Fantasy football 'Do Draft' list: Jerry Jeudy, Jalen Hurts and more undervalued players

No rookie wide receiver performed as well as Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson last season, as the LSU product caught 1,400 yards' worth of Kirk Cousins passes and scored seven touchdowns. Jefferson was the lone first-year option among the top 20 wide receivers in PPR scoring, and his emergence overshadowed the rest of a rather intriguing class that should have fantasy football managers excited for 2021 and beyond.

Fellow first-round selections CeeDee Lamb (Dallas Cowboys), Jerry Jeudy (Denver Broncos) and Brandon Aiyuk (San Francisco 49ers) also delivered fantasy-relevant numbers, and second-round choices Tee Higgins (Cincinnati Bengals), Chase Claypool (Pittsburgh Steelers) and Laviska Shenault Jr. (Jacksonville Jaguars) certainly did their part to help as well. All of these fellows figure to improve this season, and the fact I keep investing in so many second-year wide receivers is the clear sign of my interest.

As we investigate my latest "Do Draft" list, featuring fantasy options who keep finding their way onto my myriad teams, I could not help but notice the common narrative at wide receiver of players entering their second seasons. I did not plan this. It just happens. You like who you like. Hey, I like Green Bay Packers star Davante Adams and so many other wide receivers as well. This is a deep position. Some might say one cannot go wrong at wide receiver. Perhaps, but I see players who might go wrong -- just not among the notable sophomore class.

This annual "Do Draft" list is very different from the "Do Not Draft" list, of course. As always, it comes down to value. You might, and probably will, feel differently. As much as I heart Aiyuk, Higgins or any other second-year receivers, it hardly means I reach for them in the third round. Pace yourselves. Construct a roster your way, but read the proverbial room, too. Jefferson might cost a second-round pick in your league, and I would probably pass on that.

In order of how I rank them, I expect Lamb to be the top Dak Prescott target and perhaps even outscore Jefferson this season. Aiyuk, who would have reached 1,000 yards receiving had he not missed a month of games, gets there with rookie QB Trey Lance at the helm. Higgins should be the top Joe Burrow option. Claypool might not be for Ben Roethlisberger, but he will score touchdowns. Jeudy simply needs better quarterback play, and he should get it. Shenault finally has a quarterback. What a loaded group!

Anyway, let us get to the other names I continue to invest in, sometimes seemingly subliminally. I see a list of wide receivers and -- voilà -- how did speedy, second-year Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III end up on my team in Round 10? It just happens now.

Quarterback

Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Justin Fields, Chicago Bears

Notes: First of all, if you want to select Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes in Round 1, go for it. My only argument against it is that you miss on a top flex-eligible option (RB, WR, TE) and might regret it later. Do draft Mahomes. Do draft Josh Allen. I intend to wait awhile, because I like the quarterback depth. ... The Los Angeles passers, one entering his second season, the other his 13th, are set to thrive with great talent around them. If they slip in drafts, I pounce. ... Hurts and Fields are runners, not quite at the Lamar Jackson level, but they do not have to be. They will be special. ... Later on, for multi-QB formats, I do like Washington's Ryan Fitzpatrick and believe Cousins and Atlanta's Matt Ryan are bargains for their ADP. Cousins and Ryan finished 11th and 12th in QB scoring a season ago. Bargains.

Running back

Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns
Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers
D'Andre Swift, Detroit Lions
Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kansas City Chiefs
Chase Edmonds, Arizona Cardinals
Javonte Williams, Denver Broncos
James Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars
Michael Carter, New York Jets
Phillip Lindsay, Houston Texans

Notes: Well, do draft Carolina's Christian McCaffrey first, but if you get a later first-round selection, I am comfortable with Taylor, Chubb and Ekeler. Volume, volume, volume. ... Swift might have to share with Jamaal Williams, but talent wins out. ... Edwards-Helaire can catch a ton of passes. So can Edmonds. ... Even before Travis Etienne Jr. suffered a foot injury in the Jaguars' second preseason game, people were ignoring Robinson far too much. I had Robinson on this list even before Etienne's misfortune, and think he's a good value even if Etienne doesn't miss much time. ... This is not about targeting or avoiding rookie running backs, because I think Williams is already the top Denver option. Each situation is different. Carter can catch passes and handle a large workload. ... Lindsay had reliable fantasy seasons in Denver, and Houston will lean on him.

Later on at running back, among the players I find a way to invest in for deeper formats: Xavier Jones (Rams), Boston Scott (Eagles), Malcolm Brown (Dolphins), and the pass-catching crew of Nyheim Hines (Colts), J.D. McKissic (Washington), Giovani Bernard (Buccaneers) and especially James White (Patriots) are clearly underrated. Did you know Hines and McKissic finished as safe RB2 options a year ago, or that White was an RB1 in 2018? Receptions matter and can outweigh a lot.

Wide receiver

DK Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks
Calvin Ridley, Atlanta Falcons
A.J. Brown, Tennessee Titans
Robert Woods, Los Angeles Rams
Terry McLaurin, Washington Football Team
CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys
Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
Diontae Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers
Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers
Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals
Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos
Chase Claypool, Pittsburgh Steelers
Jerry Jeudy, Denver Broncos
Laviska Shenault Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
DJ Chark Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
Marvin Jones Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
Henry Ruggs III, Las Vegas Raiders

Notes: The first three names are in my second tier and, as with the running backs mentioned last section, I would be comfortable choosing them in the first round. ... Woods over Cooper Kupp, although I like them both. Stafford is going to have a big season. ... McLaurin is ready to star. Johnson will be the top Pittsburgh option. Sutton just needs health and better QB play. ... I apparently like all the Jaguars receivers, but really, I think Trevor Lawrence will throw for 4,500 yards, too.

Tight end

Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
Irv Smith Jr., Minnesota Vikings
Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams
Jared Cook, Los Angeles Chargers
Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints

Notes: Most years I am not too enamored with the tight end spot, but that's not the case in 2021. I took Travis Kelce in the first round of a recent draft and liked it. ... Pitts is my No. 4 option, and I do believe he will be a generational talent. ... Smith and Higbee might end up as TE1 options if trends continue, and that works for me in waiting until the double-digit rounds. ... Cook tends to find a way to matter. ... The Adam Trautman injury opens the door for Johnson, and those in deep leagues should pay attention.