First TD Bets — Wild Card Monday Slate
Alex Christenson
Best Ball season truly never stops. With just under two weeks left in the 2024 NFL season, Underdog released The Big Board — a best ball tournament presenting the pre-draft rookies for the first time. Welcome to 2025 NFL Best Ball season.
The unicorn of this year’s draft class is Ashton Jeanty (ADP 19 – RB7), who won’t move much up or down regardless of landing spot. Looking at you, Jerry Jones.
Every year, rookies break out, bless our best ball lineups and confirm our genius. Sarcasm of course. If you’ve played best ball for a while, you know that the Brock Bowers and Puka Nacua seasons aren’t the norm, but we still want to avoid the landmines like Ben Sinnott (five receptions) or MarShawn Lloyd (six carries).
In this article, we will look at a few intriguing rookie ADP values.
Underdog Big Board Rookie Values
Kaleb Johnson
ADP 69 – RB 22
Kaleb Johnson was not only one of the most productive running backs in the country, he also led the Big Ten in all-purpose yards. He rushed for 100 yards or more in eight of his 12 games as a starter this season and scored 23 touchdowns.
What’s even more exciting is that he has absolute three-down potential and can run in both gap and zone schemes. You can’t study Johnson’s tape or read any article about his profile without universal agreement on one thing – his vision is elite. He also has the patience to allow running lanes to open and the quick burst to get to the next level. He caught 22 passes this season at Iowa which, as a program, feels like its only just adopted the forward pass. I think he sees the field sooner than most other non-Jeanty running backs in this year’s class.
Dream scenario: Denver Broncos
Luther Burden III
ADP 69 – WR 38
Call me a Luther Truther, but there is no rookie player I am more excited to draft than Luther Burden III (well, besides Ashton Jeanty). As a sophomore in 2023, Burden went scorched earth for 86 receptions, 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns, three of which came versus AP Top 25 teams. That season, he also had two games with 11 receptions and had seven straight games with at least seven receptions. In 2024, Burden battled a shoulder injury and an undisclosed illness but still put up a respectable 61-676-6. The dip in production makes him a high-upside option at WR38.
Burden, a Missouri native and former five-star recruit, did not run an expansive route tree (mainly hitches and go routes), but I think that had more to do with the offensive limitations at Missouri rather than his talent. His ability to stop and start is elite, and he uses leverage like he’s bigger than his 5-foot-11 frame, especially on back-shoulder fades. His ability to break the first tackle, combined with good speed, provides plenty of the big-play potential coveted in best ball leagues.
I expect him to test well and for his stock to rise as we approach draft day.
Dream scenario: Cincinnati Bengals
Isaiah Bond
ADP 118 – WR 57
Another riser we could see in the draft process is Isaiah Bond from the University of Texas, whose production was down a little after transferring from Alabama.
A sprinter in high school, the 20-year-old shows blazing speed, but his routes aren’t as crisp as other wide receivers likely to go higher in the draft. He ran a lot of quick outs and screens at Texas but also found success beating opponents on corner routes. On screens, he has good vision and maximizes blockers. His straightline speed should test extremely well, and he should find success on downfield targets. At 5-foot-11, the 180-pound speedster didn’t see much press, but when he did, he often beat it with a quick first move. All of this bodes well for an explosive opportunist who could pay dividends multiple times throughout your best ball season.
Dream scenario: Los Angeles Chargers
Travis Hunter
ADP 154 – WR 69
At this ADP, why not? He’s a top-three wide receiver in this class and could be full time at the position depending on his landing spot. His ADP is only going up, and he’s an electric playmaker. The 13th round? I’ll have a few shares.
