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.
TFC Champion is Crowned
Dynasty | The Rams have given quarterback Matthew Stafford permission to gauge interest across the league. Dynasty Analysis: The Rams aren't necessarily throwing in the towel on Stafford, but they at least want to explore some trade possibilities. They're in a tough spot as Stafford is owed a lot of money, but the Rams are still a bit away from contending. Chances are they find a trade partner who thinks Stafford could put them over the top. Regardless, he's going to be a low-end QB1 next season wherever that may be and his dynasty value is really year-to-year at his age.
Dynasty | Free agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers is reportedly looking for a good team to sign on with if he continues playing. Dynasty Analysis: Well, that seemed obvious from the start. Rodgers seems willing to keep playing but it's unclear if any competitive teams would honestly even want him. His up-and-down play combined with his off-the-field attention may just be too much for someone to stomach. However, it only takes one and a team like Pittsburgh or the Rams (should they move on from Matthew Stafford) could make sense. Regardless, Rodgers' dynasty value has pretty much cratered.
Dynasty | Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold is likely to hit free agency. Dynasty Analysis: This really isn't much of a surprise. The Vikings have JJ McCarthy as their quarterback of the future and invested a lot in him. Darnold was a revelation for most of the season but faded just a touch in the last few games. While he could be back in Minnesota, it seems likely he'll land some kind of a deal elsewhere, like Las Vegas or New York. Regardless, he's certainly proved capable of being a starter and should be a solid QB2 at worst for the next few years. His dynasty value has certainly been rehabilitiated.
ESPN's Dan Graziano writes that it's possible that Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews could be a salary cap casualty this offseason. The 29-year-old is scheduled to make $11 million in 2025 -- a $4 million roster bonus due on March 17 and $7 million in salary. Andrews' salary cap number is $16.9 million, and because none of his salary is guaranteed, the team would save $11 million if they release him before his roster bonus is due. In addition to his major gaffes in the playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills, there were stretches in 2024 where fellow tight end Isaiah Likely looked to have surpasses him in the passing game. However, Graziano doesn't discount that Andrews has been extremely reliable in his career with the Ravens and has plenty of chemistry with quarterback Lamar Jackson. Despite coming off a crucial lost fumble and dropped pass in the postseason, Andrews finished as the TE5 in fantasy and had a career-high 11 touchdowns.
From RotoBaller
The Athletic's Ben Standig suggests that Washington Commanders defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, who is headed into the final year of his four-year, $72 million extension, could be a salary cap casualty this offseason. Allen has a $22.47 million cap hit in 2025 but only a $6 million dead-cap charge. The Commanders have plenty of cap space this year, but fellow defensive tackle Daron Payne will count more than $20 million against the cap as well. Allen suffered a left pectoral tear in 2024, and the Commanders have a potential replacement in Johnny Newton, who they drafted in the second round last year. The 30-year-old former 17th overall pick in 2017 played in just eight regular-season games (seven starts) and had 19 tackles (16 solo), three sacks, and seven QB hits. Allen was a Pro Bowler in 2021 and 2022, but his production has dipped the last two seasons.
From RotoBaller
The move to trade wide receiver A.J. Brown and replace him with Treylon Burks (knee) was one of the worst personnel moves in Tennessee Titans franchise history, and one of the worst in recent NFL memory, and The Athletic's Joe Rexrode thinks the Titans need to stop waiting for Burks to be a factor. Rexrode points out that Burks' 2025 salary cap hit and dead-money number are both $4.6 million if the Titans cut him, and he thinks it's totally worth doing to move on and give Burks a fresh start. The 24-year-old former first-rounder in 2022 has played in only 27 of a possible 51 games due to injuries and also had surgery in 2024 to address damage to his ACL. When Burks has been on the field, he's done very little, catching 53 passes for 699 yards and one touchdown. There's no guarantee that Burks can turn it around with Tennessee or another organization, though, especially coming off his knee injury.
From RotoBaller
The Athletic's Dan Pompei singles out Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Jamel Dean as a potential salary cap casualty this offseason, mainly because his 2025 cap hit of $15.2 million ranks eighth-highest among all NFL cornerbacks. Tampa also is projected to have only $11.7 million in cap space, so they will certainly be looking to save money where they can. Dean will be 29 in October, has missed time due to injuries the last two years and has never really been a big-play producer or shutdown cornerback. Cutting him would leave the Bucs thin at the position, but it might be worth it. The former third-round selection in 2019 out of Auburn played in a career-low 12 games in 2024 due to hamstring and knee injuries and finished with 59 tackles (45 solo), one interception, seven pass breakups and one forced fumble. Dean picked off his first pass since the 2022 season.
From RotoBaller
The Athletic's Michael-Shawn Dugar writes that Seattle Seahawks linebacker Dre'Mont Jones' $25.6 million salary cap hit appears to be untenable. Jones is only 28 years old, but he might be the team's fifth-best pass-rusher when everyone is healthy, and the Seahawks could save $11.5 million by trading or releasing him. Seattle signed Jones to a three-year, $51 million contract in March of 2023, which at the time was the biggest external free-agent deal by average annual salary of the John Schneider era. In addition to potentially trading or cutting Jones, the Seahawks could save $17 million by trading or releasing aging receiver Tyler Lockett. Jones makes sense as a potential salary cap casualty after having a down year in 2024 with only 28 tackles (14 solo), four sacks, seven tackles for loss, 13 QB hits and a forced fumble in 17 games (seven starts).
From RotoBaller
The Pittsburgh Steelers are scheduled to have the NFL's highest-paid defensive for the fourth straight season in 2025 but can save $7 million of defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi's $10 million salary cap hit by cutting him this offseason, according to The Athletic's Mike DeFabo. Since joining the Steelers in 2022, Ogunjobi has only reached double digits in QB hits once while also playing through multiple injuries. It's a stark contract to him recording double-digit tackles for loss and QB hits in three of his first five seasons in the NFL before heading to the Steel City. DeFabo thinks that regardless of whether the Steelers actually cut Ogunjob, they'll be targeting a younger, less-expensive defensive lineman early in the 2025 NFL draft. The 30-year-old Ogunjobi missed two games with a groin injury in 2024 and finished with 41 tackles (16 solo), 1.5 sacks, five tackles for loss and seven QB hits in 15 games (12 starts).
From RotoBaller
The Athletic's Brooks Kubena suggests that Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay, who has the sixth-highest salary cap hit on the team in 2025, could be a cap casualty this offseason. Cutting the 34-year-old Slay with a post-June 1 designation would save the team $4.3 million this year and $17.7 million in 2026. The six-time Pro Bowler continues to play at a high level for the Eagles, but he also battled multiple injuries in 2024 and missed time with groin and knee ailments. Philadelphia may find it hard to get rid of such an influential player in their secondary, but they have the luxury to do so after both defensive backs Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean (their first two draft picks last year) were finalists for Defensive Rookie of the Year. Slay didn't record an interception during the regular season and finished with 49 tackles (39 solo), 13 pass breakups, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 14 regular-season games.
From RotoBaller
The New York Giants don't have any big contracts that they need to shed this offseason and are in a pretty healthy salary cap situation in 2025, but The Athletic's Dan Duggan suggests that kicker Graham Gano could still be a cap casualty as the Giants look to save a little extra money. The 37-year-old veteran is set to count $5.7 million against this year's cap and has missed 16 games because of injury the last two years. If the G-Men decide to cut the kicker, they'd save $3.2 million on the cap while creating $2.5 million in dead money. Gano injured his hamstring in Week 9 in 2024 and ended up playing in only 10 games, going 9-for-11 on his field-goal tries and 15-for-15 on extra points. He's been pretty reliable in his five seasons with New York, making 87.2% of his field goals, but the Giants wouldn't be blamed for looking to go younger at the position.
From RotoBaller
The Athletic's Chad Graff suggests that it could be time for the New England Patriots to move on from wide receiver Kendrick Bourne this offseason, even if he's their top player at their biggest position of need. Bourne missed the start of the 2024 season while recovering from a torn right ACL and caught only 28 passes on 38 targets for 305 yards and one touchdown in 12 games (nine starts) once he returned. With a new coaching regime in town, the Patriots could move on from Bourne, who will be heading into his age-30 season in 2025. New England would save $4.9 million in salary cap space if they cut him before June 1 or $6.3 million if they cut him with a post-June 1 designation. Bourne is under contract with the Patriots through the 2026 season, but it wouldn't be a huge surprise to see this rebuilding organization go in another direction as they completely rebuild their receiving corps.
From RotoBaller
Although reports to this point suggest that the New Orleans Saints will keep quarterback Derek Carr around in new head coach Kellen Moore's first season in 2025, The Athletic's Amos Morale III also points out that Carr is the most obvious cut candidate as well. Moore was non-committal about Carr's future during his introductory press conference, and the Saints are roughly $51 million over the projected 2025 salary cap. Cutting the veteran signal-caller would add to the team's league-leading dead-money total, according to Spotrac, but the Saints have a lot of those contracts coming off the books in 2026. If Moore and his coaching staff decide to stick with Carr, they will at the very least need to restructure his deal. The 33-year-old dealt with more injuries in 2024 and played in a career-low 10 games. Carr has become a pretty big injury risk and will carry a $30 million base salary and $10 million roster bonus in 2025.
From RotoBaller
The Athletic's Alec Lewis writes that the Minnesota Vikings cutting offensive guard Ed Ingram this offseason makes sense if the team is serious about improving their trench play. Ingram struggled in pass protection in 2024 for the third straight season and was benched in Week 11 after being the starting right guard for three seasons. Cutting the former second-rounder in 2022 out of LSU would save the Vikings a minimum of around $3.3 million on the 2025 salary cap. Lewis explains that the move wouldn't be a necessity for the salary cap, as the Vikings already have close to $60 million in cap space this year. The move would essentially be about making the interior offensive line better, especially if the Vikes hand the reigns over to former first-round quarterback J.J. McCarthy in 2025.
From RotoBaller
The Miami Dolphins have already cut veteran running back Raheem Mostert, cornerback Kendall Fuller and tight end Durham Smythe this offseason, and The Athletic's Jim Ayello suggests that kicker Jason Sanders could be the next on the chopping block. The Dolphins have one of the worst salary cap situations in the league this year, and cutting big-money players such as left tackle Terron Armstead and linebacker Bradley Chubb would incur huge dead-cap penalties ($32.7 million for Armstead and $27.3 million for Chubb). Sanders has a fair cap hit of $4.7 million in 2025, but the Dolphins could get additional cap space of $3.3 million by cutting him. The 29-year-old was a top-10 fantasy kicker in 2024 and made a career-high 37 of his 41 field-goal attempts in 17 games while missing just two of his extra-point tries. This situation purely comes down to salary-cap space for Miami.
From RotoBaller
The Athletic's Jourdan Rodriguez writes that if the Los Angeles Rams can't trade wide receiver Cooper Kupp this offseason, they could cut him instead. Things are a bit tricky, though: Cutting him before June 1 would incur $22.26 million in dead money while saving only $7.5 million. Kupp has a roster bonus of $7.5 million due on March 17. If the Rams were to designate him as a post-June 1 cut, they'd have $14.8 million in dead money while saving $15 million. According to a league source, the Rams didn't ask Kupp about a contract restructure and appear to be willing to eat some money in order to facilitate a trade. The 31-year-old wideout has been in decline ever since recording the receiving Triple Crown in 2021 with 145 catches, 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns. Injuries are mostly to blame -- he hasn't played more than 12 games the last three years -- but he could still be fantasy relevant in the right situation elsewhere.
From RotoBaller
The Athletic's Daniel Popper suggests that Los Angeles Chargers edge rusher Joey Bosa could be a salary cap casualty this offseason for several reasons. The Chargers do have the sixth-most salary cap space in the league, but even with all that space, keeping Bosa at his $36.47 million cap hit (highest in the league for an edge rusher) in 2025 doesn't make much sense. If they were to cut Bosa, they'd save $25.36 million. Due to injuries, the 29-year-old has played in only 28 of a possible 51 regular-season games in the last three years. He has 14 combined sacks in that span. Bosa's production and availability just have not matched that price tag. He doesn't appear to be the dominant pass-rusher he once was and recorded only 22 tackles (17 solo) and five sacks in 14 games (nine starts) for the Bolts in 2024. Injuries have definitely taken their toll.
From RotoBaller
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Friday that the Jacksonville Jaguars hired Los Angeles Rams personnel executive James Gladstone to be their new general manager. Gladstone had been the Rams' director of scouting strategy for the last three seasons but had been with the Rams for nine seasons in total. He worked closely with general manager Les Snead in strategic planning and the daily scouting process. New Jaguars head coach Liam Coen is familiar with Gladstone from his four years with the Rams, when he served as assistant receivers and assistant quarterbacks coach in 2018-20 and as offensive coordinator in 2022. The 34-year-old Gladstone was the youngest of Jacksonville's five finalists for the GM job. He will replace Trent Baalke, was the Jaguars' GM from 2021 until being fired on Jan. 22 of this year.
From RotoBaller
The Pittsburgh Steelers announced on Friday that they signed free-agent tight end Donald Parham Jr. to an undisclosed one-year deal. Parham will head to the AFC North after catching 67 of his 100 targets for 764 yards and 11 total touchdowns in 47 games (23 starts) over his four seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers after debuting in 2020. The 27-year-old tight end went undrafted out of Stetson College in 2019. His best season was in 2023 with the Bolts, when he caught 27 of his 41 targets for 285 yards and four touchdowns across 14 regular-season games (eight starts). L.A. released him last August and he latched on with the Denver Broncos' practice squad, but he didn't appear in an NFL game. At 6-foot-8, Parham was mostly a red-zone weapon for the Bolts. He'll attempt to win a roster spot with Pittsburgh out of training camp but can be ignored in most fantasy leagues.
From RotoBaller
San Francisco Chronicle's Eric Branch writes that the San Francisco 49ers and star tight end George Kittle have been in talks about a contract extension early this offseason. The 31-year-old is heading into the final year of his current deal in 2025 after a strong 2024 campaign in which he caught 78 passes on 94 targets for 1,106 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in 15 starts. The production was all the more impressive after he revealed that he played through cracked ribs for much of the season, and he also missed two games with a hamstring ailment. Kittle's 1,106 receiving yards and eight touchdowns were both the second-best marks of his career. He was the TE1 overall in fantasy, with only Brock Bowers and Trey McBride besting him in total yardage. Regardless of whether he gets a contract extension from the Niners (he likely will), Kittle will be a top-five fantasy TE in drafts this fall.
From RotoBaller