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Due to the coronavirus, our 2020 rookies were denied a true graduation. So to celebrate their ascendance from prospects to professionals, we have created a fantasy yearbook. While this doesn’t make up for the circumstances we find ourselves in, I hope that a good mix of humor and predictive analysis can brighten up your day and, perhaps, your fantasy teams.
I present to you the Class of 2020’s superlatives.
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Most Likely to be a First Round Pick in 2021: Jonathan Taylor (RB – IND)
I’m not entirely sure that Jonathan Taylor isn’t already a better fantasy asset than Clyde Edwards-Helaire. I am sure that CEH will go ahead of Taylor in 2020 redraft leagues. With that being said, CEH does not profile as a three-down back. Taylor does. Taylor has proven capable of handling a full workload, and while the Colts may not use him as much in the passing game as fantasy owners would like, he’s certainly a competent receiver, posting a 10.3% college target share. Worst case scenario, Taylor has 2019 Derrick Henry upside. Best case scenario, he sees a decent amount of passing game work and has overall RB1 upside.
Marlon Mack is still on the Colts, but, by all accounts, he won’t be in 2021. Even if there is a committee in 2020 (I don’t think there will be), in 2021, it’ll be the Jonathan Taylor show.
Most Likely to be a League Winner in 2020: J.K. Dobbins (RB – BAL)
Just to clarify, “league winner,” in this case, is someone who isn’t obvious. CEH and Jonathan Taylor will be second and third round redraft picks. J.K. Dobbins will be nothing more than a bench stash that’s probably dropped early in the season when Mark Ingram is still dominating carries. Ingram is on the wrong side of 30, however, and the Ravens knew what they were doing when they took Dobbins. There is no doubt in my mind that Dobbins is the Ravens’ primary back in 2021 — and likely a second-round fantasy pick. That type of fantasy utility could very well start later in the 2020 season due to either an injury to Ingram, regression from Ingram, or Dobbins just forcing his way atop the running back depth chart.
Most Likely to be a Waste of a First Round Rookie Draft Pick: Jerry Jeudy (WR – DEN)
I have seen at least a couple of analysts with Jerry Jeudy atop their rookie rankings. Not just wide receiver — all of them. That’s straight lunacy. While talent matters more at receiver than running back, and landing spot isn’t as important because the shelf life of receivers is longer and things change, Jeudy couldn’t have gone to much worse of a spot. With first-round rookie receivers, you want a clear path to that player becoming his NFL team’s WR1. There is no chance Jeudy takes that title from Courtland Sutton. Add in the fact that the Broncos drafted KJ Hamler, signed Melvin Gordon, and have one of the best young pass-catching tight ends in Noah Fant, and the deck is stacked against Jeudy navigating to the top of the depth chart.
As if that isn’t enough, this all depends on the development of Drew Lock. He is going to get at least two full seasons as a starter before the Broncos are convinced he’s not the answer. I could be wrong about Lock, but I was not a fan of his coming out of college, and I’m not optimistic about him becoming the type of quarterback who can support two fantasy-relevant receivers along with a tight end. Jeudy is by no means a bad receiver. He’s good. He’s just not special, and only a special talent could overcome the poor situation.
Most Likely to be a Surprise Waiver Add: Jalen Hurts (QB – PHI)
The Eagles understand the importance of a backup quarterback. They won the Super Bowl because they had a competent backup. That’s the impetus behind the pick of Jalen Hurts. That, and the gadget play capability. Carson Wentz hasn’t played a full season including the playoffs since his rookie season. If Wentz misses a couple of games this season, Hurts will be an immediate streaming option at quarterback. If Tim Tebow, undoubtedly the worst passer in NFL history, can be a QB1 on his rushing alone, then Jalen Hurts can do the same. At some point in the 2020 season, Hurts is going to be a hot pickup.
Most Likely to Splash Once and Disappear: Joe Reed (WR – LAC)
I actually like Joe Reed as a talent. He’s just never going to be a consistent producer. Reed ran a 4.47 and has a 94th percentile speed score. He should play for the Chargers in three-receiver sets. He has the perfect skillset to randomly post a 3-120-2 game and then follow it up with a bunch of 20-snap goose eggs. Every once in a while, we’re going to see Reed pop up and wonder if there’s anything to see. There probably isn’t (unless injuries propel him to a larger snap share), but he might be a nice target in deeper best-ball leagues.
Most Likely to Win You Your Dynasty League in Three Years: CeeDee Lamb (WR – DAL)
We know running backs are the cornerstone of great fantasy teams, but finding those difference-making wide receivers has become increasingly difficult. It’s that ability that will win you your league. While CeeDee Lamb is going to be productive as a rookie, even as Dallas’ WR3, Lamb should be the WR1 by 2022. Amari Cooper’s contract is essentially a two-year deal, as Dallas can get out of it without any dead money after two seasons. That paves the way for Lamb to be Dallas’ new Dez Bryant from a fantasy perspective beginning in 2022.
Most Likely to be the Next Phillip Lindsay: Scottie Phillips (RB – HOU)
Who? Most of you have never heard of Scottie Phillips. I hadn’t heard of him either, until shortly before writing this article. But if we’re looking for a UDFA that could shock the world, Houston is the team on which it’s most likely to happen. Atop their depth chart is a possibly broken David Johnson and a “let it go, he’ll never be more than a complementary back” Duke Johnson. Buddy Howell and Karan Higdon are irrelevant. Which begs the question: why not Scottie Phillips? He profiles as a bruiser-type back that could be useful around the goal line. In his first season at Ole Miss, he scored 14 touchdowns. Phillips is incredibly strong, but he lacks burst and agility. He will run forward and run you over. If he can find his way into volume, he could be useful. That’s the best I can do for Phillips.
Most Likely to be the Next Sammy Watkins: Henry Ruggs (WR – LV)
The comparisons are just too perfect for Henry Ruggs to Sammy Watkins, minus the part where Watkins was an elite college producer. Ruggs was the first wide receiver off the board, and many, myself included, believe he was overdrafted. Ruggs did not have the college production, and despite being labeled as a burner, he was seldom used as a downfield threat at Alabama. However, he has the athleticism, and he has the draft capital. Both of those things, along with his high-profile college, will ensure that he gets drafted in fantasy leagues every season, just like Watkins. I’m not saying Ruggs will definitely have a similar career path to Watkins, but he’s certainly the most likely to follow that path.
Most Likely to be the Next Will Fuller: Laviska Shenault (WR – JAC)
To clarify, Will Fuller was a raw speedster as a rookie that developed into a more complete receiver, but one who just can’t stay healthy. Laviska Shenault isn’t quite the burner with his 4.58 40-time, but that does equate to a 78th percentile speed score. Shenault has had a torn labrum, turf toe, and, most recently, a groin/core issue. All three ailments resulted in surgery. Shenault is raw, but he performed at the combine with his core issue (which could explain the slow 40-time) and is believed to quite athletic. Hopefully, he can put the injury concerns behind him, but he’s the most likely to struggle with them during this career.
Most Likely to Have Their Name Turned into an Awful Fantasy Team Pun: Tua Tagovailoa (QB – MIA)
This rookie class is one of the best of all time when it comes to punny team names. Between CeeDee Lamb’s dual name versatility, Jerry Jeudy, Jordan Love, Jalen Hurts, and D’Andre Swift, the possibilities are endless. But the man that takes this title is unquestionably Tua Tagovailoa. Tua needs to be a quality fantasy asset because the team names need to be used. Since we’re out here having fun, here are the best ones I could think of. No, I did not look on Twitter for any of them, although I’m certain that I’m not the first one to come up with any of these.
Tua for the Money
One Tua Step
#MeTua
Tua Be or Not Tua Be
Big Tua
and my favorite,
Tua Fast Tua Furious
There you have it. The class of 2020 yearbook is complete. It’ll be fun to look back on this article at the end of what will hopefully be a full 2020 season and see how close I got.
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Jason Katz is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Jason, check out his archive, follow him @jasonkatz13.
