2020 NFL Draft Prospect – Antonio Gandy-Golden, WR Liberty
Our NFL rookie profile series continues with this analysis of 2020 NFL Draft Prospect Antonio Gandy-Golden, WR from Liberty. We will continue to provide you with these in-depth rookie profiles and a ton of other fantasy football rookie analysis right up through the NFL Draft. Stay tuned, and stay ahead of your league!
The 2020 rookie class has long been touted as exceptional. The wide receiver group features both top tier talent and some appealing later-round options. Antonio Gandy-Golden is squarely in the group of later-round receivers possessing an attractive upside. His mix of production and athleticism checks boxes in several categories and suggests he can find success in the NFL.
THE STATS
Statistics from sports-reference.com.
These statistics happen to exclude Gandy-Golden’s first two seasons. He played in all 11 games as a freshman, with 21 catches for 315 yards. He eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards as a sophomore on 69 receptions.
As one would expect, Gandy-Golden led Liberty in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns in 2018 and 2019. Small-school prospects must produce at a high level to get legitimate consideration from the NFL. He fits the bill, both from a raw numbers perspective and from a fantasy analytics view. Gandy-Golden’s top quartile receiving market share and breakout age metrics as a small school prospect give us sufficient comfort.
THE FILM
In Gandy-Golden’s case, the film matches the measurables. His highlights are full of contested catch wins using jump-ball skills and superior size versus defensive backs. His size pops off the screen.
Additional videos can be found on Gandy-Golden’s DLF player page.
He demonstrates good high-pointing ability, leaping ability, size, and adequate speed. His official 4.60-second 40-yard dash time may not seem impressive, but can be considered in the top quartile of all NFL receivers on a size-adjusted basis.
MEASURABLES
According to Mock Draftable, Gandy-Golden’s athletic traits compare to some wide receivers who, unfortunately, did not become household names or consistent fantasy producers. Michael Floyd is the most recognizable name of a group including Ka’raun White, Noah Brown, Brandon Coleman, and Mark Bradford.
Still, there are some positives. His bench press and broad jump figures are elite and suggest good strength and explosion, consistent with what he put on film. His height and weight are in the 90th percentile of NFL wide receivers, but his agility numbers are very poor.
DYNASTY VALUE
Gandy-Golden’s overall athletic profile suggests he is a one-dimensional athlete who is strong, somewhat explosive, fast for his size, but lacks agility and lateral movement skills. This could push him down NFL and dynasty rookie draft boards and relegate him to a career as a jump-ball role player.
According to DLF’s March 2020 Rookie ADP, Gandy-Golden currently sits as the rookie 2.12 with an ADP of 24. If you look at the February startup ADP, he sits at WR58 with an ADP of 156. This is around wide receivers Michael Pittman, Denzel Mims, and Sammy Watkins. Meanwhile, he sits at 20 in the DLF staff rookie rankings, between Tyler Johnson and Zack Moss.
The DLF Dynasty Trade Analyzer, whose algorithm determines values based on actual MFL trades, ADP data, and DLF rankings, places Gandy-Golden’s value around the rookie 3.02 pick, effectively in line with ADP.
Even if he were to experience a surge in value over the next few months, Gandy-Golden is not someone I am looking to target in the early second round of rookie drafts. But at his current value, his prospect profile possesses enough positives to justify spending a late second or early third-round rookie pick.
CONCLUSION
Dynasty and devy players have been touting the quality of the 2020 rookie class for the last three years. Indeed, it has a lot to offer across the board at quarterback, running back and wide receiver. The first round is full of elite talents, and the class is deep enough for second-round rookie picks to hold the value of late firsts in most other years. So all told, getting a player such as Antonio Gandy-Golden at his current rookie ADP appears to be an acceptable value. Just be aware of his incomplete prospect profile while recognizing his upside.
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