X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

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
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Rookies and Rookie Sleepers to Target in Fantasy Football Drafts

By Mr.schultz (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Evan Okulanis breaks down the 2014 NFL draft and details all of the NFL rookies, fantasy football draft targets & sleepers that can hold value on draft day.

We had previously looked at the impact coaching changes around the NFL might have on fantasy football, here and here.  Now that the 2014 NFL draft has concluded, let's take a look at some of the NFL rookie sleepers for 2014 fantasy football who are in the best situations to succeed this year.

 

2014 Fantasy Football Impact Rookies

Sammy Watkins, WR, Buffalo Bills

By Mr.schultz (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Watkins is a near consensus to be the top rookie wide receiver drafted in fantasy leagues, and for good reason. He is a prospect along the lines of a Julio Jones, who had a strong rookie year himself (besides his hamstring injury).

The issue with Watkins is that he goes to a run-first team with a below average quarterback and no other major receiving weapons to draw coverage away from him. Still, sophomore quarterback EJ Manuel will have few other options to throw to, and he should be willing to take some shots downfield to Watkins almost every game.  Watkins has mid-level WR3 appeal in any format, although the value probably won’t be there just yet.

Bishop Sankey, RB, Tennessee Titans

I was going to list Sankey here before Shonn Greene got hurt once again, but now I consider him a lock to be the top rookie running back this year.  Bishop Sankey is an impressive runner who shows a lot of patience behind his offensive line, who is a similar prospect to Gio Bernard.  While he doesn’t possess the physical tools of an Adrian Peterson or a LeSean McCoy, he helps make up for it with a quick one-cut burst and the ability to do everything desired in a running back, including breaking tackles, making plays in open space, accelerating quickly and making defenders miss.

While Sankey is a well-rounded player, he is not superb in any one category, which could prove problematic when adjusting to the pro game.  He can also catches passes out of the backfield and pass-protect, making him a virtual lock for third-down duties.  Shonn Greene is the only person stopping Sankey from being a full-time starter, so we could see him touching the ball 20+ times a game by the fantasy playoffs.  He has RB2 appeal in the fifth or sixth round, but he comes with a substantial amount of risk.  It would be advisable to draft another running back as insurance.

 

NFL Rookie Sleepers To Target Late in Fantasy Drafts

Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Carolina Panthers

Kelvim Benjamin San Francisco 49ers

I’m not the biggest fan of Kelvin Benjamin, but he was drafted in the perfect situation. He should have no problem beating out the likes of Jerricho Cotchery, Jason Avant and Tiquan Underwood, and he will almost certainly be the top option in the red zone outside of Cam Newton’s legs. He also is excellent on the deep ball due to his size and speed.  If Benjamin can fix his drop issues, he could become a decent starter in fantasy by year's end.

Brandin Cooks, WR, New Orleans Saints

Cooks is another player who was drafted into the perfect situation.  Drew Brees can make anyone look good, and Cooks is already good.  I question how New Orleans will use him, as they tend to slowly integrate rookies into their offense (see Kenny Stills, Mark Ingram, Jimmy Graham, Robert Meachem).  Cooks's role differs from the rest of these players though, and the subtraction of Darren Sproles will creates an opening in the Saints passing attack.  I expect Pierre Thomas to fill most of that hole with impressive Khiry Robinson taking over the ground and pound duties, but Cooks could still get his.  Think a better Tavon Austin.  I love Cooks as a late-round flyer, and if the Saints give him an opportunity, he will almost certainly thrive.  Keep checking reports in the preseason.

Jordan Matthews, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

Matthews is yet another player in a good situation (see the theme here?).  At 6'3", he instantly becomes a good target for Foles in the red zone and all over the field.  Matthews is coming into the league as one of the most polished receiver in the draft.  He has decent speed, good hands and great route-running ability.  Chip Kelly has already said that they will be using Matthews in the slot, a position previously occupied by Jason Avant.  While all of this is fantastic news for the rookie's fantasy value, there is a downside.  He will probably be fourth on the team in targets, behind the likes of Jeremy Maclin, Zach Ertz and Darren Sproles.  Also, don’t forget about LeSean McCoy, Riley Cooper and fellow rookie Josh Huff.  Matthews should still carve out a role in the Eagles offense, and given the way Chip runs his offense, we can see Matthews having a few big games this year.  He is a decent late-round flyer.

Marqise Lee, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

Lee fell in the draft because of leg issues, but landed in yet another good situation.  With Justin Blackmon suspended for the entire season, Lee will be the #2 option in the passing game behind Cecil Shorts.  Outside of the leg injury, Lee possessed mid-to-high first-round talent.  He is incredibly explosive, finds ways to get open and is almost impossible to tackle once he gets the ball in his hands due to his speed and elusiveness after the catch.  The main issues with Lee will be health, handling press coverage, the Jaguars ground-and-pound scheme and the quarterback situation.  The Jaguars should be playing from behind a lot, so if Lee looks good in the preseason, he would make a good late-round flyer.

Devonta Freeman, RB, Atlanta Falcons

Freeman's college stats aren't too eye-opening at first glance, splitting time with James Wilder and running quarterback EJ Manuel, but the game tape showed what Freeman can really do.  He's a good inside runner (for his average stature) who possesses great outside moves and quick burst that experts have compared to the exciting Shane Vereen.  Freeman fell into a perfect situation as Steven Jackson's backup.  He should easily supplant the undersized Jacquizz Rodgers on third-down duty, and he should see the majority of reps when Jackson takes a breather.  The Falcons may also choose to throw to their running backs more than usual without Tony Gonzalez.  I wouldn't draft Freeman as a starting running back for your team, but he is one of the best handcuffs to own and he could provide some decent fantasy value even if Jackson does start the whole season.  He's great late round value.

 

Other Notable 2014 NFL Rookies

Paul Richardson, WR, Seattle Seahawks - Seahawks love playing rookies, speedster who should have a role on offense.

John Brown, WR, Arizona Cardinals - Incredibly explosive rookie (4.34 40) who could compete with Tedd Ginn for slot duties by years end.

Jeremy Hill, RB, Cincinnati Bengals - Could take over short yardage duties if BJGE is cut, would make a good red-zone vulture.

Jace Amaro, TE, New York Jets - Outside of Eric Decker, he is probably the best target Geno Smith or Michael Vick has, incredibly athletic and a great receiving threat.

 

2014 Fantasy Football Notable Rookies: IDP

Jadeveon Clowney, DE, Texans - Does he even need to be mentioned?

Khalil Mack, DE, Raiders - Once again, does he even need to be mentioned?  Should have no issue finding a role even with the now stacked Raiders line.

CJ Mosley, LB, Ravens - Tackle machine

Ryan Shazier, LB, Steelers - Tackle machine, incredibly athletic

Calvin Pryor, S, Jets - Huge believer in Pryor’s potential, and could make an immediate impact on a young, improving defense.

Haha Clinton-Dix, S, Packers - His major weakness is his inability to punish ball carriers, and is a plus at everything else.  Should make a major impact in Packers secondary and grab a few picks.

Kyle Van Noy, LB, Lions - I like Van Noy as an all-around prospect who should be ready to make an impact day one.  All-around stat contributor.

Stay tuned for a look at which NFL rookies to avoid in fantasy football drafts, and NFL rookies to target in dynasty leagues!

 




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Brandin Podziemski

Hits Six Treys During 26-Point Performance
Jimmy Butler III

Leads Warriors In Scoring Monday Night
Jarrett Allen

Has Double-Double, Six Steals In Blowout Win
NBA

Brandon Boston Recovering From Ankle Surgery
Kelly Olynyk

Undergoes Heel Procedure
Aaron Nesmith

Probable For Tuesday's Action
Nathan MacKinnon

Has Two Points In Losing Effort
Martin Necas

Records Two Assists In Game 5 Loss
Mikko Rantanen

Tallies Three Points In Monday's Win
Wyatt Johnston

Leads Stars To Game 5 Victory
Sergei Bobrovsky

Returns To Winning Ways
Anton Lundell

Earns Two Points Monday
Ryan Gerard

Going For A Texas Trifecta Of Sorts
Brandon Hagel

Departs Loss Early
Joe Highsmith

Hoping To Make More Putts In Texas
Eric Cole

Expecting Big Things In Texas
Brian Campbell

May Go Under The Radar At CJ Cup
Riley Greene

Homers Twice On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

Exits Monday's Win Early
Los Angeles Chargers

Tre Harris Expected To Fill X Role For Chargers
Los Angeles Chargers

Quentin Johnston Needs To Earn His Spot In Training Camp
Los Angeles Chargers

Hassan Haskins The Leader For No. 3 RB Job
Los Angeles Chargers

Chargers Plan For 1-2 Punch At RB With Omarion Hampton, Najee Harris
New England Patriots

Patriots View TreVeyon Henderson As A Three-Down Back
Cleveland Browns

Browns View Quinshon Judkins As A Potential Bell-Cow Back
Seattle Seahawks

Seahawks Plan To Develop Jalen Milroe As A QB
Tennessee Titans

Titans Unlikely To Pick Up Treylon Burks' Fifth-Year Option
Cleveland Browns

Browns Apply Unrestricted Free-Agent Tender To Elijah Moore
Cleveland Browns

Browns Agree To One-Year Deal With Diontae Johnson
Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys Could Reunite With Amari Cooper
Pittsburgh Steelers

Steelers Sign Robert Woods To One-Year Deal
Jimmy Butler III

Officially Active For Game 4
Isaiah Stewart

Uncertain For Game 5
Michael Porter Jr.

Expected To Play In Game 5
Brandon Nimmo

Has Career Game
Russell Westbrook

Questionable For Tuesday Night
Tyler Glasnow

Going On The Injured List
Jaylen Brown

Back On The Injury Report
Jrue Holiday

Out Again On Tuesday Night
Bennedict Mathurin

Questionable For Game 5
Damian Lillard

May Not Play Next Season
Luis Arraez

Expected To Return On Tuesday
Johnathan Kovacevic

To Remain Out Tuesday
Brenden Dillon

Unavailable Tuesday
Luke Hughes

Not Ready To Return For Game 5
Darius Garland

Remains Out On Monday
Ross Colton

Remains Out On Monday
Oskar Bäck

Oskar Back Returns To Stars Lineup Monday
Miro Heiskanen

To Miss Game 5
Jordan Westburg

Placed On Injured List
Anthony Cirelli

Good To Go For Game 4
Cleveland Browns

Browns Decline Kenny Pickett's Fifth-Year Option
New York Giants

Giants Won't Pick Up Evan Neal's Fifth-Year Option
Carolina Panthers

Panthers Pick Up Fifth-Year Option On Ikem Ekwonu
Philadelphia Eagles

Dallas Goedert Could Remain An Eagle
Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Could Still Add Wide Receiver Help Prior To 2025 Season
Cleveland Browns

Shedeur Sanders Struggled During Pre-Draft Process
Buffalo Bills

Elijah Moore Visiting With Bills
Jacksonville Jaguars

Emmanuel Ogbah Signs With Jaguars
New Orleans Saints

Derek Carr Undergoes MRI Exam
William Byron

Ends With A Strong Top-Five Finish At Talladega
Ryan Blaney

Bad Luck Continues With Talladega Crash
Kyle Larson

Has A Career-Best Performance At Talladega
Ian Machado Garry

Gets Back On Track With UFC Kansas City Win
Brad Keselowski

Talladega Run Ends Early After Crashing
Carlos Prates

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Zhang Mingyang

Still Undefeated In The UFC
Anthony Smith

Retires After UFC Kansas City Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous Decision Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous-Decision Loss
David Onama

Extends Win Streak At UFC Kansas City
Michel Pereira

Drops Decision At UFC Kansas City
Abus Magomedov

Extends His Win Streak
Nicolas Dalby

Gets Finished For The First Time
Randy Brown

Gets Back In The Win Column
Ikram Aliskerov

Gets First-Round TKO Finish At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Gets TKO'd At UFC Kansas City
Ivan Demidov

Has Historic Outing In Game 4
Timo Meier

Records Two Points Sunday
Andrei Svechnikov

Nets Hat Trick In Game 4 Win
Leon Draisaitl

Caps Off Four-Point Effort With First Postseason Overtime Goal
Connor Hellebuyck

Gets Pulled Again
Alexandre Carrier

Fails To Finish Game 4
Tyler Tucker

Makes Early Exit Sunday
Chase Elliott

Recovers from Speeding Penalty to Finish Fifth
Joey Logano

Finishes Last at Talladega After Disqualification for Missing Spoiler Brace
Ryan Preece

Loses Talladega Race First in Photo Finish Then in Post-Race Inspection
NASCAR

Poor Toyota Strategy Arguably Cost Bubba Wallace Winning Chances at Talladega
Christopher Bell

Unhurt After Hard Contact with Inside Retaining Wall
Joe Ryan

Posts Stellar Outing
Jaylen Brown

Available For Game 4
Nick Lodolo

Throws Seven Scoreless Innings
Tyler Glasnow

Removed Early On Sunday
Darius Garland

Questionable For Game 4
Jaden Ivey

Making Progress
Tarik Skubal

Racks Up 11 Strikeouts
Luke Weaver

In Line To Get The Bulk Of Save Opportunities Moving Forward
Devin Williams

Removed From Closer Role
Chase Elliott

Is One OF The Top Overall DFS Picks Of The Week
Joey Logano

Could Joey Logano Finish A Race With A Top Finish At Talladega?
NASCAR

DFS Players Should Like Bubba Wallace For Talladega This Week
Christopher Bell

Should DFS Players Roster Christopher Bell At Talladega?
Austin Cindric

Is Austin Cindric Worth Rostering For Talladega DFS Lineups?
Shane Van Gisbergen

Is A Solid, Safe, DFS Choice For Talladega Lineups
Austin Dillon

Is Austin Dillon A Viable DFS Play At Talladega This Week?
Josh Berry

Qualifies Too High At Talladega To Be Worth Rostering In DFS
Michael McDowell

Should DFS Players Take A Shot On Michael McDowell At Talladega?
Noah Gragson

Could Be A Sneaky DFS Play For Talladega
Denny Hamlin

Probably Qualified Too Well for DFS Consideration
Kyle Larson

Increasingly Undervalued Due to His Crashing, but Still a Great DFS Option
Austin Hays

Smacks Two Homers On Saturday
Jorge Polanco

Goes Deep Twice On Saturday
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Hits Four Homers On Saturday
Framber Valdez

Tosses Complete Game In A Loss To The Royals
Jackson Chourio

Nearly Hits For The Cycle
Jimmy Butler III

Ruled Out On Saturday
Isaiah Stewart

Questionable For Sunday's Game
Jaylen Brown

Questionable For Game 4
Logan Evans

To Make MLB Debut On Sunday
Logan Gilbert

Heading To 15-Day Injured List
Ryan Mountcastle

Adley Rutschman, Ryan Mountcastle Not In Game 1 Lineup
MLB

Yankees and Blue Jays Postponed On Saturday
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
Cam Davis

Looking For Better Fortunes At TPC Louisiana
Adam Svensson

Making Third Apperence At Zurich Classic
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF