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Rookie Stock Report: Week 11

Michael Carter has been the RB3 over the last four weeks. Let that sink in. It’s worth reminding folks that the Jets’ running back has been leading the team in target and relying on this receiving volume might not always be sustainable but the talent is being noticed. The GM and coaching staff need to put all their effort into the offensive line this offseason before we see the rushing efficiency we’d want out of a running back but I continue to be encouraged by all the moves I’ve seen thus far. Buy him now while there are still those who doubt.

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Rookie Stock Report: Week 9

No touchdowns despite a decent rushing game that resulted in a flex-like game for Khalil Herbert. The Chicago offense looked much better while Matt Nagy was out (more on this later) and Justin Fields vultured opportunities after a healthy uptick in rushing usage.  It’s obviously disappointing to those hoping to have another RB2 performance before Montgomery’s return but consider this encouraging for all of our Chicago shares in the future. Herbert should have Tony Pollard-like upside in the future and is a hold no matter what.

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Rookie Stock Report: Week 8

Elijah Mitchell continues to dominate the 49ers ‘backfield and is running as efficiently as any player should in this system. Trey Sermon has been relegated to a special teams player and doesn’t seem to be a threat, however, JaMycal Hasty has returned and received 34% of the snaps as the third-down back. This will cap Mitchell’s receiving production but the 49ers have a running scheme that gives its players a chance to score anytime they touch the ball. Mitchell lacks size but has the burst to replicate Raheem Mostert’s production and can actually stay on the field. So far anyway. Mitchell should be considered the second-ranked rookie running back behind only Najee Harris.

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Rookie Stock Report: Week 7

Philadelphia’s game against Tampa Bay was strange all-around and DeVonta Smith had one of his worst games of the season. The Eagles have a banged-up offensive line and all but abandoned the run game and pass inefficiently without it complimenting the play-action. It should also be noted that Zack Ertz, who lead the team in targets for the game, is now gone. DeVonta Smith should arguably be in the ‘To the Moon’ category, but the rookie’s value may be cheaper as we head into byes and his bad game. Teams will be evaluating if they’re ready to win or not and may want to sell for something more certain.

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Rookie Stock Report: Week 6

Khalil Herbert is set to be Chicago’s RB1 for Week 6 after an injury to David Montgomery and Damien Williams being placed on the Covid list. Fortunately enough Herbert has looked like a better prospect than his draft stock would indicate and has made the most of his touches. Herbert is an explosive downhill runner that is a better backup to Montgomery than Williams. If I could get him for cheap he’s a stash I’d love to have stashed on my roster.

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Rookie Stock Report: Week 5

Kenneth Gainwell is going to be annoying for everyone, but now is not the time to sell him. The Eagles are clearly running with a two-headed approach like most of the NFL and any week can be huge with his high receiving floor and red zone usage. Gainwell is a flexy starter that will be a boom or bust option every week but the receiving work has him already ranked ahead of “starter” Miles Sanders in all formats. Sanders was a product of the old regime and it appears the new staff has more trust in Gainwell to handle two-minute drill and scoring work. Running back is too thin for you to give up a young rookie with upside.

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Rookie Stock Report: Week 4

The Chuba Hubbard lottery ticket has finally hit, and it’s time for non-CMC owners to cash in while they can. Yes, you need to cash in. Hubbard doesn’t have great vision and doesn’t have the offensive line to overcome that major flaw. Hubbard isn’t anywhere near the talent of Christian McCaffrey and desperate owners competing would more than likely pay a second-round that could turn into an actual starter.

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Rookie Stock Report: Week 3

Elijah Mitchell is RB1 in San Francisco if he’s healthy. Sermon didn’t enter the game until Mitchell left it with a shoulder injury, then he left with a concussion. The entire offense struggled against an Eagles’ defense that looks legitimate against the run once again, so the 17 carries with limited efficiency are still encouraging to see. Mitchell will be a must-start in all formats while healthy until Sermon does enough to take over, or Jeff Wilson comes back to take the starting role. Most coaches stick with the younger hot hands over veterans back from injury.

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Rookie Stock Report: Week 2

Nothing has changed for Justin Fields since last week. He got his own package to get a few plays just like Trey Lance, and completed two for two passing for 10 yards, and running it in for his first real touchdown. The current Bears starter still looks like a competent backup and not the guy you want starting when you’re an HC on the hot seat. Chicago’s rushing attack looks fantastic and will relieve pressure off the rookie once he takes the reins. I can’t wait to see more RPO play-calls with him and David Montgomery. The time for Fields to start is any day now, so buy now before he gets even more expensive than he is.

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Rookie Stock Report: Week 1

Wilson has looked confident and in control the entire preseason and has a clear rapport with expected WR1 Corey Davis. He’s flashed not only the ability to make every throw but the savvy to know when to make the throw. I expect him to have lots of support with this running game straight from the Shanahan coaching tree, and we haven’t yet seen the explosive playmaking from Elijah Moore in a real game. Wilson has a blend of underrated mobility and Rodgers-Esque arm talent that can make him every bit worth the draft capital. I’m buying into the fact that the Jets want to change the culture and want pieces of this team before they boom next season.

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Kickoff Countdown: 5 “Dead-Zone” RBs to Target

With NFL Kickoff just five days away, we are truly entering the homestretch of this Kickoff Countdown series. In this entry, I’ll be breaking down five “dead zone” RBs that I believe you should be targeting in your fantasy drafts. The RB “dead zone,” if you aren’t familiar, is generally recognized as the back half of Round 3 through the end of Round 6. There is some evidence to suggest that RBs in this zone of the draft are less likely to return value on their ADP. In this article, I’ll be making the case for five exceptions to that rule. 

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Dynasty Rookie Pick Hit Rates in FFPC

Most rookie drafts are done by now, though there may still be a few going on. If you are reading this and you still have some late-round draft picks for this year, don’t give them up just yet! You may think they are worthless or that you don’t have room on your roster for these assets, but there can and are league winners to be found in the third round or later of rookie drafts.

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2021 Rookie Pass Catcher Comparison: Part 2

In this series, we are going to do a deep dive into the top 2021 NFL Draft Class’s wide receivers, and see who they compare to historically. We are going to build them out from the standpoint of their physical acumen, their athletic abilities, and then bring it full circle by looking into their college production. Combining these three components we will settle on a final comparison that I believe most accurately outlines each player’s potential range of outcomes in the NFL. We will count down the top-15 pass-catchers with their comparable players as our countdown to the NFL Draft on Thursday, April 29th. 

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Dominating Your Rookie Draft: 2021 Rookie Tiers

The Rookie 1.01 Draft pick always holds a premium in dynasty fantasy football. Rookie draft picks also vary in value based on the current time of the year that we are in. In the second part of this article, we are going to explore how to dominate the 2021 Rookie Drafts and revisit the value of how rookie pick values change at different parts of the season.

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Navigating Your Rookie Draft: 2021 Wide Receivers

Wide receiver is the position in which analysts have the most different inputs for analyzing prospects. This is because it is by far the hardest position to analyze, whether that be grinding film or navigating through advanced metrics. This is because the college game for wide receivers is so drastically different than how the position is played in the NFL. Wide receivers have less room to operate, they are hit at the line of scrimmage, and they are playing against more skilled and more athletic defenders than they ever have. In this segment, we will be exploring historical hit rates with draft capital and age as the only two components.

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draft stock week 14

Draft Stock Watch: Week 14

Each week I will bring you the latest updates and NFL buzz surrounding college players that should prove to be integral to future fantasy success. I will utilize recent statistics, performance and film, and general “front office whispers” to compile the intel I share with you. My hope is to provide you with a leg up on your opponents. You will know which devy players to target in trades and/or in what range of draft picks (both NFL and fantasy drafts) you can expect these players to be selected. If you want to read last week’s article, click here.

Now that Week 14 of the college football season has come and gone, we have a lot to examine. We saw a few teams fall from the ranks of the undefeated, one of which (#21 Marshall) was shut out. The top four teams in the nation flexed their muscles again, winning in dominant fashion. A couple of Heisman hopefuls made convincing cases to stay in the rankings, as we saw one unexpectedly stumble. The emergency scheduling of the “Mormons vs. Mullets” matchup played out as the game of the season. We now take a few minutes to look at some future fantasy players and how their draft stocks were affected! 

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