NFL Draft Dynasty Fantasy Football – Day Two Recap
The first day of the NFL Draft left dynasty owners feeling blue with only eight offensive skill players chosen, including only three running backs and wide receivers combined. However, day two promised much more and delivered in terms of a whole host of position players finding new homes. In addition, we finally saw some of our favorite receivers and tight ends land with their new teams. Let’s run down all the dynasty relevant players taken on day two.
Round Two
2 (36) = Deebo Samuel, WR SF
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South Carolina receiver Samuel was a productive and versatile player when healthy, but he feels a bit repetitive when the 49ers already have Dante Pettis on the roster. With some big-bodied receivers available, this pick was a surprise.
2 (42) = Drew Lock, QB DEN
The Broncos were often projected to draft Missouri’s Lock with their first-round pick. Instead, they traded down and waited it out and eventually traded back up to ensure they got their guy. Lock will sit early on, but maybe not for long.
2 (50) = Irv Smith Jr., TE MIN
I was always surprised to see NFL draftniks project the Vikings to select a tight end early in the draft considering they have Kyle Rudolph on the roster. Those analysts must have known something as Minnesota made Smith the third tight end off the board. It might be a small ding to his dynasty value as he’ll be stuck behind the veteran in the short-term.
2 (51) = AJ Brown, WR TEN
A favorite receiver of many dynasty players, Brown lasted much longer than expected. The landing spot in Tennessee is not ideal considering the struggles of quarterback Marcus Mariota and the presence of Corey Davis, although I see a path for Brown to become this team’s top option in the passing game.
2 (52) = Drew Sample, TE CIN
This was certainly a surprise given some of the available tight ends on the board. The Bengals needed help at the position and hope Sample can provide it, but he never got much of a chance to show what he could do at Washington. This is an example of a time dynasty players should ignore the draft capital.
2 (53) = Miles Sanders, RB PHI
The Eagles traded for veteran Jordan Howard a few weeks ago but he is clearly not a difference-maker. Sanders, the do-it-all back from Penn State can be. With this landing spot and becoming the second back selected, Sanders locked himself in as a top-five rookie pick.
2 (56) = Mecole Hardman, WR KC
This is the type of picks that really shake up rookie drafts and dynasty rankings. Hardman was typically being drafted in the fourth-round of pre-draft mocks, if he was chosen at all. Now, he lands in Kansas City as a potential replacement for troubled receiver Tyreek Hill. Hardman could climb all the way into round one.
2 (57) = JJ Arcega-Whiteside, WR PHI
The Eagles continue to add weapons. With veteran Nelson Agholor reportedly on the outs, wide receiver bully Arcega-Whiteside should have an early role and be a prime red-zone option for Carson Wentz and the Eagles. Arcega-Whiteside’s value had taken a hit, but this landing spot should help it recover.
2 (59) = Parris Campbell, WR IND
The Colts were one of the top teams dynasty owners were watching when it comes to possible wide receiver landing spots and the speedy Campbell is a perfect fit for Andrew Luck. TY Hilton should be the perfect mentor for Campbell, who gains major dynasty value with this pairing.
2 (62) = Andy Isabella, WR ARI
A fan favorite, Isabella will be paired with another rookie in quarterback Kyler Murray. I will be watching closely to see how the Cardinals use Isabella, who regularly played in the slot in college. That is in addition to Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk, who are both proficient in the slot.
2 (64) = DK Metcalf, WR SEA
After many presumed the ripped Metcalf would be drafted in round one, he fell to the final pick of the second round, where the Seahawks ended his slide. Metcalf steps into a prime opportunity, given the injury concerns for veteran receiver Doug Baldwin.
Round Three
3 (66) = Diontae Johnson, WR PIT
This was much earlier than anyone expected Johnson to be drafted but at this point, I am just trusting any receiver the Steelers draft on day two. He should see some early opportunity and goes from completely off the radar to a second-round pick in rookie drafts.
3 (67) = Jalen Hurd, WR SF
After grabbing Samuel to begin the night, the Niners followed that up with the running back-turned-receiver Hurd. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has already praised Hurd’s versatility, suggesting he could see action at running back and even tight end.
3 (69) = Josh Oliver, TE JAX
The Jaguars had a clear need at tight end and will attempt to fill it with Oliver, an athletic pass-catching big man who should challenge for playing time right away. The ceiling is limited in the Jags offense though, keeping Oliver in the “late-round sleeper” range.
3 (70) = Darrell Henderson, RB LAR
I had mentioned in an earlier article that one of our favorite running backs would get “John Kelly’d,” referring to last year’s pre-draft favorite who was taken as a clear backup. I never imagined it would be the same team doing it again. The Rams grabbed Henderson, which is either really bad news for him or even worse news for Todd Gurley. Henderson is likely to drop from up to two rounds from his pre-draft round one ADP.
3 (73) = David Montgomery, RB CHI
After dealing former starter Jordan Howard, the Bears were intent on finding a new starter and they did that with Montgomery. Long considered the top back in the class, Montgomery had dropped due to speed concerns, but he should be the ideal complement to Tarik Cohen. He’s a potential top-five overall pick.
3 (74) = Devin Singletary, RB BUF
The Bills have already signed Frank Gore and TJ Yeldon this off-season and now use a day two pick on Singletary. It is unclear how all of this will work out, but it likely means LeSean McCoy won’t be on this roster in Week One.
3 (75) = Jace Sternberger, TE GB
The Packers were clearly looking to add pass-catchers and Sternberger, who is still learning the position, has massive upside. He can get vertical as a receiver and should have a year to learn under Jimmy Graham.
3 (76) = Terry McLaurin, WR WAS
The Redskins and their poor receiver depth chart needed some help and they opted for McLaurin. I wasn’t impressed with this pick until I saw a celebratory tweet from new Redskins quarterback and McLaurin’s college teammate Dwayne Haskins. That relationship means something, especially when the path to playing time is clear.
3 (86) = Kahale Warring, TE HOU
The Texans drafted a pair of tight ends a year ago but neither made a quick impact, pushing them to try again with the athletic Warring. The crowded depth chart could be difficult to overcome early on for the small school star, but Warring has huge upside.
3 (87) = Damien Harris, RB NE
The Patriots spent a first-round pick on Sony Michel a year ago and he played well, carrying the team through the playoffs. That didn’t stop Bill Belichick from adding more talent to his backfield in the form of the underrated Harris. This is likely a committee and will hurt the dynasty value of all involved. As always, target the cheapest Patriots back, which should be James White.
3 (93) = Miles Boykin, WR BAL
The Ravens drafted receiver Marquise Brown in round one but still had enough holes on their depth chart that the position remained a need. Late in round three, Baltimore went back to the well for Notre Dame’s Boykin, a bit of a raw prospect with potential to become the team’s top option in the passing game.
3 (96) = Dawson Knox, TE BUF
The Bills had signed veteran Tyler Kroft earlier in the off-season but they couldn’t pass on the size and athleticism of Knox. In a crowded offense at Ole Miss, Knox had few opportunities to produce. He may take some time to develop, making him a late-rounder in upcoming rookie drafts.
3 (100) = Will Grier, QB CAR
With some concerns about the health of Cam Newton and no real backup plan, the Panthers grabbed the rookie Grier, the productive signal caller from West Virginia. Many analysts ranked Grier as a potential first rounder, but barring injury, we won’t see him on the field early in his career.
3 (102) = Alexander Mattison, RB MIN
The final pick of the day found the Vikings adding a backup running back. The team let veteran Latavius Murray walk this off-season and had not filled the void. There are plenty of backs left that I would’ve preferred to Mattison, but this will give him a value boost in dynasty rookie drafts.
We’ll be back tomorrow to report on any relevant selections. Now the real work begins with our rankings, cheat sheets and breakdowns.
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