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FFL: Preseason | NFL: Week 1

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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Marvin Mims

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Tashaun Gipson Jul 2 4:50pm ET
Tashaun Gipson

The NFL issued a six-game suspension to free-agent safety Tashaun Gipson Sr. on Tuesday, according to NFL insider Ari Meirov. The cause for the suspension is unclear, but it will make his path toward finding a landing spot tougher as the 2024 season rapidly approaches. The 33-year-old has played in 173 career games for the Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, Chicago Bears, and San Francisco 49ers and has racked up 684 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 33 interceptions, 67 pass deflections, and one forced fumble. He started for the 49ers in February's Super Bowl LVIII loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

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Curtis Samuel Jul 2 4:20pm ET
Curtis Samuel

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Brandin Cooks Jul 2 4:10pm ET
Brandin Cooks

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Brandin Cooks didn't make the impact many had hoped for in his first season with the organization. He caught just 54 passes for 657 yards, but his eight touchdowns kept him on the fantasy football radar. The six-time 1,000-yard receiver has now failed to reach 700 yards in two consecutive seasons, but he's reportedly looking like his old self offseason. "The Cowboys were 11-0 in the regular season when Cooks had at least 20 receiving yards and 0-5 when he had fewer than 20," wrote Saad Yousuf of the Athletic. "One of the most underrated players in Dallas, the 31-year-old Cooks still showed his signature speed while blowing past cornerbacks during OTAs." The former Saint, Patriot, Ram, and Texan is being selected outside the top 50 wide receivers in 2024 fantasy drafts, so he could be a steal at cost in the explosive Dallas offense. However, it's tough to ignore the statistical regression in recent seasons.

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Brock Purdy

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New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (Achilles) missed the team's mandatory minicamp last month because he had a pre-planned trip to Egypt, according to sources. Rodgers attended every day of the team's Phase 1 voluntary workouts and missed one week of Phase 2 but attended every organized team activity workout, which were also voluntary. The future Hall of Famer originally planned his trip to Egypt during his recovery from the season-ending Achilles injury he suffered in Week 1 of 2023. While it was an unexcused absence, the Jets aren't concerned that it will impact Rodgers' season this fall as he recovers from his Achilles injury. Rodgers should be able to bounce back from a career-worst season in his final year in Green Bay in 2022, but fantasy managers also shouldn't be lumping him into the QB1 discussion at his age while coming off a serious injury.

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Charles Omenihu Jul 2 11:20am ET
Charles Omenihu

Kansas City Chiefs edge rusher Charles Omenihu (knee) suffered a torn ACL in the AFC Championship victory over the Baltimore Ravens last season. The 26-year-old recorded a pivotal sack-fumble of Lamar Jackson but suffered the major injury soon after. The timeline of his injury almost guarantees he won't be ready for the regular season, Omenihu said "it's going good," when asked about his recovery. "Slow process, everybody told me it was going to be like that, but it's been decent," Omenihu said. Kansas City has Chris Jones and George Karlaftis on the roster to provide pressure on quarterbacks, but Omenihu is an important depth piece for Steve Spagnuolo's defense. The 2019 fifth-round pick has posted 18.5 sacks through his first 72 games with the Texans, 49ers, and Chiefs.

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Nick Chubb

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Fantasy Spin: That's about all you could hope to hear after his catastrophic knee injury last year that tore his ACL, MCL and medial capsule. They may still slow-play him back as they have depth with Jerome Ford and D'Onta Foreman. The latter two will be matchup plays or flex options while Chubb is out. But Chubb could be a mid-to-low RB2.

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Jordan Akins

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Duron Harmon Jul 1 8:43pm ET
Duron Harmon

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Alec Pierce Jul 1 8:30pm ET
Alec Pierce

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce hopes to prove he's more than just a "deep threat." "I think there's a lot more to my game," Pierce said recently. "I just want to have the chance to be able to showcase that." The 24-year-old has displayed brief glimpses of promise in his first two seasons in the league, amassing 73 catches for 1,107 yards and four touchdowns in 33 games. Michael Pittman Jr. is the No. 1 wideout on the depth chart. However, Pierce seems eager to show everyone that he's more than a one-dimensional player, so he could be in line for his most productive season to date, especially if quarterback Anthony Richardson can play at a high level. He'll be competing for the No. 2 spot primarily with Adonai Mitchell, who the Colts selected in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

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Haason Reddick Jul 1 5:00pm ET
Haason Reddick

New York Jets edge rusher Haason Reddick sat out the entire offseason program after being traded from the Philadelphia Eagles as he seeks a new contract. However, Jets reporter Zack Rosenblatt believes the team is unlikely to offer him a new deal before the start of training camp that begins on July 23. Reddick was unhappy with his deal in Philadelphia, which makes sense considering he has the sixth-most sacks since 2021 (38) but has the 19th-highest average salary ($15 million) among edge defenders. Rosenblatt said the organization could opt to guarantee his salary or add incentives to his deal to alleviate any issues, but this is a situation worth monitoring as the 2024 campaign approaches.

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