Karabell's 'Do Draft' list: Henry, Mahomes among undervalued players to pick — SkimNews
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- Josh Allen led quarterbacks with 364.62 fantasy points last season but outscored Detroit's Jared Goff by only 67.56 points (under four per week), evidence the author cites for a deep 2026 QB pool.
- James Cook III finished as the No. 6 fantasy running back with 1,912 scrimmage yards and 14 touchdowns on 342 touches, outscoring the No. 20 RB (Denver's RJ Harvey) by 95.6 points and the No. 30 by 155.5.
- Derrick Henry, 32, followed up 1,921 rushing yards and 18 total TDs in 2024 with 1,595 yards and 16 scores, extending his streak of double-digit touchdowns to eight straight seasons.
- Karabell recommends targeting volume running backs early — naming Cook, Henry, Hampton, Josh Jacobs and Chase Brown — because the position is shallow compared to QB and WR.
- Brock Purdy is being drafted outside the top 100 overall despite QB1-caliber production, while Patrick Mahomes (knee) is expected to play Week 1 but with reduced rushing output.
- Jared Goff is rostered in barely 50% of ESPN leagues and going 16th at QB despite top-10 fantasy finishes at the position in each of the past four seasons.
- Zay Flowers finished seventh in WR scoring last season despite subpar QB play, yet sits 17th in WR ADP — a gap Karabell calls mispriced.
Why it matters: Fantasy drafters who follow Karabell's framework will spend premium capital on running backs early — likely reaching on Henry, Cook or Hampton in Round 1 or 2 — while waiting multiple rounds for quarterbacks like Goff or Purdy, whose current ADPs the author argues materially understate their consistent production.
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