RADIO
With the 2020 NFL Draft in the books, it's time to look at what really matters. Which of these rookies do you want to own on your fantasy football teams? With an extremely deep class at the skill positions, there are plenty of names to take a look at and there's likely some that I won't even have time to mention in this piece. I'll be touching on some of the guys that I believe will be able to jump in and immediately produce for fantasy football.
The running back class is fairly top-heavy, with about five players who really lead the way talent-wise. Of course, we all know that for redraft purposes, talent doesn't always translate to fantasy production. Sometimes, a less-talented running back can jump in and be productive, simply due to the landing spot. If you're looking at rookie running backs to target in your redraft leagues this year, there's a good chance that just about all of the top five running backs will get drafted.
For the wide receivers, this class is a very deep one with plenty of talented players being drafted late in this year's draft. With 35 wide receivers being selected this year, including six first-round picks, this is one of the deeper wide receiver classes we've seen in some time. Even the 2014 wide receiver class had just five first-round wide receivers selected. Some of the stud wide receivers like Jerry Jeudy and CeeDee Lamb were drafted by teams that some owners may question their immediate production. Personally, I do believe Jeudy and Lamb could be productive this year, but I'm going to touch on five rookies that I believe will all be drafted in your redraft leagues this year.
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Clyde Edwards-Helaire (RB, KC)
With the 32nd pick of the 2020 NFL Draft, the defending champions took a running back, and it wasn't who most people were expecting. Many analysts and fantasy owners were expecting the first running back off the board to be D'Andre Swift or Jonathan Taylor. Andy Reid went and got the guy that he referred to as being better than former All-Pro running back, Brian Westbrook. Clyde Edwards-Helaire out of LSU.
We've seen a lot of hype around running backs in Kansas City, and rightfully so. Guys like Damien Williams and LeSean McCoy have been very valuable in Andy Reid's offenses in the past, and we've been waiting for someone to come through as the clear cut running back for the Chiefs.
For the sake of comparison, here are Westbrook's fantasy PPR finishes under Andy Reid:
2004: RB10
2005: RB18
2006: RB6
2007: RB0
2008: RB10
We all knew just how valuable a running back would be if they landed in Kansas City, but I don't think anyone knew that it would be Edwards-Helaire in the first round. He is a very good pass-catching back, likely the best in the class at catching balls out of the backfield.
I wouldn't be surprised at all if Edwards-Helaire ends up being drafted as an RB1 when Redraft season rolls around. He is that good and the upside in the Chiefs offense cannot be overstated, especially for a pass-catching back like Edwards-Helaire.
Jonathan Taylor (RB, IND)
As one of the highly touted rookie prospects in this 2020 class, Jonathan Taylor finds himself in one of the best landing spots from a fantasy perspective. The Indianapolis Colts have a great offensive line and have shown no signs of committing to Marlon Mack. Nyheim Hines is a nice pass-catching back, but he isn't going to be someone that takes a ton of touches away.
Taylor has a clear path to being productive and has an excellent landing spot from a dynasty perspective. Mack did just finish 2019 with a 1,000-yard season, but honestly, it was more of a production of the offensive line and having little to no competition in the backfield. Mack should still get some touches, but Taylor has the upside and potential to get 20+ touches per game in this offense, which can be elite for fantasy purposes.
Taylor is going to end up being drafted as the number one or number two running back off the board in your dynasty rookie drafts, and rightfully so. Not only is he going to be a nice dynasty asset, but even in redraft leagues, he's going to be drafted pretty high.
It may take a few weeks to get going, but Taylor has the landing spot and the skillset to be an elite fantasy running back. While Edwards-Helair may have a safer floor, Taylor is someone that I could see having the upside of someone like Ezekiel Elliott or Melvin Gordon in previous years, for fantasy purposes.
Cam Akers (RB, LAR)
One of the better landing spots for a rookie running back to make an immediate impact was the Los Angeles Rams. After moving on from Todd Gurley, the backfield looked to be manned by Darrell Henderson and Malcolm Brown. The Rams were a popular name for a rookie running back to land, and sure enough, they snagged Cam Akers.
Akers is an extremely versatile running back who has a quick path to success in the NFL. The Rams offensive line is definitely a big question mark, but Akers showed us at Florida State that playing behind a poor offensive line doesn't phase him. He can still be productive, and with his productivity through the air, he'll be even more valuable in PPR leagues.
For dynasty rookie drafts, Akers is going to be a late-first round draft pick. In some instances, he may go even higher. For redraft leagues, he'll be someone that will see a bump in his ADP as the season approaches. Akers will go into the season as a potential RB2 for fantasy purposes, with upside.
We've seen just how good a running back can be in Sean McVay's offense, and while Akers is definitely not Gurley, he is no slouch and has a very nice opportunity ahead of him.
Justin Jefferson (WR, MIN)
The first rookie wide receiver that I expect to make an immediate impact, is Justin Jefferson out of LSU. After Stefon Diggs was shipped off to Buffalo, the Vikings were one of the teams expected to take a wide receiver fairly early in the NFL Draft this year.
Adam Thielen played in just 10 games last year and saw 48 targets. Diggs played in 15 games and saw 94 targets. Kirk Cousins threw 444 passes last year, which while that was 24th in the NFL, this offense still is going to throw plenty, and Jefferson should step into an immediate-impact role.
Cousins loves targetting his slot receivers, and Thielen only played in 31% of the snaps last year out of the slot. Jefferson played out of the slot heavily at LSU and put up 1,540 yards and 18 touchdowns, both LSU records. Jefferson is one of the safest wide receiver prospects in this class thanks to his great hands, short-area quickness, and great route-running ability. He's not a true burner, but he's got the explosion to go up and get the ball and tracks it very well.
With a nice path to production early on, Jefferson should be one of the more productive rookie wide receivers this year. I wouldn't go out of my way to overdraft Jefferson this year, but as someone you can take in the middle-late rounds, he may end up being a nice value this year.
Jalen Reagor (WR, PHI)
One of the teams that were expected to take a wide receiver early, was the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles were desperately needing a wide receiver last year, while Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson spent the season hurt or limited.
I expected the Eagles would land Justin Jefferson, but they went another route and went with one of the most explosive wide receivers in this class in Jalen Reagor out of TCU. Reagor can play out of the slot or take the top off of the defense with his speed. His highlights from 2019 are ridiculous, and despite some terrible quarterback play, he still looked very solid on film.
Landing with the Eagles who are desperate for a wide receiver, Reagor will make an immediate impact and should see a good amount of targets this year. Carso Wentz was a QB1 last year despite having essentially no consistent wide receivers and threw 607 pass attempts, which was good for the 5th most in the NFL last year.
The Eagles are going to throw the ball and Reagor has one of if not the best chance out of the rookie wide receivers to make an immediate impact.
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