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
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

NFL Draft 2018 - First Round Reaction

Well, I said it was going to be a wild draft and it did not disapoint. 2018 had twists and turns around every corner. There were unexpected players to plummet, several trades that caught us off guard and some picks we may question for years to come. From a fantasy football standpoint, this could have been one of the most frustrating drafts I can remember in quite some time.

Breaking down the first round won’t be easy. It could be a few years before we truly know the outcome of picks one through 32. We saw a record four quarterbacks go in the top 10 this year before turning to a defensive focus and only 11 offensive players were taken in the first round.

I have a feeling most of our mock drafts were much like our March Madness bracket… busted. Nevertheless, let's see what kind of fallout is already taking place in the fantasy world after the 2018 NFL Draft.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2024:

 

NFL Draft - Round 1 Reaction

I have to hand it to the Browns, because they finally made the right decision. I have always believed Baker Mayfield is the QB1 in this draft. He has everything I want in a QB, will have a ton of weapons around him and there is no controversy. Tyrod Taylor will be the starting QB this season and then Mayfield will take over next season. This couldn’t have been a more perfect situation for him. The Browns have only been perfect one other time and, well, it wasn’t actually perfect. Mayfield holds almost no value in 2018, but beyond he has the ceiling of a top five QB and the floor of a low end QB1.

Saquon Barkley will be the best offensive player in this draft before it’s all said and done and he drops into a really good offense. Luckily for Barkley, the Giants also decided to add to the offensive line. This is no surprise, but Barkley will have the opportunity to be a RB1 this season in that offense. If the line is truly improved, then Barkley shouldn’t have any issues.

Sam Darnold goes to the Jets with the third overall pick, which I anticipated being used on Mayfield if he was there. We will see Darnold by the end of the season, but I don’t think he can reach QB1 status anytime soon. The Jets just don’t have as many playmakers on offense as I would like. Robby Anderson, who is the Jets best offensive weapon, is in the middle of a sticky legal situation. Darnold is one of the last rookie QBs I am interested in for dynasty leagues. I would rather use that pick on another QB with more upside that I may have to wait longer on.

The only other QB I may want less than Darnold is Josh Allen, who goes to the Bills at seven overall. The Bills are going to rush Allen which will be horrible for his growth process. He needs time and that’s something the front office or the fans won’t give him. I don’t want any Allen shares on my fantasy teams. Don’t be sucked in by the amazing arm strength. When he is playing in bad weather during the season, it’s going to make his accuracy issues even worse. Hard pass for me.

I love Josh Rosen’s landing spot. This is the only rookie QB I would add in redraft formats right away and is one of my top dynasty QBs as well. He gets to play with one of the best running backs in the game and a hall of fame receiver. Rosen will make an impact in 2018 and beyond. Plus, who doesn’t love a QB with a chip on his shoulder.

I can’t tell you how disappointed I was in DJ Moore landing in Carolina. I will break this pick down further in my #TrendingNow article coming out next week, but to give you a quick breakdown, Cam Newton will not support this many fantasy weapons. I would be okay owning Moore in a dynasty league if I have the ability and patience to wait a couple years, but I see no immediate impact here. I will forever curse the Cowboys for passing on him.

The Ravens decided it was time to beef up their TEs with the selection of Hayden Hurst at 25th overall. I don’t believe buying into rookie TEs, but Hurst could have some sneaky value as a bye-week fill in. I don’t see a TE1 season coming in 2018, but if the Ravens receivers just don’t turn out to be as good as they hope, Hurst could steal some of that. The long term question is how Hurst fits into a Lamar Jackson offense.

As down as I was on Calvin Ridley heading into the season, I am right back up. I don’t think he could have landed in a more perfect position. This pick actually moved Ridley back up in front of Moore on my boards, but the key is where Ridley will play. If the Falcons play him in the slot as much as possible, he has the potential for some WR3 with WR2 upside in PPR leagues. If they play him outside more often, you could be looking at only a flex play most weeks. Regardless though, this was the pick needed to save Ridley’s value. He’s a mid-first round selection in dynasty leagues and will be a late round steal in redraft leagues.

There was only one other player I loved in this draft more than Rashaad Penny, so I couldn’t have been happier with this pick. Penny is going to be a volume monster in 2018. Yeah, I understand the Seahawks have issues with the line, but the Seahawks would not have made this bold pick if they truly didn’t believe Penny was a difference maker. He is going to start, he is going to play and he is going to be fantastic. In PPR leagues, Penny has so much RB2 upside.

As much as I loved Penny’s landing spot, I hated it for Sonny Michel. However, in redraft leagues, I am all over Michel if I can get him at the right price. The Patriots are going to do something they are known for here, use up Michel as much as possible in the first couple of seasons and then trade him before the knees become a worry. The Patriots backfield is always an unknown each week which will limit Michel in some capacity, but as long as he doesn’t put the ball on the ground too many times, he should see decent volume in 2018.

The pick with the most upside in the first round is Lamar Jackson. He has the upside of the QB1 and a top dynasty asset. You are going to have to wait awhile to see what comes of this. It’s going to be at least a couple of years if not longer before Jackson unseats a healthy Joe Flacco, but it could be spectacular when it finally happens. He has so much potential through the air and on the ground that he may reach Russell Wilson status or higher. In the same breath, he could be one of the worst first round picks in history. There are a lot of concerns, but it is worth taking a flyer in dynasty leagues and waiting on his time.

 

More NFL Draft Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jamaal Williams14 mins ago

Won't Play In Week 9
Christian Kirk23 mins ago

Lands On The Injured Reserve List
DJ Chark43 mins ago

Activated From Injured Reserve
Bucky Irving1 hour ago

Officially Questionable Against The Chiefs
Ezekiel Elliott2 hours ago

Inactive For Week 9
Kevin Huerter2 hours ago

Out Versus Toronto
Stephen Curry3 hours ago

Spotted At Shootaround
Lauri Markkanen3 hours ago

Out Again On Saturday
Puka Nacua3 hours ago

Expected To Play
JuJu Smith-Schuster3 hours ago

Juju Smith-Schuster Ruled Out For Week 9
Bryce Young3 hours ago

Panthers Not Considering Moving Bryce Young
Cooper Kupp4 hours ago

Rams Not Expected To Move Cooper Kupp
Davante Adams4 hours ago

Jets Not Expected To Move Garrett Wilson, Davante Adams
Drake Maye4 hours ago

Clears Concussion Protocol, Will Play In Week 9
Robbie Ray4 hours ago

Doesn't Opt Out Of Contract, Stays With Giants
Tee Higgins4 hours ago

Bengals Not Looking To Trade Tee Higgins
4 hours ago

Yankees Could Make Play For Pete Alonso This Offseason
Jaylen Brown4 hours ago

Won't Play On Saturday Night
Sean Manaea4 hours ago

Opts Out Of Contract, Becomes Free Agent
Cody Bellinger4 hours ago

Picks Up $27.5 Million Player Option With Cubs
Gerrit Cole5 hours ago

Opts Out Of Contract With Yankees
Roddery Muñoz7 hours ago

Roddery Munoz Claimed By St. Louis
Ryan Noda7 hours ago

Claimed By The Angels
Rhys Hoskins7 hours ago

Staying In Milwaukee
7 hours ago

Seattle Declines Club Option On Jorge Polanco
Luke Weaver8 hours ago

Returning To New York
Josh Downs8 hours ago

Cleared To Play In Week 9
Eugenio Suárez8 hours ago

Arizona Picks Up Club Option On Eugenio Suarez
Michael Pittman Jr.8 hours ago

Will Play In Week 9
DK Metcalf8 hours ago

Has Strong Chance To Return In Week 11
Nikolaj Ehlers9 hours ago

Totals Four Points Versus Blue Jackets
Igor Shesterkin10 hours ago

Stops 40 Shots Versus Senators
Aleksander Barkov10 hours ago

Amasses Four Points In Finland
Dan Vladar10 hours ago

Shuts Out Devils Friday Night
Adam Pelech10 hours ago

Makes Early Exit Versus Sabres
Mike Reilly10 hours ago

Exits Friday's Action With Injury
NHL10 hours ago

Nathan Bastian Suffers Jaw Injury On Friday
Jordan Clarkson18 hours ago

Out At Least A Week
Kyle Kuzma18 hours ago

Out Again On Saturday
Jamal Murray18 hours ago

Won't Return On Friday Night
Giannis Antetokounmpo18 hours ago

Anticipated To Play Versus Cleveland
Puka Nacua19 hours ago

Has A Shot To Play In Week 9
Jordan Love19 hours ago

Tracking To Play In Week 9
Stephen Curry22 hours ago

Unavailable Saturday
Yves Missi22 hours ago

Expected To Take The Court Friday
Karl-Anthony Towns22 hours ago

Available On Friday
Eric Comrie22 hours ago

Faces Blue Jackets Friday
Daniel Theis22 hours ago

Likely To Suit Up Friday
David Savard22 hours ago

Sits Out Practice For Maintenance Purposes
De'Anthony Melton22 hours ago

Unavailable Saturday
Jordan Hawkins23 hours ago

Expected To Play Friday
Alexander Romanov23 hours ago

Ready To Play Friday
Al Horford23 hours ago

Resting Against Charlotte
Evgeni Malkin23 hours ago

Takes Maintenance Day On Friday
Andrew Wiggins23 hours ago

Probable For Saturday's Matchup With Houston
Rose Namajunas23 hours ago

An Underdog At UFC Edmonton
D'Angelo Russell23 hours ago

Will Suit Up Versus Toronto
Devon Levi23 hours ago

Returns To Sabres Crease
Clayton Kershaw23 hours ago

To Undergo Two Surgeries
Anthony Davis23 hours ago

Available Against Toronto
Erin Blanchfield23 hours ago

Returns At UFC Edmonton
Brandon Lowe23 hours ago

Rays Pick Up Club Option On Brandon Lowe
Ryan Hartman23 hours ago

Rejoins Wild Lineup Friday
Zach LaVine23 hours ago

Will Play Against Brooklyn
23 hours ago

Nick Martinez Headed To Free Agency
Erik Cernak23 hours ago

Available On Friday
Marc-Andre Barriault23 hours ago

Dustin Stoltzfus Set To Face Marc-Andre Barriault At UFC Edmonton
Brent Suter23 hours ago

Inks Extension With Cincinnati
Immanuel Quickley23 hours ago

Out Again On Friday Night
CJ McCollum23 hours ago

Out At Least Two Weeks
23 hours ago

Yankees, Mets Among Teams In Battle For Juan Soto
Scott Kingery24 hours ago

Traded To Los Angeles
Marc-Andre Barriault24 hours ago

A Favorite At UFC Edmonton
Blake Snell24 hours ago

Opts Out Of Deal With San Francisco
Josh Jacobs1 day ago

Questionable For Sunday
Drake Maye1 day ago

Questionable For Week 9
Tyler Boyd1 day ago

Tony Pollard, Tyler Boyd Listed As Questionable
Tyjae Spears1 day ago

Ruled Out For Week 9
Trevin Giles1 day ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Mike Malott1 day ago

Opens Up UFC Edmonton Main Card
Zach Benson1 day ago

Could Play Next Week
Jani Hakanpaa1 day ago

And Connor Dewar Sent On Conditioning Stint
Dmitri Voronkov1 day ago

Ready For Season Debut Friday
Mathew Barzal1 day ago

Getting Tests Done For Upper-Body Injury
Vladimir Tarasenko1 day ago

Ready To Go For Saturday
Mark Stone1 day ago

Misses Practice Due To Birth Of Child
Tomás Nosek1 day ago

Tomas Nosek Ready For Panthers Debut On Friday
1 day ago

Royals Decline Option On Adam Frazier
1 day ago

Manuel Margot, Kyle Farmer Headed To Free Agency
1 day ago

Milwaukee Declines Option On Wade Miley
Brendson Ribeiro2 days ago

Searching For 1st UFC Win At UFC Edmonton
Caio Machado2 days ago

Drops Down To Light Heavyweight At UFC Edmonton
Jhonata Diniz2 days ago

Gets Big Step-Up At UFC Edmonton
Derrick Lewis2 days ago

Faces An Unranked Heavyweight At UFC Edmonton
Amir Albazi2 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Edmonton
Brandon Moreno2 days ago

Ends Layoff At UFC Edmonton
Chase Elliott5 days ago

Comes Up Short at Homestead
William Byron5 days ago

Rallies to Sixth at Homestead
Kyle Larson5 days ago

Tire Issue at Homestead Could Doom Kyle Larson's Championship Hopes
Tyler Reddick5 days ago

Charges To A Thrilling Victory At Homestead
Ryan Blaney5 days ago

Loses At Homestead On The Final Corner To Tyler Reddick
Christopher Bell5 days ago

Quietly Nabs A Top-5 Finish At Homestead
Khamzat Chimaev5 days ago

Remains Undefeated
Robert Whittaker5 days ago

Gets Submitted At UFC 308
Aleksandar Rakic5 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC 308
Armen Petrosyan5 days ago

Knocked Out At UFC 308
Shara Magomedov5 days ago

Gets Highlight-Reel Knockout Win At UFC 308
Joey Logano6 days ago

Intentionally Sleepwalked Through Homestead to Focus on Phoenix
Denny Hamlin6 days ago

Advances to Championship 4 as Owner but Not as Driver
Dan Ige6 days ago

Loses Second-Straight Fight At UFC 308
Lerone Murphy6 days ago

Remains Undefeated At UFC 308
Magomed Ankalaev6 days ago

Wins Lackluster Decision Win At UFC 308
Max Holloway6 days ago

Gets Knocked Out For First Time At UFC 308

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Keon Coleman - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Key Starters and Tough Calls - Week 9 Lineup Spotlights for Fantasy Football Include Ladd McConkey, Keon Coleman, Joe Flacco

Scott Engel’s Lineup Spotlights are an essential weekly feature on RotoBaller.com for the 2024 fantasy football season. Every week, he focuses on players to choose as starting options when you are dealing with tight lineup decisions. The lineup picks included in this rundown are based on Scott’s Premium Weekly Lineup Rankings, available as part of the RotoBaller […]


Ladd McConkey - Fantasy Football Rankings, Rookies, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Wide Receiver Matchups to Target in Week 9 - Terry McLaurin, Chris Olave, Ladd McConkey, Jakobi Meyers

Welcome to WR Matchups to Target for Week 9. Last week’s picks yielded one “in the money” pick (3x multiplier on DraftKings salary) in Keon Coleman, giving us 11 such picks over the first eight weeks of the season. Each week, we will use matchup data from PFF to determine which wide receivers to target […]


Brian Thomas Jr - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Who Should I Start? Sunday Fantasy Football Lineup Decisions for Week 9 (2024) - Diontae Johnson, Keon Coleman, Jalen Tolbert, Brian Thomas, Jakobi Myers, Brian Robinson, Keenan Allen, Tee Higgins, Bo Nix

It's almost time for Sunday football. Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Sunday football and Week 9 of the 2024 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell […]


Bryce Young - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

High-Upside Bench Stashes: Weekend Waiver Wire Adds for Week 9 Includes Jalen Coker, Troy Franklin, Jaylen Wright, Erick All Jr., Kimani Vidal, Blake Corum

Mastering the waiver wire is a crucial skill that can lead you to a fantasy football championship. It's not just about strategically placing your FAAB budget on specific players but also about knowing when to stash players. This dual strategy keeps you engaged and focused on your ultimate goal of winning a fantasy championship. As […]


Video: Week 9 Booms, Sleepers, and Streamers - 2024 Fantasy Football Start 'Em Analysis

Let's go, RotoBallers! We are back and dropping fire content for the weekend ahead with our top Week 9 booms, sleepers, and streamers! NFL Network and RotoBaller contributor LaQuan Jones gives in-depth fantasy football advice, breaking down some of his high-upside, sleeper, and value plays as we head into Week 9 of the new fantasy […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Buy Low, Sell High Week 9 Fantasy Football Trade Value Recommendations - Josh Downs, Chris Olave, Cedric Tillman, more

Welcome to Week 9 of the NFL season! We’re deep into the grind where every decision counts more than ever. With injuries piling up and bye weeks affecting lineups, knowing when to buy low or sell high can be the key to revitalizing your team. Whether riding high after a win or looking to bounce […]


Jameis Winston - NFL DFS Picks, Waiver Wire, Fantasy Football Rankings

Week 9 Superflex 2QB Rankings for Fantasy Football: Updates for Jameis Winston, Joe Flacco, Matthew Stafford, Daniel Jones, Trevor Lawrence, Drake Maye

With quarterbacks beginning to get benched or banged up, some backup quarterbacks are entering lineups and have become viable in Superflex and two-QB leagues. Our Week 9 fantasy football Superflex rankings (2QB) for 2024 are here to help you close start-or-sit calls between comparable options. Below, you can see where RotoBaller has key Superflex options […]


Bucky Irving - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football Rankings (2024) - Week 9 Updates Include Rhamondre Stevenson, Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Bucky Irving

Incredibly, Week 9 has already kicked off, and Thursday's game is already in the books. It's time to start reviewing your dynasty leagues to decide whether to make a run for the championship or sell off for next year. There were some big trades in the NFL recently, with DeAndre Hopkins heading to Kansas City […]


Chris Olave - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Week 9 PPR Rankings for Fantasy Football: Overall Updates Include Marvin Harrison, Chris Olave, Amari Cooper, Jayden Reed, Rachaad White, Nick Chubb

The Week 9 slate brings a must-win situation to many fantasy managers, so it's time to lock in and set optimal fantasy football lineups. Below, you'll see our NFL team's updated Week 9 fantasy football PPR rankings for 2024. Let's see where key players like Cooper Kupp, T.J. Hockenson, Jaylen Waddle, Tank Bigsby, Jalen McMillan, […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Week 9 FLEX Rankings for Fantasy Football (RB, WR, TE) - Updates Include Jalen McMillan, Xavier Worthy, Calvin Ridley, Josh Downs, Kareem Hunt, DJ Moore

The fantasy football playoffs will be here before we know it, so if you need a few wins to secure your spot and are looking for lineup advice, you have come to the right place. We're here to help with our NFL team's updated Week 9 fantasy football FLEX rankings for 2024. Comparing two flex […]


Chase Brown - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, Draft Sleepers

Week 9 Running Back Rankings for Fantasy Football: RB Updates Include Tank Bigsby, Chuba Hubbard, Tyrone Tracy, Chase Brown, Rico Dowdle, JK Dobbins

The running back position has seemingly been the most consistent in fantasy football this season, but things can change in a hurry, so it's important to set optimal lineups each week. Let's get to crucial start-or-sit decisions with help from our updated Week 9 fantasy football running back rankings for 2024. Where do key RBs […]


Cedric Tillman - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Week 9 Wide Receiver Rankings for Fantasy Football: WR Updates Include Cedric Tillman, Darnell Mooney, Khalil Shakir, Romeo Doubs, Jaylen Waddle, more

Ahead of the Week 9 NFL slate, the wide receiver position is the deepest in fantasy football, but that can lead to troubling start-or-sit decisions, especially when comparing two flex-level WR options. We're here to assist with our NFL team's updated Week 9 fantasy football wide receiver rankings for 2024. Let's dive into the rankings […]


Cole Kmet - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL injury News

Week 9 Tight End Rankings for Fantasy Football: TE Updates Include Cade Otton, Cole Kmet, Kyle Pitts, Evan Engram, David Njoku, Tucker Kraft, Sam LaPorta

Tight ends showed out last week on National Tight End Day, so hopefully, the momentum continues for the tough position to analyze and navigate. Below, you'll see our NFL team's updated Week 9 fantasy football tight end rankings for 2024 to help you make tough start-or-sit decisions. Let's dig into the rankings to find out […]