Yes, fantasy football is months away.
But with not a lot going on in the sports world, you can start thinking about it now, with the first round of the 2020 NFL draft completed.
There were a bunch of picks that changed things from a fantasy perspective on Thursday night, and we’re here to break those down, from new quarterbacks to receivers who could make an impact from Day 1 for the teams that took them to the running back that already has folks buzzing about his potential.
Here’s a look at the first rounders who owners should start thinking about when it’s fantasy draft season in the fall:
The Bengals take QB Joe Burrow with the No. 1 pick
Quarterback, as I tell you every year, is the deepest position. So I’m not going to target a rookie on a bad team early on or THAT late. That said, there’s a good group of skill players on offense in Cincy led by A.J. Green and Tyler Boyd, so maybe there’s some upside later on in the year when Burrow gets comfortable.
That said, I’m not drafting him unless it’s in a deep keeper league, and I’m keeping expectations for Green, Boyd, and John Ross about the same that I had when Andy Dalton was under center.
The Dolphins take QB Tua Tagovailoa with the No. 5 pick
It’s the same as with Burrow, except the Alabama product might not get a chance to start for a while with Ryan Fitzpatrick is there. So I’m not taking him in a draft unless it’s a mega-deep dynasty league.
The Chargers take QB Justin Herbert with the No. 6 pick
Same as the other two. Seems like Tyrod Taylor will start and Herbert might be under center later in the year. Avoid Herbert in drafts.
The Raiders take Henry Ruggs with the No. 12 pick
Yes, the Raiders need a receiver. But will Ruggs end up being more of a big play threat than a high-volume guy?
That’s my guess. I think Darren Waller, Tyrell Williams and Hunter Renfrow eat up more targets and Ruggs gets some deep balls and runs. Maybe that takes away volume from Williams and Renfrow, but in PPR leagues, I’m higher on Renfrow getting the short balls from Derek Carr. I personally don’t love drafting for big plays and low volume, but if you like the DeSean Jacksons of this world, he could be an intriguing bench candidate later in drafts.
The Broncos take WR Jerry Jeudy with the No. 15 pick.
Denver has Courtland Sutton as its top receiver, and that won’t change after he broke out with Drew Lock last year. I see Jeudy as an immediate No. 2, with tight end Noah Fant getting a bump in volume too.
That’s a pretty interesting situation to walk in to, and after last year’s rookie wide receiver class had a bunch of breakouts, I’m willing to take a late flier on Jeudy to see if he can replicate some of that.
The Cowboys take WR CeeDee Lamb with the No. 17 pick
Oh, Jerry Jones. You see a weapon like Lamb and you can’t resist.
It’s a good move on paper, but he’ll be fighting for receptions in his rookie year with Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup, plus Ezekiel Elliott catches passes, too. Barring an injury to one of the names above, I’ll probably pass on Lamb in re-draft leagues and leave him on the waiver wire.
The Eagles take WR Jalen Reagor with the No. 21 pick
Yes, the Eagles need wide receiver help. But Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson are still there … for now, plus Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert compete for catches. As it stands, I’ll wait until 2021 to give Reagor a look.
The Vikings take WR Justin Jefferson with the No. 22 pick
Stefon Diggs? He’s in Buffalo now. That means he could be behind Adam Thielen and perhaps Tajae Sharpe when it comes to targets. But with Diggs gone, there’s a void that needs to be filled. So I’ll deem Jefferson a late sleeper you might use one of your last picks on.
The 49ers take WR Brandon Aiyuk with the No. 25 pick
In San Francisco, it’s George Kittle first and Deebo Samuel next. And then there’s a glut of receivers including Kendrick Bourne, who we keep hearing about. Does that mean Aiyuk is destined to be buried his first year? Possibly. I’m not high on his prospects in 2020.
The Packers take QB Jordan Love with the No. 26 pick
Aaron Rodgers isn’t going anywhere for a while. So it may be a while until Love is both fantasy and real football relevant.
The Chiefs take RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire with the No. 32 pick
OOOOOOO. The fantasy buzz is there with good reason. Damien Williams will be the starter, but the younger and more dynamic Edwards-Helaire — who caught 55 passes last year for LSU — could usurp him. He’s going to be a sleeper who could end up paying off huge dividends, because we know what Andy Reid can do with young running back talent in a high-powered offense.
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