How should you view Cam Akers in fantasy football next season?
Cam Akers was a somewhat surprising pick by the Los Angeles Rams at No. 52 overall in the draft, going ahead of J.K. Dobbins as the fourth running back off the board. But it’s become abundantly clear just how much Les Snead and Sean McVay like the former Florida State Seminole.
He landed in a good situation with the Rams, who are looking for Todd Gurley’s replacement. It seemed like Darrell Henderson Jr. was in line to take over that role in 2020, but with Akers now in the mix, that doesn’t seem so likely.
The Rams’ backfield is crowded with Akers, Henderson and Malcolm Brown, and Snead said before the draft that he wants the team to utilize a committee approach rather than leaning on one workhorse like it did with Gurley.
The word “committee” is a fantasy football player’s worst nightmare when it comes to running backs, because it becomes difficult to gauge the value of the players who are part of that committee. For the Rams, it applies to Akers and Henderson.
With the Rams planning to use multiple backs in 2020, what is Akers’ fantasy outlook? We’ll start by saying it’s certainly better than Henderson’s, and you should target the rookie before Henderson in your fantasy drafts.
The reason is relatively simple. Akers has the build and experience to be a workhorse back. He handled that duty for three years at Florida State, whereas Henderson was only a true No. 1 running back for one year at Memphis.
On a pre-draft conference call with scouts, Snead even asked if the Rams should take Akers in the second or Lamical Perine in the fourth. Area scout Michael Pierce responded without hesitation, picking Akers.
“I’m taking Akers. If he’s there, I think you have to take him because he’s just so much of a complete back. He’d end up being your workhorse, in my opinion,” he said.
That’s the feeling a lot of people have with Akers, and that likely includes the Rams’ coaching staff, too. They didn’t spend their first pick in the draft on a running back to give him 10 touches a game.
You could make almost the same argument with Henderson, who the Rams traded up to select in the third round last year, but the belief from the beginning with Henderson was that he’d be a complementary weapon who can contribute as a big-play threat and receiver.
Snead said last year after the Rams selected him that Henderson could bring a “Kamara element” to the offense, indicating he’d be a complementary piece to Gurley and not necessarily a workhorse.
Akers was high on the Rams’ board, which is not only an indication of how they feel about the rookie’s potential, but also how they view Henderson’s fit on offense. Most likely, it’ll be Akers handling first- and second-down carries, which gives him an extremely high fantasy ceiling.
He’s not going to be an RB1 in fantasy as a rookie, but he shouldn’t be viewed as worse than a low-end RB2 or really strong RB3/Flex option.
Pro Football Focus projected Akers’ stats in 2020, and the analytics site sees a big year out of the Rams running back next season.
What should make Akers’ transition to the NFL somewhat easier is his experience running into stacked boxes and behind shaky offensive lines. Akers is the only offensive player from Florida State to be drafted in the last two years, which shows how little help he had around him.
Yet, he still rushed for more than 1,000 yards in two of the last three years and did a lot of the work himself. He averaged 3.91 yards after contact per carry last season, fourth-best among draft-eligible running backs.
The fact that he was able to gain as many yards as he did despite being the only real threat on Florida State’s offense – and while running behind an offensive line that Snead said wasn’t very good – shows just how good he is at creating his own yardage.
Akers’ ceiling in fantasy is relatively high in 2020, and in dynasty leagues, it’s even higher in the future. If he breaks out as a rookie next season and proves to be Gurley’s replacement, he’ll be an RB1 quickly and likely among the five or 10 best players at his position in fantasy by Year 2 or 3.
Since the NFL is still attempting to begin the 2020 season as scheduled, it’s not too early to start preparing for your fantasy football league.
Since the NFL is still attempting to begin the 2020 season as scheduled, it’s not too early to start preparing for your fantasy football league.
It should come as no surprise that Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones remains one of the top fantasy options, even entering his tenth season in the league. Let’s see where Jones and the rest of Atlanta’s offensive weapons stack up in Pro Football Focus’ top 200 fantasy rankings for PPR leagues.
Some notable omissions on the list include Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo, tight end Khari Lee and running back Brian Hill. Atlanta’s defense wasn’t ranked in the top 200 of PFF’s rankings.
Two players of the Los Angeles Chargers are in the top-10 in early 2020 fantasy football draft rankings.
The Chargers head into the 2020 season with a new signal-caller. After Philip Rivers and the franchise mutually agreed to part ways earlier this offseason, Tyrod Taylor and Justin Herbert take over under center.
The running back position will have a slightly new look moving forward, too after Melvin Gordon agreed to a deal with the Broncos. Joining Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson is fourth-round pick Joshua Kelley.
Aside from those changes and couple of new additions along the offensive line, the rest of the offense stayed intact with the strong pass-catching group that consists of Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Hunter Henry and draft selections Joe Reed and K.J. Hill.
As far as fantasy football goes, which everyone is looking forward to, Los Angeles will have quite a few options in drafts this year. ESPN’s fantasy football experts put together early PPR (points per reception) ranking of players at each position.
Breaking down the top fantasy football rookie quarterbacks in 2020.
Now that we have had some time to digest the NFL draft and its aftermath, us fantasy footballers are excitedly waiting to add some of the rookies to our fake teams. Deciding which players have fantasy worth in 2020 comes down to assessing the likelihood of meaningful playing time. The following players are ranked in order of anticipated opportunity and corresponding value.
The release of Andy Dalton is good and bad for Burrow. No veteran presence is a setback more than ever. Not having anyone over his shoulder when times inevitably get tough has its perks, though. Also favorable is the LSU star’s reported commitment to studying the offense well before the Bengals even drafted him. Burrow’s game went to the next level in 2020 after the offensive system changed to incorporate five-wide passing — and it didn’t hurt the that the talent around him was otherworldly. There will be hiccups in Burrow’s NFL Year 1, largely because of the positional demands. These bumps will be accentuated by a lack of an organized, on-field offseason.
The talent around Burrow in Cincinnati will be more than adequate, and he’s in an offense that won’t be afraid to open it up. A stable backfield tandem and an offensive line headed in the right direction are also positives for the rookie. Given the state of the world, provided football returns on time for actual games and the teams get some semblance of a training camp, Burrow is a QB3 in traditional leagues. Since most formats don’t typically warrant rostering three quarterbacks, Burrow’s best utility should be DFS action.
On one hand, the Dolphins have Ryan Fitzpatrick as a proven option to steady the ship as the offense finds its way in Year 2 of the Brian Flores regime — this time with a new (old) OC in Chan Gailey. This approach would grant the team all the time it needs to get Tua up to speed in a summer that may have no more than a sneeze of an offseason program. It also provides a plan to rest his hip, if any lingering concerns exist. Tua’s doctors say to the contrary.
On the other side of the coin, the Dolphins spent the No. 5 overall pick on Tagovailoa, and Fitz isn’t the future … he’s barely the present. The expectations for this entire offense remain low, which works in Flores’ favor by starting the rookie. Throwing Tua into the fire — healthy, that is — probably wouldn’t be held against Flores if Miami struggled. Gailey’s system in college was spread, and it could be close to second nature for the Alabama stud. Fantasy expectations should be no better than a high-end backup whose legs will make all the difference between boom or bust most weeks.
So you’re telling me there’s a chance?
(Gary A. Vasquez, USA TODAY Sports)
Justin Herbert | Los Angeles Chargers | 6-6, 227 | Oregon
Year
Team
Comp
Att
%
Yds
Avg
TD
INT
ATT
YDS
TD
2016
Oregon
162
255
63.5
1,936
7.6
19
4
58
161
2
2017
Oregon
139
206
67.5
1,983
9.6
15
5
44
183
5
2018
Oregon
240
404
59.4
3,151
7.8
29
8
71
166
2
2019
Oregon
286
428
66.8
3,471
8.1
32
6
58
50
4
Much like with the Tagovailoa situation, Herbert enters an offense with a capable incumbent starting quarterback. The Chargers are much closer to “win now” mode than the Dolphins, and this alone could lead to Herbert riding the pine as a rookie. Veteran QB Tyrod Taylor has shown to be a stabilizing force for Anthony Lynn in the past when the duo were united with the Buffalo Bills. Herbert is not as close to being NFL ready when compared to Tua or Burrow, and the lack of an organized offseason will be overly important for the big-armed rookie seeing the field in Week 1.
Does that mean Herbert won’t play any meaningful games in 2020? Of course not. Taylor has enough injury history to suggest he is an elevated risk, and there certainly could come a point in which the Bolts just aren’t playing all that well, putting pressure on Lynn to see what his Howitzer of a rookie can do with this talented receiving corps. Should we see Herbert start enough games to matter, he offers more worth as a matchup play in daily contests than as a flier in any conventional setting. The lineup is deep enough with talent that he belongs on a traditional roster whenever the day comes he enters.
Jacob Eason | Indianapolis Colts | 6-6, 227 | Washington
Year
Team
Comp
Att
Comp%
Yds
Avg
TD
INT
Long
Att
Yds
TD
2016
UGA
204
370
55.1
2,430
6.6
16
8
77
33
-45
1
2017
UGA
4
7
57.1
28
4.0
0
0
10
3
-12
0
2019
WASH
260
405
64.2
3,132
7.7
23
8
57
46
-69
1
Another strong-armed rookie passer, Eason is in a little different situation. He’s not expected to be “the guy” and doesn’t come with the billing of the sixth pick in the draft. Philip Rivers is on a one-year deal. As long as all is well in the world, he’s a fairly sound bet to be re-signed for 2021. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, though, since so much can and will change over the next few months. For this season, Rivers will start every game as long as he is healthy and playing at even a reasonably high level. Eason enters as the third QB, in all likelihood, and has no draftable worth this season.
Jordan Love | Green Bay Packers | 6-4, 225 pounds | Utah State
Year
Team
Comp
Att
Comp%
Yds
Avg
TD
INT
Long
Att
Yds
TD
2017
Utah State
129
235
54.9
1,631
6.9
8
6
77
46
165
2
2018
Utah State
267
417
64
3,567
8.6
32
6
88
43
63
7
2019
Utah State
293
473
61.9
3,402
7.2
20
17
80
81
175
0
Quite possibly the most curious of the 2020 draft picks, especially in Round 1, Love is likely two years away from seeing the field as a starter in Green Bay. That said, all bets are off if Aaron Rodgers has another pedestrian season or forces his way out next spring. The star passer has missed a few games to injuries in recent years, which gives Love a slightly increased chance of seeing the field as a rookie. No one banks on such a thing. He’s extremely raw and likely will be asked to hand it off time after time in the event Rodgers goes down this season. Love is not draftable in any single-year format.
Jalen Hurts | Philadelphia Eagles | 6-1, 218 | Oklahoma
We’ll see Hurts on the field as a rookie, albeit in a gadget-play role. The creativity of Doug Pederson will get the Oklahoma standout’s athleticism to work in Philly’s advantage one way or another. Of course, there’s always the seemingly inevitable Carson Wentz injury. Hurts still would have to learn a tremendous amount without a full offseason, and while he’s absolutely capable of it, the inability to build chemistry is what gamers would have to be worried about holding him back. Think DFS-only action for now.
Cole McDonald | Tennessee Titans | 6-4, 220 | Hawaii
McDonald will battle the great Logan Woodside to back up Ryan Tannehill in 2020 — the same Tannehill who has lost significant time to injury in three of his last four seasons. The former Rainbow Warrior has a diverse skill set and could do some work with his legs, if called upon. However, all of the problems a coveted rookie quarterback faces during these trying times only figures to be compounded for a fringe prospect like McDonald. It’s really hard to imagine a team with Super Bowl aspirations would turn it all over to a rookie rather than find a veteran presence.
Roster fodder?
(Derick E. Hingle, USA TODAY Sports)
James Morgan | New York Jets | 6-4, 213 | FIU
David Fales and Mike White are the two quarterbacks between Morgan and Sam Darnold … not exactly elite competition. However, both have spent time in the pros, and in today’s COVID-19 climate, it matters more than ever. Morgan has no immediate fantasy worth.
Joshua Dobbs is penciled in to open the year as the No. 2 behind Gardner Minshew. The towering Luton remains far from fantasy utility, but I wrote similar sentiments last year about Minshew. In that setting, Nick Foles was fresh off of a huge contract that proved to be an utter waste of money. Expect Minshew to get every chance to succeed.
Nate Stanley | Minnesota Vikings | 6-4, 243 | Iowa
Stanley has a future in the NFL, and it very well could be as the replacement for Kirk Cousins — in time. The veteran signed an extension recently and is entrenched as the starter for the immediate future. Sean Mannion is a mostly unknown career backup who spent last year watching Cousins from the sidelines. His role should not change. Stanley isn’t a fantasy football option in 2020.
Jake Fromm | Buffalo Bills | 6-2, 220 | Georgia
Barring a catastrophic injury to Josh Allen, there’s pretty much no viable way we see Fromm in 2020. Furthermore, even if we do, there’s that whole pandemic thing working against him, along with having a flimsy arm in a city that all but demands quarterback have a little mustard.
Tommy Stevens | New Orleans Saints | 6-5, 235 | Mississippi State
New Orleans liked him enough to trade back into the draft after being out of picks, but Stevens will be no better than QB4 entering his rookie season. This one is merely a Sean Payton grooming pick, and Stevens’ skills translate well into the Taysom Hill role. Stevens could become a name to watch if we’re already drafting for 2023 leagues.
Ben DiNucci | Dallas Cowboys | 6-3, 209 | James Madison
While DiNucci could earn himself a role in the long run, it requires Dallas to either not be able to reach a long-term deal with Dak Prescott, or the starter gets hurt for an extended period of time and Andy Dalton doesn’t get the job done — neither of those scenarios puts DiNucci in the fantasy spotlight for 2020 leagues.
Malcolm Perry | Miami Dolphins | 5-9, 190 | Navy
Perry was listed as a quarterback across many draft-tracking platforms during the draft, but he’ll be given a shot at converting to a wide receiver and/or running back in the NFL. Look for his analysis in the WR positional grouping upon its release.
With sports on pause due to COVID-19, many folks have already shifted their attention to the 2020 fantasy football season. With the draft last month, there are probably a few rookie drafts in dynasty leagues being planned out of pure boredom. The …
With sports on pause due to COVID-19, many folks have already shifted their attention to the 2020 fantasy football season.
With the draft last month, there are probably a few rookie drafts in dynasty leagues being planned out of pure boredom.
The folks over at Pro Football Focus do a great job of doing a deep dive into position rankings and looking at what kind of opportunity players could get.
The Vikings drafted Justin Jefferson with the 22nd overall pick hoping he can help fill the shoes Stefon Diggs left when he was traded to Buffalo.
PFF has Jefferson in the second tier of rookie receivers, behind only Jerry Jeudy, Ceedee Lamb and Henry Ruggs III.
Here’s what PFF wrote about Jefferson’s fit with the Vikings:
Jefferson landed in a good spot with the Vikings needing some help at wideout following the Stefon Diggs trade. While his skill set is somewhat redundant with Adam Thielen, we still think Jefferson can contribute as the No. 2 wideout right out of the gate. He has the makings of a future PPR standout.
If you have a pick in the mid to late first round, or need a receiver badly and the top three guys are gone, you could do a lot worse than taking a flier on Jefferson. He’ll certainly get an opportunity with the Vikings to succeed.
Sanders spent the early part of his offseason training in Los Angeles with former Penn State teammate Saquon Barkley and others when the COVID-19 pandemic crisis arose, causing the running back to return to the East coast.
The Indianapolis Colts are excited to see running back Jonathan Taylor work behind the elite offensive line, and they aren’t the only ones. Those holding a top-three pick in rookie dynasty drafts have to be elated as well.
[lawrence-related id=44081]
While Clyde Edwards-Helaire is the top prospect in rookie drafts, Taylor isn’t far behind. Despite being in a committee for the 2020 season, Taylor was ranked as the No. 2 overall rookie in Draft Wire’s dynasty rankings in fantasy football.
Taylor will be sharing the backfield with Marlon Mack to begin his career, but that should shy fantasy managers away from using the No. 2 pick on him in rookie drafts. It will be a timeshare, but Taylor will get enough work to be an explosive and relevant player in fantasy football.
While the short-term might be a bit murky and even frustrating at times—Mack did go for 1,091 rushing yards in 2019, after all—the long term view is extremely promising. Mack is a free agent following the 2020 season and with no contract talks in sight, they could be planning to move on with Taylor leading the backfield after his rookie year.
Taylor has all of the makings to be a three-down back. His blend of size, speed and explosiveness make him a threat to make a house call every time he touches the ball. He’s not the best route runner or pass-catcher, but he might need more credit than he’s given in that area.
Taylor will be a strong addition in dynasty leagues while also providing som potential upside in Year 1 if something happens to Mack.
Fantasy football is a ways out, but it’s never too early to do some research and these are a few players in Washington to keep your eye on.
We don’t yet know when the 2020 NFL season will kick off, or what exactly it will look like whenever games do finally get underway, but one thing is for sure — when games start, fantasy football will be right alongside the action, step for step with the real contests.
The Washington Redskins may not be projected to win many games in 2020, but there are several players on the team who could end up making a difference on your fantasy team. Whether you play in a ‘Just For Fun’ league with your family or work colleagues, or you’re deep in the game with dynasty leagues and auction drafts, these are some names to keep in mind as you start to do draft prep for the coming season.
Redskins to Start With Confidence
Terry McLaurin
Derrius Guice
There really are only two players in Washington who you can have any amount of confidence when throwing into your starting lineup, and one of those players has dealt with a litany of injuries already in his young career, so it may be on a wing and a prayer that you entrust him with a RB2 or FLEX spot any given week. However, if either Terry McLaurin or Derrius Guice are healthy, you can definitely feel good about playing them.
McLaurin had an incredible rookie season, and he burst onto the scene in fantasy right off the bat, with over 60 yards and a touchdown in each of his first three games. As for Guice, he only played in five total games on the year, but he scored three touchdowns in that time, with 245 yards rushing, and seven receptions for 79 yards as well. Both are expected to get better this offseason, and both are projected to shoulder a major load in the Redskins’ offense going forward. Draft them, and start them without a second thought.
Also, Will McClay’s ‘pet cat’ of the 2020 Draft, Amari Cooper’s fantasy stock dips, which rookies may start Week 1, and 2020 schedule news.
Restocking the shelves was a huge hit during draft weekend, but now the Cowboys need to reshuffle their inventory a little bit. The team’s intentions at the safety position may be getting clearer, but a slight shift among the linebacking corps might also be in the works. And there’s already talk of which rookies could be in the starting lineup come opening day of the 2020 season.
Speaking of which, the full slate of games is supposed to be made public within days, although it’s not guaranteed. What’s already a done deal, though, is commissioner Roger Goodell forfeiting his monthly salary in the wake of the current global crisis. All that, plus a real-world look at how the coronavirus pandemic has affected new Cowboy Gerald McCoy and his family, a peek at where Dallas falls in a new power rankings list, and Will McClay reveals his “pet cat” of the 2020 NFL Draft class. That’s all on tap in this edition of News and Notes.
“It’s fun to have to score 35 points every game,” Mike McCarthy said at this year’s NFL scouting combine, “but it’s hard.” CeeDee Lamb hopes to make it a little bit easier for a unit that finished 2019 first in yards per game and sixth in points… yet still missed the postseason with an 8-8 record.
After teasing that the team’s new answer at safety may already be on the roster as a cornerback, the Cowboys have brought on yet another CB, former Raider Daryl Worley. The writing may be on the wall for fourth-year man Chidobe Awuzie to transition to safety, a position he played for a time in college.
Following Cowboys Wire piece from the late night before, the rest of the Cowboys’ sports coverage went out to get their own sourced confirmations, and it was confirmed. But Awuzie may not be the only Cowboys defender on the move in 2020. Jaylon Smith may slide to outside linebacker in order to do more blitzing, with Leighton Vander Esch potentially replacing him in the middle.
Get to know a different side of the new Cowboy. The six-time Pro Bowler dishes on how he knew the pandemic was coming thanks to his “germaphobe” wife, and he thinks his Dad rating would be a 97 as he handles the family’s cooking, laundry, and home schooling during the lockdown.
His name wasn’t called on draft weekend like his teammate Ben DiNucci, but James Madison edge rusher Ron’Dell Carter will be fighting to make the Cowboys roster just the same. The onetime Rutgers redshirt ended up posting huge numbers in a “very aggressive” defense at JMU and hopes to do the same in Dallas.
President of player personnel Will McClay says the club’s scouting department are the superstars responsible for the Cowboys’ impressive draft haul. As multiple players fell far past where Dallas had them graded, McClay chose to trust the exhaustive research done by team scouts throughout the year.
Bill Parcells famously called them “pet cats:” those underrated players that coaches root for, often without logic or reason. Will McClay revealed this week that, during the 2020 draft, his was the Tulsa cornerback Reggie Robinson II, who fell to Dallas in the fourth round.
After the 2020 NFL Draft exceeded everyone’s expectations, the league appears set to stick with their plan to release the 2020 regular season schedule on or around May 9. But some league insiders say pushing back the schedule release has been “a big topic of conversation” internally.
Cowboys Wire readers already knew that the team would be looking at four compensatory picks next year, but NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein projects Dallas to be the only club scoring that many ahead of the 2021 Draft.
The Cowboys landed quite a draft class… but how many of the rookies will be Day One starters? Rob Phillips says CeeDee Lamb and Trevon Diggs have the best chance. Jonny Auping agrees and thinks Bradlee Anae could line up in Week One as well.
The Cowboys have only helped themselves since the end of the 2019 season, at least according to the roundtable of six voters constructing this list. Following the Super Bowl, Dallas sat at No. 14. They’ve since climbed to 10th place, with one voter placing them as high as eighth.
The NFL commissioner was set to make $40 million per year, but reduced his salary to zero last month in response to uncertain business conditions brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.
According to The Worldwide Leader’s fantasy expert, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott’s fantasy stock went up with last weekend’s draft. Amari Cooper’s took a slight hit, though, with Berry citing the onboarding this season of CeeDee Lamb and the emergence last season of Michael Gallup.
Lions Wire Fantasy Football Weekly, examining the 2020 Dynasty rookie draft rankings.
The 2020 NFL Draft is now complete, and you know what that means, it’s time to talk some dynasty rookie drafts for fantasy football!
In professional football, the draft is often the lifeblood of your franchise and the same ideology can be applied to dynasty rookie drafts in fantasy football as well.
Here’s a look at my initial rankings:
Dynasty Rookie Draft Rankings
Clyde Edwards-Helaire (RB Chiefs)
Johnathan Taylor (RB Colts)
D’Andre Swift (RB Lions)
J.K. Dobbins (RB Ravens)
CeeDee Lamb (WR Cowboys)
Henry Ruggs (WR Raiders)
Jerry Jeudy (WR Broncos)
Cam Akers (RB Rams)
Jalen Reagor (WR Eagles)
Justin Jefferson (WR Vikings)
Brandon Aiyuk (WR, 49ers)
Tee Higgins (WR Bengals)
Zach Moss (RB Bills)
Laviska Shenault (WR Jaguars)
Michael Pittman Jr (WR Colts)
Ke’Shawn Vaughn (RB Buccaneers)
K.J. Hamler (WR Broncos)
Bryan Edwards (WR Raiders)
A.J. Dillon (RB Packers)
Chase Claypool (WR Steelers)
Joe Burrow (QB Bengals)
Tua Tagovailoa (QB Dolphins)
Anthony McFarland Jr., (RB Steelers)
Van Jefferson (WR Rams)
Darrynton Evans (RB Titans)
Antonio Gandy-Golden (WR Redskins)
Justin Herbert (QB Chargers)
Tyler Johnson (WR Buccaneers)
Jalen Hurts (QB Eagles)
Cole Kmet (TE Bears)
Lions Rookie Skill Players
D’Andre Swift, RB, 5-9, 215 pounds
Swift was widely ranked as the top running back in this draft and when he was available at pick No. 35 overall, the Lions stepped up to draft him.
He’s a very well rounded back with a ton of tread left on his tires in comparison to other players that were available. He is a very smooth, flashy runner with the ability to catch the ball well out of the backfield, and is solid in pass protection — one of the key things the Lions look for in their running backs. Not all those traits will get you fantasy points, but they will get him more snaps, and that often does lead to more chances to light up the scoreboard.
Swift will likely share the lead role well with Kerryon Johnson, but he is electric and will keep defenses from keying in on one player, which could help take the Lions offense to another level.
Quintez Cephus, WR, 6-1, 207 pounds
One of the best names in the draft and the Lions think he’s one of the best wide receivers to fit their scheme. He ran a poor 40-yard-dash at the NFL Combine (4.73) but improved that at his Pro Day (4.62). Even if he can’t run past you, Cephus is a player that relies on his basketball background to out-muscle and out-jump defenders.
Jason Huntley RB/KR/slot, 5- 9, 194 pounds
Now, this pick surprised me. Huntley wasn’t even listed on multiple player prospect lists from respected websites that I had researched before the NFL Draft. When you watch him on YouTube he runs away from defenders with speed and eye-popping agility. I like what I see, but I believe he will begin his career as a kick returner and offensive gadget player.
Draft Strategy
When it comes to fantasy football draft strategy, I still lean towards running backs over all other positions. Other fantasy analysts feel wide receivers have longer careers and more frequent bigger statistical games than a running back often does. But my counter is that running backs are harder to find then wide receivers, and because they often have more injuries, having depth at running back is a key element when building your roster.
This draft is loaded at the top, with three-down backs like Edwards-Helaire and Swift as the type of players you want in today’s NFL. After that, there is a variety of wide receivers, including Lamb, Ruggs, and Jefferson as some of my favorites options at the top of the group.
Take the running backs early, then load up on wide receivers, and in the late rounds, take a look at a player’s landing spot to determine if he has a more clear path for playing time then others. As you get deeper in the draft don’t be afraid to take the best player available. Filling needs is fine, but often drafting the best player not knowing what will happen with your current team in the future is often the best long-term strategy.
Final Word
I’m still personally in way too many fantasy football leagues for the time I have available, but I really enjoy all of them a ton I must admit. This is the fun time of year when the NFL Draft ends and now as a fantasy football owner, you get to become Vice President of Player Personnel and General Manager of your team and draft your own rookies.
I encourage all of you that enjoy fantasy football to join a deeper dynasty league or incorporate some type of rookie draft into your league. Taking rookies before they ever even take a snap is the best way to test your overall team-building skills. Can you find the talent in the later rounds when others pass on certain players? This often is one of the most enjoyable parts of fantasy football as you get to see these players grow up on your team and if you dominate your rookie draft you often will have fantasy football championships in your future!
You can find Derek on Twitter @DerekOkrie for all your offseason fantasy football needs.
