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As NFL training camp progresses and teams begin to practice with pads on, fantasy football season beckons as well. Fantasy football has become an entire sport of its own over the last decade, with the invention of daily fantasy taking over the landscape. Still, there will be some household names across the league that will be considered sure things in fantasy football regardless of the style of fantasy football played. Guys like Christian McCaffrey, Patrick Mahomes and Justin Jefferson will be flying off of season long draft boards early on and will be listed at astronomical prices for daily fantasy. However, the best fantasy players are the ones who find the value plays, NFL players who put up massive numbers that exceed their expected value. Early on in NFL training camp, there are three players in particular who are seeing their fantasy football stock skyrocket with rumblings out of their team's camp. These three players are Darren Waller, Marvin Mims Jr, and Christian Watson.
All three of Waller, Mims Jr and Watson are pass-catchers who will be receiving balls from their quarterbacks for the first time. Darren Waller was acquired by the New York Giants via trade with the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason, and he is getting ready for his first season working with a freshly paid Daniel Jones. Marvin Mims Jr is a rookie on the Denver Broncos, and he hopes to be on the other end of a connection with a much better Russell Wilson from last year. Lastly, Christian Watson is projecting to be the number one option in a Green Bay Packers offense that will be led by Jordan Love for the first time. Regardless of how all of their quarterbacks play this year, all three of these guys are seeing their stock rise in NFL training camp. Whether it be daily, dynasty, season-long, or any of the other myriad of ways of playing fantasy football, snagging these guys during the 2023 NFL season would be a good bet.
*Depth Charts via ESPN
Darren Waller
The noise out of Giants training camp so far is that Darren Waller is absolutely dominating. Whether it be a cornerback, safety or linebacker matched up against him, Waller has consistently beaten man coverage and found himself being targeted. Not to mention, all indications are that Daniel Jones is enthralled with his new weapon, pretty much targeting him whenever possible. The Giants traded for Waller to give Jones a lethal new weapon, but he is now looking to be an absolute bargain. Darren Waller could potentially be the best tight end in fantasy football this season if all of the reports out of Giants training camp are true. Darren Waller already had pretty high stock in terms of fantasy football, but NFL training camp has shown that he might be the best value at the tight end position this year.
Marvin Mims Jr
Marvin Mims Jr was a very exciting pick made by the Denver Broncos in the 2023 NFL Draft. He is an electrifying receiver out of the University of Oklahoma, and he comes to Denver with the ability to extend the defense with his breakneck speed. However, he was drafted by the Broncos with an understanding that a loaded WR depth chart lies ahead of him. Russell Wilson has always loved a good deep threat throughout his career, but Marvin Mims Jr wasn't projected to be a regular contributor for the Broncos. That could be a little different now after Tim Patrick went down with a torn Achilles, freeing up a lot of space in the wide receiver room. Not only did Patrick go down, but the Broncos released KJ Hamler after doctors found an irregular heartbeat that he is now going through treatment for. Hamler is expected to be resigned after treatment, but there is no doubt that there is a lot more opportunity for Mims Jr now. With both Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton playing on a short leash this year after a down season in 2022, Marvin Mims Jr is quickly seeing his fantasy football stock rise. Do not be surprised to see Mims Jr become one of Wilson's favorite deep ball targets this season.
Christian Watson
Christian Watson was projected to be the number one wide receiver going into Green Bay Packers training camp. However, his fantasy football stock entirely depends on the play of Jordan Love, and there is a mixed bag of expectations for him in his first year at the helm for the Packers. Nevertheless, reports out of Packers camp are that Love looks composed and accurate so far, with Watson clearly his favorite target. In terms of fantasy football standards, the news surfacing indicates that the deep ball connection between Watson and Love has been on point so far, meaning lots of points for potential fantasy players. Out of all the wide receivers in Green Bay, Christian Watson is definitely projected to be the highest drafted. Nonetheless, his stock is climbing higher and higher as his and Jordan Love's connection continues to blossom.
