Winston the Saint, Crazy for Claypool, and a Future GOAT Kicker
It’s that time of year when fantasy football headlines are going to start coming in hot. Join our list, and we’ll have a neat + tidy list of the headlines sent to your inbox each week. It’s free!
News and Notes:
QB Jameis Winston has signed a one-year deal with the Saints. For the moment, Winston is saying all the right things.
Patriots sign WR Marqise Lee to a one-year contract.
TE Trey Burton signs with the Colts.
WR Percy Harvin declares that he’s coming out of retirement.
Bucs pick up TE OJ Howard’s fifth-year option.
QB Mitch Trubisky says injured shoulder is back to 100 percent.
And now for the only news that matters: Buffalo Bills kicker selected in the 6th round makes a 50 yard FG without taking any steps and a 60 yarder with one step. “You can never have too many kickers.” -Wayne Gretzky
Theory and Analysis Articles:
A good question to ask post NFL Draft: How successful are first round picks?
Some solace for Aaron Jones dynasty owners—NFL Film Breakdown: RB Aaron Jones might me the best zone runner in football.
As is tradition, here is Matthew Berry’s Love/Hate list (2020 NFL draft edition).
In-depth look at what the Tua Tagovailoa & Chan Gailey Dolphins offense might look like.
Someone on Reddit put together a really helpful recap of what each NFL team did in the draft at the running back position as well as wide receivers.
The guys at FF Astronauts put together a thorough list of their NFL draft takeaways.
Breakout Finder thinks RB Eno Benjamin is the forgotten man.
The Hype:
The Andy Reid hot take heard ‘round the world: RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire is better than Brian Westbrook. Westbrook didn’t like that.
Absolutely fantastic thread on Twitter by 32BeatWriters with the Post Draft quotes from each GM/Coach on their newly selected rookies.
RB JK Dobbins is very, very good out of the shotgun. Guess what the Ravens do a lot of. The Ravens also just brought in more O-line power.
49ers GM John Lynch: We had Brandon Aiyuk and CeeDee Lamb “almost dead even.” Lynch discussed why the team selected Aiyuk.
Packers were determined to trade up for QB Jordan Love. “Jordan Love No Matter What.” -Packers GM probably
In 2019, WR Tee Higgins finished with a 59/1,167/13 line. Only 11 of those catches, 169 of those yards, and two of those TDs came after halftime.
QB Jalen Hurts “WILL be on the field” for the Eagles in 2020 and maybe even “as a straight running back.” There’s also speculation that the Eagles are more worried about Wentz’s future than most of us might believe.
WR Tyler Johnson could be a rare fifth round rookie starter.
Jaguars plan to use WR Laviska Shenault in versatile roles. Some think his landing spot is underrated.
Packers think RB A.J. Dillon has underrated value in passing game.
WR Chase Claypool has a fan in Chris Simms who sees DK Metcalf/Vincent Jackson type potential. Warren Sharp throws another log on the fire.
Chargers HC Anthony Lynn on rookie RB Joshua Kelley: “I was hoping he would be there in the 4th round after the 1st day ended because we didn’t have a 3rd round pick.”
Lion’s GM was surprised RB D’Andre Swift was still on the board after the 1st round.
Bargain hunting? Urban Meyer calls Browns’ WR Donovan Peoples-Jones ‘a top-10 draft pick’.
Rankings:
Someone on Reddit put together a great combined expert dynasty rookie rankings.
Rich Hribar’s top 60 rookie dynasty rankings. Superflex version.
Rotoballer’s post-draft rookie wide receiver rankings.
Sigmund Bloom’s post draft 100.
Kyle Yates’ post-draft dynasty big board.
Some Great Podcasts From the Week:
The Dynasty League Football guys go through their NFL draft recap and do a post draft rookie mock at the end.
Fantasy Focus did a full draft recap episode.
A superflex rookie mock from Destination Devy. It doesn’t follow most consensus rankings, but if you want to see where guys who study college prospects religiously take the various prospects this is a good place to start.
The guys at Dynasty Theory do a deep dive into rookie winners and veteran winners.
FantasyPros do a dynasty rookie mock draft.
The Breakout Finder Podcast is joined by Scott Barrett and Graham Barfield to discuss rookies.
Other Good Stuff:
A lot of people have put together simple but helpful lists of players, draft capital, and landing spot. Here’s one, and here’s another.
Already looking to the future? Here’s a great in-depth rundown of the 2021 prospects.
That’s it for this week. If you found this useful, please share it using the share button below. If you have any suggestions or want to get in touch, connect with me on Twitter.