Top 10 Fantasy Rookies
1. Ezekiel Elliott (RB, Cowboys)
My number 1 is the same as everyone else, and for good reason. Zeke is the definition of a complete back. He can use both power and speed, run inside and outside of the tackle box, catch the ball out of the backfield, and pass block. He steps in to a feature role on the Dallas Cowboys who have by far the NFL’s best offensive line. The Cowboys also have Mcfadden and Alfred Morris who will take away from Zeke’s touches, but this is good for his long term health and durability to make it through the rigors of an NFL season. Last year at Ohio State Elliott carried 289 times for 1,819 yards and 23 touchdowns. He added another 27 catches for 289 yards in Ohio State’s only loss versus Michigan State when they stopped giving him the ball. Zeke could easily lead the league in rushing and should be a lock for 300 touches. I would feel comfortable taking him in the first round, and would pounce if he is there in the second.
2. Laquon Treadwell (WR, Vikings)
Treadwell is a big, physical wide receiver who has the same body type as Michael Irvin. Recently when asked about Treadwell, Irvin compared the WR to himself. That’s a very generous comparison from the Hall of Famer, but it’s not far off. The Vikings offense is coordinated by Norv Turner, the same man who worked with the Cowboys when Irvin was there. He has said to love Treadwell and to be bringing back the skinny post route to the offense. This route made Irvin a ton of money as it allowed him to get up the field and use his size. I fully expect Treadwell to take similar advantage of this route, and for him to be the number one target in the Red Zone. Treadwell was a top 5 prospect before thehis leg injury. He basically played last season on one leg yet he was still the most physically dominating receiver in the nation. He should lead the team in targets — Teddy Bridgewater has been quoted by how impressed he is by him. I expect Treadwell to have a similar rookie year to Mike Evans.
- Sterling Sheppard (WR, Giants)
Sheppard was probably the best route runner in college last season. He is a smaller receiver, but makes up for it with quickness and route running. Odell Beckham will garner all of the attention for opposing defenses and for good reason. Sheppard is the clear cut number two option on the team. He should see single coverage all day long, and he will be used inside on three wide sets.. The Giants have the easiest schedule in the NFL this season,and Sheppard will have some big games. Eli knows how to get talent involved in the offense and this is likely the most talented WR group he has ever had. Sheppard hype has died down some, but he is worth getting aggressive with to make sure he is on your team.
- Corey Coleman (WR Browns)
We have already addressed the most physical WR prospect as well as the best route runner — now we get to the most explosive. Coleman was a monster at Baylor, averaging over 18 yards a catch and scoring 20 touchdowns. If the Baylor QB situation didn’t go to hell at the end of the season, his numbers would have been even better. Coleman can get deep with the best of them, and that is by far the biggest strength of RG3. Until Josh Gordon gets back Coleman will be the number 1 target at WR, competing with Terrelle Pyror and Gary Barnidge for targets. He makes a very good DFS option to start the season whenever the Browns will be underdogs and forced to throw more. He is another player I want on my season-long teams because of his giant potential. He is likely to be a better than standard PPR player.
- Michael Thomas (WR Saints)
Thomas was a beast at Ohio State with a giant catch radius — if you got it close to him he came down with it. Drew Brees has taken notice and has talked him up all summer. Saints’ beat writers are famous for over hyping a WR every year (Brandon Coleman last year), but this is different. This is a guy who has all the talent and should step in and be the second WR in no time. Snead will likely move to the third option behind Thomas and Cooks. The Saints have thrown the ball as much as any team in the NFL in the last five years and Drew Brees is the safest bet to lead the league in passing. This means the yards have to go somewhere, and I am betting Thomas sees at least 800 of them.
- Deandre Washington (RB Raiders)
I have written about Washington in basically every article. Washington is said to have already taken the third down role from Murray, and with Roy Helu being cut he doesn’t have much competition for it. Washington averaged 6.73 yards per carry in college, and caught over 120 balls. He is 5’8 204 lbs., ran a 4.49 40, and is very elusive. In his first preseason game, Washington had 8 carries for 43 yards, and caught his only target and took it 32 yards. The Raiders added some serious talent to their offensive line this offseason, adding Osemele and pairing him with Gabe Jackson to make for one of the top guard tandems in the league. The Raiders line is massive and should lean on teams and wear them down. This spells big play potential for an explosive back such as Washington. In PPR formats he has a chance to match the production of Giovanni Bennard or a Duke Johnson. With an injury or more bad Murray play, he has the chance to have a huge impact as a rookie for a bargain bin price.
7, Tyler Boyd (WR Bengals)
Boyd is an elite route runner who put up big numbers at the University of Pittsburgh and has the opportunity to make a big impact in his rookie year. He is currently number two on the depth chart with the latest injury to Brandon Lafell, he has that spot locked up. Eifert looks to be missing the first few games of the season, and AJ Green cannot get 100 percent of the targets. This all adds up to Boyd having a great opportunity to make a huge impact early on. Boyd has the talent and opportunity and no one is talking about him. He is a late round guy I want on all of my teams and as a GPP play he could hold seriously value and salary relief in DFS.
- Kenneth Dixon (RB Ravens)
Dixon is a talented player out of a small school who fell in the draft to the perfect team. Forsett is an older, injury prone back, who lacks top level talent. After Forsett, Allen and West remain as Dixon’s biggest competition. Allen is a solid player but his numbers suggest he is a JAG, West has always had the talent but has yet to put it together. Some reports are that West has looked really good and in the first preseason game he looks to be the goal line back. With Dixon you will have to be patient, but he has the talent to be a workhorse back, and catch the ball out of the backfield. He has the explosiveness that will make it impossible to keep him off the field, and enough talent that once he gets on the field it will be hard to take him off. He is my sleeper pick to have a David Johnson -like late season impact to win you a championship.
- Derick Henry (RB Titans)
The man knows how to make a first impression, that’s for sure. All the running backs had monster days in preseason but Henry looked the most impressive doing it. Henry is a big powerful back, who doesn’t lack speed, but it can take him a while to build it up. Henry carries a lot of hype coming into the NFL after his Heisman winning season. He will be a time share with Murray, and McCluster is likely to get third down duties. Henry won’t see enough work to have real value barring an injury. His size combination [hasn’t been successful in the NFL in a while and I am not betting his rising draft price that, that changes.
- Tyler Higbee (TE Rams)
Higbee is built like Gronk and has the attitude of Travis Kelce. He was the nation’s best tight end last year, just slightly edging Hunter Henry in my opinion. He hurt his knee, and got into a bar fight and his draft stock plummeted. In the Rams he fell to a team that lacks talent on offense basically everywhere except running back. He will compete with Lance Kendricks at tight end, who has been a below average player so far. It is just a matter of time until Goff starts, and Higbee and Goff have created quite the chemistry in practice. In the limited time they saw together in preseason, it felt like Goff looked his way every play. Rookie tight ends almost never work out, but he is a flier I would take at the end of drafts.
