DLF’s 2019 Predictions: Fantasy Rookie of the Year

Ryan Finley

It’s now been over 200 days since the Patriots defeated the Rams in Super Bowl LIII. That’s over 200 days of content including research, articles, podcasts and more getting ready for the next fantasy season.

Well, the wait is almost over, as the 2019 NFL Football season is right around the corner. That also means that it’s time for DLF’s 2019 Fantasy Predictions. As we do every year, we have several different prediction articles for you in the following categories:

Next up in the series we have our picks for Fantasy Rookie of the Year:

David Montgomery, RB CHI

The rookie running back could not have landed in a better situation. With Jordan Howard out and Tarik Cohen repping as a third-down specialist, Montgomery will prove to be an every-down back with a balance of power and elusiveness. The Bears run game will be back in 2019. – Noah Ballweg

Kyler Murray, QB ARI

Quarterbacks usually do not produce well as rookies, but Murray is in a unique situation to break that trend. A running quarterback who is also very accurate and playing in a high-tempo offense is a recipe for fantasy gold. – Kyle Holden

David Montgomery, RB CHI

The uncertainty of the Raiders makes me hesitant for Jacobs, and Murray is a solid choice as well. But I see Montgomery picking up most of the slack that Howard left behind. Although Howard is the butt of many jokes, he put up really good numbers for the Bears in the ground game. 1,100+ all purpose yards and seven to nine touchdowns should not be out of the question. Consider Montgomery to be a solid, low-end RB2 with eventual RB1 upside. – Levi Chappell

Miles Sanders, RB PHI

Running backs break out early and often in fantasy. Sanders is a highly athletic, 211 lb. player who ran a sub-4.5 at the combine and displayed a three-down skill set in the one year he wasn’t behind Saquon Barkley. He was just drafted in the second round of the NFL draft to a good offense. Per DLF’s August ADP he’s being drafted as the 25th player off the board at the position. Gimmie. – Peter Howard

David Montgomery, RB CHI

Montgomery is going to win this award and it won’t be close. He should eclipse 1,500 total yards and ten scores in the Chicago offense under Matt Nagy. He will catch passes and fill highlight reels with crazy runs. I love Montgomery this season. – Dwight Peebles

Josh Jacobs, RB OAK

I’m not a big fan of this class overall. I was certainly not a fan of Jacobs heading into draft season, but he landed in a good spot on a team with little competition at the position. Although I believe Jalen Richard eats into his passing game work, Jacobs currently sits atop the Raiders depth chart on a team running an RB-friendly system. Volume is key for fantasy production, and Jacobs will be given opportunity to succeed under Jon Gruden. – John Di Bari

Josh Jacobs, RB OAK

Another player that should see a lot of opportunities, Jacobs has little competition in the Oakland backfield. Jacobs volume should help make up for the fact that he is playing on what looks to be a pretty bad team in 2019. – James Koutoulas

Josh Jacobs, RB OAK

My heart said David Montgomery, but my head is the one with the writing skills, so Jacobs it is. He’ll get the bulk of the work on the ground and is an excellent receiver. – Doug Green

Josh Jacobs, RB OAK

Rookies of the year tend to be running backs, so I’m going to pick the best one I can for 2019. He should get the majority of the workload on an offense that’ll be much improved over last season. – Mike Havens

Miles Sanders, RB PHI

The buzz around Sanders is growing by the day – nay – the minute. A starter in Philadelphia’s second preseason game, Sanders has shaken off the injury bug which plagued him through spring to shoot up draft boards. I believe the Eagles use of multiple backs over the past several seasons was due to necessity as opposed to preference. Sanders combines all those other backs’ talents into one package; he has a golden opportunity to jump into the scene and establish himself as an elite long-term option. – Rob Willette

David Montgomery, RB CHI

People might say Murray because quarterbacks tend to get the love but the position is saturated and he isn’t going to win anyone a fantasy championship by himself. Montgomery is Coach Nagy’s handpicked replacement for Jordan Howard and he will be the 1A to Tarik Cohen’s 1B. Last year Howard received 250 carries for 935 yards and nine touchdowns. He also turned 27 targets into 20 receptions for 145 yards. I think this is Montgomery’s absolute floor. When all is said and done, he’s going to be the rookie of the year and it won’t be particularly close. – Eric Olinger

David Montgomery, RB CHI

Josh Jacobs will be the choice of many but I don’t know that I trust the chaos in Oakland over the relative stability in Chicago. Matt Nagy proved last year to be a highly effective play caller and the Bears forked over a relative haul to move up and select Montgomery. – Michael Moore

TJ Hockenson, TE DET

He won’t have the most points out of any rookie, but I think he’s the most likely to finish the year as a top-12 option at his position. I view this category similarly as I do Fantasy MVP, in that he will add the most value above replacement level out of all the league’s freshmen. – Eric Hardter

David Montgomery, RB CHI

David Montgomery was the RB1 in my rookie model, and it’s easy to see why. His shiftiness at the line of scrimmage, ability to run through defenders, and pass-catching skills have me extremely excited to see what Montgomery can do this year! Jacobs is as popular a rookie of the year choice as I can imagine, but the overall ceiling of Matt Nagy’s offense is higher than Oakland’s.. – Ryan Miller

Josh Jacobs, RB OAK

Do you think Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock took a running back 24th overall to stick him in a committee? This Raiders team should be consistently playing from behind. As long as Jacobs is the receiving back, a top-15 finish is likely on volume alone. Garbage time points count the same. This Bama product wouldn’t be the first running back on a terrible team to put up strong fantasy numbers (see Johnson, Duke in 2017). – Josh Brickner

Josh Jacobs, RB OAK

Of the entire class, Jacobs looks to easily have the largest role in his offense. Workhorse running backs are rarely unproductive, and this first-round pick has the talent to make the most of such an opportunity. Meanwhile, N’Keal Harry will be competing with Julian Edelman, Josh Gordon, and others for targets, Montgomery will be splitting touches with Cohen, and Sanders won’t simply walk into a starting role with Howard and Darren Sproles in the same backfield. – Stephen Gill

Miles Sanders, RB PHI

Reports already have Sanders opening 2019 ahead of Howard. He is a three-down player in what should be a good offense. Enjoy his meteoric rise. – Austin DeWitt

Miles Sanders, RB PHI

There isn’t much confluence of talent and opportunity in this year’s rookie class. I don’t expect anybody to be a true first-year stud, but Sanders makes the best case for fantasy relevance. – Jacob Wolf

Josh Jacobs, RB OAK

Gruden plays an old school style of football. I believe they will run Jacobs hard. Wouldn’t surprise me for him to finish as a high-end RB2 low-end RB1. – Bobby Koch

David Montgomery, RB CHI

I realize Jacobs is probably the top pick, as he has a completely clear path to a huge workload. But the Chicago offense is much better, and could see a big improvement this year. I’ll take the guy in the better offense, and I expect Montgomery’s versatility will be a big part of that improvement. – Ryan Finley

There you have it. While there’s not Saquon this year, most seem to think a running back will take the award. Who do you like? Comment below!