An upside player in fantasy football is a player who has the potential to surpass expectations and provide a lot of fantasy value. The key to upside players is that the expectations surrounding them are fairly low. This means they can be drafted in the late rounds, or even added from free agency. This is advantageous because the general manager who acquires them does not have to use up a top draft pick on them.
Upside players who pay off are often referred to as "diamonds in the rough."
Players who are strong candidates to be upside players include:
All these types of players have the ability to surpass expectations because their projections are either unknown or poor. This drops the players' draft stock, allowing them to be nabbed late in the draft while having a boom or bust quality.
If you are struggling to identify upside players on your own, there are many websites that can help you. Sites such as Fanduels have rankings of expected upside players. Other websites with similar features include Fantrax and Lineups.com.