Dynasty Analysis
Buffalo welcomes Wydermyer to a tight end room that features up-and-coming star Dawson Knox and a former first-round pick in O.J. Howard. Wydermyer should battle for the TE3 spot against Tommy Sweeney and Quinton Morris, but his fantasy outlook isn’t bright. Buffalo has a plethora of great pass-catchers on their team, and it’s going to be nearly impossible for Wydnermyer to make an impact early on in his career. He may not even be worth a spot on your taxi squad unless he finds himself playing for someone else when the season starts.
While Snoop Conner served as the Rebel’s short-yardage/goal-line rusher, Ealy was used as the “do it all” type of back. He posted consistent numbers, as he topped 700 yards rushing in all three seasons at Ole Miss. On top of scoring 20 rushing touchdowns during his three-year career, Ealy also hauled in four receiving touchdowns and two kick return scores. During his collegiate career, he also hauled in a combined 67 receptions for 545 yards, indicating that he can be a viable third-down option in the NFL.
A talented back who boasts NFL-ready size, strength, and speed, Jerome Ford landed in a decent spot with Cleveland. Though his fifth-round draft capital is lower than desired, he will have an opportunity to learn behind a talented stable of RBs in Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, and D’Ernest Johnson. Ford does have more than adequate hands, so he could potentially be used in a change of pace, two-minute, or third down role this season if there is an injury or two ahead of him. He will most likely never serve as a lead back in the NFL, but pass-catching backs who garner 10-15 touches a game (which could be in his future as early as 2023) carry fantasy value. Expect to see him selected in the middle of the third round of your dynasty rookie drafts.
Julius came to Sacred Heart as a surprisingly under-recruited freshman despite being an All-Metro First Teamer in Baltimore. He immediately found a home in the backfield and started producing like a seasoned veteran helping lead the Pioneers to Northeast Conference titles in 2018, 2020, and 2021. While there he was a perennial All-American every year since 2019, finishing third in the Walter Payton Award, and was the Rookie of the Year for the NEC in 2018. This guy was a diamond in the rough for the Pioneers and has helped vault them into FCS-postseason playoff contention every year.
Teague has fought hard throughout his career. Never pegged as someone who would excel at the next level, he proved the doubters wrong during his time at Ohio State. Served as a backup to J.K. Dobbins during the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Accumulated 895 combined yards on the ground and five touchdowns, during the two seasons, on 152 attempts. Suffered a torn Achilles tendon, but managed to play in seven games in 2020. On 104 attempts, Teague produced 514 yards and eight touchdowns, serving as Trey Sermon’s backup but the primary short-yardage back for the Buckeyes. He put together one final injury-riddled season, where he played in just seven games once again. He only saw 67 attempts in 2021, but rushed for 5.3 yards per attempt and produced 355 yards on the ground and four touchdowns.
Malik Willis’ draft week freefall finally ended in the third round. By that time, it was too late. Willis’ drastic drop down draft boards caused an aftershock throughout the dynasty community, dropping the value of all rookie picks in Superflex leagues save for the 1.01. Managers reacted by reshaping rookie ADP overnight, forcing nearly every skill position player into first-round value.
After going undrafted and without a deal after the first couple of days during the undrafted free agency period, Ross gets a chance with a Kansas City team that’s overloaded at wide receiver. Mecole Hardman, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Skyy Moore are locks to make the team. Ross will battle with Josh Gordon and others, including his former teammate Cornell Powell for a roster spot this offseason.
As a prospect, Corral is decisive and operates with an excellent release to challenge tight window throws, and possesses the touch to drop in challenging throws in the short to intermediate. His biggest knock as a passer is on his deep ball, which sometimes hits brilliantly but can be inconsistent. He creates run-after-catch opportunities with his pinpoint short-to-intermediate accuracy. Corral is an above-average runner but is currently too cavalier, and he is not built to take the pounding at the next level. Durability and concerns about off-the-field reliability forced his slide in the draft. The Panthers are about the best possible landing spot for Corral, as they have struggled to get consistent play from Sam Darnold. Additionally, Matt Rhule is known as a “players’ coach” who can relate and help get the most out of Corral, and hopefully, keep him on track. The draft capital will force Corral down into the mid-second round of dynasty rookie drafts.
Brian Robinson Jr. comes to the NFL as a highly-ranked national recruit out of high school and with relatively low tread on the tire, with only one season of extreme usage and production. The major knock on him is that he is a 23-year-old rookie. As a player, what you see is what you get: he is an imposing physical presence at 6’2” and 225 lbs. who will most likely add even more weight and strength at the NFL level. He is limited laterally, but is an effective interior runner and offers added bonus as a competent receiver. In Washington, he will most likely have a short-yardage and goal-line role behind stand-out Antonio Gibson. Gibson has shown he is capable of being an every-down back but battled usage injuries throughout his young career. Robinson Jr. looks to be a late-second to early-third round pick in dynasty rookie drafts.
Greg Dulcich surprisingly saw a minor but noticeable boost to his market value after the 2022 NFL Draft. Dulcich checks all the boxes of an NFL tight end but lacked primary production at UCLA to back up his stunning size and athleticism. Despite already having Albert Okweugbunam on the roster, the Broncos elected to select Dulcich in the middle of the third round.
Kevin Austin Jr. had a quiet collegiate career before the 2021 season. He missed time with a broken foot and a team suspension that was due to violating team rules. The violations were never disclosed. He then broke out during the 2021 season, as he hauled in 48 receptions for 888 yards and seven touchdowns, leading the Fighting Irish in nearly every receiving category.
Dallas is always looking to upgrade their wide receiver position. They made that clear by drafting Jalen Tolbert 88th overall. They quickly signed Fryfogle once the draft was complete, and the two join a talented wide receiver room that already rosters CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup, James Washington, Noah Brown, and Simi Fehoko. Fryfogle will have a tough time making the 53-man roster, but he’s in line to battle for the WR5/6 spot with Brown, Fehoko, and others. He’s worth stashing on your taxi squads as long as we hear positive noise surrounding his performance at camp. For now, he’s not worth drafting in any league format, but he landed at a great location.
Scouts praise Brooks’ love for the game. In all three seasons playing for the Sooners, he topped 1,000 yards rushing every year. In his 37 games played at the collegiate level, Brooks produced 3,320 rushing yards, which lands him ninth all-time in Oklahoma football history. He ended his impressive career as the Alamo Bowl Offensive MVP after scampering for 142 yards and three touchdowns on just 14 attempts.
For each selection, I provided four options for the crowd to choose from. The winner of that pick was then taken off for the next poll. If a player received too few votes he was also relegated from the next poll in favor of another option. We got solid participation with the first poll receiving over 600 votes at the time this was authored. This method created a pretty strong correlation of what a rookie draft might look like for your Superflex dynasty league.
Indianapolis welcomes Borghi to a running back room that already includes Jonathan Taylor, Nyheim Hines, and Deon Jackson. Borghi should get a chance at competing for the RB3 spot with Jackson, but let’s be honest here, he won’t see the field much unless injuries to others give him an opportunity. He’s a strong runner, who could find himself with a short-yardage role, but Taylor is possibly the best back in the league at this point. He’s also a great pass-catcher out o the backfield, but even Hines may be one of the best at that feat as well. Don’t bother drafting Borghi in any league formats, but he’s worth a gamble on your taxi squad if you truly believe in him.
Harris was selected with the 183-overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. And this is terrible for his fantasy prospects. He was the second RB drafted by a team that already employs Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson. So, at best Harris is RB4 on the depth chart and not a guy I have much interest in until very late in fantasy drafts. In the early fifth round he could be a fine pick. But seeing where his value shakes out will be important. I do like to bet on talent over situation and I believe Harris is talented. But this combination of poor draft capital and terrible landing spot has dropped him far out of my top 10 RBs for this class.
Although he fell fall down in the draft, Melton still has a chance at competing for the WR3 spot behind Metcalf and Lockett. Because of his situation, he’s a considerable candidate to get on the mid-to-late rounds in dynasty start-up leagues. If one of the two above him on the depth chart suffers a significant injury before the season starts, you may want to give Melton a look in redraft leagues as well.
As a true freshman, Christian Harris was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team, starting 12 of 13 appearances (63 tackles, 7.5 for loss). Harris played through a shoulder injury during the Crimson Tide’s run to the 2020 national championship, making 79 tackles, seven TFLs, 4.5 sacks, and one INT. He started all 15 games of the 2021 season, again making 79 stops, 12.5 TFLs, and 5.5 sacks. He also recorded three pass breakups and two forced fumbles. Harris has shown reliability and toughness throughout his collegiate career.
Jaquan Brisker should leapfrog all the safeties taken ahead of him except Kyle Hamilton in rookie safety ranks. His only competition to start alongside rangy Eddie Jackson is a career back-up, Deandre Houston Carson. Better yet, the Bears have a new defensive coordinator in Alan Williams, most recently the Colts’ defensive backs coach. He and Matt Eberflus, the 2021 Colts defensive coordinator and 2022 Bears head coach, demonstrated a preference for a disparity in deployment between safeties. Julian Blackmon played the vast majority of his snaps deep while Khari Willis more frequently played closer to the line of scrimmage. The veteran Jackson can reasonably expect to be relied upon in a single-high role more often than the rookie Brisker. Brisker’s toughness in the box compares favorably with that of Jackson.
Kyren Williams should serve as the RB3/4 for his new team. With injuries haunting Akers and Henderson Jr. early on in their careers, Williams may find himself on the field early in his Rams tenure. He’s worth a late-round selection in dynasty start-up leagues, and he may be worth snagging late in your rookie drafts. Nonetheless, he’s a depth selection with high upside.
Shakir is a talented wide receiver that can carve himself a role in the NFL. The Bills have a very talented wide receiver room already with Stefon Diggs, Gabriel Davis, and Jamison Crowder. It will be very difficult for Shakir to find meaningful snaps and I would probably be avoiding him in all fantasy formats other than deeper dynasty leagues. I expect him to go somewhere in the late third or later of rookie drafts.
With Jerrion Ealy on the same team as him, Conner only started two career games at Ole Miss. He did play in every game for the Rebels during the last three seasons, serving as Ealy’s backup and the team’s primary short-yardage back. He produced a combined 1,580 rushing yards in his three collegiate seasons on 304 attempts (5.2 yards per attempt). His 26 career rushing touchdowns land him third all-time in Mississippi University’s history.
After redshirting the 2018 season, Philips set a UCLA freshman record with 60 receptions in 2019. He also poured in 681 receiving yards and five touchdowns. He took a bit of a step back in 2020 but bounced back for a first-team All-Pac-12 Conference season in 2021. He led the Bruins with 59 receptions for 739 yards and 10 touchdowns. Philips ended his collegiate career fourth all-time in UCLA football’s history with 163 career receptions.
Anderson joins a thin LB corps in Atlanta and a group of players that have struggled in the NFL. Deion Jones was once considered a rising star, but 2022 is likely his last chance to avoid the fate of an NFL journeyman. The other starter is likely Rashaan Evans, a former first-rounder that couldn’t earn a second contract in Tennessee. The presumptive third linebacker, Mykal Walker, hasn’t gained any traction. Anderson might not seem ready to overtake any of them this summer. Besides, the Falcons’ 2021 second-rounder, safety Richie Grant, couldn’t earn a significant role as a rookie. Anderson, however, has succeeded at everything he’s tried and is a far superior athlete to any of his aforementioned teammates.
Howell will need to sit and learn behind Carson Wentz before he gets a chance to become fantasy relevant. The Washington brass has given their public endorsement to Wentz as being a long-term answer for the club, but we all know anything can happen in the NFL. Howell was once considered the #1 QB prospect coming into the 2021 season, and for a time that summer was the odds on favorite to go #1 overall. His 2021 season was not as good as 2020 but he did show his ability to create with his legs and could be a sneaky good value for both the Commanders and fantasy owners.