Welcome everyone! To the May post-draft edition of the ADP stock watch. As the draft has been completed and the dust has settled, it’s a poignant opportunity to see who benefited most. Here are the top five best ball ADP risers based on the last completed drafts before the NFL draft, and the opening week ADP after it on Drafters Fantasy. You can join Drafters using our code FSAN to get a 100% match up to $100
Best Ball ADP Risers
R.J. Harvey: Denver Broncos – Running Back
Current ADP: 79
Best Ball ADP Risers Score: 123 picks
Who cares that you’re a 24-year-old rookie when you fall into the lap of a Sean Payton offense, eh? R.J. Harvey shot up ten rounds without a major injury or trade. So, how did we get here? Let’s start with the ball coach:
- Payton has produced a top-6 PPR running back ten times
- His backs have caught 120 or more balls 11 times
- Sean’s RB crew scored 25 TDs three times in the last seven seasons
Regarding Harvey:
- Had 6.3 yards per carry or better in his final three seasons at UCF
- Earned consistent yet limited receiving production with 22, 19, and 20 receptions in those three years
- Led the Big 12 in touchdowns with 25 and was second in yards with 1844 in 2024
I hear many pundits say Harvey will take the Alvin Kamara role. I take that opinion with a grain of salt. His production profile reminds me more of Mark Ingram, who somehow caught 50+ balls twice in his career. However, it is also similar to Montee Ball’s final season at Wisconsin and he sucked in the NFL. Tread carefully and avoid paying up. If he doesn’t fall to you at a great price, consider adding Audric Estime as cheap exposure to the Denver RB room.
Jaydon Blue: Dallas Cowboys – Running Back
Current ADP: 137
Best Ball ADP Risers Score: at least 100 picks
Welp, there goes one of my favorite last-round picks from the pre-draft contests. Jaydon Blue finds himself as the biggest winner of the undrafted best ball ADP risers of 2025:
- Blue had the second fastest 40 of this year’s running back crop, with a blazing 4.38
- He also ran a 4.28 and a 4.25 at his pro day
- A dual threat, catching 42 balls in 2024 with 6 of those being touchdowns
- Only 214 carries in his entire college career
- Jaydon Blue’s running backs coach at Texas was former RB Tashard Choice, a fourth-round selection of…The Dallas Cowboys
His speed and situation are ideal, with the primary competition being former Bronco Javonte Williams, now three years removed from a Maxx Crosby knee sandwich (ACL, LCL, and posterolateral corner). However, his size (6’0″, 200) and experience (214 carries) are not. I like to root for guys my size in the NFL, but I’m uncomfortable with a change-of-pace back that I don’t believe can handle a workhorse role. Blue’s an okay value at cost, but it’s hard to click the draft player button when he was free two weeks ago.
Jayden Higgins: Houston Texans – Wide Receiver
Current ADP: 115
Best Ball ADP Risers Score: 76 picks
Quick Fun Fact! The Texans drafted four players named Jay – Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel, Jaylin Smith, and Jaylen Reed. To make it more confusing for the offensive coaches, receiver Jaylin Noel, also a Texans Day 2 pick, was Higgins’ teammate at Iowa State. So be sure which Hawkeye’s receiver you are taking. As for Jayden:
- Higgins showed two years of solid and progressive receiving production in the Big 12
- He had a 3% drop rate and a 55.6% contest catch rate (14 contested catches) in 2024
- Nearly 30% of his targets (138) were go routes (42), but only 16 were completed
Jayden Higgins is a fast (4.47) for his size, a big guy at 6’4″ and 210 pounds. The Texans already have one of those in Nico Collins. Why not have two? Houston is desperate for healthy bodies to put on the field, and Higgins played all 3 (X, Z, and slot) positions in college. While he primarily played the X, or split-end role, moving him around creatively could create devastating mismatches. For example, Higgins would have a half-foot height advantage on a typical 5’10” nickelback.
I could say all this about Jaylin Noel except replace size with speed, X for slot, and Nico Collins with Christian Kirk. I’d draft both with the expectation that Higgins has more early-season upside than Noel.
Omarion Hampton: Los Angeles Chargers – Running Back
Current ADP: 41
Best Ball ADP Risers Score: 24 picks
Did you see the picture of Omarion Hampton shaking hands with Jim Harbaugh, where Harbaugh looks teeny compared to Hampton? This is called “perspective”. Harbaugh is actually three inches taller. You see, objects closer to the camera appear larger than those further away. Is Hampton a best ball ADP riser’s mirage? Let’s dive in:
- Averaged an impressive 115.7 rush yards per game in 2023, followed by a herculean 138.3 rush yards per game in 2024
- Added 38 catches, at just under 10 yards per catch, in his final season, showing dual-threat ability
- Hampton had a 10 broad jump at the combine (which I use to gauge explosion and power)
- First-round draft capital spent by a team that runs a power gap scheme under OC Greg Roman
That all sounds great, right? It does until we factor in that Hampton will split work with the annoyingly durable Najee Harris, who signed a one-year contract worth up to $9 million. I expect a fairly even split of touches between the two, making Najee’s pick 103 price tag a little more wallet-friendly for similar expected production.
Ricky Pearsall: San Francisco 49ers – Wide Receiver
Current ADP: 70
Best Ball ADP Risers Score: 20 picks
The Brian Robinson of wide receivers, players who overcame preseason bullet wounds to produce solid rookie campaigns. Ricky Pearsall saw his stock improve two rounds after San Francisco jettisoned Deebo Samuel. Even better for his situation, Brandon Aiyuk is recovering from a multi-ligament knee injury, giving him direct line of sight to a starting role opposite Juaun Jennings. Here’s how he stacks up:
- Missed the first six games of the season after getting SHOT IN THE CHEST
- Averaged 2.0 dropped passes per season in college
- Only dropped one pass (officially) in his first NFL season
- 18 catches for 210 yards and two touchdowns in his final two games of 2024
I’ll be honest, if I get shot in the chest, I’m taking way more than 2 months off. Pearsall is a wolverine, a tall, lanky wolverine. And while I admire his grit and toughness, his ability to catch everything thrown his way intrigues me. Catching balls from soon-to-be 50 million dollar man Brock Purdy gives Pearsall a high ceiling outcome for the season and a cheap stacking piece. Draft him with a fair amount of confidence and root for that end-of-season upside.
Let us know who YOU love in Best Ball over at The Fantasy Advice Network.
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