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Hope everybody has had a great holiday season so far.
Last week we began going through the bowl games and looking at players who could be fantasy factors in the 2020 NFL season. This edition will breakdown all games post-Christmas but before New Year's Eve, and then we'll finish up with a Post-New Years edition next week.
My hope is to give you a few guys to key in on during each game to give you a leg up in dynasty leagues or on some early research for redraft leagues. Also, as fantasy has shown us, having specific rooting interests or players to follow just makes every game more interesting.
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Bowl Week 2 Matchups to Watch
In order to give dynasty owners and owners in larger leagues a leg up, we’re not solely focusing on the likely first-round picks but also players who could be drafted later in the NFL Draft but emerge as impactful fantasy stars.
Thursday, December 26th
Louisiana Tech - Miami, 4:00 PM ET
K.J. Osborn, WR Miami
Projection: Sixth Round Pick
The Buffalo transfer didn't have quite the season many were expecting when he decided to suit up for the Hurricanes. In 12 games, Osborn was able to muster only 491 yards and five touchdowns. He suffered from poor quarterback play and an overall down year for Miami, but Osborn still has unique traits that will make him useful to NFL teams. He has shown flashes of solid enough deep speed, good hands, precise routes, and good lateral agility. He's a bit of an unfinished and inconsistent product, but he has the tools that some NFL teams will take a chance on polishing.
Jeff Thomas, WR Miami
Projection: Fifth Round Pick
Thomas has already declared for the draft and said that he will sit out the bowl game, but I wanted to keep his name on the radar. He's a quick and elusive receiver with enough character concerns to get him kicked off the team last year. He's likely going to test well and possibly move up somebody's draft board, but the off-field concerns could be ample enough to cause him to plummet.
Friday, December 27th
North Carolina - Temple, 12:00 PM ET
Isaiah Wright, WR Temple
Projection: Sixth to Seventh Round Pick
Wright will likely be a late-round pick who will only contribute as a return man early on. However, he's also 6'2" 220 pounds and has proven to be a reliable receiver despite being the main focal point of opposing defenses. He will start out as a 4th or 5th wide receiver, but he's somebody to keep an eye on or possibly roster in deep dynasty leagues depending on where he ends up since he could emerge as a chain-mover.
Dazz Newsome, WR UNC
Projection: 2021 NFL Draft
As of now, Newsome has not yet declared for the draft, so the junior could be coming back to Chapel Hill for another year. Graduations forced him into a lead role in the offense this year, and he responded with 947 yards and eight touchdowns. I'm still not sure why he's no longer returning kicks for the Tar Heels since he was so effective in that role before, but he remains elusive in the open field and has the deep speed to take any pass to the house. He has thrived in North Carolina's new spread offense and could be equally effective in that role in the NFL since he can play both on the outside and in the slot.
Michigan State - Wake Forest, 3:20 PM ET
Jamie Newman, QB Wake Forest
Projection: 2021 First Round (2020 Third Round Pick if he declares)
Newman is one of the least-heralded QBs in the draft, but one of my favorite to watch. He’s got great size (6’4” 230), tremendous accuracy, elite pocket awareness, and enough athleticism to make plays on the move. What’s more impressive is that much of his statistical output this year was without top wide receiver Sage Surratt, who was injured in early November. Newman doesn’t have a cannon for an arm, but he has the strength to make all the throws and pushes the ball down the field with ease. If he was in last year’s draft, he would have been a first-round pick. I think he has higher NFL upside than Daniel Jones or Dwayne Haskins.
Scotty Washington, WR Wake Forest
Projection: Sixth Round Pick
The first thing you notice about Washington is that he’s a big boy; 6’5” 225 pounds big. He does use that size to his advantage, routinely blocking out defenders to move the chains; however, he has some burst in the open field too. He’s never going to be a burner or routinely make many NFL defenders miss, but he doesn’t have to just be a jump ball receiver. He’s not going to get tons of yards after the catch, so he’ll need high-value targets or lots of targets to be fantasy relevant, but in the right offense, he could be a solid floor option with the upside to be early career Kelvin Benjamin.
Brian Lewerke, QB Michigan State
Projection: Seventh Round Pick or Undrafted
I don't think Lewerke has an NFL future, but I wanted to mention him here because he's name has been in draft discussions for a few years; unfortunately, he just never developed in the way people hoped. He's a sneaky athlete with good mobility and solid arm strength, but he has shown limited ability to go through his progressions, throw with consistent accuracy or display much pocket awareness. When he's flustered, which appears often, he makes too many questionable decisions. It's possible some team takes a flier on him late or gives him a camp invite, but he's far off fantasy radars.
Texas A&M - Oklahoma State, 6:45 PM ET
Chuba Hubbard, RB Oklahoma State
Projection: Third Round Pick
Hubbard is only a red-shirt Sophomore, but he’s producing at such a high level this year that it seems like he’d be a lock to declare. Even so, he’s liable to get lost amidst a dynamic RB class, but Hubbard can do a bit of everything. He has elite elusiveness and lateral agility in the open field, which makes for numerous highlight-reel runs as he seems to possess innate instincts for avoiding tacklers. He has good burst and acceleration to his game, but not the track speed to consistently threaten to take plays to the house against NFL defenses. I’d love to see him be more involved in the passing game to have full confidence in his true fantasy upside, but he has the look of an NFL starter who could produce in a way that Devin Singletary has for Buffalo.
Tylan Wallace, WR Oklahoma State
Projection: Third -Fourth Round Pick (depends on injury rehab)
Tylan Wallace won’t play in this game because he tore his ACL in November and might even return to school. I just wanted to put his name out here because he’s a super exciting prospect who was emerging as a game-breaking talent before the injury. Let’s hope it doesn’t sap his deep speed and agility on underneath routes.
Kellen Mond, QB Texas A&M
Projection: 2021 Second Round Pick (or 2020 Third- Fourth Round Pick)
With a deep QB class, I don’t expect Mond to declare, but he is a name to watch for next year. He’s raw as a prospect and makes too many bad decisions or forced throws, but he can sling a football and makes one or two incredible plays a game where his innate ability is readily apparent. He’s not ready to be an NFL starter, but few people have this natural ability, so he could be a fantasy factor if he can iron out the inconsistencies.
USC - Iowa, 8:00 PM ET
Michael Pittman, WR USC
Projection: Second - Third Round Pick
Pittman is another receiver who stands out for his size (6’4”), but he’s more explosive than Scotty Washington. USC uses him a bit in the screen game, and he’s shown the ability to get upfield quickly. He’s never going to be mistaken for an elusive open-field receiver or shifty route runner, but he possesses enough athleticism to make the most of his size and the good hands to make contested catches in traffic. He’s a good NFL WR2 who can be a tremendous red zone option.
Nathan Stanley, QB Iowa
Projection: Fifth Round Pick
Stanley would have been a prototypical quarterback a decade or so ago. He had good size, strong pocket awareness, the intelligence to recognize defenses and make the right pre-snap adjustments. However, he also has marginal athleticism, limited experience with run-pass-options (RPOs), and struggles with his deep ball. He’s likely an NFL back-up, but he could be a solid fantasy asset if he gets drafted into a more traditional pro-style offense and finds himself starting games. I'm not sure there is a ton that separates him from Kirk Cousins.
Washington State - Air Force, 10:30 PM ET
Anthony Gordon, QB Washington State
Projection: Fourth - Fifth Round Pick
Unlike Stanley, Gordon seems to be a solid fit in the new NFL. As Gardner Minshew has proven, Mike Leach’s system lends itself to success in a more uptempo NFL offense that prioritizes getting the ball into space quickly. Gordon has a strong arm and good mobility within the pocket to extend plays. He sometimes takes chances in tight coverage, but he throws a good deep ball and demonstrates solid field awareness. He’s a better college player than Minshew was, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him produce similar results, minus the rushing, at the next level.
Saturday, December 28th
Memphis - Penn State, 12:00 PM ET
KJ Hamler, WR Penn State
Projection: Second Round Pick
Hamler’s game is designed for fantasy success. He has elite deep speed to take the top off a defense; however, he also has impressive lateral agility and elusiveness in space. He runs good routes to free himself up consistently and is a threat to make a big play every time he touches the ball. He has many of the same traits as Tyreek Hill, which is obviously the ceiling people dream of for him.
Damonte Coxie, WR Memphis
Projection: Fourth Round Pick
Coxie doesn’t have the big name of some of the players in this class, but his ability isn’t that far behind. He lacks the elite deep speed of many of the top players in this receiver class, but he has enough speed to get behind defenders and pairs that with an ability to shake off tacklers. He seems to get extra yards with ease, but also has the body control to make strong catches on the sidelines or in contested situations. Coxie has to improve the suddenness of his routes a bit, but he could become a fantasy darling in the right offense.
Notre Dame - Iowa State, 12:00 PM ET
Chase Claypool, WR Notre Dame
Projection: Third Round Pick
Notre Dame’s offense has seemed to limit Claypool’s upside over the years, but the big-bodied receiver possesses an intriguing blend of size and awareness. He runs solid routes, has strong hands, and can use his long arms to make good catches in traffic. He might not be fast enough for some NFL teams, but he’s not simply a jump-ball specialist. He could have a Devin Funchess type of role in the middle of the field too.
Ian Book, QB Notre Dame
Projection: Sixth - Seventh Round Pick
Book strikes me as a guy who will have a better college career than an NFL one. He makes plays with his legs and on improvisational throws that simply won’t work against bigger, stronger NFL players. He is under-sized and makes too many poor decisions, but he’ll latch on as an NFL back-up who can make some big-plays to attract fantasy attention. I just don’t see it being consistent enough production to make him a true fantasy asset.
Oklahoma - LSU, 4:00 PM ET
Joe Burrow, QB LSU
Projection: First Overall Pick
There’s not much more to say. Burrow is the odds on favorite to be the first overall pick. He’ll immediately be a viable fantasy starter for the Bengals because of his rushing floor, but if the Bengals can bring back AJ Green or sign/draft a true WR1, Burrow’s ceiling will be even higher.
Justin Jefferson, WR LSU
Projection: Second Round Pick
In any other year, Jefferson would be a lock to be selected in the first round. He has ideal size at 6’3” 195 pounds, which he uses to his advantage with his impressive catch radius and ability to go up in traffic and make plays. However, he also has good elusiveness in the open field and surprising speed for his size. He may not have the upside of Jerry Jeudy and CeeDee Lamb, but Jefferson can do everything and should be a WR1 in the NFL. Sliding into the back of the first round and onto a solid team like Buffalo, Green Bay or Baltimore would likely be bad for his immediate fantasy relevance because he'd be a complimentary piece, but it would give him a chance for high-end long-term fantasy upside.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB LSU
Projection: Third- Fourth Round Pick
Edwards-Helaire might not play because of a hamstring injury, but he’s helped his NFL stock more than most this year. He is quick in and out of his cuts and is able to make defenders miss in the open field with quick feet. He also has the strength and balance to fight off first contact and shows a solid foundation in the passing game. He may never be the dynamic playmaker that D’Andre Swift is, but he’s a well-rounded player who will be a solid fantasy asset given his ability to contribute in a number of different ways.
CeeDee Lamb, WR Oklahoma
Projection: First Round Pick
Lamb has been getting compared to DeAndre Hopkins, which is obviously a ceiling comparison but an accurate one. Lamb is a physical and aggressive playmaker, who is a problem for defenders in the open field because he can run over a defender or make him miss. He’s elite at contested catches and has next-level hands. Lamb could easily become the best fantasy receiver from this class.
Jalen Hurts, QB Oklahoma
Projection: Third Round Pick
Hurts is still more improvisational playmaker than polished quarterback, but he’s improved consistently enough over the years to suggest that his best seasons are still to come. He’ll never be the most accurate passer, and he makes too many questionable decisions, but he has incredible composure, impressive arm strength, and elite ability to make plays with his legs. He’ll have growing pains as an NFL player, but his fantasy upside is tremendous if he goes to a team that allows him time to develop and then use his mobility and improvisational ability to its advantage.
Clemson - Ohio State 8:00 PM ET
Tee Higgins, WR Clemson
Projection: First Round Pick
Higgins is another in the long list of intriguing receivers talent in this draft. He’s 6’4” 220 but runs precise routes and has good quickness for a player his size. His size is what makes him dynamic though since he has the reach and hands to give him an incredible catch radius and the ability to high point catches over defenders. He may not be the game-breaker that Jeudy or Lamb are, but he will be a fantasy factor next year with an immediate red-zone role.
Travis Etienne, RB Clemson
Projection: Second Round Pick
Etienne is an explosive runner with elite balance and the suddenness to take every run to the house. He also tries to do that a lot; lacking patience in some of his reads and bouncing too many runs outside. The biggest concern for Etienne at the next level is that he’s not a great pass catcher or blocker and could be taken off the field on passing downs, which would obviously limit his fantasy value. If he gets 12-15 touches a game, that’s ample opportunity to break a big play and win a fantasy week, but he may be an inconsistent fantasy player if he's not in a situation where he's been fed consistent touches.
JK Dobbins, RB Ohio State
Projection: Second - Third Round Pick
Dobbins has an incredibly fantasy-friendly skillset. He has good vision and can hit the holes quickly and decisively. In the open field, he has great lateral agility and a strong center of balance, which makes him difficult to tackle. What’s more, he is a difference-maker as a receiver, which means he can flip the field in a number of different ways - an attractive quality in a fantasy football target.
KJ Hill, WR Ohio State - Projection: Fourth - Fifth Round Pick
What immediately stands out about Hill is his speed. He’s able to catch a screen or underneath route and blow past defenders. He has good hands and profiles as a reliable underneath receiver in the way Julian Edelman works for the Patriots. He’s steady and can break a big play, but his size and lack of diverse route tree will limit his fantasy ceiling, unless he somehow finds himself, like Edelman, in an offense that just peppers him with underneath targets. However, he will have a reliable floor if he gets drafted into a starting job.
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