It came, we watched, and the Bears made a much talked about trade. While many Bears fans are still angered, there may be just as many Philly fans, if not more, STILL booing Drew Pearson. The fun is just beginning with the upcoming NFL season and now that all 32 teams are stocked with rookies, it’s time for the fantasy community to start picking the draft apart for different reasons.
Whether you’re in a dynasty league, participate in rookie drafts, are playing in MFL10s right now, or are looking ahead toward your redraft leagues, we’ve got fantasy insight from five pundits below. See which rookies (and vets) have had their stock impacted the most after the weekend’s festivities.
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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?
Corey Davis (WR – TEN)
“I feel like Corey Davis stock rose the most landing in Tennessee. The Titans really don’t have much depth to speak of at WR so he should make an impact from day 1. He gets paired up with a young up-and-coming QB who he can build chemistry with for years to come. He’s a top 3 pick in rookie drafts.”
– Sean Koerner (STATS)
“Everything we heard going into the draft was that this was a weak wide receiver class; then we watched three receivers go in the first nine picks. Of the three, Corey Davis went highest, at fifth overall, but where he went should not be the main reason why owners should be excited about owning the talented rookie. Davis steps into a situation where he has the opportunity to be the clear go-to option for an offense led by one of the league’s top up and coming passers, putting him in the conversation for the number one overall pick in rookie drafts.”
– Matthew Hill (DataForce Fantasy Football)
“Not only was Corey Davis a surprise pick at 5th overall, but he goes to a Titans team that sorely needed WR talent and specifically someone who can make big plays. That’s all this guy did in college and he has the size, speed, route-running and ball skills to be a beast. With average talent ahead of him, he immediately has a high ceiling and is a viable pick as early as round one in rookie drafts.”
– Kevin Roberts (Breaking Football)
Leonard Fournette (RB – JAX)
“This choice comes down to Leonard Fournette and Corey Davis for me, but Fournette is the safest choice, in my opinion. Fournette will take over the Jacksonville Jaguars’ backfield immediately. Dubbing him as a three-down back right away might be expecting too much, but he has the potential to easily see at least 300 touches in his first professional football season. Fournette is the front runner for those with the 1.01 pick in rookie drafts.”
– Zach Greubel (Gridiron Experts)
Samaje Perine (RB – WAS)
“The name I was most intrigued to follow during the draft was Samaje Perine. While many rookies were falling to places where they may not have an immediate impact, The PAINBOT was scooped up by Washington. The team already sports a prolific passing game and a tremendous run blocking offensive line. The only thing standing in Samajae’s path from a ton of scoring opportunities is UDFA Rob Kelley. Perine likely starts lower on the depth chart, but has the talent to be the starter by the 2nd half of the season. Perine has moved his value to a late 1st/early 2nd round rookie pick.”
– Mike Wright (The Fantasy Footballers)
Q2. Last season, Jordan Howard offered great value despite flying under the radar as a late-round pick. Name 1 rookie that has the best shot to be a surprise stud this season.
Jeremy McNichols (RB – TB)
“McNichols landed in an intriguing situation. As of now, he’s pretty far down the Buccaneers depth chart, but the team can dump Doug Martin’s‘s contract at any moment without any kind of salary cap hit. Jaquizz Rodgers was effective but is still a journeyman at this point. McNichols has a full RB skillset and could find himself taking meaningful touches in what looks like a fully loaded offense.”
– Mike Wright (The Fantasy Footballers)
Kareem Hunt (RB – KC)
“Don’t let memories of a handful of games in the first half of 2016 cloud how you view Kareem Hunt. The Chiefs traded up third to take the 5’1″, 216 pound running back with the idea of having him compete for lead back duties. Hunt has a legitimate three-down skill set, catching 73 balls during his time at Toledo. The fact that Hunt fumbled just once on 856 touches in college (putting the ball on the ground is the quickest way for a rookie running back to find himself on the bench) should give owners one more reason to trust that once he gets his chance, Hunt may not give the job back.”
– Matthew Hill (DataForce Fantasy Football)
Marlon Mack (RB – IND)
“Although he did run for more than 1,000 yards last year, Frank Gore will be 34 years old in a couple of weeks. The Colts addressed Gore’s impending demise by drafting Marlon Mack in the fourth round. Mack has a relatively easy path to the backup role behind Gore, and Gore’s workload could decrease this season after receiving 301 touches last season. Mack is the best bet to be the closest thing to this year’s Jordan Howard.”
– Zach Greubel (Gridiron Experts)
Jamaal Williams (RB – GB)
“I love me some Jamaal Williams. The only thing this guy is lacking is elite home run speed, but he cuts extremely well, has fluid hips and never stops moving. He supposedly isn’t Green Bay’s starter right away, which could be great and allow him to float under everyone else’s radar. Don’t be the person to ignores him late in drafts.”
– Kevin Roberts (Breaking Football)
Joe Mixon (RB – CIN)
“People may think the Bengals backfield is overcrowded with Hill/Gio already. Hill has been very underwhelming the past two seasons and Gio might miss the first few games. The Bengals stuck their neck out a bit in taking Mixon so I think it gives them a little extra incentive to almost force him into an every-down back.”
– Sean Koerner (STATS)
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?
Jameis Winston (QB – TB)
“The Bucs did everything they can to give him more weapons outside of Mike Evans. They signed DeSean Jackson which will give him a much needed veteran outside. Then at the draft, they added future stud TE O.J. Howard and an athletic freak in Chris Godwin at WR. I will have him just inside the top 10 QBs in my initial rankings.”
– Sean Koerner (STATS)
C.J. Anderson (RB – DEN)
“While C.J. Anderson was recovering from injury last year, he watched his replacement, Devontae Booker, look extremely inefficient. Not many RBs have the luxury of gaining fantasy value while not playing. Perhaps the lady from the Wendy’s “where’s the beef?” commercial should look no further than Denver’s revamped offensive line. It has been a focal point for the team this offseason. With no splash RB acquisitions, Anderson looks locked in as the starting running back.”
– Mike Wright (The Fantasy Footballers)
Philip Rivers (QB – SD)
“Despite holes elsewhere, the Chargers selected Clemson wide receiver Mike Williams to add to one of the league’s deepest and most talented collection of receiving options. While I will be avoiding Williams in redraft, along with every other Charger pass catcher at their current ADPs, Philip Rivers has the chance to put up monster numbers this season at a QB2 price tag.”
– Matthew Hill (DataForce Fantasy Football)
Marcus Mariota (QB – TEN)
“The Tennessee Titans arguably had the worst wide receiver corps in the NFL before entering the draft. After drafting Corey Davis, Taywan Taylor, and Jonnu Smith, Marcus Mariota now has plenty more weapons at his disposal. The 6-foot-3 Davis will ideally start opposite Rishard Matthews and gives Mariota a big, athletic target he can throw to anywhere on the field. With an improved receiving arsenal, one of the best offensive lines in the league, and an elite committee of running backs, Mariota is primed for the first QB1 season of his young career.”
– Zach Greubel (Gridiron Experts)
Cam Newton (QB – CAR)
“I’m not sure anyone sees their value increase more than Cam Newton based on this draft. After a down year, the top QB of just two years ago is now the 8th passer coming off of fantasy draft boards per recent ADP. He already had some weapons and himself is a weapon, but the Panthers added high-level athleticism and versatility to their roster via Christian McCaffrey and Curtis Samuel. I was loving the value and upside of Cam regardless, but a solid draft on the offensive side of the ball by the Panthers just might seal it for me.”
– Kevin Roberts (Breaking Football)
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Thank you to the experts for giving us their takes. Be sure to give them a follow on Twitter and listen to our latest podcast below.
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