Fantasy Football: 10 Undervalued Players in Best-Ball Leagues

Jerick McKinnon, RB, San Francisco 49ers

ADP: 52nd overall, RB23

Jerick McKinnon was signed to a four-year, $30 million contract in free agency, making him the fourth-highest paid running back annually. Even if he weren't paid as a workhorse, though, he is joining an offense sans Carlos Hyde, who accounted for 58.8% of the San Francisco 49ers' carries last season.

Hyde finished second on the team in targets (88) despite Jimmy Garoppolo's borderline league average target rate to running backs (23%, with the NFL average being 21%). (For comparison, C.J. Beathard averaged a league-high 36% target rate to backs in his five starts.) But McKinnon is much more versatile than Hyde and has quietly compiled 94 catches in a situational role with the Minnesota Vikings over the past two seasons.

One would think he's now in an even better position to succeed with offensive guru Kyle Shanahan and an offense that averaged the second-highest run rate in neutral game situations (53%) while Garoppolo was under center.

Still, the biggest knock against McKinnon has been his usage. He was never the top dog with the Vikings, and the 49ers also have Matt Breida, a talented young back. But keep in mind that Breida averaged a 33.71% snap rate and 10.4 carries in Garoppolo's five starts. Even with Breida being used off the bench, Hyde recorded 83 carries (10th-most among running backs) and a 66% snap rate (13th-highest) in that span.

It's time to stop worrying and start drafting McKinnon earlier than his current ADP. (For the record, his current ADP suggests that the default data on some sites hasn't been updated. He'll likely go earlier -- maybe much earlier -- than this if you draft today.)