Landing in Atlanta gives Tevin Coleman every chance to succeed

The NFL draft has come and gone, but that doesn’t mean we here at FantasyPros have moved past it. After every NFL draft, there are questions that fantasy players have.

To help answer some post draft questions, we have reached out to a few experts in order to provide a little more depth and understanding of the outcomes of the draft. Here are their thoughts.

Q1. Give us the rookie whose stock is on the rise the most by virtue of the situation he walks into (team/depth/etc). How early should he go in a rookie draft?

Tevin Coleman (RB – ATL)
“Yes, Gordon and Gurley are the obvious choices for the top rookie backs of 2015, but Atlanta’s third-round pick, Tevin Coleman, could potentially put up numbers to rival the aforementioned first-round backs. Concerns about Coleman’s ability to produce in Atlanta’s zone blocking scheme are legitimate, but the athletic Coleman will be given every opportunity to nail down the starting job in Atlanta’s high-scoring offense. Coleman is a north-south runner, with capable hands and possesses rare acceleration combined with top-end speed. Coleman, on Atlanta’s home turf, as the primary ball carrier on Atlanta’s offense offers tremendous upside at a likely 5th-round price tag. ”
– Matthew Hill (Fantasy Team Advice)

“I was one Coleman’s bigger fans before the draft, so him going to a place (Atlanta) where there’s no other starting running back on the depth chart is a huge win. He also went in the top 3 rounds, so the team invested a reasonable amount in him. I would be willing to take him as early as 1.07/1.08 in a rookie draft, but it appears that you could wait until the later first, or even early second to grab him.”
– Russell Clay (Dynasty League Football)

Nelson Agholor (WR – PHI)
“This is close between Breshad Perriman and Nelson Agholor, but I’ll give the nod to the latter because he comes into a better situation. Agholor should come in and start right away in a Chip Kelly offense, where Jeremy Maclin—a nice comp for the rookie—had a massive year in 2014. He’s not a top-tier option for the long haul, but I would target him in the second half of the first round based on early returns.”
– Alessandro Miglio (FootballGuys)

Melvin Gordon (RB – SD)
“The running back that will likely have the most fantasy value, potentially out of the entire draft, is Melvin Gordon, who the Chargers traded two spots up for. While San Diego went into the draft with a plethora of needs, there was a huge gaping hold at the running back position after Ryan Mathews left for the Eagles with little left on the free agent market. The return of Danny Woodhead and emergence of Branden Oliver will certainly limit Gordon to filling the role of a two-down back, but there’s enough potential here to be offensive rookie of the year. He has the talent, the opportunity, and a great supporting cast on offense to flourish, and while this might cause some over-hype as the offseason progresses, at this moment, I’m buying in.”
– Jason Longfellow (Razzball)

Q2. Last season, Martavis Bryant offered good value despite flying under the radar as a 4th round pick. Name 1 rookie that has the best shot to be a surprise stud this season.

Justin Hardy (WR – ATL)
“Staying in Atlanta, fourth-round pick, Justin Hardy, a tough, sure-handed wide receiver, should step right into the slot role that was left vacant when Harry Douglass left this offseason. While undersized at 5’10” and 192 lbs., Hardy has a reputation as a fierce competitor who is an excellent blocker and a clutch receiver. He had more than 70% of last season’s catches go for first downs. Hardy could make for a solid PPR flex option in larger leagues, with the potential for some big weeks if either Julio Jones or Roddy White were to miss time.”
– Matthew Hill (Fantasy Team Advice)

Jay Ajayi (RB – MIA)
“Ajayi fell because of medical concerns, but he might have landed in one of the few spots where he could get a ton of playing time if he stays healthy. The Dolphins only really have Lamar Miller—though Damien Williams flashed his potential as a pass-catcher—who has been far from a workhorse in Miami.”
– Alessandro Miglio (FootballGuys)

Buck Allen (RB – BAL)
“Allen wasn’t one of my favorite prospects pre-draft, but you couldn’t ask for a better landing spot and I think Allen could really thrive in this offense, as early as the 2015 season. I like Justin Forsett, but I’m of the belief that he would be better suited to have a bigger back take some of the “between the tackle” work. This will be a situation I’ll be monitoring very closely during training camp and preseason.”
– Russell Clay (Dynasty League Football)

Q3. What veteran player walks away as the biggest winner based on the new addition(s) to his team and how does it affect how you value him this season?

Latavius Murray (RB – OAK)
“The veteran who should see his stock rise the most after this past weekend, did so as a result of his team not adding anyone to his backfield. After missing out on the DeMarco Murray sweepstakes, many assumed that the Raiders would draft a running back to compete with third-year back, Latavius Murray. Instead Oakland bypassed the position, leaving Trent Richardson and 3rd-down back, Roy Helu, as the main threats to Murray’s workload. Murray will enter the preseason as a strong RB2 with upside.”
– Matthew Hill (Fantasy Team Advice)

Joe Flacco (QB – BAL)
“I don’t think this one is particularly close. Flacco was in desperate need of explosive and skilled weapons, and he got exactly that. Not only did he get early round additions in Breshad Perriman and Maxx Williams, but the Ravens also grabbed a player in the later rounds that I love in Darren Waller. Don’t be shocked if Flacco throws 35 TDs in 2015, he’s never had this much offensive talent to work with before. ”
– Russell Clay (Dynasty League Football)

Derek Carr (QB – OAK)
“Can we call Derek Carr a veteran player? The second-year Raiders quarterback got the draft’s best receiver and an upgrade at tight end, not to mention a potential boost to the offensive line if Jon Feliciano works out. Carr threw 599 passes as a rookie with an awful supporting cast, one that has improved dramatically in the draft and free agency. Of course, there are too many other great quarterbacks to seriously consider Carr a starter, but he is a fantastic option in 2QB leagues and as a late-round quarterback in best-ball leagues.”
– Alessandro Miglio (FootballGuys)

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We thank the experts for taking the time to answer these three questions. For more from the experts, please follow them on Twitter.