among the group.
While Hunter wasn’t as accomplished a receiver as others in the class, many consider him the best receiving option. PFF's draft guide notes, “As a receiver, he doesn’t have as much polish in releases, route nuance and beating press. However, all that can be improved and explained by not devoting all his time to one position.” If Hunter becomes a full-time receiver, he will be the top wide receiver in dynasty drafts based on his talent.
Hunter joins the Jaguars, who have Brian Thomas Jr. and minimal other competition for targets. The first preseason game gave us a great look at how the Jaguars plan on using Hunter.
He started the game for Jacksonville and played in 11 of 12 snaps with the starters. The one play he missed was a two-wide receiver set with Brian Thomas Jr. and Dyami Brown on the field. If this ends up being how he’s used in the regular season on offense, he can be a consistent fantasy starter. Several borderline fantasy starters only played in three-receiver sets last season, including Jayden Reed, Josh Downs, Khalil Shakir and Adam Thielen. The differences are that Hunter is more talented and the Jaguars should stay in 11 personnel for most of the game. Head coach Liam Coen’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers ranked eighth in 11 personnel usage last season at 71.9%, despite multiple wide receiver injuries. His 2022 Los Angeles Rams led the league at 90.9%. On the first drive, the Jaguars used it 91.8%.
Coen also commented that they have focused on 11 personnel, and that he’s learning 12 personnel, so he could also start playing snaps in 12 personnel in the upcoming weeks.
One surprising part of his usage is that Hunter lined up in the slot on five of his 11 snaps, tying Thomas at five of 12 snaps. Thomas was expected to be the primary slot receiver after leading the league in yards per route run out of the slot. Hunter played significantly out of the slot in 2023, but in 2024, he only lined up in the slot 36 times compared to 736 snaps outside. This is significant because Coen’s top wide receivers, from a fantasy perspective, have primarily played out of the slot. This includes Chris Godwin averaging 19.7 PPR points per game last season, which ranked second-most in the league, and Cooper Kupp leading the league in 2022 at 22.4. This is enough reason to raise expectations for Hunter this season while somewhat dampening expectations for Thomas.
Hunter didn’t play the first drive on defense, but he played left cornerback on the Jaguars’ second and third drives, playing all eight snaps on those drives. Tyson Campbell was one of multiple Jaguars defenders who only played the first drive. Jarrian Jones started the game at left cornerback and switched to right cornerback when Hunter entered. Jourdan Lewis, who joined the Jaguars from the Dallas Cowboys, played as their slot cornerback, even though Jones held that position last season. If Hunter plays on defense in the regular season, it would likely be at Jones' expense. This wouldn’t necessarily need to be in any particular personnel groupings.
The sky is the limit for Hunter, a truly unique athlete. That uniqueness makes it difficult to project how much he can help a fantasy manager at the wide receiver position. As the offseason has progressed, the risks around Hunter have decreased, but his ADP hasn’t increased at a commensurate rate.
RB Jordan Mason, Minnesota Vikings (ADP: 10.02)
Mason entered the league as an undrafted rookie in 2022, signing with the San Francisco 49ers. Midway through his rookie season, the 49ers overhauled their backfield by trading for Christian McCaffrey and elevating Mason to the primary backup role. He made the most of his limited opportunities, earning a 90.6 PFF rushing grade and averaging 6.0 yards per carry.
In 2023, Mason slid to third on the depth chart with Elijah Mitchell’s return. However, when Mitchell missed time, Mason again stepped in as the primary backup and performed at a high level, much like he did in his rookie year. Heading into 2024, there was speculation that Mason could overtake Mitchell as McCaffrey’s primary backup, a scenario that played out after Mitchell suffered a season-ending injury. With McCaffrey nursing an Achilles sprain to start the year, Mason briefly opened the season as the 49ers' lead back.
He capitalized on the opportunity, ranking as a top-six fantasy running back through the first five weeks of the season. While Mason fumbled three times and saw some regression in efficiency with a larger workload, he remained explosive, breaking off long runs at an elite rate and rushing for at least 70 yards in six of his first seven games. He also averaged 4.1 or more yards per carry in each of those outings. As a receiver, Mason remained limited, catching just one or two passes per game.
Injuries derailed the second half of his season. He sustained a shoulder injury in Week 6 and aggravated it the following week. McCaffrey returned during that stretch, pushing Mason back into a reserve role. It's important to note that many of Mason’s per-game stats from 2024 include games where he was not the starter. When McCaffrey suffered a season-ending injury in Week 13, Mason stepped in with 13 carries for 78 yards, only to suffer a season-ending high-ankle sprain of his own shortly after.
Mason was traded to the Minnesota Vikings this offseason, giving him a chance to escape McCaffrey’s shadow and potentially earn more playing time. Minnesota’s lead back last season was Aaron Jones Sr., a veteran who has spent most of his career in a two-back committee. Jones, now 30 years old, has dealt with a string of injuries in recent years — including hamstring, MCL, hip, rib, and quad issues — and may no longer be able to shoulder a full workload.
Mason has primarily operated as an early-down back in his NFL career, while Jones offers a more well-rounded skill set. Jones posted 408 receiving yards in 2024, his highest mark since 2019, and has consistently graded well as a runner. However, signs of decline have surfaced, as his rushing efficiency has slipped toward average in recent seasons. A likely backfield split would see Mason handling early-down work, with Jones playing a significant role in passing situations.
If Jones were to miss time, Mason could step into a featured role similar to his five-game stretch as the 49ers’ starter. Fullback C.J. Ham has taken on third-down pass protection duties in recent years and would likely continue to do so, limiting Mason’s role on passing downs. Ty Chandler would serve as the backup, but Mason would likely receive as much volume as the Vikings believe he can handle.
The Vikings had a relatively average offensive line in 2024, but the unit could take a notable step forward this season, depending on how quickly it develops chemistry. Star left tackle Christian Darrisaw, the team’s best run blocker, missed more than half of last season. Minnesota also addressed its interior issues by signing Will Fries and drafting Donovan Jackson in the first round. While it's difficult to predict how a rookie lineman will perform, Jackson is expected to be an upgrade at left guard.
That said, this could still represent a slight downgrade for Mason. During his time with the 49ers, he consistently ran behind a top-10 offensive line.
The snap distribution between Mason and Aaron Jones remains uncertain. Still, there’s a realistic path for Mason to emerge as the more valuable fantasy option, even if both stay healthy. If Jones continues to struggle with injuries, Mason is likely to step in as a reliable fantasy starter.
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