Fantasy MVPs
Four spots, four players who profile as this year's best value. Let's get into it — two minutes or less.
WR: Josh Downs (IND)
With Michael Pittman Jr. now in Pittsburgh, Alec Pierce still working back from his ankle injury, and Keenan Allen facing a likely suspension, the target tree in Indianapolis is narrowing, and Downs is the one who will benefit.
Commanded a 29.4% target share back in 2024, trailing only Puka Nacua and Malik Nabers among all wide receivers, which is proof he can win volume when given the chance
He's currently working as the primary Z/slot role while Alec Pierce is working his way up to full speed; Downs already out-targeted Pierce at a 22.2% clip last season
Ranked 6th in the NFL in slot snaps (421) and is highly efficient there, posting 2.21 yards per route run
The receiver profile has never been the question, it's always been target competition, and that competition just got a lot thinner. At his current price, Downs is one of the better values on the board.
QB: Justin Herbert (LAC)
Herbert was already a fringe QB1 playing through pain last season, and now he's getting the two things that were missing: real infrastructure and real scheme.
Finished 2025 as the overall QB10 (18.7 PPG), with 3,727 yards and 26 touchdowns… that’s despite constant pressure and injuries to his own throwing-adjacent hand
Mike McDaniel takes over as OC, shifting the offense from a run-heavy scheme to a more efficient, creative passing attack
The offensive line gets its bookend tackles back healthy, with Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt returning to a unit that projects among the league's better lines
Give this version of Herbert the time to operate, and the ceiling reasonably points toward 4,500+ yards and 30+ touchdowns.
RB: Kenneth Walker III (KC)
Walker didn't just get a bigger role this offseason, he got all the signals that say the Chiefs plan to feed him.
Signed a 3-year, $45M deal ($28.7M guaranteed) to be the clear lead back in Kansas City after Isiah Pacheco's departure
Led the NFL in juke rate (31.7%) and ranked 6th in evaded tackles (80) last season… an elite tackle-breaker walking into an offense that ranked 31st in 15+ yard runs and desperately needs the juice he provides
The recent reported ankle issue is considered a non-factor, and he now runs behind an elite interior offensive line after years of blocking for shaky units in Seattle
If the touch count rises to match the paycheck, in an offense built around Mahomes and play-action, this is workhorse-with-upside range.
TE: Tucker Kraft (GB)
No tight end on the board pairs efficiency with per-target explosiveness quite like Kraft, and he was doing it before the injury even slowed him down.
Led all qualified tight ends in yards after catch per reception (9.1)… the league's premier YAC weapon at the position
Was on a 17-game pace for over 1,000 receiving yards and finished as the TE4 on a points-per-game basis before tearing his ACL in Week 9
Ranked 2nd among TEs in yards per route run (2.56) and 3rd in red zone target share (33.3%), scoring 6 touchdowns in just 8 games
He's expected to be fully cleared for Week 1, and if he simply returns to the level he was already playing at, this is a top-5 fantasy tight end hiding at a discount.
That’s the list. Guys who could absolutely be a fantasy MVP on your squad this year.
-Joe