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FFL: Offseason | NFL: Divisional

Draft Day Winners and Losers

Mon Apr 29 11:53am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer

Related photo caption below

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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Player Notes
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The Buffalo Bills announced on Friday that they signed tight end Armani Rogers to a Reserve/Futures deal. Rogers, a former undrafted free agent, hasn't appeared in the NFL since 2022 when he played in 11 games (three starts) for the Washington Commanders. The former quarterback was with the Atlanta Falcons on their practice squad during the 2024 season but wasn't active for any regular-season games. The 27-year-old tore his Achilles in the offseason of 2023. In his 11 games with the Commanders in 2022, he caught five of his six targets for 64 yards and no touchdowns while carrying the ball twice for 26 yards. Rogers now latches on with the Bills but won't be eligible to play at all this postseason. He will continue his development as a pass-catcher into the offseason and will hope to remain with Buffalo through training camp this summer.

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ESPN's Adam Schefter said on the Pat McAfee Show that Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson will be a head coach somewhere in 2025, but it won't be for the Dallas Cowboys. Most speculation around the league is that Johnson will join the Las Vegas Raiders, but Schefter says he's "not in that camp right now." Schefter's reasoning for why he's not sold on Johnson going to Vegas is that Johnson has been very selective in where he wants to become a first-time head coach. Not only do the Raiders not have a top pick in the 2025 NFL draft, but they don't have desirable quarterback situation, and they also reside in a division with Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Bo Nix. Johnson's name has been connected with the Chicago Bears often. The NFC North was the toughest division in the NFL this year, but they do have last year's No. 1 overall pick in QB Caleb Williams.

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A.J. Brown Jan 17 7:40pm ET
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The Minnesota Vikings signed wide receiver Jeshaun Jones to a Reserve/Futures deal on Friday, the team announced. Jones was with Minnesota for much of the 2024 season on their practice squad but never appeared in a regular-season game. The 25-year-old pass-catcher from Fort Myers, Florida, will now be hoping to continue his development with the organization this offseason and into training camp in the summer. Jones went undrafted out of Maryland. In addition to Jones, the Vikings also signed offensive tackle Trevor Reid, defensive tackle Travis Bell, guard Henry Byrd, defensive backs Kahlef Hailassie and Reddy Steward, defensive end Jonathan Harris, wide receiver Lucky Jackson, tackle Marcellus Johnson, linebacker Gabriel Murphy, quarterback Brett Rypien and running back Zavier Scott to Reserve/Future contracts on Friday.

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Mike Strachan Jan 17 7:30pm ET
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The Washington Commanders announced on Friday that they signed wide receiver Mike Strachan and cornerback Allan George to Reserve/Futures deals. Strachan, a former seventh-round selection by the Indianapolis Colts in the 2021 NFL draft out of Charleston, spent the first two years of his NFL career with the Colts before playing in four games with the Carolina Panthers in 2023. The 27-year-old will not be eligible to play with Washington in the Divisional Round playoff game on Saturday versus the Detroit Lions, but he'll be hoping to stick around with the organization beyond training camp next summer. He did not appear in any NFL games in 2024. In his three NFL campaigns, Strachan has only produced six receptions on 15 targets for 130 yards and no touchdowns in 23 games (one start). He'll merely serve as receiver depth heading into training camp.

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Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry is fresh off of a ridiculous 186-yard game with two touchdowns in the Wild Card round, and he sets his sights on the Buffalo Bills. The last time these two teams faced off was in Week 4 when Henry registered 199 yards and a score on 24 carries to go along with three catches for 10 yards and another touchdown. He had a ridiculous 8.29 yards per carry average, and he'll likely be heavily involved once again in a freezing game in Buffalo. At kickoff, the temperature should be around 19 degrees Fahrenheit with a windchill that could reach the single digits. Everything about it signals a heavier ground game where Henry can dish out punishment.

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Ty Johnson Jan 17 5:30pm ET
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Khalil Shakir Jan 17 5:30pm ET
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Amari Cooper Jan 17 5:30pm ET
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Buffalo Bills Amari Cooper (back) saw one of his lowest snap shares since he joined the team in mid-October last week. Granted, Buffalo did blow out the Broncos, but the starters played most of the fourth quarter. Cooper played just over one-third of the snaps. That led to two catches for eight yards. The veteran has been below 50% of the snaps in over half of his games as a Bill. As has been the case for the last few weeks, a back issue has placed him on the injury report but he doesn't carry an injury designation into the weekend. He shouldn't be used in any fantasy lineups against Baltimore.

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Keon Coleman Jan 17 5:30pm ET
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Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman, who appeared to be separating himself from the pack before his wrist injury, is now a part of the problem. The Bills have a crowded wide receiver room and Josh Allen tends to spread the football around. Coleman has caught eight passes in the last five games, and just one for five yards in the Wild Card victory over the Denver Broncos. Still, the rookie may be the most dangerous downfield threat of the bunch. He is tied for the team lead for receptions longer than 25 yards (six) and trails Mack Hollins in receiving touchdowns (four). Coleman is a boom-or-bust DFS option with a low output more likely.

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Dalton Kincaid Jan 17 5:30pm ET
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