In the modern age, when most fantasy football drafts occur online, we take Average Draft Position (ADP) for granted. It's built into the site itself, providing a roadmap for the entire fantasy community's general consensus and heavily dictating the players most managers draft and when they draft them.
However, like rankings, ADP changes over time, and it's important to know why. If a running back is climbing in drafts just before you're on the clock, it helps to understand the reasons ... and maybe to reach an extra round to snag him. If a quarterback is plummeting in ADP, you might want to second-guess taking him "at a value" if there are valid concerns at play.
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How do you navigate these shifting sands? With this column, of course!
I'll be highlighting the most notable risers and fallers in Yahoo ADP each week through the month of August to keep you informed. Let's get started!
5 Biggest ADP Risers
Honorable Mentions
Chris Olave has seen a recent bump amid a healthy training camp and talks of an upcoming contract extension that would make put him among the league's highest-paid receivers. There are obviously injury concerns, but if he manages to stay healthy, Olave would be a highly-targeted, highly-talented steal in the late seventh round. ... Chargers rookie running back Omarion Hampton has seen a steady ADP increase as camp hype, preseason tape and growing fan familiarity continue to widen the gap between him and Najee Harris. Should Hampton win the starting job in Jim Harbaugh's offense — which seems a foregone conclusion — he'll have RB1 upside in the middle of the fourth round. ... Speaking of the fourth round, Davante Adams has been one of my favorite targets in that range this offseason, and ADP is starting to reflect that excitement. Even as he encroaches on the third round, Adams could be a major value as the WR1B and red-zone target for Matthew Stafford (who's been dealing with a back ailment) and Sean McVay.
5. Evan Engram, Denver Broncos, TE (ADP of 84.37 | -4.36 rise from previous week)
If you miss (or pass) on one of the three elite tight ends at the top of drafts — Brock Bowers, Trey McBride and George Kittle — I don't think there's a better bang-for-your-buck tight end than Evan Engram. He's now in Denver, with Sean Payton and Bo Nix, and is gaining hype as Payton's "Joker," a versatile role in the head coach's offense reserved for tight ends or running backs who are "rare pass receivers." Coming off two seasons in Jacksonville in which he averaged eight targets and more than six catches per game, Engram fits the bill and figures to be near the top of the Broncos' pecking order, with only Courtland Sutton locked in for significant volume. I'd happily take Engram as the TE4 two or three rounds ahead of his current ADP in the late seventh, and believe he's a dark horse to finish as the TE1 overall.
4. Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco 49ers, WR (ADP of 110.9 | -4.44)
After being sidelined by a hamstring injury in the spring, second-year wideout Ricky Pearsall is starting to garner legitimate buzz. His chemistry with Brock Purdy is reportedly top-notch, and Niners insider Matt Maiocco has said Pearsall looks like the team's best receiver since being cleared off the PUP list. Pearsall had a slow rookie season — missing the first several weeks while recovering from a gunshot wound — but was the team's first-round pick for a reason and flashed at the end of the year. With Deebo Samuel Sr. gone, Brandon Aiyuk recovering from injury and Jauan Jennings mired in contract concerns, Pearsall has a massive opportunity to justify that reasoning, lead the wide receiver room and break out big in an explosive offense. He's an incredible value in the 10th round of 12-team leagues, and even if this ADP climb continues — which it should — he's an excellent WR target in Yahoo drafts.
3. Justin Fields, New York Jets, QB (ADP of 80.7 | -5.52)
When the Jets signed Justin Fields to a two-year, $40 million contract back in March, there were immediately mixed reviews. On the one hand, he has a .318 career win percentage and has never crested 3,000 yards or 20 touchdowns as a passer in a season. On the other hand, he's shown slow but steady improvement with the arm — see his 65.8 completion percentage and 5-1 TD-INT ratio in limited action with Pittsburgh last year — and remains perhaps the league's most dynamic QB threat with the legs (alongside Lamar Jackson).
The New York front office and head coach Aaron Glenn clearly believe in Fields' upside, and have expressed excitement about him and his improvement this offseason:
Their goal is to coach up the "Sam Darnold-Baker Mayfield-Geno Smith" breakout with Fields. If they do, he could skyrocket from low-end QB1 — which is what he's been as a starter, thanks to his rushing floor — to legitimately elite fantasy option. It's not a shock to see his ADP rising through camp, and it will likely bump up even further with the next positive review or highlight clip.
2. Xavier Worthy, Kansas City Chiefs, WR (ADP of 60.9 | -6.04)
To be transparent, the ADP bump for Xavier Worthy is likely entirely reflective of the potential looming suspension for teammate Rashee Rice. Back on July 17, Rice was sentenced to 30 days in prison and a five-year probation period for his involvement in a high-speed car accident in March of 2024, and now faces a multi-game suspension from the NFL sometime soon (speculation has it somewhere in the range of 2-6 games).
As a result, Worthy has moved from the middle of the sixth round to the 5-6 turn in Yahoo ADP, and could jump further if and when we get suspension details. While he should see a couple more targets in any game(s) Rice misses, this is one ADP spike I struggle to get behind. The suspension could be inconsequentially short, Worthy is a different receiver whose role may not change much in Rice's absence and my redraft outlook for the 165-pound receiver is lower than consensus. I wasn't excited to draft the speedster before the Rice news, and it's getting progressively harder to do so.
1. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers, QB (ADP of 81.5 | -11.6)
Unlike most of the other names in this piece — whose ADPs are moving based on recent news or camp reports — Brock Purdy is the week's biggest riser for one simple reason: because he deserves it. The Niners quarterback was the QB6 back in 2023, and the QB13 in a down year mired by injured receivers with two missed games in 2024. Perhaps the Pearsall hype is helping quell rumbling concerns about Purdy's wide receiver corps, but keep this in mind: Christian McCaffrey and Kittle are the league's best RB-TE receiving duo, Jennings and Aiyuk should still play for the team this year and even their WR4 and WR5 — Demarcus Robinson and Jacob Cowing — offer veteran reliability and young breakout upside, respectively. Meanwhile, Purdy's still playing for Kyle Shanahan, who elevates every offensive depth chart he touches, and Purdy boasts the second-best passer rating in the league since he entered it in 2022 (behind Lamar Jackson). Don't be surprised if Purdy closes the ADP gap with Baker Mayfield (56.9) and Bo Nix (66.6) in the coming weeks.
5 Biggest ADP Fallers
Honorable Mentions
Several of the "top" fallers in recent ADP are the direct consequence of injury or suspension, and those are straightforward and less valuable to discuss in detail, so here's a brief summary. Rashee Rice has unsurprisingly tanked in light of his looming suspension (see above), as has Browns rookie RB Quinshon Judkins, who was arrested on a domestic violence and battery charge in July and has yet to sign with the team as a result. Additionally, Joe Mixon (foot) and Chris Godwin (ankle) have recently dropped in ADP due to new or persisting injury concerns (and the presence of talented backups).
5. D'Andre Swift, Chicago Bears, RB (ADP of 74.3 | +3.63)
Two articles for Yahoo Fantasy, two inclusions of D'Andre Swift. The streak is alive. Swift has been my No. 1 target in fantasy drafts this offseason, and shifting ADP is making it easier by the minute. You can read my full breakdown on why Swift is this year's Chuba Hubbard, but here's the TL;DR: he was last year's fantasy RB19 in a dismal Chicago offense that's set to break out in 2025, and has little to no serious competition behind him. The team's social media is highlighting his pass-catching in training camp, and while hype for seventh-round rookie Kyle Monangai has also started to build, he would merely surpass Roschon Johnson for the bruiser role in Ben Johnson's system, while Swift retained his spot as the "Jahmyr Gibbs" of the offense.
It could be concerns over Caleb Williams' command of said offense that has Swift's ADP trending down, but again, things can't really be worse than they were last year. He's being drafted at RB25, which is at or below his absolute floor in my assessment, and the upside for an RB1 season remains intact.
4. Travis Etienne Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars, RB (ADP of 111.8 | +5.11)
Unlike with Swift, there's a good reason for Travis Etienne's recent drop in ADP, and it rhymes with Bank Tigsby. Last season, Tank Bigsby outcarried Etienne 168 to 150, outpaced him in yards per carry 4.6 to 3.7 and scored seven rushing touchdowns to Etienne's two. The former RB1 was relegated primarily to receiving work (where he caught 39 balls for 254 yards) ... and it's looking like more of the same (or worse) in 2025. Beat reporter John Shipley has concluded while observing the camp battle(s) that "it looks more and more like this is Bigsby's chance to entrench himself as the No. 1 running back." ESPN insider Dan Graziano has reported that Jacksonville is planning something of a four-man committee involving Bigsby (primary "big back"), Etienne (screen game receiver) and 2025 draft picks Bhayshul Tuten (home run threat) and LeQuint Allen Jr. (third downs).
Simply put, Etienne has lost his hold on the RB1 job in Duuuuuval, and is probably still being drafted too high in the 10th round.
3. Jared Goff & Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions, QB (ADP of 107.4 | +5.74) & WR (ADP of 68.4 | +6.4)
Goff and Williams are something of a package deal, as both have seen similar drops in ADP and I believe both are suffering the effects of the same cause. Talking heads and fantasy pundits have spent the past several months fawning over former Lions OC Ben Johnson's hiring in Chicago, and how huge it will be for the Bears offense and for Williams. Yet, somehow, there has been very little consideration for what his departure will do to Detroit.
Consider this: In his first year with the Lions, before Johnson's promotion to OC, Goff threw for 3,245 yards and 19 touchdowns, finishing as the QB22 in points per game. Then, in the three seasons under Johnson, Goff averaged 4,547 yards and 32 touchdowns per year, finishing as the QB13, QB12 and QB7. The team struggled to find a WR2 for the first couple years, but Williams broke out in 2024 with 1,001 yards and seven TDs.
Now, suddenly, the team has been forced to pivot from the league's brightest young offensive mind to ... John Morton, a 55-year-old long-time assistant across a half dozen teams. The bad news: This is almost guaranteed to hurt Goff and the offense as a whole, and the ADP dip is starting to reflect that. The good news: Both Morton and HC Dan Campbell have been raving about Williams all offseason, and Morton's offense might look downfield (towards Williams) more often than Johnson's did. While I'm still out on Goff at value, the ADP drop for Williams might actually be a sneaky window to buy in.
2. Travis Hunter, Jacksonville Jaguars, WR (ADP of 75.8 | +7.07)
Two-way college superstar Travis Hunter has been easily the biggest enigma of the 2025 NFL Draft, one of the biggest of 2025 fantasy drafts and arguably the biggest in the sport's history. Ever since Jacksonville traded up to take Hunter second overall, new head coach Liam Coen and the entire Jaguars organization have been adamant that he will play on both sides of the ball. The question for fantasy, of course, is how much he'll play at receiver. In a hot-off-the-presses interview, Rich Eisen was able to cajole Coen into verbalizing a number for Hunter's snap share on offenses ... and the words "80%" were uttered.
That's a bona fide WR1 number. Brian Thomas Jr. hit 79.4% in his rookie campaign last season.
And even if Coen was hyperbolizing a bit to hype up his young star, the intent seems clear. Hunter will play a lot on offense. Perhaps his dip in ADP is due to the narrative around his "goofy" or "childlike" attitude, but that's a foolish reason to avoid him in drafts and everything else out of camp has pointed the arrow upwards. This is a "fall" I can't justify or explain, and I'll be targeting Hunter with gusto as long as it continues.
1. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers, QB (ADP of 108.3 | +7.77)
We conclude the first article in this series with a curious conundrum: Justin Herbert.
For much of the offseason, I've viewed Herbert as more or less appropriately priced, hovering around the fringe of QB1 range after finishing as the QB13 in the first year of the Jim Harbaugh-Greg Roman system last season. Now, amid his announcement as No. 56 on the NFL's Top 100 Players of 2025, Herbert is Yahoo's biggest ADP faller outside of injury or suspension. Oddly, this has also occurred as the hype around his receiving corps has started to build, specifically featuring rookie sleeper KeAndre Lambert-Smith and the potential return of free agent (and Herbert-bestie) Keenan Allen.
In my estimation, concerns over the coaching staff's "run-first" approach are overblown, and Herbert should be a little better for fantasy in Year 2 of the offense, with an improved pass-catching corps. With this drop in ADP, he's going from a "just fine" pick to a value pick, and is looking like one of the better QB1s you can draft outside QB1 range.
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