5 years agoKansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman is poised to set the league on fire in 2020. He is lightning in a bottle and a threat to take it to the house every time he touches the ball. On any given Sunday, he is the fastest player on the field. Yes, he is even faster than his star wide receiver teammate Tyreek Hill. Hardman ran a 4.33 40-yard dash (99th percentile) and Hill ran a 4.34 40-yard dash (98th percentile). So while we are splitting hairs here, Hardman is faster. In his rookie season, the former Georgia Bulldog showed exactly how deadly of a weapon he can be when he averaged 20.7 yards per reception and accumulated 52% of his yards after the catch. He also scored six touchdowns on only 26 receptions (23% TD Rate), which is unsustainable production, but evidences the damage that he can do in this offense. He also finished first in fantasy points per target (2.77) and quarterback rating when targeted (146.6), and he was third in target separation (2.02). But don’t be fooled, the 5’10” sophomore is much more than just a deep threat folks, he is an excellent wide receiver on the most explosive offense in the NFL. This season, look for the former track star to take the WR2 spot on the depth chart away from Sammy Watkins and take it all the way to a top-24 finish in fantasy. When defenses play the Chiefs, their first priority is to contain Patrick Mahomes. The cornerbacks and safeties are tasked with double covering Hill, and the linebackers are focused on the running backs leaking out of the backfield and Travis Kelce. That leaves Hardman in one-on-one coverage on the outside, and he is going to burn his corner 10 out of 10 times. He currently sits at WR48 in ADP, and while that will probably rise into the 30s by late August, he is still a crazy value. Fantasy owners who draft him should be sure to fasten their seatbelt, put their seat back, and make sure their tray table is locked in its full upright position.--Frank Dyevoich, Esq.