ExperiencedRookie
Well-Known Member
Now that the draft is wrapped up, all I can think about is which of these rookies are going to be shaping my dynasty team for years to come.
Before I get to my knee jerk reactions (seeing as how I'm writing this as Mr Irrelevent is being announced on ESPN) I'll give a little personal perspective.
I'm going into year 3 of a dynasty league I started up in 2015. I had a horrendous draft and knew it right away. I hadn't built a roster that was going to be competitive any time in the near future. So what I've been doing for the last 2 years is taking advantage of every possible opportunity to build for the future. I traded away about half of the players on my squad to owners who were in "win now" mode. Ive picked up quite a few of high draft picks in the process.
Going into the 2017 season I have picks 1.03, 1.05, 1.07, and 1.11 in the upcoming rookie draft. It's very important for me to get the first round rankings correct seeing as how this is the turning point moment I've been working up to. Those are my only 4 picks in the 3 round rookie draft. I want to end up with the future Odell Beckham's and LeVeon Bell's....not the future Cordarelle Patteron's and TJ Yeldon's.
So, without further delay, here are the rankings.
1. Christian McCaffrey, Panthers
Dude is a swiss army knife. Should almost certainly lead the rookie RBs in receptions. I'm guessing that this guy is going to line up all over the field. Great athlete, smart kid. J Stew is running out of gas, and out of time.
2. Corey Davis, Titans
This dude landed exactly where I was hoping he would. Team is devoid of WR talent, and this dude checks all the boxes of a pro #1 WR. Mariota at QB gives him a young connection that can build into some special over time.
3. Mike Williams, Chargers
Another pretty sweet landing spot for a top flight WR. Rivers can sling the ball all over the yard and he's got a few elite years left in him. When evaluating these young WRs from a situational standpoint alone, playing alongside Keenan Allen can be seen as a positive or a negative. What Ive seen in Keenan is a guy who can't stay healthy, and isn't necessarily a big TD producer. Mike Williams could easily be this teams #1 WR in no time.
4. Leonard Fournette, Jaguars
Flashy name. People have been talking about this guy as the "next AP" since Gurley held that title. He's a big physical freak. Size and speed. Absolutely punishing runner. I'm not terribly excited about him though. There's been reports that he doesn't love football, some worries about his size and running style leading to injuries, and then the fact that he landed on the Jaguars. It's been nearly a decade since they produced any kind of positive running numbers for fantasy purposes. All that being said, the upside still keeps him in the top 5.
5. Dalvin Cook, Vikings
Guy was an absolute beast in college, all while playing behind one of the worst offensive lines in FBS. I believe they actually ranked dead last in run blocking in 2016, and this dude still was among the finalist for RB of the year. I'm not in love with his landing spot though. The Vikings O line hasn't played particularly well lately, and the team just dropped coin on Latavius Murray in free agency. If Cook is every bit as talented as his game tape says he is, he should still be able to carve out the lead role here though.
6. Joe Mixon, Bengals
So the guy is a dick. Big freaking deal. Lots of these NFL guys are assholes, they just haven't all been caught playing Mike Tyson's knock out with stupid white girls who pick fights with dudes twice their size. There are some that feel that he's actually the most talented RB in this whole class. Landing spot is a little head scratching though. I know Gio got hurt at the end of last season, and that Hill hasn't quite lived up to his potential, but that's not enough for me to go searching for a RB in the first 2 rounds if I was the Bengals. They did just that though, and Mixon found his way onto the Cincy Correctional Bengals. This might be a long term play more than some of the other guys. Gio will almost certainly be gone next year when his contract is up, and who knows what they do with Hill. Mixon will need to be elite if he wants to be featured in his rookie season.
7. OJ Howard, Bucs
What a fantastic spot to have an offensive weapon like this end up at. Jameis is pretty damn good, and he's only going to get better. Evans is obviously the go to guy for their offense, but after that, there's not a ton of competition for balls. This dude is an absolute beast and has every opportunity to be a top 5 TE in a few years time.
8. Kareem Hunt, Chiefs
So...this is about the time when I really starting reaching. The clear and obvious top RBs are all taken, and now you're looking at the "next tier". I don't know much about the kid, besides Kiper blowing his load all over him when KC picked him up. His situation is what looks really nice to me. KC has consistently produced solid fantasy RBs, and this kid could be the next. Andy Reid knows what hes doing, and now he doesn't have to count on Spencer freaking Ware to carry the load.
9. Curtis Samuel, Panthers
The Panthers are pretty thin at the WR2 position, and this dude has Tyreek Hill written all over him. Guy was an absolute freak at the combine with this athleticism. Big body Kelvin on the other side (who isn't a true #1 IMO) and Olsen doing his thing across the middle. Should open up all kinds of opportunities. This dude is in scoring position once the ball is in his hands.
10. John Ross, Bengals
I don't even like putting this guy on my list because I would never draft him. He had the better 40 time than Samuel, but Samuel looks like the better athlete and in the better situation. This is another offensive picks for the Bengals that I didn't really understand. I get that the WR2 spot appears needy, but not for a 1st round price tag. AJ is obviously going to gobble up 80+ receptions per year when healthy, and there's nothing more than a second fiddle to be played here. I'm not a big Dalton fan either. All for a guy who appears to be all speed and not much else. I wouldn't draft him any higher than this.
11. Donnel Pumphrey, Eagles
Call it another guy feeling (see Kareem Hunt). I think Ryan Matthews run as a pro RB is almost coming to an end. All it takes is for one guy to blossom up, and that lead job is wide open for the taking. Wont be long and Sproles will be retired too, opening up all 3 downs.
12. Alvin Kamara, Saints
Totally crowded backfield...for now. AP is about to curl up in a blankey next to the fire with his reading glasses and a good book very soon. Ingram always seems to find a way into Payton's dog house. Plenty of future opportunity here for a player who is pretty damn good in his own right. There's a lot safer picks you could make here, and if you needed immediate impact players, this would NOT be the guy to draft. Lottery ticket material.
What say you? Are my rankings ridiculous? Who am I missing? Who is too high? Too low?
React
Before I get to my knee jerk reactions (seeing as how I'm writing this as Mr Irrelevent is being announced on ESPN) I'll give a little personal perspective.
I'm going into year 3 of a dynasty league I started up in 2015. I had a horrendous draft and knew it right away. I hadn't built a roster that was going to be competitive any time in the near future. So what I've been doing for the last 2 years is taking advantage of every possible opportunity to build for the future. I traded away about half of the players on my squad to owners who were in "win now" mode. Ive picked up quite a few of high draft picks in the process.
Going into the 2017 season I have picks 1.03, 1.05, 1.07, and 1.11 in the upcoming rookie draft. It's very important for me to get the first round rankings correct seeing as how this is the turning point moment I've been working up to. Those are my only 4 picks in the 3 round rookie draft. I want to end up with the future Odell Beckham's and LeVeon Bell's....not the future Cordarelle Patteron's and TJ Yeldon's.
So, without further delay, here are the rankings.
1. Christian McCaffrey, Panthers
Dude is a swiss army knife. Should almost certainly lead the rookie RBs in receptions. I'm guessing that this guy is going to line up all over the field. Great athlete, smart kid. J Stew is running out of gas, and out of time.
2. Corey Davis, Titans
This dude landed exactly where I was hoping he would. Team is devoid of WR talent, and this dude checks all the boxes of a pro #1 WR. Mariota at QB gives him a young connection that can build into some special over time.
3. Mike Williams, Chargers
Another pretty sweet landing spot for a top flight WR. Rivers can sling the ball all over the yard and he's got a few elite years left in him. When evaluating these young WRs from a situational standpoint alone, playing alongside Keenan Allen can be seen as a positive or a negative. What Ive seen in Keenan is a guy who can't stay healthy, and isn't necessarily a big TD producer. Mike Williams could easily be this teams #1 WR in no time.
4. Leonard Fournette, Jaguars
Flashy name. People have been talking about this guy as the "next AP" since Gurley held that title. He's a big physical freak. Size and speed. Absolutely punishing runner. I'm not terribly excited about him though. There's been reports that he doesn't love football, some worries about his size and running style leading to injuries, and then the fact that he landed on the Jaguars. It's been nearly a decade since they produced any kind of positive running numbers for fantasy purposes. All that being said, the upside still keeps him in the top 5.
5. Dalvin Cook, Vikings
Guy was an absolute beast in college, all while playing behind one of the worst offensive lines in FBS. I believe they actually ranked dead last in run blocking in 2016, and this dude still was among the finalist for RB of the year. I'm not in love with his landing spot though. The Vikings O line hasn't played particularly well lately, and the team just dropped coin on Latavius Murray in free agency. If Cook is every bit as talented as his game tape says he is, he should still be able to carve out the lead role here though.
6. Joe Mixon, Bengals
So the guy is a dick. Big freaking deal. Lots of these NFL guys are assholes, they just haven't all been caught playing Mike Tyson's knock out with stupid white girls who pick fights with dudes twice their size. There are some that feel that he's actually the most talented RB in this whole class. Landing spot is a little head scratching though. I know Gio got hurt at the end of last season, and that Hill hasn't quite lived up to his potential, but that's not enough for me to go searching for a RB in the first 2 rounds if I was the Bengals. They did just that though, and Mixon found his way onto the Cincy Correctional Bengals. This might be a long term play more than some of the other guys. Gio will almost certainly be gone next year when his contract is up, and who knows what they do with Hill. Mixon will need to be elite if he wants to be featured in his rookie season.
7. OJ Howard, Bucs
What a fantastic spot to have an offensive weapon like this end up at. Jameis is pretty damn good, and he's only going to get better. Evans is obviously the go to guy for their offense, but after that, there's not a ton of competition for balls. This dude is an absolute beast and has every opportunity to be a top 5 TE in a few years time.
8. Kareem Hunt, Chiefs
So...this is about the time when I really starting reaching. The clear and obvious top RBs are all taken, and now you're looking at the "next tier". I don't know much about the kid, besides Kiper blowing his load all over him when KC picked him up. His situation is what looks really nice to me. KC has consistently produced solid fantasy RBs, and this kid could be the next. Andy Reid knows what hes doing, and now he doesn't have to count on Spencer freaking Ware to carry the load.
9. Curtis Samuel, Panthers
The Panthers are pretty thin at the WR2 position, and this dude has Tyreek Hill written all over him. Guy was an absolute freak at the combine with this athleticism. Big body Kelvin on the other side (who isn't a true #1 IMO) and Olsen doing his thing across the middle. Should open up all kinds of opportunities. This dude is in scoring position once the ball is in his hands.
10. John Ross, Bengals
I don't even like putting this guy on my list because I would never draft him. He had the better 40 time than Samuel, but Samuel looks like the better athlete and in the better situation. This is another offensive picks for the Bengals that I didn't really understand. I get that the WR2 spot appears needy, but not for a 1st round price tag. AJ is obviously going to gobble up 80+ receptions per year when healthy, and there's nothing more than a second fiddle to be played here. I'm not a big Dalton fan either. All for a guy who appears to be all speed and not much else. I wouldn't draft him any higher than this.
11. Donnel Pumphrey, Eagles
Call it another guy feeling (see Kareem Hunt). I think Ryan Matthews run as a pro RB is almost coming to an end. All it takes is for one guy to blossom up, and that lead job is wide open for the taking. Wont be long and Sproles will be retired too, opening up all 3 downs.
12. Alvin Kamara, Saints
Totally crowded backfield...for now. AP is about to curl up in a blankey next to the fire with his reading glasses and a good book very soon. Ingram always seems to find a way into Payton's dog house. Plenty of future opportunity here for a player who is pretty damn good in his own right. There's a lot safer picks you could make here, and if you needed immediate impact players, this would NOT be the guy to draft. Lottery ticket material.
What say you? Are my rankings ridiculous? Who am I missing? Who is too high? Too low?
React
