Best of the Rest: The Top Remaining Fantasy Players from the NFL Draft

The opening round of the NFL Draft Thursday night saw a total of ten offensive skill position players come off the board. That included the top two quarterbacks as the first two players selected overall, six wide receivers and, for the first time in three years, running backs. Two of them, in fact!

So, we already know the new teams for Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota, Amari Cooper, Kevin White, Todd Gurley, DeVante Parker, Melvin Gordon, Nelson Agholor, Breshad Perriman and Phillip Dorsett.

Not to worry though, there are still many big chips left to fall when it comes to the incoming rookie class and how your upcoming dynasty rookie drafts will be affected. Let’s start with a look at the top remaining players available at quarterback, running back, wide receiver and tight end.

Note: The order is based on current DLF Rookie Rankings.

Quarterback

1. Brett Hundley
2. Bryce Petty
3. Garrett Grayson
4. Sean Mannion
5. Brandon Bridge
6. Blake Sims
7. Shane Carden
8. Connor Halliday

We’ve all known for months this quarterback class would be very top-heavy, with Winston, Mariota and then not much – that goes for both NFL teams and our dynasty teams. There were some rumors that Bryce Petty would be selected late in round one, but that obviously didn’t happen. I’d expect Petty and UCLA’s Brett Hundley to come off the board in round two, though neither should be a priority in rookie drafts.

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Running Back

1. Jay Ajayi
2. Tevin Coleman
3. TJ Yeldon
4. Duke Johnson
5. Ameer Abdullah
6. David Cobb
7. David Johnson
8. Javorius Allen
9. Mike Davis
10. Josh Robinson

When it comes to dynasty fantasy football, this class is what we drool over. Not only are there studs at the top with Gurley and Gordon, but there’s also depth that we haven’t seen in years. Several of the players on this list could be long-term starters and/or early contributors to their new NFL teams. Look for a run on running backs on day two and this is where dynasty owners really have to pay attention. Tre Mason won’t be the last running back to be shaken by the addition of a rookie. Some things to watch for on day two include how far Boise State running back Jay Ajayi falls given the recent reports of a knee injury, and just how highly college studs like Tevin Coleman, Ameer Abdullah and TJ Yeldon come off the board.

Wide Receiver

1. Dorial Green-Beckham
2. Jaelen Strong
3. Devin Funchess
4. Sammie Coates
5. Devin Smith
6. Tyler Lockett
7. Tre McBride
8. Justin Hardy
9. Rashad Greene
10. Stefon Diggs

I saw some projections that as many as ten wide receivers could be drafted in round one and with just six actually being selected, that tells me there is some major talent still hanging around. Dorial Green-Beckham, Jaelen Strong, Devin Funchess and Devin Smith were all recently projected as first round options and none are liskly to last long once round two gets underway. Of course, there are reason why these talented players didn’t find their way into round one. For Funchess, there are questions about his hands and effort, along with what position he will even play. Green-Beckham has the checkered past that had many teams red flagging him. A top ten talent falls to the second round, at least. Some of the others on this list are viewed as one-dimensional, or have some basic flaws, but that shouldn’t eliminate them from your rookie draft board.

Tight End

1. Maxx Williams
2. Clive Walford
3. Jesse James
4. Nick O’Leary
5. Tyler Kroft

Much like the quarterback class, the tight end class this year lacks depth. It also lacks the top end talent though, evidenced by the fact that no tight end heard his name called in round one. It would be a shock if Minnesota’s Maxx Williams were not the first tight end off the board and once he is selected, likely in the second round, it could be a while before we see another player at this position drafted. Many view Miami’s Clive Walford as the second best option, but reports this week had teams concerned with his attitude following interviews at February’s Scouting Combine. Unless you get Williams in the second or third round of your rookie draft, you’re probably better off stashing some late round backs or receivers.

Now that we all know the names to look for on day two, let’s consider some teams that might select these players. I really enjoyed Dan Meylor’s series (NFL Draft Primer), previewing the draft and ranking the destinations for quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight ends. I also wrote a piece with a similar theme for running backs. We’ll use those to see which teams are still in need as we look towards day two.

For quarterback, wide receiver and tight end, I included all teams Dan ranked as either three or four star situations. My ranking was more of a projection of who would draft a running back and I included all teams that I scored a four or five, with five being most likely to add a running back through the draft.

Quarterback

1. Tampa Bay- selected Winston
2. Philadelphia
3. New York Giants
4. Buffalo
5. New York Jets
6. Cincinnati
7. San Diego
8. Dallas
9. Arizona
10. Tennessee – selected Mariota

You see the top team on Dan’s list has been taken care of, along with the Titans. As I mentioned earlier, there are few real options left, which may leave teams like Buffalo reaching for Petty or Hundley.

Running Back

1. Dallas
2. San Diego- selected Gordon
3. Atlanta
4. Washington
5. Arizona
6. Tampa Bay
7. Carolina
8. Minnesota
9. Detroit
10. Tennessee
11. Jacksonville
12. Indianapolis
13. Houston
14. Pittsburgh
15. Baltimore
16. Miami

It’s clear I expected many teams to add an impact running back, or at least attempt to do so this weekend. Also very noticeable by their absence are the St. Louis Rams, who surprised many with their selection of Gurley. The good news is these teams are not worried as the group of backs is deep and there is time to grab your guy. With huge holes on the depth charts of Dallas and Jacksonville, I will be watching those teams closely. Other teams making running back a priority, or not, will tell us what they think of their young backs, including teams like Atlanta, Tennessee and Miami. Finally, other teams simply need an upgrade at their backup running back spot. This includes Washington, Carolina, and Pittsburgh.

Wide Receiver

1. New Orleans
2. Philadelphia- selected Agholor
3. Dallas
4. Carolina
5. New England
6. Baltimore- selected Perriman
7. Miami- selected Parker
8. Oakland- selected Cooper
9. San Diego
10. Minnesota
11. Atlanta
12. New York Giants

Many of these teams took care of their primary need in short order by adding another pass catcher, but traditional powerhouse offenses like New Orleans and Dallas adding a wide receiver in round two or three would shake up rookie drafts once again.

Tight End

1. Baltimore
2. Atlanta
3. Green Bay
4. New Orleans
5. Oakland
6. Cleveland
7. New York Giants
8. San Francisco
9. Arizona
10. Miami

These teams could all use a tight end upgrade, but most won’t get it this weekend, with only Williams considered an impact player. If he ends up with green Bay, Atlanta or Baltimore, expect him to rise up dynasty rookie drafts towards the early second round.

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Ryan McDowell

Contributor at Dynasty League Football

In addition to his senior leadership role here at DLF, Ryan is also a husband, father of three and PE teacher. Ryan is the commissioner of multiple dynasty leagues, most notably the Kitchen Sink Dynasty Leagues. Here at DLF, Ryan’s focus is on identifying, monitoring and analyzing player value.

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