TAP FOR 6 MONTHS OF PREMIUM FREE 💰
X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

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
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

NFL Draft - Ideal Landing Spots for Fantasy Football

One of the most fun weekends of the year for the NFL season is the weekend of the NFL draft. Hope springs eternal for 32 teams. Well, maybe 31 since the Vikings traded their 1st round pick for Sam Bradford.

That hope and enthusiasm is also with fantasy football players, especially dynasty players as they hope their favorite prospects land in their favorite landing spots.

In this article, I will discuss some of my favorite matches made in heaven that I am hoping for this weekend.

Featured Promo: Looking for some more fantasy football action? Adopt a dynasty orphan team over at FFPC. Sign up today and get $25 off any FFPC league. Sign Up Now!

 

Ideal Draft Spots for Fantasy Football

Dalvin Cook (RB, Florida State) 1.19 Overall to the Buccaneers

This is far from an original take, as this is a pick that has been mocked by many mock drafters over the last four months, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s a great fit. The Buccaneers' current RB1, Doug Martin, is suspended for the first three games of the 2017 season for the remainder of an Adderall suspension. Making a pick solely based on a player being out three weeks doesn’t make sense on its own, but there are other reasons this pick could work out well for both parties. Buccaneers RB2 Charles Sims has shown little to nothing in his first two NFL seasons and Jacquizz Rodgers in nothing more than a journeyman backup.

Cook dominated college football throughout his career with 4,300 rushing yards in 3 seasons, including two 1,600+ yard seasons and 19 touchdowns in each of the last two seasons. Cook was a big play threat his entire career and that has been something lacking in the Buccaneers backfield. Prior to a porous combine performance where he tested in the ninth percentile in Burst Score and Agility score on Player Profiler, Cook had possibilities of going in the top half of the first round. However, now his combine numbers could slide him all the way to the 2nd round, but the ideal scenario would be the Buccaneers selecting him at 19 overall to be the workhorse back in one of the NFL’s best young offenses with Jameis Winston.

 

Christian McCaffrey (RB, Stanford) 1.15 Overall to the Colts

Christian McCaffrey has been one of the most prolific college running backs in recent memory in the last two seasons. McCaffrey had over 4,500 total yards in the last two seasons with 29 touchdowns. McCaffrey easily has the highest dominator rating (percentage of team's total yards) among the top backs in this class with a 50.7% dominator rating, good for the 98th percentile among all college backs.  The Colts may be gun shy about heavily investing in a running back after sending a 1st round pick for Trent Richardson in 2013, but this is a new regime in the post-Ryan Grigson era.

The Colts only legitimate running back is Frank Gore and one of these days, he will actually retire. His effectiveness has certainly tailed off in the last two seasons. McCaffrey would be a jolt for the Andrew Luck-led Colts offense that could be very explosive with a legitimate passing game threat coming out of the backfield. Drafting McCaffery would take some of the pressure off of Luck and gives him another weapon in the arsenal.

 

Deshaun Watson (QB, Clemson) 1.12 Overall to the Browns

In the annual tradition of saying “Next year's Quarterback class is better than this one,” that was one of the reasons many people gave when the Browns opted to trade down in the 2016 NFL draft and not select Carson Wentz. The quarterback highlighted by many in the “Next year's Quarterback class is better than this one” reasoning in 2016 was the expected arrival of Watson. Many way too early mocks in 2016 had Watson being selected #1 overall by the Browns and a year later they may not even need to select him #1 overall to still have a shot at him.

Watson has been a victim of the intense lens and over-scrutinization that happens to many quarterbacks in the scouting process in today’s NFL. Despite the 49 MPH throw velocity that has been a large concern of Watson detractors, he still had three seasons of solid production with Clemson including 8,702 passing yards and 76 passing touchdowns in his two full seasons as starter. While some may think the Browns are a bad landing spot with their history of quarterbacks in the last 17 years, it is definitely solid from a fantasy standpoint. The Browns have a pair of solid backs in Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson with one of the more underrated wide receiver corps in the NFL today led by Corey Coleman and Kenny Britt and with the bevy of picks that the Browns have in the 2017 draft, they likely aren’t done investing in weapons for their young quarterback.

 

Corey Davis (WR, Western Michigan) End of the 1st round trade back up to Panthers

Corey Davis and his landing spot is one of the harder ones to peg as we enter NFL draft weekend. The fantasy community is in love with the wide receiver who had three consecutive 1,400 receiving yard-12+ touchdown seasons. However, it appears the NFL may be a bit more concerned with the wideout who had limited opportunity to play against top competition and then was unable to participate in workouts at the NFL combine or his pro day. The lack of combine numbers could be concerning enough for teams that he slides toward the end of the 1st round on Thursday.

While there are teams who could take Davis in the late 1st round, I think a trade back up could be a more likely and more attractive scenario. Kelvin Benjamin and Devin Funchess have been fairly disappointing in the last two seasons and it was clear that Cam Newton didn’t have a dependable target outside of Greg Olsen. Adding Corey Davis could be a coup for the Panthers offense that struggled as the 21st ranked passing offense in 2016. The possibility of a Newton-Davis combo should be enough to have fantasy owners salivating at the very thought.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Maxx Crosby

Traded to Baltimore in Blockbuster Deal
Deni Avdija

to Miss Seventh Straight Game
Brandon Williams

is Returning on Friday
Klay Thompson

is Upgraded to Available on Friday
Amen Thompson

is Available on Friday
Daniel Gafford

Won't Play on Friday
Andrew Wiggins

is Downgraded to Out
Deandre Ayton

is Ruled Out for Friday's Game
LeBron James

Won't Suit Up on Friday
Mattias Janmark

Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery
Dalton Schultz

Texans, Dalton Schultz Agree on One-Year Extension
John Gibson

Starting Against Panthers
Roope Hintz

Available Against Avalanche
Sidney Crosby

Rejoins Practice Friday
Bobby McMann

Traded to Seattle
Justin Faulk

Lands in Detroit
Nazem Kadri

Avalanche Bring Back Nazem Kadri
Joe Mixon

Texans Release Joe Mixon
Harrison Barnes

is Ruled Out for Friday
Quinn Priester

Brewers Concerned About Quinn Priester's Wrist Injury
Dejounte Murray

is Cleared for Friday's Game
VJ Edgecombe

Misses Friday's Practice
Corbin Carroll

Taking Live At-Bats in Camp
Joel Embiid

to be Re-Evaluated in One Week
Yanic Konan Niederhauser

to Undergo Foot Surgery
Jayson Tatum

is Officially Returning on Friday
Brayden Schenn

Islanders Trade for Brayden Schenn
Elmer Soderblom

Penguins Acquire Elmer Soderblom
Ricky Tiedemann

Could Resume Throwing Soon
Jackson Chourio

"Fine" After Suffering Hand Contusion
Trey Yesavage

Blue Jays "Still View" Trey Yesavage as a Starter
Max Holloway

A Favorite At UFC 326
Charles Oliveira

Set For BMF Title Fight
Las Vegas Raiders

Raiders Prefer Not to Start Fernando Mendoza Immediately?
Reinier de Ridder

Reinier De Ridder Looks To Bounce Back
Caio Borralho

Set For UFC 326 Co-Main Event
Rob Font

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Clarke Schmidt

Ditching New Sweeper Grip
Raul Rosas Jr.

Looks For His Fifth Consecutive Win
J.J. Wetherholt

Is JJ Wetherholt Already the Best Cardinals Hitter?
Corey Perry

Lightning Acquire Corey Perry
Drew Dober

Returns At UFC 326
Michael Johnson

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Rafael Devers

Could Return to Game Action Next Week
Nick Foligno

Wild Acquire Nick Foligno
Bobby Brink

Wild Acquire Bobby Brink
Geno Smith

Raiders Release Geno Smith
Josue Briceño

Josue Briceno has Wrist Surgery, Expected to Miss Multiple Months
Jeremy Peña

Jeremy Pena Hopes to be Ready for Opening Day
Jackson Chourio

Won't Play in WBC on Friday
Carlos Correa

Scratched With Neck Injury
Brandon Woodruff

is a Risky Draft Choice
Jackson Merrill

Likely to Bounce Back in 2026
Junior Caminero

Could be Risky at Current ADP
Nic Dowd

Golden Knights Acquire Nic Dowd
Jeff Petry

Traded to Wild
Nicolas Roy

Shipped to Colorado
David Perron

Returns to Detroit
Michael Bunting

Stars Add Michael Bunting From Nashville
Conor Garland

Moves to Columbus
John Carlson

Ducks Acquire John Carlson
Owen Caissie

Off to Slow Start in Camp
Logan Henderson

Sharp in Spring Training
Robby Snelling

Punches Out Six Over Three Scoreless Frames
Bryce Eldridge

Performing Well in Cactus League
Dylan Beavers

Holding his Own in Spring Games
Chase Burns

has Uneven Command in Spring Training
Alexis Lafrenière

Alexis Lafreniere Collects Three Points in Victory
Igor Shesterkin

Picks Up Victory Against Maple Leafs
Grant Williams

Good to Go Friday
Ivica Zubac

to Remain Out Friday
Aaron Nesmith

Listed as Probable for Friday
Danielle Hunter

Texans, Danielle Hunter Agree to One-Year, $40.1 Million Extension
Trey Murphy III

Available Thursday Night
Zion Williamson

Cleared to Take on Kings
Andrew Nembhard

Expected to Play Against Lakers Friday
Pascal Siakam

Probable for Friday's Action
DJ Moore

Bears Working to Finalize Deal to Send DJ Moore to Buffalo
Stefon Diggs

Patriots Releasing Stefon Diggs
Trent McDuffie

Chiefs Sending Trent McDuffie to Rams in Blockbuster Deal
Taylor Moore

Looking to Build on Cognizant Classic Finish
Robert MacIntyre

Brings Solid Form to Bay Hill
Scottie Scheffler

the Tournament Favorite at Bay Hill
Xander Schauffele

Trending Well Ahead of API
Si Woo Kim

Looking to Return to Top Form at Bay Hill
Ben Griffin

Looking to Return to Form at Arnold Palmer Invitational
PGA

Nico Echavarria Looks to Build on Cognizant Classic Win at Arnold Palmer
Sam Burns

Searching for Consistency at Arnold Palmer Invitational
Daniel Berger

Offers Sneaky Upside at Bay Hill
Justin Thomas

Making Season Debut at API Following Lower-Back Surgery
NASCAR

Collin Morikawa Hopes To Better Last Year's Runner-Up Finish at API
Tommy Fleetwood

Isn't As Confident of a Start at Bay Hill as Previous Weeks
Kyler Murray

Will be Released
Trey Hendrickson

Bengals Not Using the Franchise Tag on Trey Hendrickson
Daniel Jones

Colts Place Transition Tag on Daniel Jones
Adam Scott

Might Endure Tough Times at Bay Hill
Aldrich Potgieter

Extremely Risky When it Comes to Bay Hill
PGA

Sungjae Im to Make Season Debut at Arnold Palmer Invitational
Jordan Spieth

an All-or-Nothing Option at Bay Hill
Harry Hall

Trying to Rebound After the Genesis Invitational
Ryan Gerard

Needs Better Start at Bay Hill
Kenneth Walker III

Won't Get the Franchise Tag
Patrick Cantlay

Still Plagued by Bad Putting Ahead of Arnold Palmer Invititational
Daniel Jones

Colts Expected to Use Transition Tag on Daniel Jones
Breece Hall

Jets Placing Franchise Tag on Breece Hall
CFB

Mark Stoops Joining Texas Coaching Staff
Jason Day

Attempts to Bounce Back from The Genesis Invitational
Jacob Bridgeman

Rolling into Arnold Palmer Invitational
Russell Henley

Looks to Defend Title at the Arnold Palmer Invitational
Khalil Mack

Will Play in 2026
MMA

Lone'er Kavanagh Gets Back In The Win Column
Brandon Moreno

Gets Outclassed
Marlon Vera

Loses Fourth Fight In A Row
Daniel Jones

Colts Have "50/50" Chance to Get a Deal Done With Daniel Jones
David Martinez

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Daniel Zellhuber

Loses Third Consecutive Fight
King Green

Gets Second-Round TKO Win
Felipe Bunes

Drops Decision At UFC Mexico City
Édgar Cháirez

Edgar Chairez Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Ryan Blaney

Falls to Eighth Despite Running Most of the Race in the Top Five At COTA
Ty Gibbs

Wins A Stage and Finishes Fourth At COTA
Christopher Bell

Earns First Top-Five Finish of the 2026 Season at COTA
Kyler Murray

"Repeatedly" Linked to Jets
Shane Van Gisbergen

Falls Short of Victory At COTA
Tyler Reddick

Wins At COTA and Makes NASCAR History
David Montgomery

Texans Acquire David Montgomery From Lions
Kyler Murray

Likely to be Released
Travis Etienne Jr.

Not Expected to be Franchise-Tagged
Tyler Reddick

Could Make History at COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Still the Favorite at COTA
Christopher Bell

Will Be Tough to Beat at COTA
AJ Allmendinger

Could Contend at COTA
Connor Zilisch

Carries Plenty of Upside for DFS at COTA
Chase Elliott

May be A Strong Contender Again at COTA
Chris Buescher

Is Nothing But Consistent at Road Courses
Ross Chastain

May Be An Underrated Competitor for the Win at COTA
William Byron

Is William Byron a Viable DFS Option for COTA?
Carson Hocevar

Needs Clean Race at COTA
Kyle Larson

Could be A Decent DFS Option for COTA Lineups
Ryan Blaney

Could Ryan Blaney be A Sleeper DFS Option for All Formats for COTA?
Chase Briscoe

Should DFS Players Roster Chase Briscoe at COTA?
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Is A Favorable Value Option for COTA DFS Lineups
Ty Gibbs

Could Ty Gibbs Be A Rosterable DFS Play for COTA?