Draft Day Winners and Losers
Mon Apr 29 11:53am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer
White should be lead back
The draft is always so exciting, seeing where all the players get picked. But after the draft, the big issue is figuring out what it all means for their fantasy value. We thought it would be a good idea to look at some of the biggest fantasy winners and losers from draft day. These are some of the players that were picked but also some of the guys that were already on rosters, seeing their fantasy value get impacted from the draft. Adjust your rankings accordingly!
WINNERS
Bryce Young, QB, Panthers. The Panthers did a great job of getting Young some much needed offensive help. The team took a receiver, running back and tight end in three of the first four rounds of the draft. Carolina already added Diontae Johnson this offseason, so the receiver corps should be much better after getting Xavier Legette in the first round. The receivers got very little separation last year, so it was hard to gauge Young. He needed help and got some this offseason. Carolina also took a possible franchise running back in Jonathon Brooks and hopefully a solid starting tight end in Ja’Tavion Sanders. Things are looking up for Young and this offense.
Xavier Worthy, WR, Chiefs. Worthy could not have landed in a much better spot. He heads to one of the best offenses in football that has some openings at receiver, especially with the status of Rashee Rice a bit up in the air. Worthy has electric speed and the Chiefs should find plenty of ways to utilize that. He could be the new Tyreek Hill for this offense. Look for Worthy to make an impact right away.
Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Cowboys. Maybe one of the biggest surprises of the draft was the Cowboys not addressing their running back spot. Instead, the team signed Elliott after the draft. He is likely to be the starter in this top offense. He might not rack up the yards of past seasons, but has big touchdown potential in this offense. Elliott seems a pretty sure bet to get double-digit touchdowns. He could be a solid No. 2 for fantasy teams.
Jonathon Brooks, RB, Panthers. Brooks is returning from a major knee injury and could be slowed a little early in the season, but once he is back healthy look for him to the three-down back for the Panthers. He lands in a great spot for playing time, having little top talent to compete with for playing time. Brooks could really get the volume in this offense. He is our top rookie fantasy back.
Zamir White, RB, Raiders. Many thought the Raiders were another team that could address their running back spot during the draft, but that didn’t happen. They used a sixth-round pick on Dylan Laube, but he is not expected to challenge White for that starter’s job. It sure seems the Raiders are comfortable with White as their lead back. He has a chance to get a lot of touches in year two. His stock is going up.
Ladd McConkey, WR, Chargers. The Chargers need help at receiver and McConkey helps fill that need. It would not surprise if he quickly became Justin Herbert’s favorite target in the passing game. We really like his chances to rack up the weekly looks in this offense. Someone has to fill the Keenan Allen void and McConkey seems the best bet out of the options at receiver for the Chargers.
Keon Coleman, WR, Bills. Coleman is another rookie receiver that lands in a great spot for playing time. The departure of Stefon Diggs leaves a big opening for the Bills. Coleman could help fill that void. He has great size for the position and could be a top red-zone threat from day one for Buffalo. Coleman should get his chances from the get go, giving him a high ceiling for the coming year.
LOSERS
Raheem Mostert, RB, Dolphins. Mostert had a monster season last year and helped many fantasy teams to championships. He is going to have a very hard time repeating, especially after the Dolphins picked Jaylen Wright in the fourth round. Wright is a speed back similar to Mostert but a lot younger with less wear on his tires. Remember, Mostert is 32 years old. He might end up falling to third on the depth chart after the addition of Wright.
Rome Odunze, WR, Bears. Odunze is a super talented player that could be a star in the NFL. But for his year, you have to worry about him being up and down. He has two really good receivers ahead of him on the depth chart in DJ Moore and Keenan Allen. This is going to limit the ceiling of Odunze. He will be a much better fantasy player in a few more seasons. For now, expect erratic production from the talented rookie.
Kyren Williams, RB, Rams. Williams remains the lead back for the Rams and is coming off a breakout season. But the Rams picked Blake Corum in the third round. He is going to be a factor in the offense. He might get put a huge dent in Williams’ workload but the big concern is the goal-line work. Corum is more of a between the tackles runner that does well on short-yardage work. He could end up stealing some touchdowns from Williams, hurting his fantasy value.
Michael Mayer, TE, Raiders. Mayer was a second-round pick for the Raiders last year and showed well at times his rookie season. The Raiders couldn’t pass on the talented Brock Browers in this year’s draft, though. This move absolutely kills the fantasy value of Mayer. He is going to play second fiddle to Browers, getting few weekly looks. Browers is the clear tight end to own in this offense.
Ricky Pearsall, WR, 49ers. Pearsall is a talented pass catcher that can get in and out of his breaks in a hurry. He is a really good fit for the slot and could fill that role for the 49ers his rookie season. The problem is he has some of the top talent in all of football to compete with for targets. He could really be up and down his rookie season. He will look better in a year or two when he has a more defined role and less to compete with at receiver. His rookie season could be a tough one to gauge for fantasy owners.
Malik Nabers, WR, Giants. Many considered Nabers the top receiver in this year’s draft. He is super talented with a high fantasy ceiling. The problem for Nabers is he got drafted by the Giants, a team that really struggled offensively last year. Plus, he has Daniel Jones throwing him passes. This is not a great landing spot for the talented Nabers. Jones needs to make some big strides this season if Nabers hopes to reach his potential. We aren’t sure that happens.
Jeff Paur is a two-time finalist for FSWA Fantasy Football Writer of the Year and won the FSWA award for Best Fantasy Football Article on the Web in 2011. He also was the most accurate expert in 2012, winning the FSTA Fantasy Football Accuracy Award. If you have any questions for Jeff, email him at [email protected]. Follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffpaur.
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The Paur Report
Tennessee Titans tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo recorded one catch for five yards in the team's win over the Dolphins on Monday night. With quarterback Will Levis (shoulder) exiting early, Okonkwo was not a factor, seeing just three targets in the game as the Titans relied heavily on the running game. The three targets were actually a season-high for the tight end, who has not become a big part of the Titans' offense yet. Fantasy managers should look elsewhere for options at the position, and Okonkwo can be left on the waiver wire.
From RotoBaller
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle hauled in 4-of-6 targets for a team-leading 36 yards in Monday night's 31-12 loss to the Tennessee Titans. Waddle matched running mate Tyreek Hill for the team lead in receptions while earning one less target. It's the second time in three weeks that the former has led the latter in receiving. However -- like Hill -- it's his third-straight outing with single-digit fantasy points. Despite the fourth-year wideout's output, he's racked up just a 15.1% target share on the team through four weeks, while the 30-year-old speedster is sitting at 23.1%. It's becoming increasingly difficult to trust any Miami skill player sans quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (concussion), regardless of work. Fortunately for the Fins, they'll get one of the more enticing matchups this weekend when they take on the New England Patriots -- a defense that's given up the fifth-most passing yards to opposing offenses. However, the 25-year-old is nowhere near the WR2 lock he was earlier in the season. He'll be a low-end WR3 for the contest.
From RotoBaller
The Seattle Seahawks defense/special teams had a tough outing in Week 4. After being one of the top units through the first three weeks of the season, the Seahawks allowed 389 yards and 42 points in Week 4. They also allowed Lions quarterback Jared Goff to go 18/18 through the air. The jury is still out on how good this defense actually is. This game turned out to be a track meet and resulted in 71 total points between the two teams. The Seahawks D/ST did manage to record three sacks against a talented Lions O-line. That is encouraging going forward. The Seahawks have now recorded 14 sacks on the season.
From RotoBaller
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill caught 4-of-7 targets for 23 yards in the team's 31-12 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Monday Night Football. He added 19 yards on three carries. Hill's receiving yardage is a new season-low, while the four catches he racked up were the most since he had seven way back in Week 1. The Dolphins offense as a whole has been largely disappointing since losing quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) in the team's loss to the Bills in Week 2, and the veteran wideout now has three consecutive single-digit fantasy point outings. On a positive note, Hill still garners a 23.1% target share on the team, but his managers are in a tough spot, considering that a top-three pick was used on him in this summer's drafts. Miami's next time out will be a juicier matchup when they hit the road to square off against the New England Patriots. However, expectations of the 30-year-old's output must be tempered as this offense doesn't move the same without their field-general. Hill will again be a low-end WR2 for the matchup.
From RotoBaller
Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane rushed ten times for 15 yards and brought in all three of his targets for an additional 14 yards in Monday night's 31-12 loss to the Tennessee Titans. Woof. The carries, targets, receptions, and yards were all season-low marks for Achane. He was out-gained on the ground by quarterback Tyler Huntley (40), wide receiver Tyreek Hill (19), and backfield mate Jaylen Wright (32), who all racked up fewer carries than the second-year RB. While Wright was more efficient with his work, he didn't receive his first touch until halfway through the second quarter. It's an outing to forget for the former Aggie, but fantasy managers have to be disappointed, as it's the second contest in a row in which he's failed to score more than single-digit fantasy points. The former third-round pick will have a better matchup his next time out when the team takes on the New England Patriots in Week 5. However, it's hard to trust him as anything more than an RB3 for the time being, with Miami's offense in a tailspin.
From RotoBaller
Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet was limited to two carries for 15 yards but did record five catches for 39 yards in a loss to the Lions in Week 4. With Kenneth Walker III returning to action, Charbonnet was not involved in the run game as Walker saw a team-high 12 carries. The UCLA product salvaged his night with his pass-game work and he could keep that going moving forward. However, with Walker back in the mix as the lead back, Charbonnet's value and upside are limited. He had some good games with Walker out, but it appears that Charbonnet will take a bit of a back seat in the running-back pecking order.
From RotoBaller
The Cleveland Browns will open the 21-day practice window for Nick Chubb (knee), and Browns coach Kevin Stefanksi expects the talented running back to return to practice on Wednesday. Chubb has been on the Physically Unable to Perform list but once he practices the Browns will have 21 days to put him on the active roster. Chubb is coming off a brutal knee injury that he suffered last season and required two surgeries and will likely take a while to ramp up activities in practice and get in game shape. Fantasy managers will want to be patient with the return of the star running back but this is good news from a fantasy perspective. Chubb will have Jerome Ford and D'Onta Foreman to contend with in the Browns' backfield once he does return to games and it is unclear how he will respond to the injury.
From RotoBaller
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tyler Huntley completed 14-of-22 passes for 96 yards in the team's 31-12 loss to the Tennessee Titans, adding 40 yards and a touchdown on the ground on eight carries. It looked like Huntley and the Fins' offense were off to a good start on their first drive of the game, picking up 30 yards on their first two plays from scrimmage. However, two plays later, he'd throw a swing pass to wide receiver Tyreek Hill out of the backfield, which fell incomplete. Upon further review, it was a backward pass that Tennessee challenged and gained possession of. He would later save his night with a rushing score in the fourth quarter -- Miami's first touchdown since the first quarter of Week 2 -- but that would be all the offense they could muster. It's another disappointing day for the Dolphins as a whole. Whether Huntley will again get the start in Week 5 when the team takes on the New England Patriots is unclear. He should not be in fantasy managers' lineups despite the excellent matchup.
From RotoBaller
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) is reportedly "symptom-free" and is on track to return to the field as soon as Week 8 according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Tagovailoa is eligible to return from the IR in Week 8 and could be back on the field by then after suffering a concussion in the team's Week 2 loss to the Bills. With a history of concussions, Tagovailoa's return to the field was not a given but it looks like he is eyeing a comeback from his latest scary head injury. The Dolphins are now 1-3 and the offense is struggling mightily without Tagovailoa on the field.
From RotoBaller
Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams caught a 70-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff on Monday night against Seattle and led the team in receiving with two catches for 80 yards. Williams saw just two targets in the game but showed his big-play ability by turning in the 70-yard TD. The Alabama product can turn a few touches into a big fantasy day because of that big-play threat. It makes him a little bit risky week-to-week but he has mostly rewarded fantasy managers this season. Williams will have to fight for targets with Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta in the Lions' offense but his explosiveness on the outside makes him fantasy viable.
From RotoBaller
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery scored a rushing touchdown in Week 4 against Seattle, carrying 12 times for 40 yards and a 1-yard score while adding one catch for 40 yards on Monday night. The Lions' power back showed off his strength by shaking off a tackle in the backfield on his touchdown run but was not overly efficient at 3.3 yards per carry in this game. Jahmyr Gibbs was the featured runner against Seattle with 14 carries for 78 yards and two TDs. Montgomery continues to be heavily involved in tandem with Gibbs and there has been plenty of fantasy production to go around for the talented duo. Montgomery has also shown he can be productive catching passes out of the backfield which only adds to his fantasy value. He should be a fantasy RB1 moving forward.
From RotoBaller
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown caught six passes for 45 yards and a touchdown and also threw a touchdown pass to Jared Goff on Monday night against Seattle. St. Brown caught all six of his targets but didn't see a massive workload as the Lions' had their ground game going as well in the game. Against a good Seahawks' secondary, St. Brown worked mostly the short field with his long completion in the game being 17 yards. He was able to execute a 7-yard trick play in which he found Goff for a passing touchdown as well which helped his fantasy night. The former USC star should continue to emerge in this offense as the season progresses but there is a lot of competition for looks with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery in the backfield and Jameson Williams coming on at wide receiver.
From RotoBaller
Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III had a massive Week 4 upon his return from an oblique injury. Walker rushed for 80 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries. The starting role was firmly in Walker's hands as he out-touched running back Zach Charbonnet 16 to seven. Walker looked awesome evading Lions defenders and ripping off chunk plays. He accounted for three of the Seahawks' four touchdowns and kept them in the game until the end. When Walker has played this season, he has looked the best that he has looked possibly in his entire career. He remains firmly in the RB1 conversation when the Seahawks take on the New York Giants in Week 5.
From RotoBaller
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf finished Monday night's game with seven receptions for 104 yards. He did lose a fumble in the first half that proved to be costly as the Seahawks were never able to close the one-touchdown gap with the Lions. Metcalf has now gone over 100 yards in three straight games. This offense looks really good in 2024 and should only continue to improve as the players and coaching staff get more comfortable. Unlike in previous seasons, this Seahawks regime has made it a point to force-feed Metcalf the ball. He is currently on pace for 153 targets which would shatter his previous career high. Look for Metcalf to continue his excellent run when the Seahawks play the New York Giants in Week 5.
From RotoBaller
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett caught five passes for 61 yards in Week 4. Lockett continues to be a solid security blanket for quarterback Geno Smith and has hovered around five receptions in most games. He did only manage to draw nine targets to DK Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba's 12 each. Even so, Lockett remains an important part of this offense. He may not deliver consistent WR2 value anymore, but he should continue to be a fantasy asset worth rostering. Lockett should continue his solid play in Week 5 against the New York Giants.
From RotoBaller
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff threw football's version of a perfect game, completing 18-of-18 passes for 292 yards and two touchdowns against the Seahawks on Monday night. Goff's 18 completions without an incompletion set an NFL record and he caught a touchdown pass from Amon-Ra St. Brown for good measure. The former No. 1 overall pick turned in the QB4 performance on the week as the Lions racked up 42 points on the night. It was by far the best game of the season for Goff and could signify a breakout moving forward for the signal caller of a talented and diverse Lions' offense.
From RotoBaller
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba earned 12 targets against the Detroit Lions on Monday night. Smith-Njigba would finish Week 4 with eight receptions for 51 yards. Smith-Njigba has been wildly inconsistent in 2024. He has two games with 12 or more targets and two games with three or fewer. As such, he has been a solid or great start in two games and a fantasy liability in two others. Still, Smith-Njigba is much more of a full-time player in 2024 than he was in 2023. If he can string together a couple of solid games in a row, then he will give fantasy managers a lot more confidence moving forward. For now, he is a good spot start if you need a flex player.
From RotoBaller
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith threw for 395 yards and a touchdown in Week 4. He also threw an interception, but he added 38 yards with his legs. Smith's statistical output resulted in 22.6 fantasy points as he continues his solid season. Smith has been consistent in throwing one touchdown in every game in 2024. However, his completion percentage has been high, and he is not slouching as a runner in 2024. Most notably, Smith's chemistry with wide receiver DK Metcalf is seriously propelling this offense. Smith should once again have a chance to deliver high-end QB2 or low-end QB1 numbers in Week 5 against the New York Giants.
From RotoBaller
Seattle Seahawks kicker Jason Myers only managed to deliver two fantasy points on Monday night. Myers was 3/3 on extra points. However, Myers' lone field goal attempt came from 62 yards at the end of the first half. The kick would have been a career-high. The Seahawks also scored four touchdowns, but they went for two on one of them which left points on the field for Myers. The Seahawks' offense continues to consistently be in scoring positions in 2024. As such, Myers should have no shortage of opportunities to continue scoring points. Keep him in your lineup and enjoy the benefits.
From RotoBaller
Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs led the team in rushing on Monday night against the Seahawks, carrying the ball 14 times for 78 yards and two rushing touchdowns. Gibbs didn't add his normal pass-game involvement as he did not catch a pass out of the backfield in the game. Nonetheless, it was a very productive game for Gibbs, scoring on two short runs. The Alabama product out-carried David Montgomery 14-12 in this game and was able to convert a few goal-line chances and find the end zone. Both running backs should be extremely productive moving forward. Once Gibbs gets more looks in the passing game out of the backfield, he profiles as one of the top fantasy options at the position.
From RotoBaller
