Right now, the NFL “recent release” card market is about as soft as I have ever seen it. Unless you are dealing in proven champions and iconic rookie cards from the last few years, the market just isnt performing that great. The wheeling and dealing of top performers has left football in a lot of ways. This is troubling with some of the exciting rookies and recent stars that have been playing out of their mind.

After seeing a few guys blast off in the first few weeks of the 2015 season, there might be some indication that things could be turning around. Even more impressive is that most of them are not QBs, which have become the only position left that holds any value. All of these guys are still massively undervalued to me.

Devonta Freeman – RB, Falcons

The Falcons have had a renaissance under Dan Quinn, highlighted by stellar play from their defense, and of course Devonta Freeman and Julio Jones. During his rookie year, Freeman sat relatively unused behind Stephen Jackson and Jaquizz Rodgers, but this year, he has seen the bulk of the carries. He has 7 TDs so far, and leads the league in just about every category.

Much to my amazement, collectors have yet to catch on:

2014 Immaculate Devonta Freeman Rookie Auto Patch

2014 Topps Chrome Devonta Freeman Camo Auto /99

2014 Contenders Devonta Freeman Cracked Ice RC Auto

Todd Gurley – RB, Rams

There really hasnt been an answer of how to stop Gurley since the Rams have put him into full rotation. In his last two games, he has rushed for over 140 yards each, giving us a good picture of why he was drafted so high. Although he has yet to find the endzone, his production has been nothing short of amazing.

Collectors have been high on him for a while, but his give up signature has kept prices lower:

2015 Topps Todd Gurley Auto 1987 Super Rookie /25

2015 Donruss Elite Todd Gurley / Marshall Faulk Passing the Torch Dual Auto

2015 Inception Todd Gurley Gold Signature Auto 25/25

Andy Dalton – QB, Bengals

There has been no QB that received more criticism with their new deal than the Red Rifle. He has shown that he has been worth the money and then some, putting up MVP caliber numbers so far. Because of his lack of success in the playoffs, collectors still havent bought in, but they might have no choice but to take notice if the Bengals keep playing the way they do.

Here are some of the nicer Dalton cards:

2011 Topps Chrome Andy Dalton Atomic Refractor Auto

2014 Flawless Andy Dalton Jumbo Patch Auto /15

2014 National Treasures Andy Dalton Notable Nicknames Auto

DeAndre Hopkins – WR, Texans

Look, I understand the Texans havent done so well on the scoreboard. That being said, Hopkins has played like the Andre Johnson of old, with some insane numbers. Like Gurley, collectors havent put much stock into his cards because of what his role was and his give up autograph, and I am sure that might start to change now that he is playing better than most of the top flight receivers out there. Might not be much of an increase until the Texans start winning, but he is having himself a season, regardless of Ws and Ls.

Check out his cards:

2013 Topps Finest DeAndre Hopkins Jumbo Patch Auto Pulsar Refractor /25

2013 Contenders DeAndre Hopkins Rookie Ticket Auto

2013 Crown Royale DeAndre Hopkins Silhouette Patch Auto

There is no guarantee that these players will continue playing at this high a level, but for most of them, you can buy them cheap enough that it wont matter. I rarely use the word investment with cards anymore, but if you are looking to pick up a few new PC players, these are a good bet.