RADIO
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 some post-draft risers and fallers, based on the results of the NFL Draft. This could be especially important for dynasty owners who have a vested interest in the following players.
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- Running back (RB) fantasy football rankings
- Wide receiver (WR) fantasy football rankings
- Tight end (TE) fantasy football rankings
- Quarterback (QB) fantasy football rankings
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- NFL rookie fantasy football rankings
- Best ball fantasy football rankings
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Post-Draft Risers
Jameis Winston (QB, TB) - Winston has to be the biggest winner of the offseason and his ADP will start to reflect this. DeSean Jackson was a much-needed boost in the receiving corps, but picking up O.J. Howard at tight end and Chris Godwin as well is almost unfair. If you already have Winston in your dynasty league, pat yourself on the back. If you don't, I would advise against going out and buying high because he isn't necessarily worth mortgaging your future. Winston still has interception issues, having tossed 33 picks in his first two NFL seasons and 28 INT in 27 games at FSU.
Marcus Mariota (QB, TEN) - As if Corey Davis at #5 overall wasn't enough, the Titans then added speedster Taywan Taylor in the third round and a young tight end in Jonnu Smith in the fifth. The Titans should continue to lead with the Exotic Smashmouth run game, but Mariota will have more than his share of weapons when it comes time to throw. He had a strong run in the middle of the season, throwing 21 TD to only four INT in October and November. Entering his third season, Mariota's ceiling is just as high as Winston.
Jared Goff (QB, LAR) - Adding more youth in the receiving corps wouldn't seem to be the answer for a team that finished 31st in rushing and passing last season. Keep in mind that Eastern Washington WR Cooper Kupp is going to be 24 years old entering the season and rated #3 of all college wide receivers entering the draft according to ProFootballFocus. Gerald Everett could give them a downfield playmaker at tight end, unlike butter-fingered Lance Kendricks and Tyler Higbee, who did next to nothing in his rookie year. It may not happen in year one, but Goff
DeAndre Hopkins (WR, HOU) - "We got a real quarterback!" This is me paraphrasing Hopkins' emoji tweet after learning that fellow Clemson Tiger Deshaun Watson would join him in Houston. Hopkins was already a strong bounce back candidate once Brock Osweiler was discarded, but now there is even more hope since we now know the Texans aren't planning on rolling with Tom Savage long-term. Despite the huge letdown as a first-round fantasy pick in 2016, Nuk almost scraped together a 1,000-yard season (954). His buy-low window has likely closed, but it wouldn't hurt to test the waters if you have a frustrated leaguemate who owns him and isn't a Watson fan.
Breshad Perriman (WR, BAL) - There's addition by subtraction and then there's addition by the lack of addition. To explain, the Ravens chose to go defense-heavy in this year's draft while neglecting to find a true replacement for Steve Smith. Entering his all-important third year, Perriman must now show why he was a first-round pick in Baltimore and he'll get every opportunity as the #1 receiver. Now is the time to buy in dynasty - remember, Perriman was a combine darling himself not long ago until injuries took his rookie season away.
Post-Draft Fallers
Mark Ingram (RB, NO) - Sean Payton must really hate Mark Ingram. That or he just can't get over that two-fumble game against Seattle in Week 7. Signing Adrian Peterson was enough to raise some eyebrows, but the selection of his replacement in the draft, Alvin Kamara, is akin to pushing him out of the doors of the Superdome. The Saints simply don't run the ball enough to employ a three-headed monster RBBC, so something has to give here and it may be Ingram's fantasy value.
Jonathan Stewart (RB, CAR) - Christian McCaffrey gets picked in the first round? No problem - he can play on passing downs and mix in on alternating series, while Stewart still gets 15-18 carries. Curtis Samuel in the second round? Well, he'll mostly play receiver, right? The Panthers realize they are in need of a talent infusion on offense, particularly in the running game. Stewart averaged 3.8 yards per carry and hasn't played a full 16 games since 2011. He'll stick around to mentor the kids, but his best days are clearly behind him.
Rob Kelley (RB, WAS) - This one's a bit more ambiguous, as Samaje Perine was drafted in the fourth-round and doesn't project to be an every-down back in the pros. Perine is a bruiser who could see work on short yardage situations at first, but doesn't have breakaway speed. He isn't assured regular carries, much less a starting job, but it definitely doesn't help Kelley's stock. This will be a battle to keep track of during training camp, so don't sell on Kelley just yet.
Jeremy Hill (RB, CIN) - No surprise that Hill wasn't going to get the chance to repeat his disappointing 2016 numbers as the feature back in Cincy. Gio Bernard is back and now Joe Mixon is set to take over on early downs. It's unclear if Hill will stick on the roster or be moved somewhere to be a goal-line back (Philly?) but his worth as an RB2 has disappeared. He may have one more season left to earn a paycheck in free agency after 2017, but he'll have to win the job straight up and improve on his 3.8 Y/A.
Sammie Coates (WR, PIT) - As was deftly pointed out by Martavis Bryant moments after the selection of JuJu Schuster-Smith, the Steelers may have found his replacement. Bryant is back and the rookie should stick on the roster, making Coates the odd man out. He was a boom or bust play each and every week, so it's unlikely his ADP takes too much of a hit anyway, but those holding onto him in dynasty can feel free to clear up that roster spot unless he happens to land in a favorable spot elsewhere during the summer.
Hunter Henry (TE, LAC) - As a prospect, Henry remains a top-10 TE, but his short-term value certainly took a hit this weekend. Normally a wideout shouldn't affect a tight end's value too much, but in this case it might. Mike Williams was drafted for his size, catch radius, and ability to present a red zone threat, which is kind of Henry's thing. Henry led the team with eight receiving touchdowns and was second in red zone targets with 17. Williams won't be the go-to guy right away, but with Antonio Gates still around and another mouth to feed in the mix, Henry may be on the lower end of the TE1 spectrum.
