NFL Draft Dynasty Fantasy Football: Day Three Recap

Ryan McDowell

Editor’s Note: We constantly updated our Rookie Draft Guide as the NFL Draft unfolded, so be sure to follow along and read all the updated information.

The 2020 NFL Draft is complete as the final rounds flew by on Saturday. It is easy to overlook the draft’s final day, but every year there are difference makers selected in rounds four through seven. Just last year, Darius Slayton and Gardner Minshew were among the day three selections. See, the difficult part is finding the needle in the day three haystack. Here’s a recap of some of the notable fantasy-relevant picks from the final rounds.

4 (112) – Joshua Kelley, RB LAC

The Chargers parted ways with veteran Melvin Gordon earlier this off-season and had not replaced him. They added the productive and versatile back Kelley to give some depth behind Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson.

4 (115) – Harrison Bryant, TE CLE

The Browns already have a pair of high-profile tight ends after signing Austin Hooper this off-season to pair with David Njoku. Now, they’ve added Harrison Bryant, the small-school player who was the top college tight end last year as the winner of the John Mackey Award. This could mean Njoku is on his way out or perhaps the Browns are just adding weapons for quarterback Baker Mayfield.

4 (118) – Albert Okwuegbunam, TE DEN

Another top rookie tight end landed in a rough spot as the Broncos selected Albert Okwuegbunam after spending a first-round pick on Noah Fant last year. Denver and general manager John Elway had a clear goal of upgrading the pass-catching corps. The Broncos offense should be very exciting to watch each week, but the landing spot hurts Albert O’s value.

4 (120) – Lamical Perine, RB NYJ

The Jets backfield depth chart was pitiful behind veteran Le’Veon Bell, so it was somewhat surprising they even waited to so long to address the position. Early on day three, the Jets added Florida’s productive back Lamical Perine. He’ll be in an excellent position to earn the backup role in 2020 and could even take a larger role if Bell is gone in 2021.

4 (122) – Jacob Eason, QB IND

After signing veteran Philip Rivers to a one-year deal, the Colts should be set for 2020 but will have questions again next off-season. In addition to veteran backup Jacoby Brissett, the Colts added another option in the fourth round. Washington’s Jacob Eason drew some first-round buzz early in the process before questions began to arise. He’ll have a redshirt year in 2020 but is definitely worthy of a super-flex roster spot.

4 (124) – Anthony McFarland, RB PIT

It was a major surprise when the Steelers did not select a running back on day two of the draft but they corrected that on Saturday. The Steelers added former Maryland back Anthony McFarland in the fourth round. While he could overtake Benny Snell or Jaylen Samuels, he’s not an immediate threat to James Conner.

4 (142) – Antonio Gandy-Golden, WR WAS

One of my favorite receivers in the class is small-school beast Antonio Gandy-Golden, who was drafted late in the fourth round by the Redskins. Washington hit on a trio of rookies last season, headlined by Terry McLaurin, but the depth chart is still below average. Gandy-Golden will have an opportunity to play early and often.

4 (144) – DeeJay Dallas, RB SEA

With each of their top two running backs dealing with serious injuries, the Seahawks used a day three pick on Miami’s DeeJay Dallas. There are some holes in Dallas’ game, but if Chris Carson or Rashaad Penny aren’t ready for training camp, Dallas will find an early role.

5 (161) – Tyler Johnson, WR TB

One of the dynasty crowd favorites at receiver is Minnesota’s Tyler Johnson and he landed in one of the league’s most exciting offenses, selected by the Buccaneers in the fifth round. Last year, Breshad Perriman turned in a solid season as Tampa’s WR3, but he is now with the Jets. Johnson won’t surpass Mike Evans or Chris Godwin anytime soon, but he should put up a fight for snaps against Scotty Miller and Justin Watson.

5 (166) – Quintez Cephus, WR DET

The average age of the Lions top four receivers is 29 years, so adding some youth at the position is long overdue. Detroit used a fifth-round pick on Wisconsin’s physical receiver Quintez Cephus. Don’t expect much in year one, but 2020 could be the final year in Detroit for any or all of Marvin Jones, Danny Amendola and Geromino Allison.

5 (167) – Jake Fromm, QB BUF

By midway through the fifth round, it was evident the reported concerns about Jake Fromm’s arm strength and overall upside were legitimate. The Bills made Fromm the sixth signal caller off the board. While analysts continued to suggest Fromm could turn into an NFL starter, he is now stuck behind young starter Josh Allen.

6 (187) – Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR CLE

One of the name brand receivers who nearly everyone agreed would be a late-round pick, at best, was Michigan’s Donovan Peoples-Jones. The former top-ranked recruit was selected by the Browns, where he could eventually carve out a role as there is little depth behind Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry. He’s worth a late-round pick in leagues with deep rosters.

6 (189) – Jake Luton, QB JAX

The Jaguars were sure to add a quarterback after trading away Nick Foles and they pegged Oregon State’s Luton in the sixth round. He’ll get a chance to serve as a backup to Gardner Minshew, who does not exactly have a firm lock on the job.

ryan mcdowell