Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Update: DJ Moore, WR CAR

Levi Chappell Posted On May 7, 2018

Editor’s Note: To help you dominate your rookie drafts, this series will feature a look at the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of over 40 dynasty rookie draft prospects and run all through the month of May and even into June. We’ll cover all the premier prospects but also give you critical information on some of the lesser known talents. All of these rookie updates will be loaded into our ever-evolving 2018 Rookie Draft Guide – the ultimate resource for dynasty enthusiasts all over the world.

Name: DJ Moore

Position: Wide Receiver

Pro Team: Carolina Panthers

College Team: Maryland Terrapins

Draft Position: Round one, 24th overall

Video Highlights

Combine Review

Height: 6’0”
Weight: 210 LBS
Hands: 9 5/8”
Arm Length: 31 5/8”
Bench Press: 15 Reps
40 Yard Dash: 4.42 Seconds
20 Yard Shuttle: 4.07 Seconds
60 Yard Shuttle: 11.18 Seconds
3-Cone Drill: 6.95 Seconds
Broad Jump: 132 inches (11 ft)
Vertical Jump: 39.5 Inches

Strengths

[am4show have=’g1;’ guest_error=’sub_message’ user_error=’sub_message’ ]

Be sure to keep checking our Complete Dynasty Rookie Rankings for constantly updated rookie values!

DJ Moore is the consensus favorite WR in this years class, and he has quite a few strengths that jump out when you watch him. The first is his incredible ability to run after the catch and gain that ‘YAC’. Maryland did a great job of getting the ball into his hands and letting him do the rest.

A very popular term used by analyst at the NFL Combine is “quicker than he is fast”, which is not the case for Moore. He has incredible lateral quickness for slants and screens, but can also kick it into high gear and blow past the corner for a deep ball. That combo could be lethal at the next level.

He has a lot more strengths, but the last one I will write on which goes hand-in-hand with YAC, is how hard he is to tackle. He has that “slipperiness” (yep, I said slipperiness… it sounds good) which seems to baffle tacklers who attempt to get him to the ground.

Weaknesses

Two things that bothered me when watching tape on him: firstly, for how explosive of an athlete he is, he didn’t win as many 50/50 balls as other wideouts in the draft. He is only 6’0”, instead of 6’2” or 6’3”, but with a 4.42 forty and a 40-inch vertical, I would expect him to win those more often than not. 50/50 balls are about athleticism but also technique, so with proper coaching in Carolina, hopefully he can correct that.

The other thing I saw, which was similar to Courtland Sutton, was the lack of urgency or explosiveness out of breaks and deep routes. When he chose to, he could blow past anyone, but too many times he would lazily break on a route or not sprint on deep balls. That will drive NFL coaches crazy and is something he will need to fix before he can truly be successful. He could get away with that at Maryland, but he won’t in the NFL. Cornerbacks in the NFL will steal your lunch money if you aren’t going 100%.

Opportunities

From a need standpoint, Carolina was a great fit. Besides the Cowboys and possibly the Ravens, I can’t think of a team more devoid of talent at the wide receiver position. I am not thrilled about the landing spot – simply because the Panthers have never been a throw-first team and Cam Newton has not proven that he can produce top-level fantasy wide receivers. But Moore will definitely have ample playing time and will not be fighting for minutes. He will have loads of opportunity, even if Funchess is the number one wide receiver on that team. Moore and Devin Funchess are polar opposites which can work to the advantage of both. Pencil Moore is as the number two receiver in that offense and the main deep threat.

Threats

No threat level midnight (for you, Office fans) in this situation. The only threat will be the possibility of low usage rate in the red zone with Funchess, Greg Olsen, and Christian McCaffrey on the team. But that should not scare you away from selecting Moore as the number one receiver in the 2018 class.

Also, when a team invests a first round pick and selects him as the first WR taken, that means he will have plenty of leeway. This is a positive for Moore.

Short-Term Expectations

Tempering expectations for rookies is always a smart idea, but with that said, there is no reason Moore shouldn’t be able to make an immediate impact. Players like Moore, Michael Gallup, and Calvin Ridley are all in situations to make an impact from day one, while James Washington and Courtland Sutton are down deeper on the depth chart. I expect the Panthers to utilize Moore heavily in the upcoming season. A stat-line of 65 catches for 850 yards and six scores is more than reasonable and would have placed him inside the top 25 last year.

Long-Term Expectations

I have high hopes for Moore. I think he can be a special talent and a staple inside the top 15 wide receivers for years to come. He is my WR22 and my 53rd overall player right now, and with a solid rookie season, I’m sure he will move up. I only hope that landing on the Panthers will not limit his upside and growth. I expect him at the very least to stay inside the top 25 wide receivers for the next five-ten years.

NFL Player Comparison

Ceiling: Moore reminds me of a combo of three guys: Stefon Diggs, Steve Smith, and Golden Tate. He has the athleticism of Diggs in the way he can stretch the field, the tenacity and effort he plays with (when he chooses to) reminds me of Steve Smith, and lastly, the yards after the catch and the ability to break tackles reminds me of Tate. All three are immensely talented and have proven to be forces in the NFL.

Floor: Parts of Moore’s game also looks similar to Kenny Stills. Stills has had a phine (see what I did there?) career and played very well for the Dolphins recently, but at times he relies solely on his speed and deep routes to be productive. This can turn him into a one-trick pony at times. If the Panthers use Moore correctly and put him in the right positions to succeed, this should not be a problem. Unfortunately, we have seen many times before when a team does not know how to properly use the skill set of a player.

Projected Rookie Draft Range

In most drafts, Moore will be the first wide receiver off the board. The only question is: where will that be? I have seen him go as high as 1.02 (I know, that’s pretty early) and he’s been drafted as low as eighth. I am always a proponent of getting “your guy”. There are two running backs I would definitely take ahead of Moore, but if you have the 1.03 and like Moore, select him and be excited. My guess is his draft position settles right around 1.05 or 1.06. Hopefully all this information helped!

Follow me on Twitter @levichappell.

Happy Drafting!

[/am4show]

Author
Recent Posts

Levi Chappell

Contributor at Dynasty League Football

Fueled by coffee, Levi spends most of his days in the real estate industry. When not in the real estate world, he is engulfed in dynasty and other sports. When other kids were playing with lincoln logs and legos, Levi was reading sports almanacs... for fun. "Too much fantasy" is not in his vocabulary.