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

NFL Draft Reaction - Most Improved Offenses

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 which teams could provide the biggest increase in fantasy value, based on the results of the NFL Draft. This could be especially important for dynasty owners and early drafters in MFL10 leagues.

For more NFL draft coverage, free agency news, and fantasy football analysis, bookmark our NFL page to get the advantage over your competition.

 

Most Improved Offenses for 2017

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Key draft picks: O.J. Howard, Chris Godwin, Jeremy McNichols

If there is a team that "won the draft" from a dynasty owner's viewpoint, it has to be the Bucs. O.J. Howard may have to share targets with Cameron Brate at first, but his talent level should elevate him to TE1 status before too long. He's a solid second-round pick in rookie drafts and is worth a late-round flier even in re-draft leagues. Godwin will take time to develop, but some fantasy draft evaluators liked him enough to call him a top-five talent at WR.

McNichols is the sneaky pick here because Doug Martin begins the year on suspension and has a growing history of injuries. Jacquizz Rodgers hasn't sold the team on using him as a feature back and Charles Sims is nothing more than a pass-catching specialist. McNichols is a speedy back (4.49 40-yard dash time) who could pick up the slack if given the opportunity, much like fellow Boise State alum and undersized RB Martin (they're both 5'9") did five years ago. According to PlayerProfiler.com, he had an excellent College Dominator rating of 41.4%. Dynasty owners would be wise to stash McNichols in the third or fourth round of rookie drafts.

Jeremy McNichols combine numbers

 

Jacksonville Jaguars
Key draft picks: Leonard Fournette, Dede Westbrook, Cam Robinson

This is mainly about the first player on this list, who also happened to be the first RB/WR taken in the 2017 NFL Draft. Leonard Fournette should make an immediate impact on a team starving for a run game to support embattled quarterback Blake Bortles. The following selection of OT Cam Robinson, in addition to the trade for veteran Branden Albert, should solidify an offensive line that was middle of the pack in terms of grading as a unit. This should have a trickle-down effect to the receiving game, where Allen Robinson now becomes a prime bounce back candidate. Expecting him to reproduce his 2015 numbers would be foolish, however.

If anything, the Jags don't plan on playing from behind nearly as much, as their young defense is also improving. Expect a more consistent, but less prolific output from Robinson and Blake Bortles. Allen Hurns and Marqise Lee shouldn't anything more than flex plays in standard leagues as the team continues to seek offensive balance in order to compete with a vastly improved AFC South.

 

Cincinnati Bengals
Key draft picks: Joe Mixon, John Ross, Josh Malone

It would seem the Bengals now have an embarrassment of riches at the skill positions. Jeremy Hill didn't have the best season in his turn as the feature back, but still managed to score nine TD. Giovani Bernard returns from ACL surgery after averaging 3.4 receptions per game and 4.2 yards per carry in his four-year career.  Enter Joe Mixon, who could quickly replace them both. It's likely that we'll see RBBC to begin the season, but Mixon should eventually assert himself. That's assuming Jeremy Hill is still around by the time the Bengals break camp.

Andy Dalton will also have multiple choices in the passing game, rather than forcing the ball to A.J. Green when nobody else is open. Green missed six games and failed to reach 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his career. As a result, Brandon LaFell suddenly became a viable target (that's not a good sign). John Ross will come along slowly as he recovers from shoulder surgery and is a dynasty-only pick for this season, but his speed threat should open things up underneath for slot receiver Tyler Boyd and tight end Tyler Eifert, who may resume his role as a major red zone threat if he can stay healthy all season. The biggest winner for short-term value seems to be Dalton. If he could throw for 4,206 yards without Tyler Eifert for half the season or Green for six games, 4,500-4,750 yards with 30+ TD is a legitimate target. If you're like me and play the waiting game on QB in re-draft leagues, grabbing him in the ninth round while you load up on other positions earlier could prove to be a steal.

 

Tennessee Titans
Key draft picks: Corey Davis, Taywan Taylor, Jonnu Smith

Corey Davis is currently the most common first pick in rookie drafts and mocks, and for good reason. Davis should immediately step in and give Marcus Mariota a reliable target that can work underneath routes and extend the defense deep at times. For all the preseason hype about Tajae Sharpe last year, he caught less than 50% of his targets and scored all of two TD despite starting 10 games. Rishard Matthews proved to be a reliable red zone weapon, but Davis has a superior skill set. Although he won't step into fantasy relevance right away, Davis is a top-notch dynasty prospect.

The Titans will continue to pound the rock with DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry whenever possible. If anything, the additions they made to the receiving corps will help the fantasy value of each RB. DeMarco Murray shouldn't see much of a reduced workload and is currently a great value in early PPR drafts (#45 overall). It's more advisable to pick up Tennessee receivers in a best-ball format like MFL10 because of the uncertainty around touchdown distribution to their receivers. Jonnu Smith is no immediate threat to Delanie Walker, so he too could be undervalued in re-draft leagues due to his age.

 

You might notice I didn't include the L.A. Chargers or Minnesota Vikings, despite the additions of big-name players like Mike Williams and Dalvin Cook. Williams will be slow to work his way into the rotation with numerous mouths to feed in that receiving corps and the Chargers haven't given Melvin Gordon a solid backup RB to keep him fresh. Cook, for all his talent, has way too many red flags to be trustworthy just yet and their other skill players like Bucky Hodges and Stacy Coley will likely be projects for the next year or two, if they even pan out.

Let me know who else you thinks belongs on this list or why you agree or disagree with the names mentioned above by hollering at me on Twitter @pfunk00 any time. Always stay tuned to RotoBaller for the best fantasy football analysis around!




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
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Brent Rooker3 mins ago

Hits Home Run No. 1 In Win Over Mariners
Jeffrey Springs20 mins ago

Strikes Out Nine, Picks Up Win In Shutout
Owen Caissie44 mins ago

Goes Deep In Season Opener
Dillon Dingler48 mins ago

Homers, Collects Three RBI On Friday
Chandler Simpson56 mins ago

Tallies Three Hits In Triple-A Debut
Juan Soto1 hour ago

Belts First Home Run Of The Season
Emmanuel Rodriguez1 hour ago

Shines In Triple-A Season Opener
David Festa1 hour ago

Sharp In Triple-A Start
Max Muncy1 hour ago

Launches First Career MLB Home Run
Jack Leiter2 hours ago

Earns Victory On Friday
Kevin Gausman2 hours ago

Tosses Six Innings Of Two-Run Ball
Otto Lopez2 hours ago

Hits First Round-Tripper Of The Season
Oneil Cruz2 hours ago

Goes Deep, Swipes A Bag On Friday
Jonah Heim2 hours ago

Launches Two Solo Shots On Friday
Mookie Betts2 hours ago

Hits Two Long Balls
Eugenio Suárez3 hours ago

Eugenio Suarez Goes Deep Twice On Friday
Gleyber Torres8 hours ago

Homers, Departs Early With Side Injury
Josh Jung9 hours ago

Pulled Early On Friday With Neck Stiffness
Orlando Arcia12 hours ago

Resting On Friday
Jake Rogers12 hours ago

Heading To The Bench
Miguel Amaya12 hours ago

Taking A Seat On Friday
Detroit Lions12 hours ago

Lions Re-Sign Kayode Awosika
Irvin Charles12 hours ago

Jets Re-Sign Irvin Charles
Green Bay Packers12 hours ago

Kristian Welch Signs With Green Bay
Pittsburgh Steelers13 hours ago

Jeremiah Moon Heading To Pittsburgh
Teagan Quitoriano13 hours ago

Falcons Sign Teagan Quitoriano
13 hours ago

Tetairoa McMillan Scheduled To Visit With Panthers
Baltimore Ravens13 hours ago

Ravens Reach Three-Year Contract Extension With John Harbaugh
Duncan Robinson13 hours ago

To Miss Third Straight Game Due To Back Issue
Andrew Wiggins14 hours ago

Will Not Play On Saturday
Cole Anthony14 hours ago

Doubtful To Play On Saturday
Walker Kessler14 hours ago

Misses Friday's Game
Payton Pritchard14 hours ago

Iffy For Saturday's Action
Jayson Tatum14 hours ago

Ready To Return To Action Saturday
Tyrese Maxey14 hours ago

To Miss At Least Two More Games
Giannis Antetokounmpo14 hours ago

Available Against Knicks
Stephen Curry14 hours ago

Expected To Play Friday
Pavel Buchnevich14 hours ago

Expected To Return On Saturday
Austin Reaves15 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Saturday
Kaiden Guhle15 hours ago

Back In Action Friday
Cole Sillinger15 hours ago

Returns To Blue Jackets Lineup
Alex Pietrangelo15 hours ago

To Miss At Least Two More Games
Rui Hachimura15 hours ago

Not Listed On Injury Report For Saturday
Andrei Svechnikov15 hours ago

Returns To Action Against Canadiens
Brad Marchand15 hours ago

Ready For Panthers Debut On Friday
Ja Morant15 hours ago

Questionable For Saturday Night
Noah Clowney15 hours ago

Won't Play On Friday Night
Ziaire Williams15 hours ago

Available On Friday
Jake LaRavia16 hours ago

Will Be Re-Evaluated In 7-10 Days After Injuring Left Thumb
Trendon Watford16 hours ago

Will Play Against The Clippers
LaMelo Ball16 hours ago

To Undergo Surgery
Max Strus16 hours ago

Out Versus Pistons On Friday
Ty Jerome16 hours ago

Unavailable For Friday's Matchup With Detroit
Las Vegas Raiders16 hours ago

Devin White Signs With Las Vegas
Lauri Markkanen16 hours ago

Sidelined Again On Friday
Daniel Jones17 hours ago

Gets Vote Of Confidence From Chris Ballard
Stefon Diggs17 hours ago

Looking Forward To Playing With Drake Maye
Steve Erceg20 hours ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Brandon Moreno21 hours ago

A Favorite At UFC Mexico City
Jacksonville Jaguars21 hours ago

Jaguars Cut Dieter Eiselen
Hunter Renfrow21 hours ago

Visits Panthers
Manuel Torres21 hours ago

Set For Co-Main Event
Drew Dober21 hours ago

An Underdog At UFC Mexico City
New England Patriots21 hours ago

Patriots Expected To Release Ja'Whaun Bentley
Joe Pyfer21 hours ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Kelvin Gastelum21 hours ago

Set For Middleweight Matchup
Vince Morales21 hours ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Raul Rosas Jr.21 hours ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Kansas City Chiefs21 hours ago

Chiefs Re-Sign Nazeeh Johnson
Saimon Oliveira22 hours ago

Looks For His First UFC Win
David Martinez22 hours ago

Set To Make His UFC Debut
Kevin Borjas22 hours ago

Set To Open Up UFC Mexico City Main Card
Ronaldo Rodríguez22 hours ago

Ronaldo Rodriguez Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Hunter Renfrow23 hours ago

Meeting With Raiders
23 hours ago

Kyle Williams Visiting With Handful Of Teams
NFL24 hours ago

Tush-Push Ban Is Gaining Momentum
Jaden Schwartz1 day ago

Scores Twice On Thursday
Casey DeSmith1 day ago

Stops 46 Shots Against Calgary
Matvei Michkov1 day ago

Scores Twice, Adds Assist On Thursday
Nikita Kucherov1 day ago

Tallies Four Points In Victory
Connor Zary1 day ago

Departs Thursday's Game Early
Stephen Curry1 day ago

Questionable Against The Pels
Atlanta Falcons2 days ago

Falcons Agree With Kicker Lenny Krieg
2 days ago

Saints To Check Out Jaxson Dart's Pro Day
Matt Rempe2 days ago

Out Week-To-Week Due To Upper-Body Injury
Kyle Connor2 days ago

Expected To Be Available Friday
Mikael Backlund2 days ago

Ready To Return Thursday
Rasmus Andersson2 days ago

Good To Go Against Stars
Joel Kiviranta2 days ago

Misses Thursday's Game
Jason Zucker2 days ago

Unavailable Against Penguins
Evgeni Malkin2 days ago

Out On Thursday
Carolina Panthers2 days ago

Cade Mays Back With Panthers On One-Year Contract
Philadelphia Eagles2 days ago

Matt Pryor Agrees To One-Year Deal With Eagles
Leo Carlsson2 days ago

Scores Twice On Wednesday
Jake Oettinger2 days ago

Stops 41 Shots On Wednesday
Jason Robertson2 days ago

Scores Natural Hat Trick In Victory
Jhonattan Vegas3 days ago

Not A Good Play At Houston Open
Gary Woodland3 days ago

A Dark-Horse Candidate At Houston Open
Nick Taylor3 days ago

Keep An Eye On Nick Taylor At Houston Open
Mackenzie Hughes3 days ago

Avoid Mackenzie Hughes At Houston Open
Nicolai Hojgaard3 days ago

Looking To Rebound At Houston Open
Scottie Scheffler3 days ago

Returns To Houston Looking For Year's First Victory
Rory McIlroy3 days ago

Making Additional Start At Houston Open To Prepare For Augusta
Doug Ghim3 days ago

Looking For Iron Form In Houston
Aaron Rai3 days ago

Keep An Eye On Aaron Rai At Houston Open
Si Woo Kim3 days ago

Looks To Build On Recent History At Memorial Park
Harry Hall3 days ago

Looking For Consistency At Texas Children’s Houston Open
Harris English3 days ago

Looking To Build Off Solid Finish At The PLAYERS
Sahith Theegala3 days ago

A Risky Option At Texas Children’s Houston Open
Alex Smalley4 days ago

A Strong Play At Texas Children’s Houston Open
Michael Kim4 days ago

Bounces Back At Valspar Championship
PGA4 days ago

Sungjae Im Looking For Bounce-Back Performance At Texas Children’s Houston Open
Austin Eckroat4 days ago

A Player To Avoid At Texas Children's Houston Open
PGA4 days ago

Nico Echavarria A Volatile Option At Texas Children's Houston Open
Joe Highsmith4 days ago

Continues Post-Win Success And Is Looking For More In Houston
Adam Hadwin4 days ago

Far From Good Form As He Heads To Texas
Ben Griffin4 days ago

Looking For Consistency At Houston Open
Sean Brady5 days ago

Dominates At UFC London
MMA5 days ago

Leon Edward Dominated At UFC London
Carlos Ulberg5 days ago

Extends His Win Streak
Jan Blachowicz5 days ago

Outpointed At UFC London
Gunnar Nelson5 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC London
Kevin Holland5 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Molly McCann5 days ago

Retires After UFC London Submission Loss
Alexia Thainara5 days ago

Wins Her UFC Debut
Chris Duncan5 days ago

Gets Submission Win At UFC London
NASCAR5 days ago

Bubba Wallace Earns New Career-Best Finish At Homestead
Alex Bowman5 days ago

Falls Short Of Winning At Homestead
William Byron5 days ago

Has An Underwhelming Day At Homestead
Chris Buescher5 days ago

Earns A New Career-Best Finish At Homestead
Ryan Preece5 days ago

Scores His Second Consecutive Top-10 Finish Of 2025 At Homestead
Denny Hamlin6 days ago

Savvy Pit Strategy Helps Denny Hamlin Win Stage 2 At Homestead
Chase Briscoe6 days ago

Moves Above Playoff Cut Line With Fourth-Place Finish
Joey Logano6 days ago

Misses Top 10 Again After Pit-Road Spin
Tyler Reddick6 days ago

Underachieves But Still Finishes Eighth
Justin Haley6 days ago

Earns First Non-Drafting Oval Top-10 Finish For Spire Motorsports

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Najee Harris - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Dynasty Fantasy Football Buy or Sell: Najee Harris, Rico Dowdle, Jordan Mason

One year ago, we discussed the futures of Josh Jacobs, Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, and Aaron Jones as those free agents found new homes. This year's headliners are Najee Harris, Rico Dowdle, and Jordan Mason. Not quite the same. Still, with every transaction come implications for dynasty fantasy football rosters across the globe. Below, we […]


Romeo Doubs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Early 2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Undervalued NFC Draft Targets

While the 2025 fantasy football redraft season is still several months away, there is no such thing as being too prepared for your fantasy draft. Fantasy football is year-round, even for those who only play in redraft leagues. The landscape of fantasy football will change between today and the start of redraft season, with the […]


Detroit Lions Defense, Aidan Hutchinson - Fantasy Football DST Rankings, Streamers, IDP Sleepers

2025 Fantasy Football IDP Sleepers: Five Draft Targets

It's notably difficult to identify sleepers in fantasy football IDP leagues. The skill of the players in question is very important, but situation also plays a large factor, as does a recent history of injuries. Rather than bucketing them into groups, it's better to analyze each one individually, look at where they are in terms […]


Ashton Jeanty - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks

Ashton Jeanty's Top Potential Landing Spots For 2025: Fantasy Football NFL Draft Outlook

Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty will enter the 2025 NFL Draft as one of the best prospects in the class. Jeanty just ran for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns across 14 games this past college season. Those 2,601 rush yards were the second-most of all-time in FBS history, only behind Barry Sanders's 2,628 rush yards […]


Bhaysul Tuten - NFL Draft Prospects, Rookie Rankings

2025 Fantasy Football Rookie Mock Draft: 12-Team, Single QB

The 2025 NFL Combine has now been completed, so it's worth doing another mock draft to see where everyone stands after the league's pre-draft testing event. Overall, there were a few surprises, but the order of many players will remain the same. The mental domain of the original rankings, which have been fairly set in […]


Rashid Shaheed - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Later-Career Breakout Candidates

Typically, most NFL players break out in the early parts of their careers. Between the ages of 20 and 25 is when you expect to see the majority of players have their first big season. Some waste no time and put together excellent years while they're rookies, while some need more time to develop. These […]


Davante Adams - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

NFL Free Agency Tracker - Updates On Every Free Agent Signing (2025)

HuThe NFL offseason is starting to heat up, and the league's legal tampering period is set to begin on March 10 at noon Eastern. Free agents cannot officially sign until the new league year begins on March 12 at 4 p.m. Eastern, but deals will be agreed to, and news will be coming in quickly […]


Marvin Mims Jr. - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL DFS Picks

Early 2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Undervalued Draft Targets For Every AFC Team

Fantasy football is year-round, even for those who only play in redraft leagues. Much will change over the next several months, including the rest of free agency, the NFL Draft, and training camp. However, it’s never too early to look at potential sleeper candidates and undervalued draft targets for next season. Therefore, let’s look at […]


Kirk Cousins - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Worst NFL Contracts: Seven Overpaid, Overvalued Players For 2025

Free agency is in full swing, and teams are handing out big contracts left, right, and center. Myles Garrett became the highest-paid non-QB just a few weeks ago, and Ja'Marr Chase broke that record almost instantly! But big contracts aren't always a success; just ask these teams. These teams had high hopes when they spent […]


Tank Bigsby - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Dynasty Sleepers - Undervalued Running Backs For 2025

Getting ahead of the game is the name of the game in any game, especially if that game happens to be dynasty fantasy football and you want to find underrated running backs to add to your rosters. The shelf life for many RBs isn't very long in the NFL, so it's a position you want […]


Najee Harris - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Outlooks For RBs On New Teams: Najee Harris, Javonte Williams, Rico Dowdle, Jordan Mason, Raheem Mostert, Elijah Mitchell, more

Free agency has fueled a massive wave of player movement that has transformed the fantasy landscape. This includes the results that have emerged after a collection of running backs garnered contracts that will launch them into new environments this season. These backs will be challenged to replicate the prolific numbers that were assembled by the […]


Ja'Marr Chase fantasy football rankings NFL DFS lineup picks

Dynasty Fantasy Football WR Rankings Analysis – Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, Malik Nabers

There's no question that Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson, and New York Giants wideout Malik Nabers are all elite receivers with sky-high production potential for fantasy football. Lousiana State University is WRU, without a doubt. This trio, along with Brian Thomas Jr., proves it. While we won't be covering […]


Caleb Williams - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Eight Best Ball Fantasy Football Players To Target For 2025

Fantasy football is an evolving game. While dynasty is the most popular year-round form of fantasy football, best ball leagues are gaining ground. The best part of best ball leagues is the ability to draft a million teams and not have to manage them during the season. It allows fantasy players to scratch the offseason […]