After the season is over, loyal NFL fans look forward to April of each year to see what gifts the NFL draft will bring them. Of course, the NFL will extend that wait until May starting next season. No matter what position your team is recruiting at, you’re always hoping they’ll find gems to plug those open holes or find the heir to replace the current studs in key positions. For us, we look across the league to see what players have been drafted into teams in a place where they will make an impact on the fantasy football landscape.
Therefore, Maximum Fantasy Sports has put their collective heads together and ranked the top 5 relevant fantasy football rookies in the top skill positions and their projected draft round in the standard 12-team fantasy football leagues. There was a time when we would avoid all the rookie quarterbacks coming into the league. However, the game has changed at the college and pro levels in ways that allow talented quarterbacks to move to center and be immediately productive. It’s amazing to look at the QB stats for the 2012 season and see several rookies near the top. Drafting RGIII last year took many teams to the fantasy playoffs. Adding Colin Kaepernick late in the season led many teams to fantasy gold. Who in this year’s draft will be the key players in your run to the championship? Below is Maximum Fantasy Sports’ consensus review for the new crop of NFL rookies.
quarterbacks
HAS. gene smith (New York Jets): Draft predictors had Geno listed as the first quarterback off the board and many thought he would be drafted in the first round. Unfortunately for his ego, wallet and job satisfaction, the Jets drafted him in the second round. Surprisingly, Jets fans weren’t thrilled with the pick. I’m confused as the back fumbler is currently his starting QB. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Geno win the job at training camp. Too bad he has no one to throw him out. He is a 14th-round pick at best.
b. Legal Justice Manual (Buffalo): EJ is this year’s dual threat QB. He has the wheels and the arm, albeit not very precise, to succeed. He will start on the bench with Kevin Kolb taking over as the starter to start the season. Since Kolb is made of cupcakes and not very talented, Manual should get the job in no time. He’s a speculative attaché, at best, with the last pick in your draft.
against Mike Glennon (Tampa): Manuel is the “new NFL” QB and Glennon is the “Old NFL.” You’re not going to see this guy running much. He’s 6’7″ and has a cannon for an arm. Josh Freeman is the guaranteed starter, but he really faltered down the stretch last year. Tampa has a lot of offensive talent, so if Freeman stumbles again, Glennon could be I would have no problem selecting Freeman as my QB2 and backing him up with Glennon as my last pick in my deeper leagues.
d Tyler Wilson (Oakland): Well, it’s better than New York, but not by much. Wilson joins a team that has been looking for a good quarterback since Rich Gannon took them to the Super Bowl in 2002. Matt Flynn gets the nod this year. Carson Palmer put up good fantasy numbers last year, but I don’t expect anything good from Wilson, even if he gets the job at some point. Not writeable.
ME. matt barkley (Philadelphia) – With Michael Vick and Nick Foles ahead of him, Barkley probably won’t see the field this year. Unfortunately for him, had he come out in 2012, he would have been a first-round pick and might have had some success. He’s talented, so you might consider signing him sometime in the season if you’re in a deep Fantasy Football Keeper league.
RB
HAS. Montee Ball (Denver): Ball enters a good situation in Denver; they have a rock-solid passing attack so teams can’t charge the box to stop the run and the Broncos have a stable of RBs coming off serious injuries. The Wisconsin grad had been making NFL-style seasons in college (300-plus carries each of the last two years). Some people may turn away from it due to workload. I think he has prepared him for a grueling season in the NFL. He would add him as either a late third-round pick or an early fourth-round pick.
b. Le’Veon Hood (Pittsburgh): Bell is a perfect fit for the Steelers. He fits the mold of him at 6’2″, 230 pounds. The Steelers had no success with the various running backs they threw onto the field last year and would love Bell to be their workhorse. I thought jonathan dwayer he was that player last year when the Steelers drafted him, but they know they weren’t happy with him when they decided to draft another RB in Bell. He should be the next one off the board after Ball.
against eddie lace (Green Bay): Like Bell, Lacy is going to a Super Bowl contending team that needs a running back. Lacy would be at the top of this list if the Packers didn’t respond. jonathan franklin also. I love Franklin and have decided to add him here as 3B. Both are draftable, with Lacy being a fifth-round pick and Franklin an eighth-round pick, but they will split carries this season.
d zac-stacy (St. Louis): Who will replace Steven Jackson? The Rams face that dilemma. They have Daryl Richardson and Isaiah Pead, but neither is sure they are The Man. Stacy broke it up at Vanderbilt, which is a good place to hide your talent. I would add him in round 11 and hope St. Louis recognizes his talent and gets him the rock.
ME. stepfan taylor (Arizona): The Cardinals can’t keep a starting RB healthy. The two boys ahead of Taylor; Rashard Mendenhall and Ryan Williams are ACL casualties in recent years, so add Taylor in the last round if he drafts either of these RBs.
WR
HAS. tavon austin (St. Louis): Austin is a blazer and will love the grass in St. Louis. He will take the spot left open by Danny Amendola’s departure. Sam Bradford will call his number as often as he did Amendola’s. There is talk of him even slipping into the backfield a few times per game. With over 100 catches in West Virginia in the last two years, you know he can handle the workload. He would select him in the sixth round.
b. andre hopkins (Houston): FINALLY, someone who can play across the field from Andre Johnson. Matt Schaub, Johnson and Hopkins are delighted with this draft pick. He is a true standout and takes in everything in sight. There is no doubt that he starts the first game and he does not look back. He would catch it in the seventh round.
against cordarelle patterson (Minny): Patterson’s stock dropped with questions about his character, which is funny considering he took Randy Moss’s number; Her idol of him! If he stays focused, it’s a big play waiting to happen. Greg Jennings is Minny’s No. 1 receiver, but he’s far from the big threat that Patterson is. He won’t catch 100 balls this year, but he’ll have big YPR and big YAC. He is a solid ninth-round pick.
d Aaron Dobson (New England): Out with the old and in with the new. Dobson joins a new receiving corps in New England. Tom Brady likes to spread the ball around and Danny Amendola will take over for Wes Welker, but Dobson should win over Brady easily. The boy had no Drops last year! He would grab Dobson in round 12
ME. keenan allen (San Diego): Based on sheer talent, Allen would be ranked much, much higher. His issues are that he’s coming off a knee injury and has a bunch of WRs in front of him that he’s going to need to buy time from. However, Vincent Brown is also coming off an injury, Robert Meachem didn’t show up much last year and Malcolm Floyd is an enigma. He is worth facing in the last two rounds of your draft.
Their
HAS. Tyler Eifer (Cincinnati): Eifert could almost be included in the WR category since he has that makeup. The Bengals are convinced that Jermaine Gresham is their No. 1 TE, but they’re sure Eifert could be that and more. Quarterback Andy Dalton likes to throw his TE and adding Eifert makes him smile. Expect Eifert to be the second-leading pass catcher for the Bengals this year. TE is deep into the NFL, but I wouldn’t wait too long to add Eifert. The eighth round seems like the ideal place.
b. travis kelce (Kansas City): Kelce will join a team that has 2 young TEs with NFL experience in front of him. However, Alex Smith likes his tight ends and Kelce is better than Tony Moeaki and Anthony Fasano. He’ll keep an eye out for training camp this summer and see if Kelce makes any noise. If so, you can recruit him around round 15.
against Zach Ertz (Philadelphia): Chip Kelly takes over Philly and no one knows what to expect. Brent Celek has been the mainstay of TE for years in Philly, but we give Ertz a good chance to unseat him. He’s big and quick and should fit nicely into Kelly’s offense. Having said that, we’re talking about a rookie coach who can stick with his veterans early on, so once again, pay attention to training camp and be ready to grab Ertz near the end of his draft if it looks like he’s getting . lots of field time.
d mcdonald vance (San Francisco): McDonald was recruited to replace Delanie Walker. He’s not a great blocker, but he is a talented receiver, albeit a very raw one. Vernon Davis didn’t click with quarterback Colin Kaepernick until late last season and there’s no guarantee he’ll carry over into this season. McDonald is 6’4″ and 262lbs, so he is the right size to succeed. It is unknown how many of Walker’s targets he will actually see. He would not recommend recruiting him, but keep him on his watch list. .
ME. jordan cane (Washington): Florida drafted Reed at quarterback. They turned him into a TE and became his top pass catcher last year, though they weren’t impressive numbers. He’s still raw and has Fred Davis and Logan Paulsen opposite him in the Redskins pecking order. He is not recruitable this season and will only see the field through injury.
