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Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings

Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings

Now that the calendar has turned to February it’s time to really start digging into the 2016 NFL Draft class with dynasty fantasy football rookie rankings in mind.  Some players will be top picks or highly touted by Draft Gurus, but not be ideal for dynasty purposes.  Others will have had little production in college and look to be a mid round NFL pick, but might make all the difference down the road for your dynasty teams.  Doing the due diligence not only helps in dynasty, but also makes you a more informed redraft fantasy football player.  I mean who wanted to be in the position of not having David johnson stashed on their bench in redraft leagues?

QB Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings

*Overall this class of Quarterbacks is underwhelming*

  1. Jared Goff – California – Goff is tall, but his build is not quite what you want from a franchise QB.  He could use some bulking up to help take NFL punishment.  He has some great intangibles as a thrower, but does not possess top notch arm strength.  He’s not ahead of where Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota were when they came out last year.
  2. Paxton Lynch – Memphis – Lynch has the frame, hand size and arm strength you want from a franchise QB, but there seems to be something lacking.  He makes really strange throws when pressured and seems to get rattled at times.  His ex-coach did not give him a glowing review when pressed on his maturity and I thought that was a red flag.  He could be the next Ryan Leaf or he could be a better Joe Flacco.
  3. Carson Wentz – North Dakota State – Wentz played at a small school, but produced big time while there.  He is bigger than ideal for an NFL QB, by that I mean at 6’6″ tall and over 230 LBS his mechanics can be an issue.  At the Senior Bowl he apparently impressed a lot of people with his work ethic, but also showed that he needs a lot of work to become a more polished product.
  4. Christian Hackenberg – Penn State University – Hackenberg is still young, only 21, despite being in the news seemingly forever.  He was a 5 star recruit that stuck with Penn State despite the controversy and sanctions and had his best season under Bill O’Brien.  Over the last two years he’s been maddeningly inconsistent and suffered a lot of nagging injuries.  For a time it looked like he could be the next Andrew Luck, now it looks like he’ll be a nice bargain for a team looking to groom a back up or replacement down the road.
  5. Connor Cook – Michigan State –  Cook is the last guy I would consider drafting in a traditional 10 or 12 team dynasty league.  I’m not a huge fan, but he does have nice size and decent arm strength.  Me’s just never impressed me as a QB as his Michigan State teams relied on great defense and physicality on offense.

RB Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings

*Overall this class of running backs is very top heavy with one big time player at the top and then some decent options in the second round*

    1. Ezekiel Elliot – Ohio State University – I have to admit I am a bit biased when talking Ohio State players, but I think most are going to agree that Elliot is by far the top running back in this class.  He is fast, powerful and has shown excellent hands and route running out of the back field.  I’m such a big fan that I may buck my normal thinking of having a wide receiver as my number one draft target based on the both the overall WR class and Elliot’s unique talents.
    2. Derek Henry – Alabama – Henry is so big and strong that it can be a bit worrisome when you look at past NFL comparables.  Not only production wise, but also longevity of production.  He was immensely productive at Alabama and I think in the right situation he could be a beast, especially in standard scoring leagues, but I am worried about how long he will last.  I actually like him a whole lot more redraft leagues than dynasty, but if I’m a win now that happens to have an early to mid 1st round pick he could be ideal.
    3. Kenneth Dixon – Louisiana Tech – Dixon has a nice blend of running back skills and receiver skills.  He is quick with nice burst in the hole and shows the ability to be patient as holes develope.  I’m a big fan of his play, but of course I’m a bit worried that it came against lesser competition.  I also saw a tendency for him to carry the ball in the wrong hand, not a fan of that, but Elliot does that as well.
    4. Alex Collins – Arkansas – Nice size for a running back and extremely productive in the SEC.  He ran behind a massive offensive line and showed the ability to let blocks set up and hit the hole with a burst.  I don’t think he’ll time as well as his posted 40, but as long as he runs under 4.6 I would still like him in this spot.  He finishes runs and has a nose for the end zone.
    5. Jonathan Williams – Arkansas – What, another Arkansas running back?  You bet!  Williams was injured in 2015 so we have to go back to 2014 to see what you’ll be getting when you draft him.  I absolutely love his movement and feel in the hole.  He runs with great balance and finishes his runs.  If he gets a clean bill of health when the doctors check him out he could flash up draft boards.  Big time target for me.
    6. CJ Prosise – Notre Dame – Usually I knock Notre Dame guys down a bit because they have all been over hyped over the years.  (I go back so long that I got burned by Derek Brown TE Giants in a keeper draft)  Prosise might be one of the rare underhyped Golden Domers.  Really like his feet and his ability to finish runs for positive yards.  He shows a good burst as well.
    7. Paul Perkins – UCLA – A bit smaller, but seems to have good hands.  He looks fast on tape and I love the way he puts his foot in the ground and is decisive with his cuts.  Very interesting back, but doesn’t seem to be a true RB1.
    8. Keith Marshall – Georgia – Marshall looks big and fast on tape.  When there’s a hole hie hits it at 100 miles an hour and can take it to the house.  He played behind some very good Georgia running backs in Todd Gurley and Nick Chubb, but Marshall still had a role.  Georgia has been so good lately at recruiting running backs that Marshal could end up being like the guys that were second thoughts in the 90s.  The Olandis Garys of the world.
    9. Devontae Booker – Utah – Booker is tough to bring down, but he’s an older prospect who doesn’t have great speed.  I think he may get drafted higher than I am willing to go in dynasty leagues.
    10. Jordan Howard – Indiana – Howard is big at 6’1″ and 225+ and he uses it well.  He likes to punish defenders at the end of his runs.  He seems a little stiff to me and lacks ideal agility in the hole to really be a great RB, but he could find himself on the better side of an NFL timeshare.

WR Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings

  1. Laquon Treadwell – Ole Miss – Treadwell is a beast.  He wins with physicality and excellent ball skills.  He’s god after the catch and is a tremendous blocker so you know coaches are going to want to have him on the field all the time.  He will probably run a decently slow 40 time, high 4.6s, so you may see him fall in some mock drafts or in some rankings, but don’t get scared off.
  2. Tyler Boyd – Pitt – Boyd has decent size at 6’2″ 190 and looks to have decent speed on tape.  I think he’ll run higher than his posted times, probably mid 4.5s, but he may be the best route runner in this class.  From the slot or outside he make DBs look silly.  He also attacks the ball when it’s in the air and is excellent after the catch.
  3. Michael Thomas – Ohio State – Thomas was my number 2 WR for much of the season, but Boyd showed me a lot more this year than Thomas was able to.  Thomas is big and fast and looks like he can beat man coverage pretty easily.  As he learns how to run routes better he could develop into a high end WR2 in fantasy, but I would be pushing it saying he’s a future WR1.  At least he still has room to grow as OSU was a running team in 2015.
  4. Josh Doctson – TCU – Doctson is going to score TDs in the NFL.  He has unreal ball skills and his height and leaping ability will mean he stays on the field even in short yardage.  His route running is a bit disappointing at this stage.  He doesn’t separate as easily as I had hoped.  I don’t see very scary speed, but he’s still a downfield threat with those ball skills.
  5. Sterling Shepard – Oklahoma – Shepard can get open in phone booth.  He’s so quick in and out of his breaks that he could step on the field on day one and excel in the slot.  He attacks the football and shows nice skills running after the catch.  He’s not flashy because he’s not big, but man he is going to be useful in PPR leagues.
  6. Corey Coleman – Baylor – Coleman has tremendous speed and big play ability.  He’s not DeSean Jackson, who was a tremendous hands WR plus being a speed merchant, but Coleman could be a very nice NFL WR2 down the road.  Coleman has a lot of hype because his highlight tape is ridiculous, but his route tree was limited and he needs to work on getting rid of false steps.  I like Coleman, but I can’t see taking him as a top 5 rookie pick, which is where I see him going lately.
  7. Leonte Carroo – Rutgers – Carroo is a physical specimen who has the upside to develop into a low end WR1.  If you are looking for big time upside at the bottom of your rookie draft 1st round Carroo is your guy.  He had some off the field baggage this year so I have some hesitance to go all in, but I have always liked his big play ability,  He needs to work on his route running on curls and comebacks.
  8. Will Fuller – Notre Dame – Fuller is a bit undersized as a downfield threat, but I love his ball skills.  I like his route running a lot and think has room to improve at the next level with better QB play.
  9. Pharoh Cooper – South Carolina – Cooper is not very fast, but he is a football player in every sense of the word.  He’s extremely tough with excellent run after the catch ability.  He plucks the ball out of the air with his hands and goes after it when going up for contested catches.  His lack of speed and height keep him away from the top half of my WR rankings, but I would love to land him if I needed a WR3 in PPR leagues.
  10. Braxton Miller – Ohio State – Converted Quarterbacks don’t usually work out at the next level.  I’m glad he had at least one year of competition at the collegiate level before trying this in the NFL.  Miller is fast and extremely strong for a slot WR, which is where he would ideally play.  His route running is awful at this point yet defenders can’t stay with him because of his natural physical gifts.  the biggest thing is his hands.  He has great hands and is tremendous after the catch.  A lot of upside, but he is one of the older WRs in this class.

TE Dynasty Fantasy Football Rankings

*Oh how I wish OJ Howard or Jake Butt came out*

  1. Hunter Henry – Arkansas – Hunter Henry has nice hands and decent size.  He’s not extremely fast so he’s not a huge big play threat, but he’s a solid TE.  Not a great in-line blocker, but will probably be a TE2 pass catcher out of the gate.
  2. Austin Hooper – Stanford – I like Hooper, but once again he’s not going to blow your doors off as a prospect.  He’s not fast and not overly strong, but has nice hands and runs good routes.
  3. Beau Sandland – Montana State – Big TE with very good speed who played against lesser competition.  I would rather throw a dagger on the unknown then take most of the TEs in this class.
  4. Nick Vannett – Ohio State – Vannett is huge and has nice speed with gigantic hands.  He hasn’t produced at Ohio State which makes taking him a big gamble if you’re light on tight ends.
  5. Kivon Cartwright – Colorado State – I watched a decent amount of Colorado State the last two years and Cartwright always catches my eye.  He’s got huge hands and could be a nice sneaky late TE pick.
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2015 Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings

2015 Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings

Todd Gurley

  1. Amari Cooper WR Oakland Raiders – Cooper is one of the best route runners to come out of college in the last ten+ years.  His explosion in and out of breaks is going to make him a nightmare to cover in one on one situations.  He has long speed and has enough size and strength to make plays down the field.  Is he an elite touchdown threat like Mike Evans?  No, but he is a better route runner and is incredible after the catch.  Going to Oakland was a nice landing spot as he can build a relationship with second year QB Derek Carr.  The Raiders finally have an elite wide receiver after years of swings and misses based on speed alone.
  2. Todd Gurley RB St. Louis Rams – I’m sure you have seen Gurley on top of a ton of Dynasty rookie boards and I don’t blame anyone one bit.  He is an amazing talent, but there are enough drawbacks with him for me to slide him to the number two spot.  Coming off of an ACL tear, a clean one but still a major surgery with a recovery that is involved, and playing a position that I don’t value as highly as the wide receiver position pushes him to the number two spot.  I don’t like drafting injured players period.  Even if he recovers fully and is right back to his old self, he landed in a less than stellar spot in St. Louis.
  3. Kevin White WR Chicago Bears – Kevin White is a specimen.  He’s got elite size and speed for the position and has showed that he can make plays on the ball in the air and run after the catch.  The issues with White are that he is coming from a college offense that hasn’t translated well to the pro game and didn’t produce as long and as much as Amari Cooper.  I think the bigger issue is the type of offense he played in, but I think he can overcome that and develop into a top 10 wide receiver in a few short years.
  4. Melvin Gordon RB San Diego Chargers – Gordon has a great landing spot and that alone moved him up my rankings a few spots.  He is a talented runner with strength and speed and showed he can do some things in the passing game in the few chances he got at Wisconsin.  If he can learn the offense fast and protect Phillip Rivers he could be a great grab in redraft leagues as well.  Danny Woodhead is recovering from a major injury and Woodhead will need to be fully healthy for his talents to once again be NFL ready.  Love the landing spot for Gordon and I even traded Jamaal Charles straight up for the right to pick Gordon at number four overall in a rookie draft.
  5. DeVante Parker WR Miami Dolphins – Even with Kenny Stills and Jarvis Landry  in Miami Parker became the best wide receiver on that team the minute he was drafted.  He has size and speed and has a great knack for making plays.  Ryan Tannehill better get his act together throwing down field because Miami really put a lot in his cupboard this off season.
  6. Breshad Perriman WR Baltimore Ravens – Breshad Perriman is big and really, really fast.  He ran a 4.2 40 at his pro day and 6’2″ and 212lbs.  That’s an insane size/speed ratio.  He showed on tape the ability to leave corners and safeties looking for answers on how to cover him and showed the ability to make tough contested catches.  He did have some drops, but his landing spot with Joe Flacco and the Ravens makes me a little less concerned about that.  He’ll be the number one receiver in Baltimore for a long time pushing the limits of Flacco’s arm.
  7. Nelson Agholor WR Philadelphia Eagles – Can you say the PERFECT landing spot?!  Agholor literally fills two spots on the Eagles that were vacated when DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin left the last two offseasons.  He is an excellent return man who can play in the slot or outside and is amazing after the catch where he can show off his return man skills.  Love this spot for Agholor, but I can’t push him over Parker or Perriman.
  8. TJ Yeldon RB Jacksonville Jaguars – Yeldon will be a better pro than college player.  That’s what the scouts have said.  I hope it’s true as his landing spot puts him in line for a great chance at being a 3 down back for a coach that wants desperately to control the clock and take pressure off of his young QB. I like Yeldon’s landing spot a little better than the other two backs ranked behind him, but I can see the argument for them as well.
  9. Ameer Abdullah RB Detroit Lions – Abdullah lands with a Detroit team that has a need at the position.  Joique Bell is coming off of surgery and is older than most people think as he was a late bloomer in the pro game.  Theo Riddick is a nice player, but all in all isn’t a supremely talented back.  Abdullah should see ealry action as a change of pace back and could eventually become the primary ball carrier for Lions.
  10. Dorial Green-Beckham WR Tennessee Titans – Green-Beckham is this high on my list based on his potential alone.  I haven’t seen any type of production to warrant a top ten pick in rookie drafts and he has an amazing amount of red flags.  I’m not going to rehash all the reasons the transition to being a professional athlete could be a difficult one for him, but I will talk about the horrible landing spot in Tennessee.  The Titans have not been able to develop a wide receiver in a long time.  Not since Derek Mason has there been a wide receiver I could count on week in and week out.  The bad landing spot and the fact that he is an unfinished product on and off the field means I’m staying away unless I get incredible value by picking him a draft.
  11. Tevin Coleman RB Atlanta Falcons – Tevin Coleman has blazing speed and good size.  He showed he can pass protect and take it to the house at Indiana, but can he be elusive enough in tight spaces to produce at the NFL level.  That’s a good question, but he does get the benefit of landing in a spot with a great passing game already set up and an excellent run game coordinator in Kyle Shanahan.  With a defensive minded coach in place he could see a huge workload so the landing spot is perfect.
  12. Jameis Winston QB Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Winston is not Andrew Luck, but he is the most NFL ready QB to come out in a while.  He landed in a great spot with tremendous weapons and should be able to produce top 20 type QB numbers in his first year.  If Tampa can keep building their offensive line and get a running game that will take some pressure off of Winston he could flourish down the road.  He’s a value at the end of the first for sure.
  13. Devin Funchess WR Carolina Panthers – Funchess is an interesting case as he was a move tight end turned wide receiver at Michigan.  He’s huge with great leaping ability and has shown some skill at making contested plays, but overall he was very inconsistent playing with a less than talented Michigan team the last few years.  The landing spot is everything with Funchess as he goes to Carolina where Cam Newton loves to hit his big targets.  The WR2 position is wide open for Funchess and he could even emerge as a better player than Kelvin Benjamin down the road.
  14. Jaelen Strong WR Houston Texans – Jaelen Strong fell in the draft and fell a bit in the rookie rankings.  I love his size and speed and he showed a great ability to go up and make plays on the ball at Arizona State.  He’s got to get quicker in and out of his breaks and learn how to separate otherwise he will struggle to get targets in the pro game.  His landing spot isn’t ideal with the QB situation looking like one of the worst in the entire NFL.  Still really like him down the road and think he could be the Rueben Randle to DeAndre Hopkins OBJ.
  15. Marcus Mariota QB Tennessee Titans – Mariota has a lot to overcome to be a great PROFESSIONAL QB.  He played in a system that looks nothing like the pro game, but he did show elite athleticism and accuracy when he was set up for success.  He will need to work on the fundamentals of the position like reading a defense and moving your feet and shoulders as you go through your projections, but Ken Whisenhunt has been doing this a long time and I expect him to make it work.  The great thing about investing a pick in Mariota is you know he has a great make up.  He’s a tremendously hard worker with great speed and size.  Don’t let him fall too far in your drafts.
  16. Phillip Dorsett WR Indianapolis Colts – Dorsett was below Devin Smith in my rankings before he landed in Indy with Andrew Luck.  Dorsett has elite speed and has shown the ability to make tough catches in traffic down the field.  He gets dinged by people for not showing all the tools needed and I don’t question that.  The big thing is he landed in Indy with Andrew Luck and you don’t spend a first rounder on a guy when you’re this close to winning without having a plan for him.
  17. Duke Johnson RB Cleveland Browns – I wanted Duke Johnson to land in so…so many places, but Cleveland was not one of them.  With two quality backs already on the roster Johnson will have to battle for playing time in the all important practices.  We all know how Pettine had a different starter each week based on practice performance so if you take Johnson you will have to watch the Cleveland beat like a hawk.  I still like Johsnon’s skills a lot.  He has great feet and vision with excellent hands and a nose for first downs and the goal line.  Take him on talent and hope he rises above the competition.
  18. Jay Ajayi RB Miami Dolphins – The knee troubles were real with Ajayi because there is no way he should have lasted to the fifth round of the draft. While his long-term prognosis is not great for dynasty purposes his landing spot is pretty good as he can either share or take over the workload from Lamar Miller.  Ajayi is a bigger back with just as good of hands and running ability as Miller.  A timeshare could work in Ajayi’s long term favor as it won’t tax his knee as much.
  19. Maxx Williams TE Baltimore Ravens – In a class that wasn’t all that good at tight end Williams stood out.  He has huge hands and nice athleticism.  He landed in the perfect spot with the Baltimore Ravens as he will be the pass catching tight end that new offensive coordinator Marc Trestman likes.  Crockett Gilmore is a converted DE who showed promise as an inline tight end last season which allows Williams to move into the Dennis Pitta pass catching role.  Flacco loves his tight ends so I love the spot for Williams.
  20. Devin Smith WR New York Jets – Devin Smith is one of my favorite players in the draft.  He has a huge chip on his shoulder because people only think he’s a downfield receiver.  He IS a great downfield receiver with elite speed and tremendous concentration, but he can also run nice routes at all three levels.  he needs to be a little more explosive after he catches the ball underneath, but I think New York is a nice landing spot as he can learn from Brandon Marshall before eventually taking over.
  21. Javorius Allen RB Baltimore Ravens – Allen was an interesting back to try and figure out.  The USC run game wasn’t what it used to be this past season but Allen flashed a lot of skills.  the landing spot in Baltimore behind journeyman Justin Forsett is perfect as Allen is a bigger back with pass catching ability.  It moved him from a third round prospect to this spot for me.
  22. David Cobb RB Tennessee Titans – Cobb is such a nice inside runner.  He’s deceptively quick and finishes his runs. The landing spot is perfect as he can challenge Bishop Sankey for playing time and probably would benefit from a timeshare where he would be the goal line back.  Having a QB like Mariota who keeps the edge guys honest opens up all sorts of room for a big back like Cobb.
  23. David Johnson RB Arizona Cardinals – Johnson is a back that looks like a stud.  He’s jacked up and is fast with excellent hands.  He landed in Arizona where they were desperate to find a running mate for Andre Ellington.  It’s perfect fit for Johnson as he could be in-line for a timeshare early with a chance at being a lead 3-down back down the road.
  24. Tyler Lockett WR Seattle Seahawks – Lockett was a huge get for the Seahawks as they desperately needed to replace both Golden Tate and Percy Harvin.  They needed a receiver to be able to win with route running and also be an excellent kick returner so they don’t have to keep using their defenders in that spot.  Lockett should see the field a lot and if Russell Wilson develops a good relationship with him he could be a nice third or fourth receiver on your team.
  25. Chris Conley WR Kansas City Chiefs – A deep speed receiver who landed with a QB who doesn’t throw the ball down the field or outside the numbers.  Not ideal for year one, but his size and speed is worth investing in especially if Andy Reid doesn’t last long in KC.
  26. Sammie Coates WR Pittsburgh Steelers – Another size speed investment that could be boom or bust.  The Steelers have a nice history of using receivers the right way to help them develop so I can see Coates being an asset down the road.
  27. Justin Hardy WR Atlanta Falcons – Hardy landed in the perfect spot in Atlanta.  A wide open WR3 spot with no tight end to threaten targets.  With Roddy White aging and Julio Jones having a foot that has been an issue he could see work on the outside before to long.
  28. Matt Jones RB Washington Redskins – Love the landing spot for this big back.  Gruden did not draft Alfred Morris and hasn’t committed to him long term.  They spent a third round pick on a back that they think can do it all.  I say believe in what your eyes are telling you and grab Jones especiallyw itht he Redskins investing a 1st round pick on an excellent run blocking tackle.
  29. Mike Davis RB San Francisco 49ers – I wanted Davis to land in Dallas, but he landed in San Francisco which has huge question mark behind Carlos Hyde.  He’s an immediate hand-cuff for Hyde owners and should be in the number two spot in the pecking order as soon as Reggie Bush plays his way out of another city.
  30. Josh Robinson RB Indianapolis Colts – I love this little ball of action.  He is tremendous in tight spaces and has the ability to bounce off tacklers and make people miss.  He could sit behind Frank Gore for a year or two, but he fits the mold of a RB that a team that doesn’t make huge holes would need.
  31. Kenny Bell WR Tampa Bay Buccaneers Nice landing spot in Tampa Bay for Bell.  He has adequate speed and size and could eventually take over the number two wide receiver role from Vincent Jackson.
  32. DeAndre Smelter WR San Francisco 49ers – Smelter is a stash, but a stash that you need to spend a decent lick on.  He is huge and fast, but raw.  Maybe down the road he could be a player that well outplays his draft spot.
  33. Tre McBride WR Tennessee Titans – McBride’s draft slide drove me nuts.  He could have landed in a ton of better spots than with the Titans, but now we will ahve to hope he can hang on to the last wide receiver spot in Tennessee.
  34. Clive Walford TE Oakland Raiders- Love the landing spot as he becomes another weapon for a young QB.  Should start from day one and could develop into a high end TE2.  At worst he’s the second best option in a weak tight end class.
  35. Cameron Artis-Payne RB Carolina Panthers – Great landing spot for the speedy running back.  He immediately becomes the back -up or third string RB behind the oft-injured Jonathan Stewart.
  36. Vince Mayle WR Cleveland Browns – A big receiver who could end up being the defacto WR1 for the Browns down the road.  I like him as more of WR2 type with a chance for him to be a WR4 in fantasy.
  37. Jeremy Langford RB Chicago Bears – Nice landing spot behind the aging Matt Forte, but I’m not a huge believer in his talent.
  38. Rashad Greene WR Jacksonville Jaguars – Love Greene but wish he landed in a timing based offense with a better QB.  He runs nice routes and catches the ball well, but it means nothing if Bortles can’t get better.
  39. Stefon Diggs WR Minnesota Vikings – A team with a WR that is evolving.  Diggs is a nice Slot WR type and benefits from having a QB who likes to throw to the slot.
  40. Jesse James TE Pittsburgh Steelers – A great landing spot for James as he can learn the position from heath Miller.  He has elite size and nice speed so he’s worth a shot especially in tight end premium leagues.
  41. Jeff Heuerman TE Denver Broncos – Stash for the future after he injured his ACL in Rookie Camp.  Love the athleticism and he showed very nice ability in 2013.  The position is wide open in Denver.
  42. Ty Montgomery WR Green Bay Packers – Nice landing spot for Montgomery as he can be a return man that develops behind some of the best in the business.  I think Jeff Janis owners or DeVante Adams owners should hedge their bets with a late pick of Montgomery.
  43. Garrett Grayson QB New Orleans Saints – Grab Grayson and stash him for the inevitable divorce of Drew Brees and Sean Payton down the road.  Who knows he could even be a guy that they develop and trade.
  44. Tyler Kroft TE Cincinnati Bengals – I like Kroft but i don’t think he is going to be a major fantasy asset.  I think he’ll be a better real life tight end than fantasy one.
  45. Zach Zenner RB Detroit Lions – Zenner could develop into a nice complement to Abdullah down the road.  At least we know he’s smart enough as he’s putting off Medical School to give his dream a shot.
  46. Darren Waller WR Baltimore Ravens –  Huge WR/TE that is a nice stash for down the road.
  47. Bryce Petty QB New York Jets – Throws a great ball, but needs to learn the position all over again.  Stash for down the road.
  48. Karlos Williams RB Buffalo Bills – A back that will help on Special teams right away and could develop into LeSean McCoy‘s hand cuff down the road.
  49. Devante Davis WR Philadelphia Eagles – A nice landing spot for the big receiver from UNLV.  I could see him claiming a spot on the team and eventually becoming a starting outside receiver in Chip Kelly’s offense.
  50. Brett Hundley QB Green Bay Packers – He gets to learn the position behind the best in the game throwing to very talented wide receivers.  Great developmental stash for a dynasty team with middle aged QBs.

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Dynasty Fantasy Football Outlook: Crockett Gillmore

Crockett Gillmore

 

I’ve been talking about Crockett Gillmore a lot on Twitter and on Podcasts, but I thought it was time to put all of my thoughts about him down in one place.  You may say I obsessed over Crockett Gillmore a bit in the lead up to the 2014 NFL draft.  I’m a draft nut and love to semi-scout the prospects and project where they may end up.  I especially pay attention to positions that are a big need to my beloved New York Giants and the tight end position was just begging for some attention this year.

At first my Giants’ tight end hopefuls seemed like they would come from a very shallow pool.  The only tight ends I really knew much about were the top five prospects plus some tight ends I had used playing college football DFS.  I knew there was a big drop off after the 5th overall tight end, but Gillmore kept intriguing me.  I mocked the first three rounds of the draft over and over again and never once did the Giants draft a tight end in the top three rounds, and never once did any of the top five prospects make it to the fourth round.

I kept hoping the Giants had caught a glimpse of Gillmore plying his trade when they were scouting their second round pick Weston Richburg at Colorado State.  While it would have been nice to see Gillmore in a Giants’ uniform, his landing spot in Baltimore is almost as good as it gets for a developing tight end.  The Ravens had finally given up on Ed Dickson after the 2013 season and signed the oft-injured Owen Daniels in free agency to be their second tight end.  Incumbent starter Dennis Pitta is a favorite of many in yearly fantasy football leagues, but has missed time over the years with various injuries and is best suited playing in the slot or as the move tight end.

Besides having a very promising depth chart the Ravens also hired the extremely tight end friendly Gary Kubiak as their offensive coordinator to replace Jim Caldwell.  Kubiak has often been able to make multiple tight ends fantasy relevant in his offenses.  If the Ravens do go to more two tight end formations, which would help their sub-par offensive-line, Gillmore could get a lot more playing time then I am expecting.  If Kubiak has a nice long tenure as an offensive coordinator Gillmore could become redraft relevant in a few short years.

Now a little bit more about Gillmore:

Crockett Gillmore is a big tight end.  He doesn’t look that big on tape because he wore the number 10, but don’t be fooled.

He’s a bit raw as a tight end prospect because he’s only recently converted from playing  defensive end.  Some of the attributes that made him a defensive end give him a huge advantage as a tight end.  His long arms and huge hands show up in his game tapes as well as his high lights as he plucks the ball easily away from defenders.  When you watch his game tape he shows well, but he didn’t dominate the competition.  He’s a little slow, but moves smoothly though his routes and looks to have decent hips that allow him to make adjustments on the ball.  He shows great concentration making catches in traffic without a problem and was even used out wide and in the slot to create some mismatches for Colorado State.  When he was used in those spots his lack of quickness and agility showed as he didn’t have any shake in his game.

I was almost embarrassed that I thought Gillmore would be available in the fourth and fifth round of the draft after he was taken by the Ravens in the third.  Imagine the embarrassment of the coaches who didn’t select him to the Senior Bowl when he got the battle field promotion for shining at the East West Shrine game and then blew it up at the Senior Bowl.  I really can’t blame the coaches that much because Gillmore’s stats paled in comparison to some of the top tight ends in college football, but he was part of a unit that blocked for the leading rusher in the Mountain West Conference.  For a list of all of his accomplishments at CSU visit here.

The best part of Crockett Gillmore in dynasty fantasy circles is he’s still a bit of a secret.  He’s not talked about in the same breath as Troy Niklas and C.J. Fiedorowicz, but he has a very similar upside and may even have a better fit than Niklas.  While Niklas and Fiedorwicz are going in the first four rounds of rookie drafts in dynasty fantasy football leagues, Gillmore is going undrafted more than not.  In one rookie draft that I was a part of three Packer tight ends went before Gillmore even got a sniff.

In dynasty start ups he gets no love as well.  The whole point of dynasty teams is to have a sustainable franchise that will perform well year after year.  Gillmore could be a key piece to that as a bottom layer to your tight end roster.  You can build your tight end corps around some tight ends at the top of their game like, Jimmy Graham and Vernon Davis and take Crockett Gillmore and C.J. Fiedorwicz late and hope one of the two hits it big as an every down tight end that ends up as a huge part of a red zone offense.

In redraft leagues he can be ignored for now.  Of course you have to keep him in the back of your mind in case Daniels and Pitta get injured, but don’t expect any breakout games like Jordan Reed had in 2013.  He’s going to get better and better as he gets used to playing the position, but don’t get him confused with an ex-basketball player that’s going to be a glorified wide receiver masquerading as a tight end.  His absolute upside is a very good impression of Heath Miller.  I’ll take Heath Miller in his prime any day of the week on my roster.

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Robert Turbin Dynasty Fantasy Football Outlook

Dynasty owners who were stubborn with their investment in Toby Gerhart look like they will finally reap the rewards in 2014.  Gerhart is out from behind the enormous shadow of the all-world Adrian Peterson in Minnesota and is poised to be the main ball carrier and running back option out of the backfield for the Jacksonville Jaguars.  While, Gerhart patiently waited for his chance to shine, many dynasty owners had given up on him even though he put up very respectable numbers when given the chance for the Vikings.

Robert Turbin owners are in an even tougher situation in Seattle.  Not only is Turbin behind the rock-steady Marshawn Lynch, but he has the next Adrian Peterson, Christine Michael, leaving tread marks on him as he flies past him on the depth chart.  I have seen some Turbin owners become disillusioned with his future prospects when all they ever hear is how good Christine Michael is going to be.    I’m here to say stay strong brothers of Turbin ownership.

You are going to have to play the long game with Robert Turbin.  Turbin is signed cheaply though the 2015 season in Seattle, and is too valuable to the Seahawks as a pass catching option, who can pass protect.  While those skills are appreciated in Seattle, they may be even more appreciated somewhere else in 2016.

What does Turbin have going for him in 2016?

There are a ton of 27 year old and older starting running backs in the league right now.

Photo credit: Getty images

Photo credit: Getty images

Jamaal Charles 27

Matt Forte 28

Adrian Peterson 29

Marshawn Lynch 28

Chris Johnson 28

Ryan Mathews 27

Toby Gerhart 27

Reggie Bush 29/ Joquie Bell 27

Rashad Jennings 29

Maurice Jones-Drew 29

Frank Gore 31

Pierre Thomas 29

Arian Foster 27

Steven Jackson 30

Ray Rice 27

Not only are there a ton of older running backs at the back end of their productivity, but there are a couple of teams that are unsettled at the position.

Patriots- Is Ridley over his fumbling issues?  Can Shane Vereen make it through a season healthy?

Cardinals- Can Andre Ellington carry the load?

Dolphins- Knowshon Moreno is probably a stop gap if he even starts.  Lamar Miller has not shown mcuh in his two seasons.

Redskins- Does Alfred Morris fit the new offense?  Are Lache Seastrunk or Roy Helu able to be three down backs?

Robert Turbin will be 26 as an unrestricted free agent in 2016 when NFL teams may just be primed to pick up a young veteran who can play all three downs.

Turbin is a very strong and talented running back.  He just happens to be joined in the Seahawks backfield with two studs.  Here’s a highlight video of his rookie season from YouTube.  Careful it’s NSFW.  Watch without sound if you are at work or offended by curse words in songs.

Turbin’s size and speed stack up well against two running backs in Carolina, that he could eventually replace.  Here’s a chart from MockDraftable.com that shows his Combine Stats and how they rate against other running backs.

One more thing he’s got going for him, that actually means next to nothing in football skill terms, is he has the biggest biceps on a running back since Thomas Jones or Eric Bieniemy.

Things that are not in his favor:

-Robert Turbin does not have the pedigree that Toby Gerhart did coming into the NFL.  Gerhart was a Heisman Trophy runner up, to Mark Ingram, and won the Doak Walker award as the best running back in the country his senior year at Stanford University.  Turbin was a small school running back, Utah State, and was drafted 106th overall in the 4th round of the 2012 NFL Draft.  Where you’re picked and where you went to school don’t matter after you’re in the league, but if you don’t shine in your chances and really create an impression that you’re an NFL starter caliber running back then you have an uphill battle when it comes to getting a chance to start in free agency.

-The 2015 NFL draft class looks like it will be loaded with talent at the running back position.  While running backs may not ever go as high as Trent Richardson just a few years ago, they still dominate from the second round on as NFL teams try to stack talent in their backfields.

Karlos Williams Florida State

Todd Gurley Georgia

TJ Yeldon Alabama

Melvin Gordon Wisconsin

and at least for or five more backs that could be drafted in the 2nd or 3rd round.

-There are young backs behind some of the old guard around the NFL that may be able to step into a lead back role.

KC-Knile Davis

CHI-Ka’Deem Carey

NYG-Andre Williams or David Wilson

BLT-Lorenzo Taliferro or Bernard Pierce

SD- Marion Grice

ATL-Devonta Freeman

SF-Carlos Hyde

My Final Thoughts on Robert Turbin’s dynasty fantasy football outlook:

I’m not trying to sell you on the fact that Robert Turbin will eventually be a top ten fantasy football back in any format.  I’m just trying to sell you on the fact that there is an opportunity in Turbin’s future to become a valuable piece in your dynasty fantasy football team.  I think he’s more talented then Rashad Jennings and Jennings looks to have grabbed the starting job in New York, at least for the time being, and he’s younger and more talented then some running backs that other people have ranked ahead of him.

So…..if Turbin happens to be dropped in your dynasty league scoop him up and carve out a nice spot on your bench that may pay off decent dividends in 2016.  If you can sneakily include him in a potential trade acquisition where you are set up at the running back position for the next two years then do it!

 

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