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
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Ahead of the Game - 2019 College Football Prospect Previews

There are two ways to handle the ending of rookie drafts in your dynasty leagues. You can either be sad that you won't have another shot at a young player for 12 months or you can begin looking at the next crop of talent that you'll be choosing. Ok... I mean, I guess you can see the end of drafts as the first sign of the upcoming regular season, but for prospect scouts, it's the perfect time to stay ahead of the game and begin researching players a year out from draft eligibility.

And over the course of the season, I'll be taking a look at some 2019 draft-eligible players and breaking down their potential on the next level. Some weeks will focus on players at the tops of the draft while others will shine a spotlight on some under the radar players who could make a leap during their final year.

But today, I'll kick it off with five near-consensus first-round fantasy talents. And if you thought the last two seasons were disappointing because of the lack of premier WR talent, then 2019 is the class for you. Not only does there appear to be a few great prospects, but there's more depth than in most years. Unlike 2018, drafts are unlikely to dry up after round one.

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!

 

Devy Prospects to Know

N'Keal Harry, WR, Arizona State

There are real questions about the Arizona State coaching regime now that Herm Edwards has returned to the college ranks after a multi-decade absence and a long-term absence from coaching altogether, but there's no question who the premier prospect is on the team.

Harry returns for his junior season following a 82 reception season during which he accumulated 1,142 yards and 8 touchdowns.

Rec Yards YPR TDs MS Yards MS TDs Dominator
2016 58 659 11.4 5 0.21 0.32 0.27
2017 82 1142 13.9 8 0.34 0.38 0.36

Entering his junior season, Harry has a 0.277 market share of yards for his career. If he retains a similar level of usage from 2017, he'll easily surpass the critical 0.29 threshold that typically indicates future success for WRs entering the draft. He's yet to have a truly dominant season, but if his upward trajectory continues, there will be no question about his production at the collegiate level.

Harry will enter the season at the age of 20 and won't turn 21 until December. Using 0.30 dominator as the threshold for a breakout season, Harry's age 19 breakout bodes well for him as a prospect. Early draft projections have Harry as a first round selection as the top overall WR in the class, but even if he's not the top overall WR, he should be one of the top overall rookie picks in 2019.

A.J. Brown, WR, Mississippi

With the pending school sanctions for the Mississippi program and allowance for free transfer without losing a season of eligibility, there was some early excitement for the potential exit from the program for Brown. But he chose to return to the team for his junior season and he'll look to build on his 2017 campaign that saw him account for 1,252 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Rec Yards YPR TDs MS Yards MS TDs Dominator
2017 75 1252 16.7 11 0.32 0.4 0.36

Working against Brown is that he only has one season of productivity, but it was a big season as he eclipsed the 0.3 dominator threshold for a breakout season at the age of 20. Additionally, Brown must compete for targets with fellow highly regarded prospect DK Metcalf which could hinder his ceiling usage.

Brown enters the season at age 21 as one of the higher anticipated players in the country and while he won't be an old prospect to the level of Calvin Ridley, he also won't be among the youngest in the class. Because Brown is unlikely to have a dominant final season, he could see his value dip before 2019 rookie drafts, but he enters this year as a top 2 prospect.

Kelvin Harmon, WR, North Carolina State

N.C. State is likely in need of a shift in their offensive focus with the exits of Jaylen Samuels and Nyheim Hines, but lucky for coach Dave Doeren, he is left with his potential NFL QB Ryan Finley, and superstar WR Kelvin Harmon. Samuels may have led the team in receptions with 75, but with 6 fewer receptions, Harmon accumulated more than 400 additional yards.

Rec Yards YPR TDs MS Yards MS TDs Dominator
2016 27 462 17.1 5 0.14 0.26 0.2
2017 69 1017 14.7 4 0.28 0.24 0.26

In keeping with our standards for a breakout, Harmon enters 2018 without a breakout season, but he will be 20 for the majority of the season so a breakout wouldn't be seen as overly late.  With the exit of Samuels, it's fair to expect an improvement in Harmon's market share of yards and if he can absorb some of Samuels 4 touchdowns, he could improve his overall dominator rating.

For Harmon to jump into the conversation with Harry or Brown from a production standpoint, he'd likely need to improve his yardage efficiency and score a few extra touchdowns. But with his ideal size, if he can put together another productive season, Harmon will solidify himself as a top-eight pick in 2019 rookie drafts.

Bryan Edwards, WR, South Carolina

Unlike some of the names of this list, Edwards didn't enter the season as a widely known name in the fantasy community. Sure, the devy and CFB scouts were salivating over his potential, but he entered 2017 behind Deebo Samuel and Hayden Hurst as the top receiving options. And while Samuel is returning, Hurst is gone and there's nearly 50 receptions to be distributed.

Rec Yards YPR TDs MS Yards MS TDs Dominator
2016 44 590 13.4 4 0.21 0.34 0.28
2017 64 793 12.4 5 0.28 0.27 0.28

Edwards hasn't fully broken out, but his market share and dominator numbers clearly show a receiver who is a big part of the offense. Somewhat holding back Edwards' raw numbers is a relatively stagnant passing offense. In both 2016 and 2017, the offense has failed to eclipse 3,000 total passing yards and, as you'd expect, Edwards yardage number pale in comparison to the top receivers.

Standing at 6-foot-3, Edwards brings ideal size and he'll likely be among the youngest receivers in the draft class as he won't turn 20 until November. If the offense can continue to take steps forward in the passing game and he commands a significant share, there will be a case that he belongs with the top-two WR prospects in the class.

Ahmmon Richards, WR, Miami

Ahmmon Richards' story currently is incomplete. He's been a highly touted prospect since arriving at the Miami campus and his freshman season had scouts joyfully looking to the future and his NFL potential, but his 2017 campaign was cut short.

Rec Yards YPR TDs MS Yards MS TDs Dominator
2016 49 934 19.1 3 0.26 0.11 0.19
2017 24 439 18.3 3 0.14 0.11 0.12

Richards hasn't come close to breaking out which raises concerns about where his career market share will end up. Even adjusting his share of yards for the 7 games he played in 2017, he only accounts for 21 percent of the team's total. Barring a major shift in his direction, it's unlikely he'll reach the ideal 0.29 career market share. And in spite of his big play potential, Richards hasn't even paced for a double digit touchdown season in either of his first two seasons.

But it's definitely not all bad for Richards. Of the top five, Richards' 18.3 YPR was the best in 2017 and his career 18.8 YPR is more than two yards better than the next closest. In short, Richards will likely draw the attention of NFL scout for his ability to stretch the field. There's not a clear path to the top WR for Richards barring a truly dominant season or injury to one of the others, but he's a name to keep an eye on who will likely be a late-first in 2019.

 

More 2018 Dynasty League Strategy




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Zac Gallen2 hours ago

Gets Opening Day Nod
Nolan Schanuel3 hours ago

Injury Isn't Serious
Isaiah Stewart4 hours ago

Injured Against Boston
Duncan Robinson4 hours ago

Doesn't Return On Monday
Jackson Chourio4 hours ago

Makes Opening Day Roster
Anthony Davis4 hours ago

Cleared To Meet Atlanta
Blake Snell5 hours ago

Heading To The Giants
Onyeka Okongwu5 hours ago

To Return On Monday
Bryce McGowens6 hours ago

Unavailable For Tuesday
Tyus Jones6 hours ago

Won't Play On Tuesday
Deni Avdija6 hours ago

Unavailable For Tuesday
Nick Martinez6 hours ago

To Open The Year In The Rotation
OG Anunoby6 hours ago

Set For Multi-Game Absence
Kyle Kuzma6 hours ago

Uncertain For Tuesday
Luka Doncic6 hours ago

Considered Probable For Tuesday
Matt McLain6 hours ago

Scratched With Shoulder Soreness
Bilal Coulibaly6 hours ago

Ruled Out For Rest Of Season
Kenley Jansen6 hours ago

Scheduled To Make Four More Spring Appearances
Jackson Chourio6 hours ago

"In The Mix" For Roster Spot
Rudy Gobert6 hours ago

Ruled Out For Monday
Scoot Henderson6 hours ago

Returns To Starting Unit Without Restrictions
Matisse Thybulle7 hours ago

Available Again On Monday
Jerami Grant7 hours ago

Remains Sidelined On Monday
Lauri Markkanen7 hours ago

Returns To Action On Monday
Alex Caruso7 hours ago

Ready To Roll Monday
Coby White7 hours ago

Ruled Out For Monday
Kristaps Porzingis7 hours ago

Returns To Celtics Lineup
Jaylen Brown7 hours ago

Ready To Go On Monday
Jayson Tatum7 hours ago

Won't Play Against Detroit
Teuvo Teravainen7 hours ago

Misses Second Straight Game
Joshua Dobbs8 hours ago

49ers Reach Agreement With Joshua Dobbs
TOR8 hours ago

Mitch Marner To Miss At Least Two More Games
Jacob Markstrom8 hours ago

Could Return This Weekend
Rico Dowdle8 hours ago

Staying With Cowboys
Mikhail Sergachev8 hours ago

Skates On Monday
Dustin Wolf8 hours ago

Between The Pipes Monday
New Orleans Saints8 hours ago

Saints Expected To Sign Chase Young
Alexander Mattison8 hours ago

Signing With Raiders
DJ LeMahieu10 hours ago

In Danger Of Missing Opening Day
Buffalo Bills10 hours ago

Taron Johnson Re-Signs With Bills On Three-Year Deal
José Urquidy10 hours ago

Jose Urquidy Has Forearm Strain, Will Begin On Injured List
Justin Verlander10 hours ago

Expected To Face Hitters "In The Next Day Or Two"
Corey Seager10 hours ago

Takes Batting Practice Monday
Aaron Judge10 hours ago

Likely To Play In Four Of Final Six Spring Games
Garrett Crochet10 hours ago

Named Opening Day Starter
Nolan Schanuel10 hours ago

Scratched With Back Tightness
Dallas Cowboys10 hours ago

Leighton Vander Esch Calling It A Career
DJ LeMahieu11 hours ago

Still Pretty Sore
Aaron Judge12 hours ago

To Return On Wednesday
Jhoan Duran12 hours ago

To Begin Season On Injured List
Bryan Battle12 hours ago

Bout Ends in Controversy
Ange Loosa12 hours ago

Fight Ruled A No-Contest After Accidental Eye Poke
Ovince Saint Preux12 hours ago

Wins Split Decision In A Back-And-Forth Fight
Kennedy Nzechukwu12 hours ago

Suffers Split-Decision Loss To Ovince Saint Preux
Gerald Meerschaert12 hours ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Shohei Ohtani13 hours ago

Cleared To Begin Throwing Program
Bryan Barberena13 hours ago

Submitted In The Second Round
Kyle Manzardo13 hours ago

Sent To Minor-League Camp
Jackson Merrill13 hours ago

Wins Center Field Job
Denny Hamlin14 hours ago

Emerges Victorious For Second Bristol Win In A Row
Alexander Mattison14 hours ago

Visiting With Raiders
Dak Prescott14 hours ago

Cowboys Restructure Dak Prescott's Contract
Dmitry Orlov15 hours ago

Collects Four Points In Big Win
Tyler Toffoli15 hours ago

Dominates Against Columbus With Three Points
Lucas Raymond15 hours ago

Pots Pair Of Goals Versus Penguins
Kaz Grala15 hours ago

Finishes 19th At Bristol Motor Speedway
Bo Horvat15 hours ago

Scores Twice In Losing Effort
Brad Keselowski16 hours ago

Exceeds Value In DFS At Bristol Motor Speedway
Pavel Buchnevich16 hours ago

Delivers Three Assists In Sunday's Win
Ryan Lindgren16 hours ago

Suffers Leg Injury Versus Islanders
Kyle Larson16 hours ago

After 5th at Bristol: "I Hope I Never Have To Run A Race Like That Again"
Chase Elliott16 hours ago

Earns First Top 10 Finish Of 2024
Justin Haley16 hours ago

Earns Best NextGen Short Track Finish for Rick Ware Racing
Ty Gibbs17 hours ago

Has Dominant Day at Bristol but Fades Late
John Hunter Nemechek21 hours ago

Found Speed At Bristol
Chris Buescher21 hours ago

Secures Top 10 At Bristol
Alex Bowman1 day ago

Late Charge to Fourth Masks Early Race Struggles
Christopher Bell1 day ago

Ran Well, But His Teammates Were All Better
Martin Truex Jr1 day ago

. Matches Career-Best Finish At Bristol
Ryan Blaney1 day ago

Fades to 16th at Bristol After Handling Struggles
Russell Wilson2 days ago

Still Considered The Starter
William Byron2 days ago

Is One Of The Top DFS Options For Bristol
Ty Gibbs2 days ago

Starts 19th At Bristol After Damage In Practice
Justin Haley2 days ago

Scores A Starting Position Of 32nd For Bristol
Denny Hamlin2 days ago

Should Compete For The Win At Bristol
Brad Keselowski2 days ago

History Indicates Brad Keselowski Being A Favorable Bristol Play
Joey Logano2 days ago

Should Be Rostered With Caution At Bristol
Tyler Reddick2 days ago

Is Tyler Reddick Worth Rostering At Bristol This Week?
Martin Truex Jr2 days ago

. Could Work As A Tournament Play At Bristol
Alexander Nylander2 days ago

Totals Three Points In Saturday's Win
Sebastian Aho2 days ago

Leads Hurricanes To Victory In Toronto
Owen Tippett2 days ago

Delivers Three Assists In High-Scoring Loss
Steven Stamkos2 days ago

Extends Scoring Streak With Four-Point Performance
Nick Schmaltz2 days ago

Records Three Assists In Win Over New Jersey
Artemi Panarin2 days ago

Racks Up Five Points In Saturday's Win
Brady Tkachuk2 days ago

Sinks Islanders With Third Hat Trick
Pannie Kianzad2 days ago

Drops To .500 In The UFC
Macy Chiasson2 days ago

Gets First-Round Submission Win
Isaac Dulgarian2 days ago

Suffers First Career Loss
Christian Rodriguez2 days ago

Overcomes Early Adversity At UFC Vegas 88
Tai Tuivasa2 days ago

Suffers Fourth Straight Loss
Marcin Tybura2 days ago

Gets First-Round Submission
Justin Fields2 days ago

Traded To The Steelers
NHL2 days ago

Lukas Reichel Will Be In The Lineup Sunday
Cale Makar2 days ago

A Game-Time Decision Saturday
Zach Parise2 days ago

Likely To Return Saturday
Michael Gallup3 days ago

Panthers Bringing In Michael Gallup For A Visit
Mike Williams3 days ago

Panthers To Host Mike Williams On A Visit
New York Jets3 days ago

Jets Expected To Sign Tyron Smith
AJ Dillon3 days ago

Officially Re-Signs With Packers
Van Jefferson3 days ago

Steelers Signing Van Jefferson
Jakobi Meyers3 days ago

Raiders Restructure Jakobi Meyers' Contract
Jimmy Garoppolo3 days ago

Rams Agree With Jimmy Garoppolo On One-Year Deal
Gerald Meerschaert3 days ago

To Fight In Main Event Of UFC Vegas 88
Bryan Barberena3 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Kennedy Nzechukwu3 days ago

Looks To Get Back In Win Column
Ovince Saint Preux3 days ago

Set For 27th UFC Appearance
Bryan Battle3 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Ange Loosa3 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 88
San Francisco 49ers3 days ago

De'Vondre Campbell Heading To San Francisco
Dallas Cowboys3 days ago

Leighton Vander Esch Being Cut By Cowboys
Michael Gallup3 days ago

Cowboys Releasing Michael Gallup
Kenny Pickett3 days ago

Steelers Sending Kenny Pickett To Eagles
Pannie Kianzad5 days ago

Looking For Redemption At UFC Vegas 88
Macy Chiasson5 days ago

Ends Layoff At UFC Vegas 88
Isaac Dulgarian5 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 88
Christiaan Bezuidenhout5 days ago

Looking To Put It All Together At TPC Sawgrass
Eric Cole5 days ago

Rebounding Well In The Sunshine State
Brian Harman5 days ago

Playing The Dark-Horse Role Again At The Players
Matt Fitzpatrick5 days ago

Searching For Answers Thus Far In 2024
Sahith Theegala5 days ago

One Of The Tour's Fastest Risers To Start The New Year
Sam Burns5 days ago

Brings A Stellar Run Of Form Into TPC Sawgrass
PGA6 days ago

Sungjae Im Trending Up After Arnold Palmer Success
Jason Day6 days ago

Facing Iron Hiccup Heading To The Players
Tom Hoge6 days ago

Brings Strong Form And History To Sawgrass
Min Woo Lee6 days ago

Ready For Second Trip To Sawgrass
Will Zalatoris6 days ago

Working Toward A Win
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Russell Wilson - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL Free Agency Tracker - Updates On Every Free Agent Signing (2024)

The legal tampering period for NFL free agency begins on March 11 at noon EST, so news of signings will be flying in all week. Veterans like Russell Wilson and Jonnu Smith were released before their contracts expired, meaning they got a head start on free agency and have already reached agreements with new organizations.... Read More


Rome Odunze - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks

Coach Knows Ball: Rome Odunze NFL Draft Film Breakdown of Washington WR

Welcome to Coach Knows Ball, an NFL Draft series analyzing the top prospects in the 2024 class. I'm a college football coach with nine years of NCAA experience and have been scouting NFL Draft prospects for over 15 years. This series will give a deep dive into the film of some of the top players... Read More


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

Winners and Losers of 2024 NFL Free Agency (Teams)

Well, strap in, folks, because the first week of 2024 NFL Free Agency was a rollercoaster ride. Some teams made power moves while others seemingly snoozed at the switch. The Houston Texans, for instance, came out swinging, pulling off some of the savviest deals that could very well tilt the scales in their favor this... Read More


George Pickens - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Next Gen Stats Review: 2023 Wide Receivers and Tight Ends

A while back, we covered the Next Gen Stats for running backs, including rushing yards over expected and the percentage of plays with eight or more defenders in the box. Check out the running back review of the Next Gen Stats, as it adds a layer to player analysis. We love the advanced stats for... Read More


Keenan Allen - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Keenan Allen Traded To Bears: Fantasy Football Impact

Star wide receiver Keenan Allen has been one of the more underrated players in the NFL over the past few years. He spent the first 11 years of his career with the Los Angeles Chargers, playing for the franchise since their days in San Diego. However, the team reportedly asked Allen to take a pay... Read More


Marquise Brown - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Marquise Brown Signs With Chiefs: Fantasy Football Impact

Veteran wide receiver Marquise Brown signed a one-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday. Brown hopes to follow JuJu Smith-Schuster’s footprints by playing on a one-year deal with the Chiefs and earning a multi-year big-money contract the following offseason. The former Oklahoma star spent the first three years of his career with the... Read More


Justin Jefferson - Fantasy Football Rankings, DFS Lineup Picks, NFL Injury News

Will The Vikings Trade Justin Jefferson? 2024 NFL Outlook

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is one of the top players in the NFL. The superstar was part of an impressive 2020 NFL Draft class. Yet, he was the fifth wide receiver off the board. Jefferson has been a superstar since his rookie year, making three consecutive Pro Bowl teams and All-Pro rosters to... Read More


Marquise Brown - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Top Free Agency Fits For Marquise Brown – 2024 Free Agent Outlook

Free agent wide receiver Marquise Brown is one of the more explosive players in the NFL. The veteran wide receiver ran a 4.27 40-yard dash at his Pro Day coming out of Oklahoma. He was a first-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2019 NFL Draft. Brown has spent most of his career as... Read More


Nico Collins - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings For 2024 Best Ball Leagues (Tiers 4-9)

We have now entered the process of free agency, which is providing pathways for some wide receivers to seize significant roles in their new landing spots. The player movement that has ensued will also decrease the stock of other receivers whose roles will decrease within their reshaped depth charts. Participation in the best ball draft... Read More


Cade Otton - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Early 2024 Best Ball Tight End Sleepers

Top tight ends such as Sam LaPorta and Travis Kelce are bound to put up quality fantasy football numbers weekly, but most tight ends are unpredictable. The top tier of tight ends are reliable for fantasy football purposes, but most tight ends are boom-or-bust type of players. Even though it is hard to hit on... Read More


D'Andre Swift - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL DFS Lineup Picks

D'Andre Swift Signs With Bears: Fantasy Football Impact

Newly signed Chicago Bears running back D'Andre Swift has been one of the most promising, but also underperforming running backs across the NFL and the fantasy landscape in recent years. After three injury-riddled seasons in Detroit where he showed flashes of greatness but didn't quite live up to the hype, Swift was traded to the... Read More


J.J. McCarthy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

Top 50 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings After the 2024 NFL Combine

With the NFL Combine in our rearview mirror, now is a logical time to put out an up-to-date rankings for this year’s NFL Draft. Below, you will find my top-50 players who have declared for this NFL Draft. Below those ranks, you will also find several fantasy-relevant notes I have on this class, and on... Read More


Calvin Ridley - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Calvin Ridley Signs With Titans: Fantasy Football Impact

The Tennessee Titans made a huge move once NFL free agency officially opened. They signed wide receiver Calvin Ridley to a four-year, $92 million contract with $50 million fully guaranteed. Ridley was the top receiver on the open market. The Titans swooped in out of left field and signed him to give second-year quarterback Will... Read More