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If you are looking for salary cap targets at the top end of the draft sheet, then you can head to the first article in this series and see which players you should be looking for in your draft room. But the middle tiers have a different opportunity for salary cap drafters. While top talent won't ever go much below their perceived worth, the middle of the pack presents plenty of opportunity to find guys at deep discounts. This zone is where you can often see players go far below where they should, either because drafters don't care about the player or they don't care enough to bid on them while they save for the guys they covet.
You don't have to fill your team with these targets, but landing a couple of them usually opens up your budget to be able to spend (or overspend) on the truly elite players. That combination is how you take your salary cap draft over the top.
QUARTERBACKS
Trevor Lawrence - Although he's the most expensive of the next group of quarterbacks, he's still a target. His mixture of 35+ touchdown upside and sneaky rushing floor makes him the perfect place to start. You don't want to be paying $15+ for him or the value fades, but anything under $15 is a good number for a guy with Top 6 potential. This offense was scary the second half of 2022, and now they add Calvin Ridley and get another offseason to work on their offense. All signs point up for Jacksonville, and buying Lawrence at this price feels like a great bet to make.
Deshaun Watson - The 2022 finish was ugly for Watson, and managers can't get it out of their minds. Watson goes for as little as $4-$6 in some drafts, but even if he sneaks up to $7-$8, it's worth the price. Watson has been a near-elite quarterback in this league, and he has plenty of weapons to get back there again. Maybe in Cleveland his upside isn't Top 3 at the position, but if you miss out on the top guys, consider spending a few extra bucks over replacement quarterbacks to go after Watson.
TIGHT ENDS
Pat Freiermuth - Mitchell Trubisky was an abject disaster last year, Kenny Pickett had an abysmal 1.9% touchdown rate, and Freiermuth missed time with his third concussion as a pro, but he still finished as the PPR TE6 (TE9 in points per game) with only 2 touchdowns. If the offense takes even a tiny step forward, it appears he is being drafted at his floor. The fact that he's only $5-$6 in salary cap rooms speaks to the malaise with which drafters treat the position. He's a solid investment at that price.
David Njoku - The Browns featured Njoku consistently when he was healthy, and things seemed to click for the athletic tight end last year. He almost set career highs across the board, and had he played a few more games, it was a lock. Now take the uncertain 2022 quarterback situation and insert a consistent, higher-level presence into the equation, and this has the makings of a special season if he can stay healthy. Getting him for $4-$5 feels like a steal for his potential.
RUNNING BACKS
Cam Akers - His price has crept up a bit in recent weeks, but he's still going for around $14, and that's a fine price for someone who looks like he will have plenty of volume and the goal-line role to boot. The depth chart in Los Angeles isn't impressive, so Akers is locked into a lot of touches absent a late veteran signing. He represents a perfect RB2 when you don't want to spend too much because you pushed your money toward Travis Kelce or wide receivers. He's too cheap for the volume he should see, so don't overthink it.
James Conner - The Arizona offense might be a bit of a rough watch in 2023, but that's part of the reason Conner languishes where he does in drafts. He's often available for $11-$13, and he, like Akers, looks poised to touch the ball a lot. The Cardinals running back depth chart, like the one in Los Angeles, is lacking in talent, and even though Conner tends to miss some games every year, that is offset by having to barely pay double digits in your salary cap rooms.
David Montgomery - He goes from a poor offensive line and a rushing quarterback with low play volume to a top offensive line and a pocket passer on a team that scores a lot of points. Everything got better for Montgomery, last year's RB23, and yet he's RB29 in average draft position and only $8-$10 in most salary cap rooms. Rookie Jahmyr Gibbs is going to touch the ball a lot, but Jamaal Williams leaves behind over 260 carries and the most goal-line touches in the entire NFL. Montgomery has, by almost any standard, a vastly improved situation for this year, yet his price still lags. He may not be exciting for fantasy purposes, but he's too cheap to turn down for the volume and goal-line role alone.
Antonio Gibson - The departure of J.D. McKissic is a huge factor for Gibson, and he could see his targets explode past the 65 to 70 target mark. With a few extra catches and around 225 total opportunities (only 30 more than last year), Gibson could easily end up looking like a solid RB2 by the time we get into the season. His RB26 finish last year wasn't impressive, but it doesn't make much sense for him to be RB33 in average draft position and only $4-$5 in salary cap rooms when there are more touches to go around, specifically in the passing game. Gibson is a cheap target for your RB3 or RB4 slot on your salary cap roster.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Mike Williams - It is hard to figure out how a guy that can be as dominant as Williams is coming off the board outside the Top 24 at the position. When he played a full complement of snaps last year, he scored over 15 points per game which was good enough to be WR13 on the season. That's a far cry from the price he's seeing in salary cap rooms around $10-$11. A lot of the risk associated with the player is muted when he's that cheap. You're going to want all parts of the Chargers offense this season, so grab Williams as a high-upside WR3 or dynamic WR4 and hope he stays on the field.
Tyler Lockett - The specter of the exciting rookie looming over Lockett's shoulder (but somehow not DK Metcalf's) has pushed his ADP down to WR31. There is no sign from camp that either Lockett or Metcalf will cede their roles to the newcomer, so the price on Lockett continues to defy logic. Can Lockett expect to lose some value? Probably, but not enough to make him a middling WR3 that costs only $8-$10 in salary cap drafts. Lockett is the perpetually undervalued fantasy asset, and this year is no different.
Mike Evans - This is a good example of a player cratering in value because it is a salary cap draft. In serpentine drafts, Evans has his place to be drafted, but in salary cap rooms, if everyone is running low on money when Evans comes up, he can go incredibly cheap for the caliber of player he represents. The quarterback play is obviously going to fall off, but will it fall enough for everyone to ignore him like they are? This seems to be an overcorrection, and paying around $8 for Evans means you don't have much risk when you roster him.
Brandin Cooks - All reports from camp are glowing about Cooks. It is fair to wonder if the year he put on tape last year was not just the poor quarterback play but him making it known he wants out of Houston. Both of those things can change for the better this year, and you don't have to spend much to find out if he can still play at a high level. If he makes himself the second target on this offense, he will far outperform his $4-$5 price you have to pay in salary cap rooms.
Michael Thomas - The only reason he makes this list is because the price is too good to pass up. What's the downside if he gets hurt again? You get to drop him and pick someone else up. But if he plays? He has legitimate WR2 potential still. The fact that his price is still around $5 is the best part. You can put him on your team as a back-of-the-roster guy, and there is almost no risk to the gamble. I'm willing to take that shot to see if he plays and if Derek Carr likes to throw him the ball. Sign me up.
Elijah Moore - The only problem with this pick is that the price continues to rise as he continues to put out highlights from camp. He's still only $6-$8, but if his price rises into the $12-$15 range, then he's gotten too hot for this list. But as long as he stays in the single digits, then making a bet on his talent doesn't cost too much. If the season starts and he's not getting the targets, then he makes an easy cut. But if the hype is real, you've stolen a WR2 for cheap.
CONCLUSIONS
The prices get lower at this stage of the draft, but the dollars become even more important to save. If you can mix in some of these middle-priced targets with some market-priced players, you can capture value and upside at the same time and make your roster dynamite. Remember that you can't take every deal that comes along in a salary cap draft, so trying to anticipate the best targets and deals before entering the room is how you capitalize on market price inequities.
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