Finding safe players -- those who have a high probability to be solid producers -- in the middle rounds of your fantasy drafts can give you an edge over your league-mates. There are good players who fall in drafts every year, perhaps because they are older, seem like boring picks, dealt with injury last season or lack top-10 upside ... but you can't swing for the fences on every pick.
Below are seven players who will likely be available in Round 4 or later to provide your team with a reliably high floor and bankable production. Average draft position (ADP) is pulled from Fantasy Pros, based on 12-team PPR leagues.
ADP: Round 9 (QB11)
Despite playing without Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk, Ricky Pearsall and All-Pro LT Trent Williams for large chunks of last season, Purdy still finished as the QB12 in fantasy points per game. He got off to a slow start but averaged nearly 19 fantasy PPG in Weeks 6-17 (he did not play in Weeks 12 and 18), scoring at least 17 points in eight of his 10 games. His two bad games came in a blizzard at Buffalo in Week 13 and during a downpour at home in Week 15. Among QBs over the last two seasons, only Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts have notched more 20-plus fantasy point games than Purdy; those three will likely be selected at the top of fantasy drafts, while Purdy can be had in the ninth round.
ADP: Round 5 (TE4)
After finishing as the TE1 overall in his 2023 rookie season, LaPorta suffered a sophomore slump in 2024. However, there was a stark difference in his fantasy production between the first and second halves of the campaign. In Weeks 1-9, LaPorta averaged just 3.3 targets and 8.0 fantasy points per game, but his numbers increased to 7.1 targets and 13.9 points per game in Weeks 10-18. His second-half stats were nearly identical to what he recorded during his stellar rookie campaign. Plus, LaPorta is a safe bet to catch anywhere from seven to 10 touchdowns in 2025, as his 17 career receiving touchdowns are the second-most by a tight end in his first two seasons in the NFL all time, behind only Rob Gronkowski.
ADP: Round 4 (RB19)
Conner has averaged 16 fantasy points per game over his four seasons with the Cardinals, which is the 10th-most among running backs since 2021 (min. 40 games played). The veteran finished as the RB15 or better in average scoring in each of those campaigns, and he finished as the RB11 in total points in 2024. Conner’s RB19 draft projection in spite of that consistent production could, in part, reflect his injury history and age (he turned 30 in May); then again, his fourth-round cost should ease reservations around those factors. As long as Conner is on the field, he is a very reliable fantasy producer.
ADP: Round 5 (RB22)
Montgomery lost the last three weeks of the 2024 regular season to a knee injury -- but in Weeks 1-14, he was the RB11 in average scoring, putting up 16.5 fantasy points per game. The veteran has scored at least 12 touchdowns and finished as a top-15 fantasy RB in back-to-back seasons despite sharing a significant amount of the workload with Jahmyr Gibbs. In the last two seasons, Montgomery finished second in the NFL in carries inside the opponent’s 5-yard line, even while missing six games in that span. If that trend continues, it feels likely that he’ll score double-digit touchdowns yet again in 2025. His RB22 price tag presents fantastic value, considering he finished as a top-20 RB in 10 of the 14 weeks he played in 2024, while finishing top 30 at the position in all 13 games from Week 1 through 14.
ADP: Rounds 6-7 (RB28)
Despite playing in one of the NFL’s worst offenses and scoring only five touchdowns in his first season in Tennessee, Pollard was the RB21 overall in 2024. He logged at least 10 carries in 11 games, averaging 99 scrimmage yards and 14.8 fantasy points per game in those contests. The Titans had the second-fewest rushing attempts inside the opponent’s 10-yard line (25) last season, but Pollard received 14 of them. He also saw 301 total touches in the Titans' 26th-ranked offense. Coach Brian Callahan indicated this offseason he wants to reduce Pollard's workload in 2025, in an effort to keep him healthier for the whole season after an ankle injury cropped up toward the end of 2024. Even so, it's reasonable to believe Pollard would produce similar numbers should he stay fresher deeper into the schedule, especially with the team using the first overall draft pick on Miami QB Cam Ward and improving other areas of the unit. The veteran RB is a fantastic value in Rounds 6-7.
ADP: Round 8 (WR40)
At 31 years old and two seasons removed from his last truly dominant campaign, Diggs doesn't appear to be the alpha WR1 he once was, but he’s shown in recent years that he can still be a solid fantasy producer. Diggs finished as the WR9 overall in 2023 with the Bills and WR18 in average points per game in 2024 with the Texans. His 15.2 points per game last season were more than Ladd McConkey, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Garrett Wilson -- all of whom are being selected at the top of fantasy drafts this year. The Patriots veteran, meanwhile, is falling to the eighth round.
ADP: Round 8 (WR41)
It’s interesting that Meyers holds an ADP of WR41 after finishing last season as the WR23 in fantasy points per game. His 8.6 targets per game also ranked 11th among receivers in 2024. Meyers received at least 10 targets from either Gardner Minshew or Aidan O’Connell in six games last season, averaging 17.9 fantasy points per game. That was better production than Brian Thomas Jr., Mike Evans and Drake London managed across the entire season. Now, Meyers is in position to be the top target for Geno Smith, who should deliver with greater accuracy and offer Meyers better scoring opportunities than he had in 2024.