Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Update: Parris Campbell, WR IND

Levi Chappell Posted On June 9, 2019

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Name: Parris Campbell

Position: Wide Receiver

Pro Team: Indianapolis Colts

College Team: Ohio State Buckeyes

Draft Status: Round two, 59th overall

Video Highlights

Combine Review

Height: 6’0”
Weight: 205 pounds
Arms: 32 1/4”
Hands: 9 1/2”
40-Yard Dash: 4.31 seconds
Bench Press: 11
Vertical Jump: 40”
Broad Jump: 135”
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.03

Strengths

Legitimate top-end speed
Elite athleticism
Tested extremely well under the bright lights
Creates great separation
Gains yards after the catch
Staggers speed and acceleration on routes
Not afraid of some tough run blocking
Quick feet and burst allow him to beat press coverage regularly

Weaknesses

Excelled against the zone, didn’t face much man-to-man
Needs to expand his route tree
Average hands
Not a ton of college production besides a solid senior year

Opportunities

Campbell attended St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron. (Ever heard of it? They had a pretty good basketball player come through there a while back.) Campbell was an all-state football player, but that was not his only talent. As a track athlete, he led his team to a state title while anchoring the relays, and set the state record for the indoor 60-meter dash.

When Campbell first got to Ohio State, he made an immediate impact in the return game. But it took until his senior year before he made a real impact in the receiving game.

That didn’t seem to make much of a difference though, because Indy took the track star in the second round even when they had greater needs to fill on their roster. That is great news… it means that the coaching staff believes he can make a serious difference on the offensive side of the ball. He will join a crowded group of pass catchers, but I believe he can rise above the crowd and set himself apart, ultimately claiming the WR2 job.

His main opportunity will simply come from beating out the competition and being the WR2 on that team. That will take quite a bit of work and I would not expect that to happen right away, but Campbell possesses enough talent to make that come to fruition by mid/late-season.

The Colts didn’t pay Devin Funchess to sit on the sidelines. They paid him to catch touchdowns. Unseating him could take a bit, but the good news is that Indy runs a heavy dose of three-WR personnel. Campbell will be able to make an immediate impact on the field by returning kicks and displaying his explosiveness.

Threats

New addition Devin Funchess is in the mix, and Deon Cain is coming back from an injury. Not to mention, TY Hilton, Eric Ebron, Jack Doyle, Nyheim Hines, Marlon Mack, and Chester Rogers.

That are a lot of mouths to feed in one offense, but Indy has been known to throw the ball 40+ times a game. When it is all said and done, I think Campbell could rise to the starting lineup and pair with Hilton, but that may take some time. Don’t put the horse before the cart (whatever that means).

Short-Term Expectations

Short-term expectations for Campbell should be tempered. Like I listed above, there are a lot of mouths to feed and only one trough to feed from (man… where are all these horse analogies coming from???) Campbell will have to “ball out” in order to make a significant impact on the offense because Hilton, Funchess, and Rogers will most likely start in most of the sets at the beginning of the year.

Campbell’s rookie year could be relatively quiet, but I would expect Funchess to be gone after this year which would pave the way for the rookie to become the regular starter opposite Hilton. Training camp and the preseason will be very important.

Long-Term Expectations

I love Campbell’s long-term viability. He is paired with Andrew Luck for the foreseeable future, in a pass-heavy offense, and Hilton turns 30 this year. All signs point to Campbell making a serious fantasy impact in two-three years.

Campbell’s DLF ADP sits at 86 right now, just behind fellow rookie wide receiver Hakeem Butler (I much prefer Campbell to Butler) and a couple of spots lower than veterans Sterling Shepard and Alshon Jeffery. Campbell is just in front of Deebo Samuel and James Washington. I like his ADP right now of mid-high 80s, and I think it is nice value. If you have a younger or rebuilding team, Campbell is the perfect fit.

NFL Player Comparison

Percy Harvin. Both could play that dual position of wide receiver/running back and Campbell even looked like an RB when he had 21 strapped to his back at Ohio state (typically a running back number).

Harvin came into the league a bit smaller than Campbell, but showed that explosiveness on a lot of plays, returned kicks at an all-pro level, and also carried the ball out of the backfield or on sweeps. Harvin struggled with injuries which ultimately cut his career short, but for a short period of time, was one of the more dynamic players in the league.

Another current NFL player I think Campbell could develop into is Emmanuel Sanders. Coming out of college, Sanders was not an elite route runner and needed to bulk up a bit – two things that are said of Campbell. But Sanders has turned into a route running machine.

Pair that route running with athleticism, and you have a player who has had a very good career in the league. Campbell is already gifted with more athleticism than either of the players listed here, so some hard work and small tweaks could benefit him immensely.

Projected Rookie Draft Range

Per DLF Rookie ADP, Campbell is being drafted as the eighth rookie off the board. His dynasty rookie draft stock has not varied much as he has been picked as early as seventh and as late as tenth. It will come as no surprise that if you want Campbell on your roster, you will most likely need a top-eight pick to make it happen.

I would be a bit hesitant drafting him that early when other players are bound to make more of an impact in their rookie seasons, but if long-term value is your goal, then draft Campbell by all means. But always remember… It’s Parris with a capital “P” (“P” is for potential).

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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.