Welcome to Part 2 of this series on roster moves I believe you should make before the 2020 NFL Draft. For those of you who may have missed Part 1, let me reiterate a few things.
Everyone treats the offseason differently. While I would not recommend making drastic changes to your roster or filling your league-mates’ inboxes with trade offers designed to overhaul your team, making calculated adjustments during this “downtime” can set you up for success come the NFL Draft and your subsequent rookie draft.
With that in mind, I am going to touch on a few players that I think you should make moves on, either trading away or trading for before the NFL Draft. These are players who I believe will have significant value changes once their team completes the draft. Looking ahead and capitalizing on values in the offseason can set your team up for success come next fall.
Let’s get to it.
Kareem Hunt (RB, CLE)
To say the last calendar year has been a rollercoaster for Kareem Hunt would be a severe understatement. The Toledo prospect tallied 1,782 scrimmage yards and 11 touchdowns as a rookie (2017). He followed that up with 1,202 scrimmage yards and 14 touchdowns in only 11 games last season before being suspended by the league.
While his off-the-field actions certainly warranted a severe consequence, I will try to focus this piece solely on his potential from a fantasy football perspective.
The Cleveland Browns took a big gamble by signing Hunt before this last season. Would he still be able to compete at the professional level? How would be fit in an offense led by Nick Chubb? What would his role be?
Fantasy owners who held Hunt throughout his eight-game suspension have to be optimistic considering everything that has happened. In his eight games with the Browns, he averaged almost 10 touches a game, scored three touchdowns, and essentially operated as the team’s WR3 during the second half of the season.
During his year and a half with the Chiefs, Hunt was an elite pass-catching running back who could also beat you on the ground. The Chiefs offense has been running back-friendly for several years, but this does not diminish what Hunt was able to do with them for 27 games.
In his eight games with the Browns, Hunt once again flashed that same elite-level pass-catching ability. He has kept his head down, worked hard, and showed a willingness to do whatever the team needed at any time, including being a lead blocker for Nick Chubb.
The current running back market is in a unique spot. On the one hand, there is at least four incoming rookie running backs who most people have in their top five overall for the 2020 class. Their draft capital alone will warrant a heavy workload almost immediately upon entering the league.
On the other hand, there are a few teams in the league who have been circulating throughout the fantasy community as great potential landing spots for running backs. These include Houston, Tampa Bay, and even Kansas City.
If Hunt were to make a move to any of the teams listed above, he becomes an unquestioned RB1 for me moving into next season. He remains talented, young (24 years old), and has shown a strong desire to better himself and compete at a high-level once again.
Even if he stays with the Cleveland Browns (he is a restricted free agent this offseason), I still believe Hunt is a weekly flex play at worst with upside for significantly more. I would be willing to send a rookie pick in the 1.06 range or later for Kareem Hunt. Normally, I don’t make drastic moves during the off-season, but this is one I would not wait on.
Mecole Hardman (WR, KC)
There are several reasons why I like Mecole Hardman heading into next season and beyond. To be blunt, I’ll get the most obvious one out of the way first.
He’s tied to MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
That alone is worth strong consideration.
Now, on paper, Hardman is severely lacking in several areas. He never “broke out” in college from a breakout age standpoint, and he has a less than stellar dominator rating. However, he was drafted by an Andy Reid-led offense, and I tend to defer to coaches and teams I trust when it comes to the players they scout and draft.
If there is a team who I trust to maximize the talent of their players regardless of what they come in with, Kansas City is near the top of that list.
Speed. That’s the name of the game for the Chiefs offense and, more specifically, Mecole Hardman. 4.33 isn’t something you can teach or coach at the NFL level. Toss in 4.34 (T. Hill) and 4.43 (S. Watkins) and the Chiefs likely have the fastest three wide-receiver set in all of football.
Hardman isn’t just a blazing fast, young (21 years old), wide receiver on a high-powered offense. He was selected as a Pro Bowl starter in his first season in the league and has shown incredible return ability as well. His versatility provides unique opportunities for additional fantasy production, depending on your format.
A glance at his box score from this season will be a bit disappointing. Despite appearing in all 16 games, he totaled fewer than four fantasy points (PPR scoring) in seven different games. He also hauled in more than three catches three times (four catches in three games) this season.
The volume wasn’t there, but what Hardman can do with those opportunities is what sets him apart from his peers. Even though he totaled 26 receptions on the season, six of them found the endzone. He returned one kickoff for a touchdown as well.
We all knew Patrick Mahomes was never going to throw 50 touchdowns again this season, but what that Chiefs offense is capable of when it starts clicking on all cylinders was on full display this past weekend. The Chiefs offense dismantled the Texans defense in every sense of the word. While I know Hardman will not likely keep up his touchdown/reception rate, few teams can score as quickly or as often as the Chiefs.
I believe you should target Mecole Hardman this offseason before the Chiefs make any roster adjustments prior to the NFL Draft this spring. Wide receiver Sammy Watkins is currently tied with the third-largest contract on the team. His is up in 2021, but based on his extreme lack of production, I can’t imagine the Chiefs not doing something with him or his contract soon.
Fellow wideout Demarcus Robinson is an unrestricted free agent in 2020, so his future with the team is up in the air as well. Toss in elite tight end Travis Kelce on the wrong side of 30, and there is plenty of reason for optimism for Mecole Hardman moving forward. Tyreek Hill and Hardman have the potential to be one of the most dangerous pair of wide receivers for many years to come.
If the Chiefs decide to move on from Watkins and/or Robinson, Hardman’s value, or at least perception of value, will skyrocket. Buy him now before his price catches his value.
From a buyer’s perspective, I would move a mid-2020 1st-round pick and maybe even an additional depth piece to acquire Mecole Hardman. His situation is unparalleled, and I believe he will continue to grow in a well-rounded wide receiver on an elite offense that is led by an elite quarterback.
Thanks for checking out my article! For more fantasy football content, follow me on Twitter @Samuel_DFF.
