I know, I know, I know. We have done nothing but drill ratings over rankings at the FTLS headquarters for months now and here I am putting out a rookie rankings article. Hear me out though, it’s hard to rate these guys since we haven’t seen them in the NFL. We also don’t know whom they are going to be playing for. So know that these rankings are more my personal view on these guys pre draft. Once they have landing spots and training camp starts myself and BJ will start to get our rating attached to these guys.
For now you just need to trust me (scary thought I know). I went through and watched game film on waaaayyyy to many guys and waaaayyyy too many games. So I compiled my opinion on some of the top guys and I will try and break down why I think they could be corner stones of your fantasy rosters for years to come!
I want to start with my overall opinion of this draft class for fantasy football. I think there is obvious top-end talent in the WRs who could be your standard X receiver on a team, think your Hopkins and Julio type guys. There are also some great speed guys who we all know for fantasy can get you points in huge waves, best examples i can think of are Cooks and DJax type fantasy production. I also believe this RB class could be better for fantasy than people are admitting. There is no Barkley or Zeek in this class for sure, but there are plenty guys who could be great compliment backs.
As we watch the NFL change I believe that your classic RB1 with 300 carries and 50 receptions is going away. Plenty of teams are starting to use the committee approach to RB and I believe this class is perfect for that . lastly TEs are like most years, some great pass catching options, which for fantasy is all we care about, at the top of the draft but dries out quick. Without further ado lets break down these guy and get you ready for your dynasty drafts as well as redrafts once these guys get homes!
1.01 K’Neal Harry – WR
I have had a man crush on him all season. He plays aggressive at the line of scrimmage, which helps get defenders off balance for quick separation. He wins 50/50 balls with his size and body control against defenders. Can run any route you need him to run. Great hands and catch radius. Great against press coverage because of his athleticism. His alpha mentality could help him win a job coming out of camp in the right situation to be a #1 on a team. Guy is just a gamer. His downside is his top end speed and initial burst off the line. I think he can overcome that at the next level with his strong physical play style. Harry has been my 1.01 for a while and it will be hard to change my mind even after the draft.
1.02 AJ Brown – WR
This is a guy who OWNED the slot in Ole Miss. He is a technician with his route running. Brown sells his routes and tricks defenders at the line very well. He has great explosive when changing direction. AJ is great with yards after the catch. He is good at making people miss when in open space. His game speed is faster than you would think, can outrun guys if he has open space in front of him. Guy is also tough as nails. His downside is when defenders press him at the line and body him around he can struggle to get separation. But with the way the NFL offenses are spreading the ball out he could be a great WR at the next level, has a big route tree but his run after catch ability makes him best suited for a slot type role.
1.03 DK Metcalf – WR
Crazy athletic. It is the first thing that jumps off the page with this guy is his size and speed, it’s absurd. He is a huge target with plenty of range to make hard catches, good over shoulder vision that will help with catching deep balls. Great body control. I didn’t see him loose too many 1v1 battles at the line of scrimmage or 50/50 balls. Straight line fast! He can get moving and he is next to impossible to take down. Good hands for a big bodied guy as well. Where he will struggle is his limited route tree and lateral movements. He lands in the right place that can utilize his current skillset and help him develop a bit of a better route tree and he would make a team happy as an X and Red Zone presence.
1.04 Kelvin Harmon – WR
Harmon is strong with the ball in his hands and hard to tackle. Has a deep route tree and can move all over the field. Aggressive play style and won’t get outworked for a jump ball. He is a big strong athletic man who uses his size an Alpha mentality to come down with the ball. He has great hands and can make hard off balanced catches. Uses his hands and body to bump and run with CBs and create just enough separation. He is fast enough but not lightning fast.
Harmon needs to work on his explosiveness off the line of scrimmage to get better separation from guys on short to intermediate routes. I think very highly of this player, he is a hard-nosed guy who plays physical. I think that play style for him can translate to the next level. If he works on his feet and quickness at the line of scrimmage he could be a teams #1 WR no problem.
1.05 David Montgomery – RB
First running back on my list, and with good reason. He is just such a well rounded talent that I think teams will fall in love with him and give him the opportunity. Montgomery can bounce to the outside with his burst very well. He has good vision holes opening. Quick feet and agile. Has some power between the tackles to get hard yardage. Serviceable pass catcher but he isn’t prolific. I think he runs a little upright which can cause him to get tackled backwards easily. He needs more patients if the hole isn’t there right away. Lacks that breakaway speed, guys in the secondary can catch him at the next level. A great coach can fix a lot of his mistakes as a runner, so his potential is why I have him as my first RB in the class
1.06 Darrell Henderson – RB
He could be the fastest runner in this RB class. Speed and balance is great when running through contact. Keeps his feet moving at all times to churn out hard yards. Can get the edge on the outside and break down field. Very elusive through the tackles. He can create space and find holes to always seem to get positive yardage. Can pass catch but it isn’t his specialty. He could be a great committee back with a true pass catcher as a back and make a great 1-2 punch. I could see him also being a great change of pace back with a more bruising guy as a great option at the next level too.
1.07 Hakeem Butler – WR
I will start by saying I just like the way this kid plays, he has some swagger to him that I can’t explain but he is fun to watch. Huge size at 6’5″. Great hands and range to create a gigantic catch radius. Can high point a ball and make catches over just about any defenders head. He is tough and good body control when making a catch with a defender on him. Big enough and strong enough to handle double coverage. Where he strives in physicality he lacks in finesse at the line of scrimmage. Needs to work on selling his routes and cuts more to get separation from defenders. Could he be a true X? its close for me, but with coaching on getting separation I’d say yes, regardless his size alone will make him fantasy relevant in the red zone immediately.
1.08 Josh Jacobs – RB
I’m glad the hype on Jacobs has tempered a bit because it was getting crazy, that being said I think he could be a great back in the NFL. He is a well-balanced runner who worked great in a committee with Harris. Jacobs has good hands and can run half decent routes for a RB. He has good game speed to get in the second level of a defense quickly and catch them off guard. He has good vision. Jacobs is efficient in pass protection. I think he lacks power and body to be an every down back in the NFL. His lateral movement speed leaves something to be desired. I would love to see him in the Dion Lewis type role of an offense. Change of pace back who if he is running well can take over touches for a game.
1.09 Marquise Brown – WR
Cousins with the oh, so famous Mr. Big Chest this burner has some pedigree. This guy’s play speed is out of bounds! He is not just vertically fast, he is explosive in and out of cuts. Creates separation with his speed and route running. Very strong route tree and can line up all over the place. He is one catch away from a touchdown at all times. His one downside is the one thing you cant fix and that’s size. He is a smaller speed guy coming off Lipsfranc (foot) surgery. That makes me nervous about standing up to a full 16 game NFL season. Right landing spot and hearing about his foots progression could easily push him up my board though.
1.10 Myles Sanders – RB
Saquon Barkley… ever heard of him?! Yeah, that’s who this 5-star high school recruit had to beat out to try and get touches. I only bring it up because it makes sense Sanders had trouble getting on the field when Barkley was there. Sanders is a more powerful runner than people give him credit for. He can pass catch and is good in the screen game. He has great lateral quickness to get out of a jam.
Sanders can burst out of a cut to change direction quickly. Doesn’t have the top end speed you want out of a 3 down guy but enough that it isn’t a problem. I also do believe that 5-star High School players can have a less productive college career but still be effective in the NFL because their raw talent is so high . He is clearly naturally gifted, I think he could be a dark horse to win a job mid season and never look back.
1.11 Noah Fant – TE
I can hear it now “John with the WR class as deep as it is you put a TE in the top 12?!?”… Yes, yes I did because he deserves it. I want to put him higher but I know TEs take more time to develop and the situation is big for them. But I won’t be shocked if in two-three years we are talking about Fant as a top 3 Fantasy TE. He runs routes like a WR. He is strong off the line to get through blocks.
Noah is fast for a pass catcher not just fast for a TE. He will be a matchup nightmare for linebackers. Has great hands and can make contested catches. Where he lacks is in the blocking department. Teams wont draft him for that though, but it could hurt him on getting the opportunity to play out of the gate. Time and size will help him develop but sky is the limit for this TE for fantasy in my eyes.
1.12 Deebo Samuel – WR
I’ll be very honest with everyone, I’m actually changing this mid-article! I had Damien Harris here at 1.12 but as I’m writing this, I couldn’t put him over Samuel. Deebo is like Hakeem to me. He plays with some edge and swagger than I can’t explain but its exciting to watch. He is a strong guy with a solid build. Plays rough, can take a hit and fight for yardage. Runs with a great low center of gravity with the ball, a skill hard to find in WRs. Great with change of direction speed. He lacks that big vertical speed you might want to see to make him an teams #1 WR, but he could crush in the slot for a team. He could be an amazing slot plus type guy, his underneath routes and curls paired with his run after catch ability will make his very valuable for teams.
Attached will be the list of the rest of my 50 top incoming rookies! Let me know if you want me to break down any of those players for you and I certainly can! You don’t want me filling out this article all the way to the Josh Olivers and Easton Sticks of the world. Or maybe you do?! And if that’s the case then you’re an insane fantasy football player who is over the top and dedicated and my kind of person and always welcome in the For The Love of Sundays League!
Also, keep an eye out for www.FTLSunday.com website coming later this spring for all our rankings and fantasy football info!
Thanks and remember to always Love Sundays,
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