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

NFL Draft Reaction - Most Improved Offenses

What Appears In This Article? hide

The dust has cleared and the picks are in. With the 2017 NFL Draft in the books, it's time to take a long look at how some of the most notable selections may impact the fantasy football landscape. Some of the effects will be immediate for current NFL players, but others may not be so obvious.

In this piece, we'll look at which teams could provide the biggest increase in fantasy value, based on the results of the NFL Draft. This could be especially important for dynasty owners and early drafters in MFL10 leagues.

For more NFL draft coverage, free agency news, and fantasy football analysis, bookmark our NFL page to get the advantage over your competition.

 

Most Improved Offenses for 2017

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Key draft picks: O.J. Howard, Chris Godwin, Jeremy McNichols

If there is a team that "won the draft" from a dynasty owner's viewpoint, it has to be the Bucs. O.J. Howard may have to share targets with Cameron Brate at first, but his talent level should elevate him to TE1 status before too long. He's a solid second-round pick in rookie drafts and is worth a late-round flier even in re-draft leagues. Godwin will take time to develop, but some fantasy draft evaluators liked him enough to call him a top-five talent at WR.

McNichols is the sneaky pick here because Doug Martin begins the year on suspension and has a growing history of injuries. Jacquizz Rodgers hasn't sold the team on using him as a feature back and Charles Sims is nothing more than a pass-catching specialist. McNichols is a speedy back (4.49 40-yard dash time) who could pick up the slack if given the opportunity, much like fellow Boise State alum and undersized RB Martin (they're both 5'9") did five years ago. According to PlayerProfiler.com, he had an excellent College Dominator rating of 41.4%. Dynasty owners would be wise to stash McNichols in the third or fourth round of rookie drafts.

Jeremy McNichols combine numbers

 

Jacksonville Jaguars
Key draft picks: Leonard Fournette, Dede Westbrook, Cam Robinson

This is mainly about the first player on this list, who also happened to be the first RB/WR taken in the 2017 NFL Draft. Leonard Fournette should make an immediate impact on a team starving for a run game to support embattled quarterback Blake Bortles. The following selection of OT Cam Robinson, in addition to the trade for veteran Branden Albert, should solidify an offensive line that was middle of the pack in terms of grading as a unit. This should have a trickle-down effect to the receiving game, where Allen Robinson now becomes a prime bounce back candidate. Expecting him to reproduce his 2015 numbers would be foolish, however.

If anything, the Jags don't plan on playing from behind nearly as much, as their young defense is also improving. Expect a more consistent, but less prolific output from Robinson and Blake Bortles. Allen Hurns and Marqise Lee shouldn't anything more than flex plays in standard leagues as the team continues to seek offensive balance in order to compete with a vastly improved AFC South.

 

Cincinnati Bengals
Key draft picks: Joe Mixon, John Ross, Josh Malone

It would seem the Bengals now have an embarrassment of riches at the skill positions. Jeremy Hill didn't have the best season in his turn as the feature back, but still managed to score nine TD. Giovani Bernard returns from ACL surgery after averaging 3.4 receptions per game and 4.2 yards per carry in his four-year career.  Enter Joe Mixon, who could quickly replace them both. It's likely that we'll see RBBC to begin the season, but Mixon should eventually assert himself. That's assuming Jeremy Hill is still around by the time the Bengals break camp.

Andy Dalton will also have multiple choices in the passing game, rather than forcing the ball to A.J. Green when nobody else is open. Green missed six games and failed to reach 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his career. As a result, Brandon LaFell suddenly became a viable target (that's not a good sign). John Ross will come along slowly as he recovers from shoulder surgery and is a dynasty-only pick for this season, but his speed threat should open things up underneath for slot receiver Tyler Boyd and tight end Tyler Eifert, who may resume his role as a major red zone threat if he can stay healthy all season. The biggest winner for short-term value seems to be Dalton. If he could throw for 4,206 yards without Tyler Eifert for half the season or Green for six games, 4,500-4,750 yards with 30+ TD is a legitimate target. If you're like me and play the waiting game on QB in re-draft leagues, grabbing him in the ninth round while you load up on other positions earlier could prove to be a steal.

 

Tennessee Titans
Key draft picks: Corey Davis, Taywan Taylor, Jonnu Smith

Corey Davis is currently the most common first pick in rookie drafts and mocks, and for good reason. Davis should immediately step in and give Marcus Mariota a reliable target that can work underneath routes and extend the defense deep at times. For all the preseason hype about Tajae Sharpe last year, he caught less than 50% of his targets and scored all of two TD despite starting 10 games. Rishard Matthews proved to be a reliable red zone weapon, but Davis has a superior skill set. Although he won't step into fantasy relevance right away, Davis is a top-notch dynasty prospect.

The Titans will continue to pound the rock with DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry whenever possible. If anything, the additions they made to the receiving corps will help the fantasy value of each RB. DeMarco Murray shouldn't see much of a reduced workload and is currently a great value in early PPR drafts (#45 overall). It's more advisable to pick up Tennessee receivers in a best-ball format like MFL10 because of the uncertainty around touchdown distribution to their receivers. Jonnu Smith is no immediate threat to Delanie Walker, so he too could be undervalued in re-draft leagues due to his age.

 

You might notice I didn't include the L.A. Chargers or Minnesota Vikings, despite the additions of big-name players like Mike Williams and Dalvin Cook. Williams will be slow to work his way into the rotation with numerous mouths to feed in that receiving corps and the Chargers haven't given Melvin Gordon a solid backup RB to keep him fresh. Cook, for all his talent, has way too many red flags to be trustworthy just yet and their other skill players like Bucky Hodges and Stacy Coley will likely be projects for the next year or two, if they even pan out.

Let me know who else you thinks belongs on this list or why you agree or disagree with the names mentioned above by hollering at me on Twitter @pfunk00 any time. Always stay tuned to RotoBaller for the best fantasy football analysis around!




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Player Comparisons
News and Alerts
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Logan Allen8 mins ago

Looking For Improved Results Friday
Jacoby Brissett13 mins ago

Drake Maye To Compete With Jacoby Brissett
Tommy Pham17 mins ago

Selected From Triple-A
Jonathon Brooks25 mins ago

Cowboys High On Jonathon Brooks
Ezekiel Elliott31 mins ago

Reunion With Cowboys Is Imminent
Deebo Samuel36 mins ago

Patriots Discussed Trading For Deebo Samuel Prior To Draft
Jackson Holliday1 hour ago

Sent Back To Minors
Alex Perez2 hours ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Matheus Nicolau2 hours ago

Returns To Action At UFC Vegas 91
J.D. Martinez2 hours ago

To Be Eased Into Lineup
Ariane Lipski2 hours ago

Looks To Extend Her Win Streak
Karine Silva2 hours ago

Looks For Ninth Victory In A Row
David Onama2 hours ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 91
Jonathan Pearce2 hours ago

Looks To Get Back In Win Column
Carson Kelly2 hours ago

Scratched With Rib-Cage Soreness
Romy Gonzalez2 hours ago

Not Close To Returning
Yu Darvish2 hours ago

Throws Side Session
Donovan Mitchell2 hours ago

Struggles In Game 3
Hunter Renfroe2 hours ago

On The Pine Again Friday
Anthony Maldonado2 hours ago

Called Up For Spot Start
Jesús Luzardo3 hours ago

Jesus Luzardo Scratched With Elbow Discomfort
Ozzie Albies3 hours ago

Back From Injured List
Paolo Banchero3 hours ago

Dominates In Game 3
Anthony Davis3 hours ago

Leads All Scorers In Game 3 Loss
Nikola Jokic3 hours ago

Just One Assist Shy Of Triple-Double In Game 3
Aaron Gordon4 hours ago

Posts Big Double-Double
Tyler Myers4 hours ago

On Track To Return Friday
Jesper Fast4 hours ago

Unlikely To Feature In The Playoffs
Matthew Tkachuk4 hours ago

Bags Two Goals In Game 3 Victory
Steven Stamkos4 hours ago

Scores Third Postseason Goal
Ilya Sorokin4 hours ago

Lasts 27 Minutes In Game 3
Frederik Andersen4 hours ago

Stops 29 Pucks In Another Win
MacKenzie Gore5 hours ago

Off To Good Start
Jose Miranda5 hours ago

Slugs Second Homer
Jurickson Profar5 hours ago

Stays Hot
Luis Castillo5 hours ago

Earns Second Victory
Ty France5 hours ago

Slugs First Home Run
Nestor Cortes5 hours ago

Pitches Well In Loss
Jose Trevino6 hours ago

Blasts Homer In Loss
Javier Assad6 hours ago

Shines In No-Decision
Kyle Manzardo6 hours ago

Tallies Three Hits On Thursday
Josh Smith6 hours ago

Records Two Hits In Loss
Cincinnati Bengals14 hours ago

Bengals Have No Plans To Trade Trey Hendrickson
Justin Herbert14 hours ago

Patriots, Vikings Reached Out Regarding Justin Herbert
Deebo Samuel14 hours ago

Niners "More Likely" To Deal Deebo Samuel Than Brandon Aiyuk
Xavier Legette15 hours ago

Goes To Panthers To Close Out First Round
Ricky Pearsall15 hours ago

Niners Add To Receiver Room With Ricky Pearsall
Baltimore Ravens15 hours ago

Nate Wiggins Heading To Baltimore
Dallas Cowboys15 hours ago

Cowboys Select Tyler Guyton With 29th Pick
Mitchell Robinson15 hours ago

Injured Again On Thursday
Xavier Worthy15 hours ago

Chiefs Get Speed At Receiver In Xavier Worthy
Arizona Cardinals15 hours ago

Darius Robinson Goes To Cardinals At Pick No. 27
Jalen Brunson15 hours ago

Has Another Big Game
Tampa Bay Buccaneers15 hours ago

Buccaneers Draft Graham Barton At No. 26 Late In First Round
Tyrese Maxey15 hours ago

Helps Philly Take Game 3
Green Bay Packers15 hours ago

Packers Select Jordan Morgan With The 25th Selection
Joel Embiid15 hours ago

Dominates In Game 3
Detroit Lions15 hours ago

Lions Trade Up To Select Terrion Arnold With The 24th Overall Pick
Brian Thomas Jr.16 hours ago

Selected By Jacksonville
Philadelphia Eagles16 hours ago

Quinyon Mitchell Taken With The 22nd Pick
Miami Dolphins16 hours ago

Dolphins Select Chop Robinson With The 21st Pick
Pittsburgh Steelers16 hours ago

Troy Fautanu Goes To Steel City
Los Angeles Rams16 hours ago

The Rams Select Jared Verse With The 19th Overall Pick
Olivier-Maxence Prosper18 hours ago

Won't Play In Game 3
Kawhi Leonard18 hours ago

Questionable For Game 3
Stephen Curry18 hours ago

Named Clutch Player Of The Year
Joel Embiid19 hours ago

Good To Go Thursday
Daniel Gafford20 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Friday
Tim Hardaway20 hours ago

Jr. Ruled Out For Game 3
Giannis Antetokounmpo20 hours ago

Doubtful For Game 3
Khris Middleton20 hours ago

Misses Thursday's Practice, Questionable For Game 3
Dean Wade21 hours ago

Ruled Out For First Round
Sonny Milano21 hours ago

Misses Practice On Thursday
Filip Chytil21 hours ago

Joins Rangers For Trip To Washington
Jesper Fast21 hours ago

Remains Out On Thursday
Matt Martin21 hours ago

A Game-Time Call Thursday
Anton Lundell21 hours ago

Takes Over As Second-Line Center Thursday
Ryan Lomberg21 hours ago

Ruled Out For Game 3
Alex Vlasic1 day ago

Inks Six-Year Extension With Blackhawks
Kyle Okposo1 day ago

To Suit Up In Game 3
William Nylander1 day ago

Reportedly Dealing With Migraine Issue
Brett Pesce1 day ago

Tony DeAngelo To Replace Brett Pesce
Sam Bennett1 day ago

To Miss At Least A Week
Jack Eichel1 day ago

Makes NHL History In Game 2 Win
Brad Marchand1 day ago

Racks Up Three Points In Game 3 Victory
Leon Draisaitl1 day ago

Posts Two Assists In Wednesday's Loss
Anze Kopitar1 day ago

Completes Three-Point Night With Overtime Game-Winner
Trey Murphy1 day ago

III Cools Off In Game 2
CJ McCollum1 day ago

Blows Hot And Cold In Game 2
Brandon Ingram1 day ago

Overcomes Cold Start In Game 2
Uros Medic1 day ago

A Massive Favorite At UFC Vegas 91
Tim Means1 day ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 91
Austen Lane1 day ago

Searching For First UFC Win
Jhonata Diniz1 day ago

Making UFC Debut
Bogdan Guskov1 day ago

Gets Ranked Opponent At UFC Vegas 91
Ryan Spann1 day ago

Looks To Snap Losing Skid At UFC Vegas 91
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Survives At Talladega For First Win Of 2024
Brad Keselowski4 days ago

Finishes Second At Talladega After Last-Lap Wreck
Anthony Alfredo4 days ago

Gets Best Finish For Beard Motorsports Since 2022
Todd Gilliland4 days ago

One Of The Strongest At Talladega
NASCAR4 days ago

Bubba Wallace Finishes 36th At Talladega Superspeedway
Kyle Larson4 days ago

Fails To Deliver Value In DFS At Talladega
NASCAR4 days ago

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Finishes Fourth At Talladega
Noah Gragson4 days ago

Surprisingly The Most Consistent Driver At Talladega
Shane Van Gisbergen4 days ago

Shane van Gisbergen Acquits Himself Nicely In Drafting Debut
Michael McDowell5 days ago

Ends Talladega Wrecked From The Lead
Alex Bowman5 days ago

Quietly Captures Top-Five Finish At Talladega
Daniel Hemric5 days ago

Surges To Ninth-Place Result At Talladega
Harrison Burton5 days ago

Squeezes Into Top 10 At Talladega
NASCAR5 days ago

Bubba Wallace Will Start 14th For the GEICO 500
Tyler Reddick5 days ago

Avoid Rostering Tyler Reddick At Talladega?
John Hunter Nemechek5 days ago

Should DFS Players Roster John Hunter Nemechek At Talladega?
Joey Logano5 days ago

Expect Joey Logano To Compete For The Win At Talladega
Denny Hamlin5 days ago

Is Denny Hamlin Recommended For Talladega?
Justin Haley5 days ago

Is A Top DFS Value At Talladega
William Byron5 days ago

Is One Of The Top Favorites To Win Talladega
Christopher Bell5 days ago

Is Best Suited As A Tournament Play At Talladega

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

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

NFL Draft Predictions - Second 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


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


Adonai Mitchell - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Draft - Predicting The Next QB, RB, WR, and TE Selected (Round 2)

The first round of the 2024 NFL draft was loaded with surprises. A record-breaking wait on defense, some winners and losers, and an early Michael Penix Jr. appearance headlined the night. There are still plenty of exciting talents at skill positions floating around. Who will be the next QB, RB, WR, and TE selected in... 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


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


Bijan Robinson - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

2024 Fantasy Football Blind Resumes – Running Back Edition

Fantasy football drafts won't take place for a couple of months, but it's never too early to get into the fantasy mindset after a wild offseason. Many star running backs like Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, and Aaron Jones found new homes while Joe Mixon was traded to the Houston Texans. Those moves will certainly affect where each player will go next season. Luckily, on Underdog Fantasy, we can... Read More


UFL DFS PICKS, FANTASY FOOTBALL, DRAFTKINGS, FANDUEL

UFL DFS Value Plays: Week 5 Bargain Bin for DraftKings Including Quinten Dormady, Jacob Saylors, Jahcour Pearson, More

Welcome to the Week 5 edition of RotoBaller's UFL DFS Bargain Bin, where the goal is to touch on some potentially mispriced players in DraftKings' Week 5 UFL contests. Each week during the UFL 2024 season and postseason, I’ll give you my thoughts on where there may be some value spots to exploit for DraftKings'... Read More


Kyler Murray - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Draft - Why Do The Bears, Cardinals, and Vikings Have Two First-Round Picks?

The NFL Draft is always one of the most exciting days for organizations and fans, but fans of teams with more than one first-round pick are even more excited and overjoyed. In the 2024 NFL Draft, three teams have multiple picks on Day 1. Landing two studs on the first day of the event can... Read More


Brian Thomas Jr. - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Draft: What Time Is The NFL Draft Tonight? How To Watch Thursday's Draft Picks

It’s finally here, RotoBallers! After months of waiting and speculation, the 2024 NFL Draft starts tonight. Along with the Super Bowl and the Kickoff Game that starts the season, Draft Day is one of the most exciting days on the NFL calendar. The anticipation is over and it is time to get things rolling. It... Read More


Darius Slayton - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Draft - Veterans With The Most Fantasy Football Value To Lose On Draft Night

It's almost here! The first round of the 2024 NFL Draft will take place tonight in Detroit, with 32 players set to join their first NFL team after all is said and done. But those players aren't just being drafted into empty roster spots. The NFL is a zero-sum game. For every new player that... Read More


2024 NFL Draft: Biggest Fantasy Football Questions

Football never sleeps at RotoBaller! The 2024 NFL Draft is upon us and anticipation is high for what could be a wild edition that will likely have huge fantasy football implications for the season ahead. RotoBaller's David Rispoli digs into the biggest fantasy football questions of the 2024 NFL Draft. What draft decisions could have... Read More


2024 NFL Draft Mock Spectacular - Woo Fantasy Podcast

Rotoballer analyst Brandon Murchison (@RotoSuperstar) is joined by co-host Nick Hefley (@therealffgoat) as they dive into their final first-round mock for the 2024 NFL Draft. With what is expected to be a wild and crazy night of selections and potential moves, where will the most coveted players for fantasy managers land? They discuss landing spots... Read More


2024 NFL Draft: Three Shocking Predictions for Round 1

Football never sleeps at RotoBaller! The 2024 NFL Draft is upon us and anticipation is high for what could be a wild First Round. RotoBaller's David Rispoli drops three bold predictions for what could happen in Round 1 of the NFL Draft on Thursday night. Win MORE in 2024 with RotoBaller! Be sure to tune... Read More