It’s mid-May and rookie drafts for dynasty leagues are in full swing. As the NFL Draft has come and gone, our consensus rookie rankings for this year have been assembled. As with any rankings, there are bound to be some dissenting opinions on where players should be ranked. This year is no different and we’ve asked the experts to name which running backs and wide receivers they feel are undervalued.
Sure enough, they came up with a list of names for you to take a good hard look at.
Summary: Undervalued Dynasty Rookie Advice
Q1. What rookie RB do you feel is undervalued according to the Dynasty Rankings and why?
David Johnson (RB – ARI)
Overall Rookie Ranking: #20
“I feel that the Cardinals rookie is rated way too low with a 20 overall and RB9 ranking. Johnson’s overall talent stands out from the pack and his college production did too. His measurables are at, or near the top of this class and I think he’ll eventually shine as a lead back. We all know that Andre Ellington isn’t built to shoulder the full load and is injury prone to boot. Johnson’s opportunity to prove himself could come sooner than later and I think he’ll shine when it does. Many question his ability to run between the tackles, but he’s got the size for it and is far more likely to succeed at it than Ellington. His pass-catching ability also makes him an easy replacement for Ellington if/when he does go down.”
– Jeff Melbostad (Dynasty Football Warehouse)
“Johnson’s best ability as a prospect was his pass catching ability, recruited to play wide receiver at Northern Iowa, he moved to running back and had 141 career receptions in college. That’s what made his selection to Arizona so puzzling since that is also the main strength of Andre Ellington’s game. His interior running needs development still, but Johnson is also a 224 pound back with an amazing athletic profile, and is a more dynamic weapon overall for an offense if utilized correctly. He should see some time all over the field and possibly in a H-Back type role. Arizona has invested heavily into their offensive line over the past two offseasons and Carson Palmer is coming back quickly off of a major injury at age 35. We’re also just a year removed from a season in which Rashard Mendenhall scored eight times from inside the five-yard line. While Johnson may not be a chain mover used purely as a runner, I do believe he can be better than Mendenhall was in 2013 and offers much more in terms of versatility.”
– Rich Hribar (The Fake Football)
Josh Robinson (RB – IND)
Overall Rookie Ranking: #31
“Robinson sticks out as an undervalued running back at No. 31 overall. He’s not a flashy player, but he has a similar skill set to Frank Gore, and is a better talent than Boom Herron. In some ways he’s a cross between Gore and Maurice Jones-Drew, with a bowling ball physique and the ability to make people miss. Robinson is Gore’s preferred handcuff and could make an impact in 2015 should something happen to Gore.”
– Jeff Ratcliffe (Pro Football Focus)
David Cobb (RB – TEN)
Overall Rookie Ranking: #19
“Bishop Sankey did very little in his rookie season to make me think he can hold Cobb off as the primary back in Tennessee. Cobb is not the perfect back, and will have to improve his pass protection, but he is big, with the ability to tack on yards after contact, and has good hands. A 19th overall ranking is too low for someone who could be this year’s Jeremy Hill.”
– Sablich Brothers (The NY Times)
Thomas Rawls (RB – SEA)
Overall Rookie Ranking: #55
“Rawls is a name everyone should know. He was a highly vaunted Michigan recruit, but he ended up at Central Michigan and character questions dogged his draft stock. He runs more like a 3rd/4th rounder with his compact power cutting angry style. Dallas was very interested, but Rawls chose Seattle. The chance of landing in Dallas post cuts/practice squad is a jackpot, but Seattle isn’t a bad organization for a running back to develop in either.”
– Sigmund Bloom (FootballGuys)
Cameron Artis-Payne (RB – CAR)
Overall Rookie Ranking: #35
“Honestly, the rookie rankings are pretty spot-on, so I would like to dig deep on a RB that all fantasy owners should keep an eye on in 2015. Keep an eye on Cameron Artis-Payne as it’s rare an entire season of football goes by where Jonathan Stewart is not injured. Artis-Payne isn’t a superstar athlete, but it’s only a matter of time before Stewart goes down. Otherwise, I am very excited about the dynasty prospects of the top five RBs Todd Gurley, Melvin Gordon, Ameer Abdullah, T.J. Yeldon, and Tevin Coleman.”
– James Hatfield (Hatty Waiver Wire Guru)
Q2. What rookie WR do you feel is undervalued according to the Dynasty Rankings and why?
Devante Davis (WR – PHI)
Overall Rookie Ranking: #42
“At wide receiver, it looks like people are sleeping on Davis. Sure, he’s an UDFA, but he steps into an awesome situation in Philly. On the field, he does a better version of Riley Cooper than Cooper does, and it wouldn’t shock me if Davis leapfrogs Cooper on the Eagles’ depth chart. There are a lot of mouths to feed in Philly, but Davis has major sleeper appeal in one of the league’s most prolific offenses.”
– Jeff Ratcliffe (Pro Football Focus)
Darren Waller (WR – BAL)
Overall Rookie Ranking: #39
“Waller is a WR I feel can blow away his current ranking of WR20 and 30th overall. He’s a raw prospect to be certain, but that’s no surprise for WRs coming out of that Georgia Tech offense, yet a number of them have panned out. Waller is an absolute monster of a man at 6’6″ and 238 pounds. He’s also a super athlete who ran a 4.46 forty at that size and is very intelligent as well, scoring 34 on his wonderlic. The Ravens are already looking at creative ways just to get Waller on the field by talking about putting him at TE in certain situations. If there’s a deeper WR that I could see emerging from the pack, he’s the one. It may take some time for him to hone his craft so patience may be required, but I think the payoff should come.”
– Jeff Melbostad (Dynasty Football Warehouse)
Tyler Lockett (WR – SEA)
Overall Rookie Ranking: #23
“With so many great receivers in this year’s draft, it’s easy to overlook Lockett, who went in the third round. Mel Kiper called that selection one of his favorites of the entire draft, and while his size is a concern, he’s also been compared to T.Y. Hilton and Antonio Brown. Let’s not get too carried away with comparisons just yet, but with a 23 ranking, he could be a sleeper that pays off big down the line.”
– Sablich Brothers (The NY Times)
Sammie Coates (WR – PIT)
Overall Rookie Ranking: #27
“Coates has a Troy Williamson/Darrius Heyward-Bey-esque bust risk, but his big play ability might be better than that duo even though they were both drafted in the top seven and Coates fell to the third round. Coates is also paired with a great vertical QB in Ben Roethlisberger, and an injury in 2014 might have masked his true upside as a pro. As long as his drops aren’t his mental undoing, Coates will get a chance to be an impact player before his rookie contract is up.”
– Sigmund Bloom (FootballGuys)
Phillip Dorsett (WR – IND)
Overall Rookie Ranking: #21
In what was possibly the most shocking and perhaps heads scratching pick of the first round, the Colts selected Dorsett at pick 29. Factoring in that this is the final season of T.Y. Hilton’s rookie contract, and with the impending contract extension that will be going to Andrew Luck, things make a little more sense as Indy could be covering themselves with a vertical weapon in case they are priced out on Hilton. Dorsett will need that to happen to gain significant fantasy relevance as he lands in a muddy situation immediately with the crowded Colts receiving corps that just selected Donte Moncrief a season ago, and added Andre Johnson and Duron Carter this offseason. He will likely begin his career as a niche player, but still is a play away from having a larger role in attachment to one of the best fantasy quarterbacks on a high scoring offense. Because he needs a few dominoes to fall his way to reach his apex opportunity, Dorsett will remain as a deeper target, but could prove to be an impact selection at that spot if those dominoes do fall properly.”
– Rich Hribar (The Fake Football)
Devin Funchess (WR – CAR)
Overall Rookie Ranking: #16
“Funchess stands out as a bit undervalued (again on a list that I consider to be spot-on with rankings right now), but let’s look at some of his Pros vs Cons. Pros – 20 years old (think long term), Week 1 starter opposite Kelvin Benjamin and he is six foot stinkin’ four. Now let’s look at Cons – not good after the catch, not aggressive, some bust potential. I like the upside of Funchess and that he could contribute in 2015.”
– James Hatfield (Hatty Waiver Wire Guru)
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Thanks to the Featured Pros for stopping by to share their rookie advice. If you’d like to get more insight from the experts, be sure to visit their sites and follow them on Twitter:
Jeff Ratcliffe | @JeffRatcliffe
Sigmund Bloom | @SgimundBloom
Sablich Brothers | @5thDownFantasy
Rich Hribar | @LordReebs
James Hatfield | @HattyWaiverWire
Jeff Melbostad | @Jeff_DFW