Draft Day Winners and Losers
Mon Apr 29 11:53am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer
White should be lead back
The draft is always so exciting, seeing where all the players get picked. But after the draft, the big issue is figuring out what it all means for their fantasy value. We thought it would be a good idea to look at some of the biggest fantasy winners and losers from draft day. These are some of the players that were picked but also some of the guys that were already on rosters, seeing their fantasy value get impacted from the draft. Adjust your rankings accordingly!
WINNERS
Bryce Young, QB, Panthers. The Panthers did a great job of getting Young some much needed offensive help. The team took a receiver, running back and tight end in three of the first four rounds of the draft. Carolina already added Diontae Johnson this offseason, so the receiver corps should be much better after getting Xavier Legette in the first round. The receivers got very little separation last year, so it was hard to gauge Young. He needed help and got some this offseason. Carolina also took a possible franchise running back in Jonathon Brooks and hopefully a solid starting tight end in Ja’Tavion Sanders. Things are looking up for Young and this offense.
Xavier Worthy, WR, Chiefs. Worthy could not have landed in a much better spot. He heads to one of the best offenses in football that has some openings at receiver, especially with the status of Rashee Rice a bit up in the air. Worthy has electric speed and the Chiefs should find plenty of ways to utilize that. He could be the new Tyreek Hill for this offense. Look for Worthy to make an impact right away.
Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Cowboys. Maybe one of the biggest surprises of the draft was the Cowboys not addressing their running back spot. Instead, the team signed Elliott after the draft. He is likely to be the starter in this top offense. He might not rack up the yards of past seasons, but has big touchdown potential in this offense. Elliott seems a pretty sure bet to get double-digit touchdowns. He could be a solid No. 2 for fantasy teams.
Jonathon Brooks, RB, Panthers. Brooks is returning from a major knee injury and could be slowed a little early in the season, but once he is back healthy look for him to the three-down back for the Panthers. He lands in a great spot for playing time, having little top talent to compete with for playing time. Brooks could really get the volume in this offense. He is our top rookie fantasy back.
Zamir White, RB, Raiders. Many thought the Raiders were another team that could address their running back spot during the draft, but that didn’t happen. They used a sixth-round pick on Dylan Laube, but he is not expected to challenge White for that starter’s job. It sure seems the Raiders are comfortable with White as their lead back. He has a chance to get a lot of touches in year two. His stock is going up.
Ladd McConkey, WR, Chargers. The Chargers need help at receiver and McConkey helps fill that need. It would not surprise if he quickly became Justin Herbert’s favorite target in the passing game. We really like his chances to rack up the weekly looks in this offense. Someone has to fill the Keenan Allen void and McConkey seems the best bet out of the options at receiver for the Chargers.
Keon Coleman, WR, Bills. Coleman is another rookie receiver that lands in a great spot for playing time. The departure of Stefon Diggs leaves a big opening for the Bills. Coleman could help fill that void. He has great size for the position and could be a top red-zone threat from day one for Buffalo. Coleman should get his chances from the get go, giving him a high ceiling for the coming year.
LOSERS
Raheem Mostert, RB, Dolphins. Mostert had a monster season last year and helped many fantasy teams to championships. He is going to have a very hard time repeating, especially after the Dolphins picked Jaylen Wright in the fourth round. Wright is a speed back similar to Mostert but a lot younger with less wear on his tires. Remember, Mostert is 32 years old. He might end up falling to third on the depth chart after the addition of Wright.
Rome Odunze, WR, Bears. Odunze is a super talented player that could be a star in the NFL. But for his year, you have to worry about him being up and down. He has two really good receivers ahead of him on the depth chart in DJ Moore and Keenan Allen. This is going to limit the ceiling of Odunze. He will be a much better fantasy player in a few more seasons. For now, expect erratic production from the talented rookie.
Kyren Williams, RB, Rams. Williams remains the lead back for the Rams and is coming off a breakout season. But the Rams picked Blake Corum in the third round. He is going to be a factor in the offense. He might get put a huge dent in Williams’ workload but the big concern is the goal-line work. Corum is more of a between the tackles runner that does well on short-yardage work. He could end up stealing some touchdowns from Williams, hurting his fantasy value.
Michael Mayer, TE, Raiders. Mayer was a second-round pick for the Raiders last year and showed well at times his rookie season. The Raiders couldn’t pass on the talented Brock Browers in this year’s draft, though. This move absolutely kills the fantasy value of Mayer. He is going to play second fiddle to Browers, getting few weekly looks. Browers is the clear tight end to own in this offense.
Ricky Pearsall, WR, 49ers. Pearsall is a talented pass catcher that can get in and out of his breaks in a hurry. He is a really good fit for the slot and could fill that role for the 49ers his rookie season. The problem is he has some of the top talent in all of football to compete with for targets. He could really be up and down his rookie season. He will look better in a year or two when he has a more defined role and less to compete with at receiver. His rookie season could be a tough one to gauge for fantasy owners.
Malik Nabers, WR, Giants. Many considered Nabers the top receiver in this year’s draft. He is super talented with a high fantasy ceiling. The problem for Nabers is he got drafted by the Giants, a team that really struggled offensively last year. Plus, he has Daniel Jones throwing him passes. This is not a great landing spot for the talented Nabers. Jones needs to make some big strides this season if Nabers hopes to reach his potential. We aren’t sure that happens.
Jeff Paur is a two-time finalist for FSWA Fantasy Football Writer of the Year and won the FSWA award for Best Fantasy Football Article on the Web in 2011. He also was the most accurate expert in 2012, winning the FSTA Fantasy Football Accuracy Award. If you have any questions for Jeff, email him at jeff@rtsports.com. Follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffpaur.
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The Paur Report
The New York Jets fired general manager Joe Douglas on Tuesday, according to sources. The move comes six weeks after the team fired head coach Robert Saleh and just a few days after a one-point loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 11 to drop the team to 3-8 on the year. Douglas had been the team's GM since June of 2019 and he finishes his tenure in New York with a 30-64 record. He'll mostly be remembered for missing badly on quarterback Zach Wilson (second overall pick in 2021) and offensive tackle Mekhi Becton (first-rounder in 2020). His big move to acquire QB Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers in April of 2023 also has not worked out. The Jets had Super Bowl aspirations at the start of this season but will now go into the offseason with a major overhaul likely coming. New York will need to hire a new GM and head coach in the same offseason for the first time since 2015.
From RotoBaller
The Dallas Cowboys fell to 3-7 after their 34-10 loss to the Houston Texans on Monday Night Football, but owner Jerry Jones thinks the players still believe in head coach Mike McCarthy. "That losing the team stuff, that's so overblown," Jones said. The Cowboys are currently projected to have a top-10 pick in next year's draft, although McCarthy is in the final year of his contract. The Cowboys have lost their first five home games of a season for the first time since 1989 and they've been outscored by 118 points, the third-highest total though five home games in the Super Bowl era. It remains to be seen if the Cowboys extend McCarthy's contract beyond this year, but at this time, it doesn't seem likely that Jones will make an in-season move to fire the head coach. Dallas faces the division-rival Washington Commanders in Week 12, followed by a Thanksgiving game against the New York Giants.
From RotoBaller
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith said he wanted to use quarterback Justin Fields in more packages in the Week 11 win over the division-rival Baltimore Ravens, but the Steelers stalled out on too many of their third downs on offense. "We have two starting quarterbacks," Smith said Tuesday. "It's a very unique situation." Fields only carried the ball twice for 17 yards in the 18-16 win over Baltimore and has rarely seen the field since Russell Wilson took over under center. To be fair, Wilson has looked much better running Pittsburgh's offense than most people expected after missing the start of the 2024 season due to a nagging calf injury. Fields could get more involved in Week 12 on Monday night against the Los Angeles Chargers, but unless Wilson misses more time with an injury, Fields will be off the radar in single-QB fantasy leagues.
From RotoBaller
Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said after the 34-10 loss to the Houston Texans on Monday night that he regrets not giving quarterback Trey Lance an opportunity to run the offense late in the blowout. "I think the one thing I should have done at the end, and I just didn't do, was put Trey in there. I could've gotten him a series. That's one thing that I would second-guess myself on," McCarthy said. The former third overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers in 2021 has barely played in the NFL but should get more opportunities down the stretch in 2024 in a lost season for the Cowboys with Dak Prescott (hamstring) done for the year. Lance, 24, went 4-for-6 for 21 yards and an interception late in the Week 10 blowout loss to the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles. If Dallas gets spanked again in Week 12 by the Commanders, Lance should get some more action.
From RotoBaller
Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker has struggled mightily in 2024 and missed two more field goals in the two-point loss to the division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 11, but head coach John Harbaugh said on Monday that the team has no plans to bring in competition for Tucker. The seven-time Pro Bowler has seen his conversion rate fall to 72.7% this year, which is his lowest mark ever 11 games into a season. His six misses are one more than all of 2023, and he's just on miss shy of tying his career worst. In the team's four losses this year, Tucker has missed five field goals. Sunday was just the sixth time in his 206 career games in which he missed multiple kicks. As a result, the 34-year-old veteran is no longer the most accurate kicker in NFL history, as his career success rate of 89.3% ranks behind Panthers kicker Eddy Pineiro (89.4%). Despite his struggles, Tucker should be considered a top-10 fantasy kicker in Week 12 on Monday against the Los Angeles Chargers.
From RotoBaller
Newly acquired Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jonathan Mingo failed to catch a pass from four targets in a 34-10 loss to Houston on Monday. Dallas gave up a fourth-round pick in a trade with Carolina at the trade deadline, but couldn't get the second-year receiver involved at all against Houston. With quarterback Dak Prescott (hamstring) out for the season and the Dallas running game unable to muster much of anything, it's difficult to see the situation improving at all. At this stage, Mingo doesn't need to occupy a fantasy roster spot, even in deep leagues.
From RotoBaller
Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott caught all three of his targets for 16 yards and carried once for eight yards in a 34-10 loss to Houston on Monday. It was ugly all around as the Cowboys rushed for just 64 total yards and spent most of the night playing catch-up behind backup quarterback Cooper Rush. Running back Rico Dowdle had 10 carries for 28 yards, leading the team in both categories. Elliott's best days are behind him as is, but the entire Dallas backfield simply can't be trusted as the team prepares for Washington in Week 12.
From RotoBaller
Houston Texans wide receiver John Metchie III hauled in all three of his targets for 33 yards in the Texans' 34-10 victory at Dallas on Monday night. The third-year receiver was coming off a career game last week against Detroit, and remained involved despite the Texans seeing the return of top receiver Nico Collins. The Alabama product has now played more than 60% of Houston's snaps three weeks in a row and appears to have hold of their third receiver spot now that Stefon Diggs (knee) is out for the season. Metchie won't get much volume, though, so he'll mostly be a desperation streaming option as Houston takes on Tennessee in Week 12.
From RotoBaller
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Tolbert caught just two of his five targets for 21 yards during Monday's loss to the Houston Texans. The 25-year-old posted double-digit fantasy points (PPR) in four of his first eight games this year, initially giving him some low-end WR3/FLEX appeal. However, ever since Cooper Rush has taken over for Dak Prescott (hamstring), Tolbert has fallen off the fantasy radar. He continues to play north of 90 percent of the Cowboys' offensive snaps but has just five catches for 35 yards over his last two games combined. Tolbert can be benched in fantasy leagues with 14 teams or fewer.
From RotoBaller
Dallas Cowboys tight end Luke Schoonmaker caught six of his 10 targets for 56 yards during Monday's loss to the Houston Texans. While Schoonmaker typically operates as the Cowboys' No. 2 tight end, he was bumped up to the first-team offense early in Monday's game after Jake Ferguson (concussion) was ruled out. The 26-year-old has shown off his ability to step up on offense before, catching six passes for 43 yards when Ferguson was sidelined back in Week 2. If Ferguson's concussion forces him to miss Week 12 against the Washington Commanders, Schoonmaker would temporarily become a fringe top-12 fantasy tight end.
From RotoBaller
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver KaVontae Turpin caught each of his three targets for a total of 86 yards during Monday's loss to the Houston Texans. The bulk of his production came on a 64-yard touchdown on the first play of the second quarter. This was Turpin's best game of the year, bringing his season totals to 20 catches, 267 yards, and two touchdowns. The 28-year-old is a talented big-play threat but doesn't have the volume needed to justify rostering him in leagues with 14 teams or fewer.
From RotoBaller
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb turned 12 targets into eight catches for 93 yards during Monday's loss to the Houston Texans. He also tallied a 13-yard rush. Even with the Cowboys' offense faltering under Cooper Rush, Lamb was able to be productive, turning in 18-plus fantasy points (PPR) for the fourth time this season. This was his highest fantasy point total this season in a game where he failed to find the end zone. The Cowboys' No. 1 receiver should continue to see heavy volume moving forward, which will allow him to remain in the low-end WR1 tier for fantasy purposes.
From RotoBaller
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle rushed for 28 yards on 10 carries during Monday's loss to the Houston Texans. He also caught two of his five targets for an additional six receiving yards. Even as quarterback Cooper Rush racked up production in garbage time, the Cowboys' starting running back was not able to get very involved. Between his subpar volume and reduced efficiency, Dowdle will drop to the low-end RB3 tier next week against Washington.
From RotoBaller
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush completed 32 of his 55 pass attempts for 354 yards, one touchdown, and one interception during Monday's loss to the Houston Texans. He also fumbled twice, but both were recovered by the Cowboys. All in all, Rush put together a solid fantasy showing by racking up yardage during garbage time. This was enough to reward fantasy managers who may have opted to stream him in Week 11. Moving forward, Rush will drop back down to the QB3 tier. He faces the Washington Commanders next Sunday.
From RotoBaller
Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell finished his team's 34-10 victory at Dallas with four catches for 54 yards on seven targets. Interestingly, it was exactly the same stat line as No. 1 receiver Nico Collins, who returned to the lineup following a prolonged absence. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud completed passes to eight different receivers, but running back Joe Mixon accounted for all three of Houston's offensive touchdowns. Dell and the Texans will look for a breakout day against the Tennessee Titans in Week 12.
From RotoBaller
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud completed 23 of 34 passing attempts for 257 yards with no touchdowns and an interception in a 34-10 victory at Dallas on Monday. The second-year quarterback saw the return of top wide receiver Nico Collins, but running back Joe Mixon did most of the offensive damage by scoring three touchdowns. Stroud completed passes to eight receivers in the game, but has now thrown just two touchdown passes in his past five games. The Houston signal-caller will look for a better performance in a solid matchup in Week 12 when the Texans take on the floundering Tennessee Titans.
From RotoBaller
The Houston Texans saw top wide receiver Nico Collins haul in four passes for 54 yards on seven targets during a 34-10 victory at Dallas. The star wideout's return to the field after a hamstring ailment landed him on injured reserve was a bit underwhelming, as he finished with exactly the same stat line as fellow wide receiver Tank Dell. However, it was running back Joe Mixon who stole the show, scoring all three of the Texans' offensive touchdowns in the convincing win. Collins and the Texans' passing game will have a great chance to break out against a reeling Tennessee team in Week 12.
From RotoBaller
Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz set a season-high with five catches for 33 yards in the Texans' 34-10 victory against the Dallas Cowboys. The big tight end drew seven targets, which tied for the team lead, but did most of his work within short yardage. The former Cowboy still has not scored this season, but Houston has only two passing touchdowns in its past five games as a team, so receiving touchdowns have been few and far between. Schultz and the Texans will look for better against the struggling Tennessee Titans in Week 12.
From RotoBaller
For the fifth consecutive week, Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon surpassed 100 rushing yards and found the end zone on Monday at Dallas, finishing with 153 total yards and three scores in the 34-10 win. The veteran running back kept up his hot streak with 109 yards on 20 carries, to which he added two catches for 44 yards. Mixon broke a 45-yard touchdown run on Houston's first drive, scored from a yard away later in the first quarter, and capped off the win with another one-yard touchdown. Five straight games of 100-plus rushing yards and a touchdown ties a Super-Bowl-era record. Houston's RB1 will look to keep the momentum going in Week 12 against Tennessee.
From RotoBaller
The Houston Texans D/ST compiled five sacks, forced two turnovers, and clinched a 34-10 victory Monday at Dallas with a wild defensive play in which they ended up in the end zone. Houston defensive end Derek Barnett stripped Dallas quarterback Cooper Rush, Cowboys guard Tyler Guyton recovered, and Houston safety Jalen Pitre blasted Guyton, jarring the ball free again. Barnett then scooped and scored from 28 yards to go up 27-10, sealing Houston's win. It was another great performance from the Texans, who will face another struggling offense in Week 12 when they take on the Tennessee Titans.
From RotoBaller
