I’ve already previously blogged about fantasy football, but the time is really starting to roll around now that teams are starting to fall into place. Be careful about early drafts, given that each year someone talented gets a season-ending injury, and boom, you start the season at a disadvantage. Having said that, from what I’ve compiled in doing many many drafts thus far, are a couple things: 1. If you want Patrick Mahomes, you take him first, or don’t get him. People take him crazy high. 2. Nobody drafts rookies, unless it’s Miles Sanders, David Montgomery, or Kyler Murray. Having said that, let’s have a look at some rookies that I believe will take your team to a Super Bowl. If you notice, every year, it’s never about how good your team is at draft time, but each year there is that one annoying team that gets all the guys off waivers, (last few years being Kareem Hunt, Alvin Kamara etc.) And runs away with it. I think there are a lot of strong contenders to be this year’s Kamara, and here are a few:
- Benny Snell Jr. Steelers- Ok so we know that the Le’Veon Bell era is now over in Pittsburgh, so the workhorse back will likely be James Conner. However, if you’ll recall, Conner missed the last few weeks of the last season due to a leg injury, and that starts my point that being a RB in this league will take a toll on your body fast. He is only 24, so unless he gets a serious injury, he won’t miss much time, but here’s where I say Snell jumps in. I wouldn’t draft Snell, unless it’s with your last pick, rather I would just keep an eye out for him (especially if Conner gets injured). The fact remains that Snell is an explosive runner, and the Steelers have one of the top O-Lines in the game. I would use Snell as a sleeper late in 20-team leagues.
- Kyler Murray, Cardinals- Okay here’s an obvious one. The number one pick in the draft isn’t exactly a sleeper, but is someone you should target. Unless you really screw up and miss out on one of the top quarterbacks, Murray will likely be a backup for you, but hey, that’s what I thought with Mahomes last year and we see how that turned out. Do I think he’ll have Mahomes’ level of success? Let’s not get carried away, but I do think he has weapons galore. Larry Fitzgerald, Hakeem Butler, Christian Kirk, Andy Isabella, even Kevin White, David Johnson at RB? He’s got a solid offense as well as a good offensive line. Suddenly the Cardinals are looking like a good NFL Offense, when did that happen? What makes Murray standout in fantasy is that he can play with his legs, which a lot of the top QBs, like Mahomes, Brees, Brady etc. don’t and won’t do. Keep an eye out.
- Josh Jacobs, Raiders- Yeah, this one’s fairly obvious, and he should be starting to start the season, which, for rookie RBs, is fairly rare. Jacobs runs hard, and it worries me for injury purposes, but you can’t not draft him because of worry about a possible injury. In another NFL offense that suddenly looks like an actual NFL team, I would even consider taking Jacobs as a starting RB.
- Noah Fant, Broncos- I’ve ranted enough about how much I hate the Broncos offense and how they’re doomed to fail under Joe Flacco, but let’s face the facts, as long as Flacco is QB, expect a TON of dump-offs to the TEs, making Fant a must-have backup in a PPR league. Aside from a lot of catches, I don’t expect he’ll have many stats. For the love of all things good, don’t draft TJ Hockenson, remember how good Eric Ebron was last year? and How bad he was with the Lions? Yeah, me too. Take that as you will.
- Deebo Samuel, 49ers- The 49ers WR core is somewhat crowded, but none of the receivers they have are actually that good. Dante Pettis showed solid potential in his rookie season, but guys like Jordan Matthews, Marquise Goodwin (who i’m a huge fan of) and Trent Taylor, could easily be replaced by Samuel. I see Deebo as more of a slot guy in the NFL, and will likely take Trent Taylor’s spot. Garoppolo LOVES a slot guy, coming from the dink-and-doink system in New England. A solid product of South Carolina, expect Samuel to turn some heads.
- N’Keal Harry, Patriots- I’ll keep this short and sweet because I remember telling you about his potential in a past blog. Draft Harry with your last pick if he’s there. Period. He’s no Phillip Dorsett, or Chris Hogan. With an actual receiver, Brady is super dangerous. I wouldn’t pass on Harry.
- Mecole Hardman, Chiefs- I mean, I remember Trey Wingo at the draft describing to us how this was going to be “Tyreek Hill’s Replacement.” Given that Hill has had the charges dropped against him, I don’t see him falling into the Kareem Hunt trail. However, given what happened to Ezekiel Elliott, I can see him facing a moderate suspension. In that time, expect Hardman to show you what he’s made of, SPEED. When Hill finally does come back, with Mahomes at the helm, it’ll be just unfair.
- JJ Arcega-Whiteside, Eagles- I don’t feel like the Eagles is the most ideal spot for Arcega-Whiteside, but I do expect them to move Nelson Agholor before the season. J.J. Can contribute right away, but expect him to be in a growing role throughout the season. Dude can catch anything, and if the eagles have a fully-healthy Carson Wentz, we will see just how good Arcega-Whiteside can be.
- David Montgomery, Bears- Stupid good Running Back from ISU. Cohen will be the primary option on passing plays but I think Montgomery can take over the lead back role being a true runner, and Cohen being more of a dual threat. He is a strong ROTY early candidate.
- Alex Mattison, Vikings- Overlooked and underappreciated, all the makings of an NFL player who will play with a chip on his shoulder. I don’t think the Vikings will bench Dalvin Cook for him, by any means, but Cook has an injury history, and they let Latavius Murray walk. Mattison could carve out a role by midseason.
- Tony Pollard, Cowboys- Don’t get a big head with this one because Zeke will be the feature back no matter what, period. I have been reading articles about how impressive Pollard has been in camp, and some people are drawing comparisons to Alvin Kamara. That would really be something for the Cowboys, and I see Pollard as someone to monitor on the Waiver wire.
- Ty Johnson, Lions- Now we’re really getting into extreme underdogs. Johnson played at UMD and was one of their only good players. I remember it was him and DJ Moore, and God knows I never thought Moore was that much more electric than Johnson was, but there has to be a reason he slipped to the sixth round. Yes, the Lions have a slew of RBs, including Kerryon Johnson, but keep an eye out for Ty Johnson, who is trying to make the Johnson&Johnson Running back duo a go.
No, this isn’t everyone that i’m thinking of, these are just some ideas of players who could turn out to be something special. Fantasy leagues are won on waivers, so keep an eye out, and don’t say I didn’t tell you so!
Bonding Sports 