Will Joseph Randle be the Cowboys’ featured RB?
Competition is king in the salary-cap driven NFL. Here are the most significant position battles to monitor this summer along with their fantasy impact.
Quarterback
Dynasty and keeper outlooks are for another piece, but any folks in re-draft leagues thinking about rostering one of the few QBs entrenched in a position battle should peruse the FantasyPros Consensus ADP Rankings. Put simply, there are enough established starters in 2015 to draft two higher quality QBs even in deep leagues. Moving on…
Running Back
Dallas: Joseph Randle vs. Darren McFadden
Given the Cowboys’ dominant O-line, it stands to reason that the starter could produce RB1 numbers now that reigning rushing champ DeMarco Murray has taken his 392 regular-season carries to Philadelphia.
Sizing up Randle – In his second pro season, Randle averaged a robust 6.7 ypc on 51 rushes last year as Murray’s backup. His familiarity with the offense, combined with a looming spike in touches, makes Randle an intriguing fantasy prospect, particularly at his current ADP in the 70s. His maturity is really the main question mark, given some off-field gaffes.
Sizing up McFadden – For the first time in his career, McFadden made it through a full 16-game slate in 2014. But then he wasted no time getting dinged up in OTAs with his new team and missing key reps, which wound up going to Randle. Owner Jerry Jones has always been intrigued by the former Arkansas Razorbacks star, although the Cowboys employ a similar zone blocking scheme as the Raiders did in 2012, when McFadden averaged a then career-low 3.3 YPC.
Prognosis: Health withstanding, Randle’s stock is bound to rise, and quick, as McFadden’s current ADP settles back to reality. To provide a conservative estimate, assuming Randle gets even 50% of the workload (i.e. 225 carries) with DMC and Lance Dunbar combining for the other 50%, his career 4.8 ypc would translate to 1,080 rushing yards.
Wide Receiver
Denver: Emmanuel Sanders vs. Cody Latimer
Peyton Manning may claim nothing beats that new car smell, but never underestimate his rapport with established weapons. After all, the future Hall-of-Famer has built chemistry with countless pass catchers (insert name of previously unheralded Peyton target) over the years who emerged from seemingly nowhere into fantasy relevance.
Sizing up Sanders – Manning certainly has established that rapport with Sanders, who broke out last season with a 101-catch campaign during his first year in Denver. Sanders can line up outside or in the slot, so he’ll have a regular role even if Latimer takes a step forward. But with an ADP currently at 31, you are essentially paying for last year’s production on a player who spent his previous four seasons off the fantasy radar in Pittsburgh.
Sizing up Latimer – The second-year pro is still somewhat of an unknown, and recent reports have emerged that he essentially “checked out” mentally last year as a rookie buried on the depth chart. The 2014 second-round pick finished with two catches in 16 games, later admitting it was too late by the time the playbook finally “clicked.” Still, Latimer’s athleticism is off the charts. He may just be a later bloomer than the rest of the 2014 rookie WR class.
Prognosis: Latimer takes over on the outside in two-receiver sets with Sanders shifting into Wes Welker’s slot role. Expectations should be tempered, however, given Manning’s late-season fade (230 ypg over his final 6 games) and the Broncos desire to run the ball more often in 2015.
Tight End
Similar to quarterback, tight end is another position in 2015 that is deep enough for you to find established talent in later rounds, or even the waiver wire if you prefer to stream TEs. But here are three under-the-radar names battling for a potentially fruitful starting spot.
Virgil Green (Denver) – New coach Gary Kubiak has a history of featuring tight ends, and so does Manning. Green is not Julius Thomas, although he is built almost exactly the same at 6’5” and 255 lbs. He’ll compete with 32-year-old Owen Daniels to become the apple of Manning’s eye, or at least a red-zone threat.
Austin Seferian-Jenkins (Tampa Bay) – Rookie TEs rarely break out in Year 1, and Seferian-Jenkins was no different after being drafted in the 2nd round out of Washington. An athletic target with size (6’5”, 262 lbs), he could be a nice security blanket for rookie QB Jameis Winston, who recently referred to ASJ as one of his closest friends on the team.
Richard Rodgers (Green Bay) – As a rookie, Rodgers was on the field for only 44.5 percent of the team’s offensive plays as he adjusted to playing in-line after playing out wide in a spread at Cal, the alma mater of another Rodgers on the Packers. Green Bay has not featured the tight end since the days of Jermichael Finley, but Rodgers could change that if he continues to develop his game.
Mike Castiglione is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, you can view his archive or follow him @RickDancin.
