X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Player Comparisons
News and Alerts

XFL Recap: Which Players Might Find Their Way To The NFL?

As I'm sure you've heard, the XFL's first season is officially over due to COVID-19.

The league plans to play in 2021, but players have reportedly been given permission to sign NFL contracts, so it's safe to assume at least some of the league's best players will wind up in the NFL this Fall.

Let's try to sort through who some of those players are and -- since this is a fantasy website -- what their impact on the field might be.

Editor's Note: Our incredible team of writers won two writing awards and received 12 award nominations by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. A big congrats to our very own Byron Lindeque (Golf) and Jordan McAbee (NASCAR) for both winning Writer Of The Year awards! Be sure to follow RotoBaller's analysis and advice all year long, and win more. Win More With RotoBaller!

 

Quarterback

P.J. Walker - Houston Roughnecks

Walker would have been the MVP of the XFL if the season had been completed, and of all the quarterbacks who competed in the league, Walker feels like the one with the best chance of not only making an NFL roster but of being an NFL starting quarterback in 2020.

Walker led the league in passing yards by a large margin, throwing for 1,338 yards, 262 more than second-place Josh Johnson. He also finished third among quarterbacks in rushing yards, behind Jordan Ta'amu and Taylor Cornelius. Walker proved to be capable of making virtually any throw and of avoiding pressure, as was sacked just six times.

Keep an eye out for Carolina here. Walker played for Matt Rhule at Temple, and last week when I was driving through Waco, the local radio station was interviewing Walker, who had good things to say about Rhule. With Cam Newton's future still up in the air, the Panthers could sign Walker to back up Newton, and there's a good chance Walker gets elevated to the starting role at some point based on Newton's injury history. Walker's a more dynamic option than the other passers on Carolina's roster, and he could be a solid fantasy QB2 with upside if he's pressed into action on this team.

Jordan Ta'amu - St. Louis Battlehawks

Ta'amu was on the Texans roster last year before being cut late in the preseason, and I could see a team like Houston wanting to bring him in as a backup quarterback again this year.

Ta'amu isn't the passer that Walker is, but he's a young quarterback with great rushing ability, and could be useful in a role similar to the one Robert Griffin III held for Baltimore last year, as a backup quarterback and someone who can sub in to provide another backfield threat for a run-first team.

And as you can see above, Ta'amu's arm definitely isn't bad, as he can rifle some passes in, but his biggest value is definitely the legs. A smart offensive coordinator could make good use of Ta'amu in some kind of role, or a team like Houston or Buffalo whose starter is mobile could make use of Ta'amu as a backup quarterback who'd allow them to run their offense without significantly having to change things should the starter get injured.

 

Running Back

Matt Jones - St. Louis Battlehawks

Running back is probably the position where it's hardest to pick an NFL prospect because running backs tended to struggle in the XFL.

But running back is also the NFL's most disposable position, so we could see a number of players get chances. Matt Jones finished second in the league in rushing yards. He wasn't very involved in the passing game, which limits his ability to find an NFL home, but he's still relatively young and has shown the ability to be productive in the NFL in the past, so I could see Jones getting picked up by someone, though it's hard to see him having too much of a role. But if you're looking for a one-dimensional back who has a shot, I'd say it's Jones.

Nick Holley - Houston Roughnecks (RB/WR)

I'm not sure what Holley's position would officially be, as he started this season as a running back but ended up for DFS purposes being listed as a wide receiver based on his usage. But on a team that isn't running a June Jones offense, Holley probably gets used more as a passing-down back.

He'd be a nice option for a team who needed some more versatile in the run/pass game, and if you look at him the right way, you can see a light version of the Le'Veon Bell/Christian McCaffrey kind of back who can move out into the slot and win that way. Holley will never be the runner those guys are and would be pigeonholed into a reduced role, but he'd be a nice complement to a two-down lead back.

 

Wide Receiver/Tight End

Cam Phillips - Houston Roughnecks

I would be shocked if Cam Phillips isn't playing a key role for an NFL team this year:

The thing about Phillips is that he can beat you in so many ways. Need a guy to get the deep ball? Throw it to Phillips. Need a guy to catch the ball at the three-yard line, turn upfield, and power his way into the end zone? Throw it to Phillips. Need a touchdown? Throw it to the XFL leader in touchdown receptions, who caught nine of them. (No one else had more than four, by the way.)

Walker might have been the MVP, but his top receiver was the most dominant player in the XFL. Even if we write some of it off as a scheme thing, we still have a player who was far-and-away the best wide receiver we watched this Spring.

The biggest issue for Phillips is that he's looking to rejoin the NFL during a year where the wide receiver rookie class is incredibly deep, so it's hard to know where he'll land. But wherever it is, I expect to see him on the field a lot, and he'd probably win up being a late-round fantasy sleeper.

Donald Parham - Dallas Renegades (TE)

The only tight end who I could see making an impact right away is Parham, who was the XFL's best tight end and surprisingly ended up being the best weapon for the Renegades.

With how much some NFL teams struggle to find a tight end who can make a notable impact offensively as more than just a blocker, it seems certain that Parham is getting signed somewhere. With Dallas, he was able to give Landry Jones a big target in the red zone while also being capable of making things happen in the open field. His 307 receiving yards ranked third in the XFL, and the second-place tight end is yards, Brandon Barnes, had just 133 yards.

Parham could be one of the more valuable players to come out of the XFL. So many teams -- even the team who played down the street from where the Renegades played, the Dallas Cowboys -- could use a guy like Parham to help expand the team's offensive diversity. Depending on landing spot, I'd be very interested in Parham as a late-round option.

More XFL Coverage




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Player Comparisons
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Khris Middleton2 hours ago

Can't Lift Bucks To A Win
Pascal Siakam2 hours ago

Flirts With A Triple-Double In Game 4
Tyrese Haliburton2 hours ago

Leads Indiana To Another Win
Myles Turner2 hours ago

Dominates Game 4
Joey Loperfido3 hours ago

On His Way To Houston
Tank Dell3 hours ago

In "Good Spirits" After Being Shot
Jamal Murray4 hours ago

Questionable For Monday Night
Luka Doncic4 hours ago

Struggles Shooting In Game 4
Bobby Portis4 hours ago

Ejected On Sunday
Kyrie Irving4 hours ago

Leads The Way On Sunday
James Harden4 hours ago

Steps Up In Game 4
Anthony Rizzo5 hours ago

Hits 300th Career Home Run
Paul George5 hours ago

Has A Strong Performance On Sunday
Connor Hellebuyck5 hours ago

Struggles Again Sunday
Nathan MacKinnon5 hours ago

Cale Makar Each Notch Two Points In Game 4
Derek Ryan5 hours ago

To Make Postseason Debut Sunday
Alexandar Georgiev5 hours ago

Stands Tall Sunday
Valeri Nichushkin6 hours ago

Notches Hat Trick Sunday
Vladislav Namestnikov6 hours ago

Takes Puck To The Head Sunday
Auston Matthews6 hours ago

Dealing With Illness
David Rittich6 hours ago

To Start Game 4
Nick Jensen6 hours ago

Rasmus Sandin, Nick Jensen Likely For Game 4
Casey DeSmith7 hours ago

Out For Game 4
Craig Kimbrel7 hours ago

Blows Save, Exits With Training Staff Sunday
Joel Embiid7 hours ago

Has Another Solid Game On Sunday
Jalen Brunson8 hours ago

Has A Record-Breaking Showing In Game 4
Bojan Bogdanovic9 hours ago

Injured In Game 4
Kawhi Leonard9 hours ago

Won't Play On Sunday
Kirk Cousins10 hours ago

Still Atlanta's Unquestioned Starting QB
Evan Carter10 hours ago

Absent On Sunday
Justin Jefferson10 hours ago

Vikings Optimistic Regarding Justin Jefferson's Contract Talks
J.J. McCarthy10 hours ago

Vikings Won't Rush J.J. McCarthy Into Starting Role
Travis Etienne Jr.11 hours ago

Jaguars Pick Up Fifth-Year Options On Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne Jr.
Mitchell Robinson11 hours ago

Downgraded To Out
Joel Embiid11 hours ago

Active For Game 4
Damian Lillard11 hours ago

Officially Out For Game 4
Zac Gallen11 hours ago

Plans To Make His Next Start
Giannis Antetokounmpo11 hours ago

Out Again On Sunday
Randy Arozarena11 hours ago

Not Starting Against White Sox
Dylan Carlson12 hours ago

To Start Rehab Assignment Early Next Week
Avisaíl García12 hours ago

Avisail Garcia Placed On 10-Day Injured List
Yandy Díaz12 hours ago

Yandy Diaz Back In Lineup For Rays
J.D. Martinez12 hours ago

Taking A Seat
Martin Truex Jr12 hours ago

. Is One Of The Top DFS Plays At Dover
Tyler Reddick12 hours ago

Will Start Fourth At Dover
Michael McDowell13 hours ago

Fade Michael McDowell For the Wurth 400 At Dover
Joey Logano13 hours ago

Will Not Cause Much DFS Excitement At Dover
Noah Gragson13 hours ago

Is Noah Gragson A Sneaky Tournament Play At Dover?
Uros Medic13 hours ago

Returns To Win Column At UFC Vegas 91
Tim Means14 hours ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 91
Austen Lane14 hours ago

Winless In The UFC
Jhonata Diniz14 hours ago

Wins UFC Debut
Ryan Spann14 hours ago

Suffers Third Straight Loss
Bogdan Guskov14 hours ago

Gets Upset Win At UFC Vegas 91
Kyle Larson15 hours ago

the Favorite to Win at Dover Despite Qualifying 21st
Chase Elliott15 hours ago

a Core DFS Play at Dover
Alex Bowman15 hours ago

Always Strong at Dover
Chris Buescher15 hours ago

Has DFS Place Differential Upside at Dover
Ross Chastain15 hours ago

Has Been One of Best at Dover in Next Gen Era
Josh Berry15 hours ago

Has Top 10 Sleeper Potential at Dover
William Byron19 hours ago

Expect William Byron To Be A Top Favorite To Win At Dover
Kyle Busch19 hours ago

Obtains The Pole For Dover
Ryan Blaney21 hours ago

Scores Front Row Start At Dover
Jamal Murray1 day ago

Struggles In Game 4
Anthony Davis1 day ago

Has A Huge Game On Saturday
LeBron James1 day ago

Looks Good In Game 4
Zane Smith1 day ago

Unlikely to Contend After Practice Crash
Brad Keselowski1 day ago

Dover Not One of Brad Keselowski's Best Tracks
Ty Gibbs1 day ago

Likely to Contend if Joe Gibbs Racing as Fast as Expected
Austin Cindric1 day ago

Continues to Qualify Well, but Lacks Race Speed
Harrison Burton1 day ago

Unlikely to Duplicate Talladega Top Ten
NASCAR1 day ago

A.J. Allmendinger Decent at Dover but Not in Recent Years
NHL1 day ago

Jets Recall Axel Jonsson-Fjallby
NASCAR1 day ago

Bubba Wallace Qualifies 16th For Sunday's Race At Dover Motor Speedway
Bobby McMann1 day ago

Progressing Well
Mathew Barzal1 day ago

Bags OT Winner Saturday
NHL1 day ago

Nick Robertson Moving To Fourth Line Saturday
William Karlsson1 day ago

Doesn't Skate, Expected To Play Game 3
Tyler Glasnow1 day ago

Exits Saturday's Game With Cramping
Auston Matthews1 day ago

Skates On Saturday
Michael McCarron1 day ago

Fined 2K For Goalie Interference
Trevor van Riemsdyk1 day ago

Ruled Out For Game 4
NHL1 day ago

Mavrik Bourque Could Make Postseason Debut Saturday
Spencer Stastney1 day ago

Out Week To Week For Preds
Igor Shesterkin1 day ago

Continues Winning Ways On Friday
Kyle Bradish1 day ago

Set To Rejoin Baltimore Rotation
Joey Gallo1 day ago

Headed To 10-Day Injured List With Shoulder Sprain
Pete Fairbanks1 day ago

Tests Have Come Back Clean On Pete Fairbanks
Troy Franklin1 day ago

Broncos Trade Up To Select Oregon Receiver Troy Franklin
Zac Gallen1 day ago

Diamondbacks Optimistic About Zac Gallen's Injury
Rafael Devers1 day ago

Back At Third Base, Masataka Yoshida Starting
George Springer1 day ago

Resting Against Dodgers
Max Muncy1 day ago

Gavin Lux Sitting Saturday
Yandy Díaz2 days ago

X-Rays Negative On Yandy Diaz's Hand
Jhoan Duran2 days ago

Making Another Rehab Appearance Saturday
John Means2 days ago

Needs One More Rehab Start
Deebo Samuel2 days ago

49ers Set To Keep Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk?
Luke McCaffrey2 days ago

Selected By Commanders 100th Overall
Jalen McMillan2 days ago

Heads To Tampa Bay
Tip Reiman2 days ago

Cardinals Take Tip Reiman At No. 82
Roman Wilson2 days ago

Selected 84th Overall By Steelers
Blake Corum2 days ago

Rams Select Blake Corum With 83rd Pick
Jermaine Burton2 days ago

Taken At No. 80 By Cincinnati
Trey Benson2 days ago

Cardinals Select Trey Benson With The 66th Pick
Malachi Corley2 days ago

Jets Trade Up To Select Malachi Corley
Ben Sinnott2 days ago

Taken At No. 53 On Friday Night
Adonai Mitchell2 days ago

Colts Snag Adonai Mitchell At No. 52
Jonathon Brooks2 days ago

Panthers Trade Up To Select Jonathon Brooks
New Orleans Saints2 days ago

Saints Take Kool-Aid McKinstry At No. 41
Keon Coleman2 days ago

Bills Select Keon Coleman At Pick 33
Deebo Samuel2 days ago

Bills, Patriots Unlikely To Trade For Deebo Samuel
Alex Perez2 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Matheus Nicolau2 days ago

Returns To Action At UFC Vegas 91
Ariane da Silva2 days ago

Ariane Lipski Looks To Extend Her Win Streak
Karine Silva2 days ago

Looks For Ninth Victory In A Row
David Onama2 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 91
Jonathan Pearce2 days ago

Looks To Get Back In Win Column
Uros Medic4 days ago

A Massive Favorite At UFC Vegas 91
Tim Means4 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 91
Austen Lane4 days ago

Searching For First UFC Win
Jhonata Diniz4 days ago

Making UFC Debut
Bogdan Guskov4 days ago

Gets Ranked Opponent At UFC Vegas 91
Ryan Spann4 days ago

Looks To Snap Losing Skid At UFC Vegas 91
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Marvin Harrison Jr. - Fantasy Football Rankings, College FB, WR, NFL Draft Sleepers

Updated 2024 Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings: Post-NFL Draft

What's up RotoBallers! It's always football season here, so let's have some fun now that the 2024 NFL Draft is officially in the books! In this article you'll find our NFL team's updated 2024 fantasy football rookie rankings -- the post-NFL Draft edition. Use these fantasy football rookies rankings for your rookie drafts, dynasty drafts, and... Read More


Kirk Cousins - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Draft Instant Reaction: Round 1 Winners and Losers For Fantasy Football

The first round of the 2024 NFL Draft is now in the books. It was a night full of surprises, with six quarterbacks going in the first 12 picks. Thursday really shook things up across the league, so it's time to parse through what happened and make some sense of things. Below are some of... Read More


Malik Nabers - Fantasy Football Rankings, College FB, WR, NFL Draft Sleepers

2024 NFL Draft Results - Malik Nabers Fantasy Football Outlook

After months of waiting, Malik Nabers finally has his NFL team. The LSU prospect was in contention for WR1 in the class and went only two picks after Marvin Harrison Jr. The Giants have desperately needed a playmaking receiver to elevate the offense. Nabers has all the speed in the world and a thick frame... Read More


Michael Penix Jr. - CFB DFS Picks, Daily College Fantasy Football, NFL Draft Rookies

2024 NFL Draft - Worst Draft Picks In The First Round

Some teams made some really good picks on Thursday night in the first round of the NFL Draft. Other teams...well, let's just say that some teams made some baffling decisions. These decisions could prove to be smart moves, or they could set these organizations back in a big way. Here are the worst picks from... Read More


Kirk Cousins - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

They Took Who? NFL Teams That Drafted The Wrong Player

The 2024 NFL Draft has come and gone and teams have made some major moves. While the draft can be a time for franchises to reload, it can also be a time to unload. It is also clear that some teams have no clear direction. Maybe it's drafting a position you don't need. Maybe it's... Read More


2024 NFL Draft: Biggest Winners and Losers of Round 1

Football never sleeps at RotoBaller! The 2024 NFL Draft is officially underway and our staff is already busy digging into Round 1. RotoBaller's Kyle Lindemann shares his biggest winners and losers from the First Round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Win MORE in 2024 with RotoBaller! Be sure to tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM... Read More


NFL Draft - 2024

2024 NFL Draft Grades For Every First Round Pick

As we exit the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, it's fun to offer up "instant reactions" to the impactful decisions teams made with precious first-round draft capital. Many expected this to be a draft that was jam-packed with quarterback and wide receiver selections, and Thursday night didn't disappoint, as QBs went off the... Read More


Dak Prescott - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Offseason Check - Fantasy Football Quarterback ADP Risers And Fallers (Based on Team Moves)

A couple of weeks ago our Joey Pollizze wrote an article on quarterback ADP risers and fallers based on QBs who were on the move, but today I'm here to write about QBs who had their ADPs change due to their team's moves in free agency. Some teams had fantastic offseasons that catapulted them into... Read More


UFL RANKINGS, FANTASY FOOTBALL,

Free UFL Betting Picks - Best Bets, Odds, Predictions for Week 5

Well, that was a lot of surprises last week and a much-needed set of good showings for XFL teams against the USFL. In what seemed to be a horrible week for everyone, I started 2-0 after the Battlehawks game and fell to 2-6 by the end of the weekend. Ouch. I am going to have... Read More


UFL RANKINGS, FANTASY FOOTBALL,

UFL Fantasy Football Rankings for Week 5: QB, RB, WR, TE Rankings and Analysis (2024)

Entering Week 5 of the UFL season, just one team remains unblemished. Birmingham will be on the road against the 1-3 Houston Roughnecks on Saturday night. San Antonio travels within the state to take on the imperfect Arlington Renegades at the same time. The game of the week is on Sunday as St. Louis plays... Read More


Keon Coleman- Fantasy Football Rankings, College FB, WR, NFL Draft Sleepers

NFL Draft Predictions - Second and Third Round Mock Draft (2024)

Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft is in the books! The good news is all the draft action will pick back up tonight at 7 pm ET as Rounds 2-3 of the draft will begin. There are still plenty of good players on the board who could have a big impact on fantasy football... Read More


Mike Evans - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 Fantasy Football Blind Resumes – WR Edition

At this point in the NFL offseason, many fantasy football goers are not necessarily thinking about the fantasy season. However, it's never too early to start looking at stats and identify which players you want to target in drafts this summer/fall. Sometimes just getting an idea of where players are going could be really helpful... Read More


UFL DFS PICKS, FANTASY FOOTBALL, DRAFTKINGS, FANDUEL

UFL DFS Lineup Picks: DraftKings Daily Fantasy Fantasy Advice for Week 5

Welcome to Week 5 of the inaugural UFL season, RotoBallers! The Birmingham Stallions remain undefeated, and they'll take on the Houston Roughnecks in the only matchup this week with a spread of more than three points. The 3-1 San Antonio Brahmas will face off with the winless Arlington Renegades in a Texas showdown, the 3-1... Read More