In this series of articles, I’ll be taking a look at rookies from the 2019 class that can be removed from your taxi squads to make room for 2020 rookies. These are players that all have little to no dynasty value, but those dynasty owners selected in at least some 2019 rookie drafts. I’ll reference my 2019 rookie rankings from late May to give an idea of where I valued these players. My rankings are for a 1QB, PPR format.
Dexter Williams: 2019 Rookie Rank – 28th
Williams was one of my biggest misses from the 2019 rookie class. Even though he only went in the sixth round with the 194th overall pick, I was very high on him throughout the rookie process. Coming out of Notre Dame, Williams had a nice senior season, leading the team in carries with 158 for 995 yards and 12 touchdowns. He averaged 6.3 yards per carry and also added 16 receptions for 133 yards and a receiving touchdown.
Throughout the summer, I thought that Dexter Williams would displace Jamaal Williams as the Packers’ backup to Aaron Jones. However, Dexter ultimately failed to make an impact and ended up in head coach Matt LaFleur’s doghouse. He totaled just five carries all season and played in only four games. For comparison, Jones took 236 carries, and Jamaal Williams had 107.
Going into 2020, the Packers have stated that they would like to bring in a third running back in the 2020 NFL Draft to complement Jones and Jamaal Williams. They also extended versatile back Tyler Ervin, so there will be no room for Dexter Williams on the team in 2020. He’s an easy drop and has likely blown his only chance at NFL relevance.
Riley Ridley: 2019 Rookie Rank – 35th
Riley Ridley seemed to have hype for one reason: being Calvin Ridley’s brother. At Georgia, Ridley only had one decent season in his final year. He had 559 yards on 43 receptions but did have nine touchdowns that season. He led the team in receiving but was overshadowed by teammate Mecole Hardman in terms of draft stock. Eventually, the Bears selected Ridley with the 126th pick in the fourth round of the NFL Draft.
The Bears were not a prime landing spot for Ridley. They already had Allen Robinson and Anthony Miller as their top two receivers and utilized both Taylor Gabriel and Tarik Cohen in the slot. Therefore, there seemed to be little room for Ridley on the team. Also, the Bears had Mitchell Trubisky at quarterback, who is not known for being an accurate passer.
Despite injuries to Gabriel and all of the Bears’ tight ends, Ridley still made no impact in his rookie year. The Bears preferred to use 2018 seventh-rounder Javon Wims and Cordarrelle Patterson in depth roles over Ridley. Ridley made just five appearances in 2019, catching six of seven targets for 69 yards.
With Robinson, Miller, and Cohen returning and the Bears’ signing Jimmy Graham, there is already no room for Ridley in a weak passing offense. Additionally, the Bears have two second-round picks in the 2020 NFL Draft. While they have many offensive needs, this is a deep receiver class, and they could easily decide to select a receiver with one of those selections. Even if they don’t pick a receiver in the second round, they could grab a late-round player that could jump ahead of Ridley. Considering that Ridley is currently fourth on the depth chart behind Robinson, Miller, and Wims, there is no real reason to hold him on dynasty rosters.
Rodney Anderson: 2019 Rookie Rank – 36th
Anderson’s most significant story has been his history of injuries. In four collegiate seasons at Oklahoma, he only managed to play one full season. In his 2015 freshman year, he played just two games until breaking his leg. Then, in August, before his sophomore year, he broke his neck, forcing him to miss the entire 2016 season.
Finally, in 2017, everything came together for Anderson. He played 13 of 14 games and led the team in carries, rushing yards, and rushing touchdowns. He had an impressive 188 carries for 1,161 yards and 13 touchdowns and added 17 receptions for 281 yards and five receiving touchdowns. While technically Anderson could have entered the 2018 NFL Draft, he likely would have been a late pick since he only had one season of college success.
Going into 2018, Anderson had the opportunity to dominate again. Unfortunately, he tore his right ACL in the second game of the season and missed all of his senior year. Because of this devastating injury, Anderson’s dynasty and draft stock plummeted. At the start of the 2019 rookie season, some still thought that Anderson would be a mid-round selection in the NFL Draft.
However, he fell to the 211th overall pick in the sixth round to the Bengals. He joined a backfield led by Joe Mixon, Giovani Bernard, and fellow rookie Trayveon Williams. With Mixon and Bernard locked into the top two spots, there was little room for Anderson to make an impact, even if he stayed healthy.
We never got to see Anderson on the field in the regular season, though. In the final preseason game, he tore his right ACL again, ruling him out for the entire 2019 campaign. At this point, Anderson has only played significant time in one of his five seasons in college and the NFL. Even though not all his injuries are connected, it is impossible to assign him any real dynasty value. If you need to make room, feel free to cut Anderson from your dynasty team.
Trayveon Williams: 2019 Rookie Rank – 37th
Similar to Anderson, his Bengals’ backfield mate Williams is also a candidate for spring cleaning. Williams had a solid college career at Texas A&M as the team’s leading rusher in all three of his seasons. He played 12 or 13 games in each season and totaled 3,615 yards and 34 rushing touchdowns throughout college.
In his final year, he put up an outstanding line. He took 271 carries for 1,760 yards and 18 rushing touchdowns, averaging 6.5 yards per carry. He also added 27 catches for 278 yards and a touchdown. Even though he was a workhorse that final season, NFL teams seemed to be more interested in Williams’ pass-catching skills. When he landed in Cincinnati with the 182nd overall pick in the sixth round, most expected him to be a potential replacement for Giovani Bernard as the pass-catching complement and backup to Joe Mixon.
However, Williams recorded no offensive stats in 2019 and logged only seven offensive snaps all season. Both Mixon and Bernard stayed healthy for all 16 games and were the only running backs to record a carry for the Bengals. Williams started the season with a foot injury, which may have contributed to his lack of touches. But that excuse is not enough for me to give him any dynasty value. He was healthy starting in Week 6, and despite the Bengals’ lost season, they still saw no reason to give Williams any touches.
Going into 2020, Mixon and Bernard will both still be on the Bengals. While Bernard is getting older, he is still a competent backup and has a depth role behind Mixon. I also could easily see the Bengals’ selecting a running back in this deep 2020 running back class. Neither Anderson nor Williams showed anything in 2020, and they could use a mid-round selection to find the real long-term Bernard replacement. For those reasons, I’m fine letting Williams go from my dynasty roster if I need his spot for a 2020 rookie.
Thanks for reading this article. You can find me on Twitter at @DFF_Justin. I love to interact with anyone in the community, so reach out at any time! I take fantasy questions and help with all formats, so keep sending those questions my way.
