The NFL Draft has ended and with some notable picks, we will dive into the world of fantasy football. Fantasy owners will not really know what to do with all this new talent and this article will help you decipher through the rookie class. From the first pick to the last pick every single player in a draft has the potential to help your team. Especially any defensive picks. With all the talent in this class, you might wonder who is really going to make an impact.
High Ceiling players
Joe Burrow
Burrow will be the player everyone has their eyes on heading into the season. He will travel back to his home state in Ohio and play for the Bengals. Burrow will be on this list for obvious reasons, one being that he has two star wideouts and a great RB in Mixon. With that, I think that he should be able to fit into the offense pretty soon. I would grab towards the end of the draft as a backup, that could turn into your starter as the season moves along.
CeeDee Lamb
Lamb was a star at Oklahoma and now moves to a great offense in Dallas. The Cowboys played well last year and should continue the tread with this upgrade. There are some concerns with some free agency moves, but they should be able to figure it out. Lamb is an aggressive receiver who should mesh well with Dak. The aggressive receivers tend to help the QBs out a lot especially in jump balls or bad throws. I think Dak will start to lean on CD as the year goes on and so should his volume. I think as long as CeeDee plays as he did in college he could have a ceiling as high as a WR1.
Justin Jefferson
Jefferson is one of my favorite picks of the first round for fantasy implications. With the Diggs departure, there will be a void that will have to be filled on the Vikings offense. Jefferson had a great college career at LSU, especially last year when he led his team to a title. Hopefully, it can transition over to the NFL where he can eventually fill the shoes of the departed Diggs. The ceiling is very high for this receiver.
Players to avoid
Tua Talgovailoa
Tue was overall great at Alabama, but his injuries just raise too much concern. He has just gotten hurt too much in order to trust that he will have a good year this year. It is just to risky and I don’t like the pick. Not to mention that Ryan Fitzpatrick is still in town and could start for the team.
Justin Herbert
I don’t think you guys should even think about drafting Herbert either. It looks like Tyrod Taylor will start under center anyway. He has the trust of the coach and there is a good chance they let Herbert get used to the NFL before they put him in. This might be worth a late season addition at best.
Henry Ruggs III
This may look like a good pick on paper but Ruggs isn’t worth it. He will be sharing the ball a lot in an Oakland offense that is redefining itself. I think Henry will have some big playmaking ability which may make him worth it for some people, but I would rather have consistency. It is honestly too much to ask for with the rocky Oakland offense.
Sleepers
Jonathon Taylor
Taylor had a great year a Wisconsin and even came into the Heimen conversation during his tenure. He was one of the top backs in college ball and has the potential to do just as well in the NFL. The Colts have the 12th best yards per a carry in the NFL at 4.5. Taylor was put into a perfect spot on the Colts because they have had a multiple back team before. Now he will get a chance to take on Marlon Mack who is talented, but ultimately Taylor should win. When he does, you are looking at an RB1 situation for the young buck from Wisconsin.
Jalen Hurts
Hurts has been the talk of the town as soon as he was picked in the second round by the Eagles. Now looking at his fantasy stock he might be a late-round pick. If you know Carson Wentz at all, he could get hurt at any time. Now you enter a rookie QB who has adapted and played well in any situation you put him in. I am loving a Hurts pick near the end of the draft.
Cylde Edwards Heliare
There was a buzz when the Chiefs scooped him up with their first round selection. Cylde was solid at LSU and may be able to bring his presence to KC. I honestly think he will be used in a pass catching scenarios, but in some cases, he might be solid RB at the goal line. I think slowly but surely Cylde will jump over Williams on the depth chart. I would lean towards the late rounds with this pick.
Biggest Defensive upgrades
San Fransico 49ers
The main question heading into the draft was could they find a suitable replacement for Deforest Buckner. After the draft, they did, with a first round selection of Javon Kinslaw. This was a huge pick for the Niners as they now brought a young, quick player onto an already stacked defensive line unit. I expect this team to be a top 5 defense next year and not even skip a beat.
Jacksonville Jaguars
We have been telling you guys about the Jaguars draft a lot and that is primarily because it was pretty good. Major emphasis on the first round where they drafted CJ Henderson and K’Lavon Chiasson with their selections. The Jags fantasy value definitely just increased with these two. They added some depth on defense throughout the draft and it is clear that the Jags know what they need to fix. They might not be a top pick defensively, but just maybe if they figure it out, they could be a late season pickup.
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