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.
Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard carried the ball three times for 15 yards in the team's preseason win against the Buffalo Bills. Hubbard saw his first preseason action along with all of Carolina's starters, indicating that he has likely locked up the RB1 role for the Panthers this season. While he will serve as the main back to begin this season, Carolina's backfield remains split between him, Miles Sanders and rookie Jonathan Brooks (knee) who is working his way back from injury. A split backfield in what was a below-average rushing attack last season isn't the most ideal for fantasy purposes, and Hubbard can be viewed as a RB3/4 accordingly.
From RotoBaller
Carolina Panthers tight end Jordan Matthews caught all three of his targets for 21 yards and a touchdown in the team's preseason win over the Buffalo Bills. The 32-year-old started the game with all of Carolina's starters and saw two targets on the initial drive, one of which being an eight-yard touchdown from Bryce Young. While it may be the case that Matthews is the starting tight end, he will continue to compete with Tommy Tremble, Ian Thomas, and rookie Ja'Tavion Sanders for snaps and touches at the position. The makeup of this tight end room will be worth monitoring for fantasy managers, as whoever the starter is may become a streaming option throughout the season.
From RotoBaller
Dynasty | Panthers quarterback Bryce Young completed 6-of-8 passes for 70 yards and a touchdown in Carolina's final preseason game. Dynasty Analysis: Young received a lot of praise from the coaching staff after this one and it seems he's ready to go for year two. It's going to be a critical season for last year's #1 pick as he really struggled last season and was severely outplayed by CJ Stroud. While his sample size is still very small, Young will need to show everyone a lot more to stay in the good graces of our dynasty rankings. At this point, he's a hold but one that should make you pretty nervous, despite a good final performance.
Dynasty | Bills rookie running back Frank Gore Jr rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown in Buffalo's preseason finale. Dynasty Analysis: We'll see if this is enough to secure Gore a roster spot but he certainly did all he could in this one. Gore averaged 5.6 yards per carry on the game and was one of the more impressive players in the contest. Unfortunately, being showcased in week three of the preseason isn't always the greatest thing and Gore was playing against backups. He'd be worthy of a deep dynasty league roster spot should he make the team. Stay tuned.
Dynasty | Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson played one series, completing 2-of-2 passes for 26 yards in Pittsburgh's final preseason game. Dynasty Analysis: What was even more telling was the fact Wilson and the rest of the starters hit the bench after one series. Justin Fields competed 3-of-4 passes for 40 yards in his place but the tea leaves are clearly pointing to Wilson starting the year under center, especially given the fact Fields had yet another fumbled snap in this one. This will be a situation to watch but it would be a surprise to see Wilson not under center in week one. He remains a QB2 this year and Fields remains a potential "buy low" at the moment.
Dynasty | Texans running back Cam Akers had 53 yards on seven carries in Houston's preseason finale. Dynasty Analysis: The story here may not be the fact Akers did this on only seven carries - it may be that Akers played in the game at all. Running backs with roster spots sewn up don't typically play this week and that may not bode well for him in the end. It seems the injury sustained a couple of years ago has really deprived Akers of his potential. He belongs on the waiver wire at the moment until we see how Houston manages their depth chart.
Dynasty | Cowboys quarterback Trey Lance completed 33-of-49 passes for 323 yards with one touchdown, adding 90 rushing yards and another score in the Cowboys preseason finale. Dynasty Analysis: He also threw five interceptions. Yep. FIVE. This was as mixed a bag as you can find with a quarterback line and it matches his performance. Lance made great plays in both the run and pass game but a lot of it was wasted by mistakes. It's clear he has immense talent and also evident he's still reckless at times. Dallas has a decision to make but at this point it seems his roster spot is safe. It's hard to make a case for Lance on a dynasty roster if he gets beat out by Cooper Rush.
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young completed six of his eight throws for 70 yards and a touchdown in the team's preseason win over the Buffalo Bills. Young played just the initial drive, distributing the ball around to five different receivers before eventually finding Jordan Matthews for an eight-yard touchdown to cap it off. This was Young's first and only preseason action, as the Panthers have relied primarily on QBs Jack Plummer and Jake Luton in their previous games. While it's an encouraging performance from Young, his fantasy relevance will be seen mainly in 2QB/Superflex leagues, barring a vast improvement from last season's performances to be considered a QB1 in fantasy.
From RotoBaller
New York Jets wide receiver Malachi Corley was held to one catch on three targets for five yards in Saturday night's preseason win over the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Corley hardly played in two-receiver sets with the Jets' backups on Saturday against the Giants, but it's also possible that means the team already has an eye toward fairly significant snaps for him in the regular season, as most of the team's starters were inactive altogether in this one. As it stands, the 22-year-old rookie third-rounder is in line to share snaps in the slot in Year 1 with the likes of Xavier Gipson and perhaps Allen Lazard on occasions New York opts for a power slot weapon. Corley has a long way to go to carve out fantasy relevance in most leagues, as he projects to be quarterback Aaron Rodgers' No. 4 or No. 5 target the majority of the time.
From RotoBaller
New York Jets wide receiver Jason Brownlee caught three of his five passes for 29 yards in Saturday night's preseason win over the New York Giants in the Meadowlands. Brownlee produced a long gain of 16 yards through the air in Saturday's victory over the Giants. The 25-year-old former Southern Mississippi standout hardly played for the Jets in his rookie season in 2023, coming down with five of his eight passes for 56 yards and a touchdown in seven appearances, and Brownlee will likely be buried on New York's depth chart once again if he makes the roster in 2024.
From RotoBaller
New York Jets running back Xazavian Valladay soaked up plenty of reps in Saturday night's preseason win over the New York Giants in East Rutherford, rushing a team-high 14 times for 28 yards and collecting six of his eight targets for a team-leading 62 yards. Valladay hauled in plenty of checkdowns on Saturday against the Giants, totaling 90 yards on a substantial 20 touches. It was more or less window dressing for the 25-year-old Arizona State product, who is unlikely to be a part of New York's 53-man roster when the regular season begins in what has become a loaded Jets RB room.
From RotoBaller
Cleveland Browns defensive back Denzel Ward (concussion) plans to continue playing football despite suffering the fifth concussion of his career earlier this month in training camp. Ward picked up the injury on Aug. 12 during a 1-on-1 drill after hitting his head on the ground, completing an attempted tackle on wide receiver Elijah Moore. The 27-year-old -- who remains in concussion protocol -- was wearing a protective guardian cap during the drill. If he gets cleared for the Browns' home opener against the Dallas Cowboys in two weeks, it will have been nearly a month on the shelf for him. The veteran cornerback is not taking his injury lightly, nor has he with any of his concussions. "I have looked into a few helmets," Ward said. "I'm going to look into it more. I've been talking to the equipment staff...so definitely got to see about getting sized for one and see if I like it, how I feel out there on the field." Ward's return would be a big boost for a Cleveland defensive unit that is also down starting defensive back Greg Newsome II after he underwent hamstring surgery a week before training camp.
From RotoBaller
New York Jets running back Israel Abanikanda picked up 83 yards with a touchdown in Saturday night's preseason win over the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium, doing so on only nine carries in the victory. He added a six-yard reception. Abanikanda shed multiple tackles on his way to the end zone in the second quarter, rushing 45 yards down the field for the score. The 21-year-old former fifth-round pick may have locked down a spot on New York's final 53-man roster ahead of the regular season with Saturday's performance against the Giants, but he'll likely slot in as the Jets' No. 4 option in the backfield behind workhorse starter Breece Hall, considering rookies Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis were held out of action in this one.
From RotoBaller
The Dallas Cowboys wrapped up their preseason Saturday evening 1-2 with a 26-19 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Quarterback Trey Lance played the entire game and was the subject of a post-game interview with Jerry Jones. "I saw some good, and I saw some things you'd like to have back," Jones said of the former third-overall pick. "Certainly, we're planning on him being on our roster for sure." The Cowboys' owner also noted that he does not regret spending a fourth-round pick to acquire the 24-year-old last August from the San Francisco 49ers. Lance finishes his preseason by completing 73-of-113 passes for 662 yards, two touchdowns, and five interceptions. He also racked up 168 yards rushing and an additional two scores on 24 carries. He'll open the year as Dallas' QB3, as the Cowboys will be one of the only teams to roster a third option. For now, he's a nice stash in dynasty formats but offers little value elsewhere.
From RotoBaller
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Devontez Walker capped off the preseason in a lackluster way just like the rest of his training camp and preseason has gone. The rookie out of North Carolina caught one of his two targets for four yards against the Packers on Saturday which left him with a total of the exact same for the entire preseason. He was only targeted one other time and didn't catch that one. Walker has been dealing with a lot of injury issues through camp, so he was on and off the field for a lot of it. As it stands currently, he doesn't seem to be in line for a prominent role right away while Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, and Nelson Agholor are still the top three on the depth chart. Walker will need to battle Deonte Harty and Tylan Wallace for snaps after the starting trio.
From RotoBaller
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney impressed during training camp and is the team's clear WR2 heading into the 2024 season. Matt Urben of Falcons Wire said that Mooney and tight end Kyle Pitts "continued to make plays as they have throughout training camp" during the final scrimmage at Wednesday's open practice. The fifth-year wideout did not get a lick of preseason action yet finds himself as the clear-cut second option in the Falcons' wide receiver corps. He'll still have Bijan Robinson and Drake London to vie against for targets, as well as Pitts. However, Mooney holds a bit of appeal despite potentially being the fourth option in his offense. A fully healthy Kirk Cousins will be a big boost to the entire unit, and Mooney is far and away the cheapest option of this group in fantasy drafts. He's Yahoo!'s WR70 in ADP and a strong target in best ball drafts.
From RotoBaller
The Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to announce their starting quarterback at the end of the upcoming work week, head coach Mike Tomlin said following the team's final preseason game Saturday. Rather than make the decision now, Tomlin wants to let Russell Wilson and Justin Fields showcase themselves during intrateam competition over the next few days. "We've got three days of Steelers versus Steelers work and why not do it then?" Tomlin said when justifying his choice. "It kind of minimizes the Steelers versus Steelers work when we start making decisions prior to the completion of that." While a final decision may truly still be up in the air, it should be noted that Wilson started the final preseason game, going 2-for-2 with 26 passing yards. Fields relieved him, completing three of four passes for 40 yards through the air. Both quarterbacks led scoring drives in the effort. As of now, Wilson seems to have an edge on the competition, but there's still plenty of opportunity for Fields to win the job (over the next few days or during the regular season).
From RotoBaller
Arizona Cardinals defensive end Darius Robinson (calf) could miss multiple weeks after injuring himself during practice on Thursday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. There's a real chance that Robinson, a rookie, could be placed on injured reserve. Such a transaction would leave Robinson off the field for the first four weeks of the regular season. That's a crushing blow for the first-round lineman who recently drew the praise of head coach Jonathan Gannon and was expected to be a major contributor on defense this season. Robinson tallied 43 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and 8.5 sacks during his final season at Missouri last year.
From RotoBaller
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Tylan Wallace found the end zone in the team's preseason finale against the Green Bay Packers on Saturday. The Oklahoma State product caught his lone target of the day for a 48-yard catch-and-run touchdown in the second quarter's opening drive. Wallace has flashed some big play ability a couple of times on the professional stage like his game-winning punt return for a touchdown last season. With Odell Beckham Jr. gone, Wallace may see a little more time on the field behind the starting trio, but he's still competing with rookie Devontez Walker and former Buffalo Bill Deonte Harty. Wallace may even have to compete with Harty for punt returning opportunities, so his fantasy relevance isn't too high heading into the new season.
From RotoBaller
New Orleans Saints tight end Taysom Hill is expected to have a considerable role in the team's red zone rushing game plan, as per Luke Johnson of NOLA.com. "Game speed is obviously different than practice speed, but the Saints' improved run game looks like it's applied to the red zone as well...and though we didn't see it Friday, Hill should continue to have a huge role in that area of the field." Hill is one of the more versatile NFL athletes in recent history and though he is listed as a tight end, it appears he aims to take a good deal of work from the backfield this season. It will be interesting to see exactly how Klint Kubiak will deploy him in 2024, but as he is a member of the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree, it wouldn't be surprising to see Hill used innovatively. He is Yahoo!'s TE19 in drafts and could provide great value if he has a rushing load like last year. The 34-year-old would become a more intriguing fantasy asset should he garner positional eligibility at running back.
From RotoBaller