Rookies are often hard to predict in terms of fantasy football. A player chosen in the third round could do just as well if not better than a first round pick. In dynasty leagues, you want to choose for long term value so rookie picks are less risky as you are usually stashing them for later seasons. But what about one and done fantasy leagues? Rookies can often be a huge risk but can also pay off in huge ways. Have you talked to anyone who drafted Ja’Marr Chase last year? They were probably pretty happy they took the risk on a rookie. With so many WRs being drafted this year, here are some rookie WRs to target in your fantasy league this year.
Drake London
Name another Falcons WR. Go ahead. I’ll wait. Maybe you can name one but I had to look up the rest. TE Kyle Pitts is there but other than that, Drake London should step right into the WR1 role. Even with questions at the QB position, London should be able to produce great numbers. He can line up anywhere on the field making him a perfect fit for any formation the Falcons decide to run. He can make the contested catch and is an exceptional route runner. The Falcons will also most likely be playing from behind this season meaning more opportunity in the passing game. For fantasy football, opportunity is everything and there should be no shortage of opportunity for London.
Chris Olave
Chris Olave has been described as the most pro ready receiver out of this class. He has great ball skills and has a smooth agility about him that allows him to create separation. He can play inside or outside meaning the Saints can move him all over the field. The Saints are also a team that many people seem to think will be sneaky good this year. Olave slots in at WR2 behind Michael Thomas. Unlike a lot of top WR picks, Olave has a seasoned QB in Jameis Winston throwing him the ball. While people focus on the interception side of his 30 and 30 season, that also means he threw 30 touchdowns. In terms of fantasy, Winston can throw 100 interceptions and you don’t care as long as the touchdowns are there as well.
Skyy Moore
Tyreek Hill is gone but I think the narrative about the Chiefs offense struggling this year is overblown. Patrick Mahomes is still one of the best QBs, if not the best, in the NFL. Andy Reid is still one of the best offensive minds in the league. Travis Kelce is one of the top TEs and new addition WR Marques Valdes-Scatling is impressing at camp. I’m sure the Chiefs will have no problems scoring points. Skyy Moore, a 2nd round pick out of Western Michigan should have no problem finding a role in this offense. He should spend most of his time in the slot which is exactly what the Chiefs are looking for. He creates separation through great route running and if he can get his timing down with Mahomes, he should have no problems putting up stats this year.
George Pickens
The Steelers are a WR factory. They always seem to find star receivers out of nowhere. Pickens is a 6-foot-3 receiver that comes from Georgia, a college program that has been a fountain of pro talent for the past couple of years. Behind a solid running game led by Najee Harris and a WR group led by Chase Claypool, Pickens should fit right in. While the QB position is a little up in the air, I am confident that a coaching staff who took the shell of Ben Roethlisberger to the playoffs can make either Mitchell Trubisky or Kenny Pickett a serviceable QB. Pickens won’t be your WR1 on your fantasy team. High end I see him as WR2 on your team and the low end is a good player that you can put in while your starters are on byes.
Very Late Round Flyer
I avoided my homer pick by leaving Christian Watson out of this article but I couldn’t resist putting a Packers player on this list. However, it isn’t Watson. It is WR Romeo Doubs, a 4th round pick by the Packers. Marques Valdes-Scatling is gone to KC and while he never was a top target, he did often catch the deep ball. This is Doubs’ specialty. With Lazard, Cobb, Watson, and Tonyan being more a part of the short to medium passing game, the stage is open for Doubs to become the deep threat. Now let me be clear. Do not use a top pick on him. Or even a mid round pick. This is a pick where you are getting to the end of the draft, your lineup is set, and you want to take a flyer on some player. For me, Doubs is that player.
The other rookie WRs are definitely not bad choices but I think they come with some pretty significant drawbacks. For example. Jameson Williams I think is a great pick in dynasty but if he doesn’t play half of the season, it doesn’t do you much good for this year. I wouldn’t want to spend a high pick when I could get someone who will play all season. I believe that these are the best WRs to target in fantasy this year because of the combination of their skills and opportunity.
1 Comment
Great article! I am huge on Garrett Wilson as well. I think a lot of people are overlooking Jahan Dotson as well. I think he’s going to be a stud behind McLaurin.