Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Update: Quintez Cephus, WR DET

Kane Fossell Posted On July 10, 2020

The NFL Draft is behind us, rookie drafts are taking place, and as dynasty owners, we are looking ahead to the upcoming season. In the Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Update series, we break down all the incoming fantasy-relevant rookies, looking at their profile and where they fit.

Name: Quintez Cephus

Position: Wide receiver

Pro Team: Detroit Lions

College Team: Wisconsin Badgers

Draft Status: Fifth round, 166th overall

Video Highlights

Combine Review

Height: 6’1”
Weight: 202 lbs
Arm Length: 32 1/8”
Hands: 8 3/4”
40-yard dash: 4.73 seconds
Vertical jump: 38 ½”
Broad jump: 124”
Three-cone drill: 7.2 seconds

Strengths

One of the Cephus’s biggest strengths on tape is his ability to ‘go up and get it’. He is terrific in contested-catch situations. Add in his above-average separation and we have a good start to carve out a role in the NFL.

In 2019, he finished with a team-leading 59 catches on the Wisconsin Badgers – with 901 yards and seven touchdowns. The top cornerback in the 2020 NFL Draft, third overall pick Jeff Okudah, said in an interview that Cephus was one of the toughest players he had to cover. That bodes well for his NFL outlook.

Weaknesses

Of course, there are going to be some weaknesses – he was only a fifth-round pick.

Firstly, he will never be the fastest player on the field as he only ran a 4.73 40-yard dash. Additionally, he is slow off the line of scrimmage due to his lack of burst which hinders him from trying to beat press-man coverage at the line of scrimmage. Cephus will never be the burner, but he will also have to increase his route-running tools in order to use his football IQ to beat defenders all over the field.

Opportunities

Cephus getting drafted by the Lions gives him the ability to play with a quarterback who, when healthy, can put up huge fantasy football numbers. Not only did Matthew Stafford put up almost 2,500 yards in eight games in 2020, but he was also able to throw for 8.6 yards per attempt, which ranked as the second-highest in the NFL.

Knowing the propensity of longer throws, Cephus could fit in nicely in this team as he progresses in his career.

Threats

The immediate threats a pair of great receivers: Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones Jr. It is clear that Golladay is the top dog in this offense, as he totaled 1,190 yards with a 18.3 yards per reception average last season. Jones continues to produce at a high level and there is a great possibility for the passing game in Detroit to have another big season if Stafford can remain healthy. Danny Amendola is the third wideout – he is on a one-year deal with the Lions.

Short-Term Expectations

Cephus’s immediate outlook is bleak from a fantasy perspective. It will be important for him to learn from a pair of good receivers in Golladay and Jones Jr. while working on his craft. Unless he moves into the slot, it is hard to see where he can play snaps consistently in this offense in 2020. After 2020, Jones Jr. is a free agent and Cephus has a shot to slot in as the WR2.

Long-Term Expectations

Knowing that Jones Jr is not under contract after this season, Cephus has an immediate chance to set himself up to take over, but we need to look at the volume that is being left behind.

In 2019, Jones Jr had 91 total targets with 62 receptions. With TJ Hockenson returning from injury, we know there is no chance for one receiver to get all of that work, but Cephus has a great chance to take a big piece of it.

NFL Comparison

There are a few NFL comparisons that go around for Cephus but he is a tough player to evaluate. My comparison is Willie Snead. Both players were extremely vital to their teams when it came to third downs as well as some downfield work. Let’s hope that Cephus has a bit more consistency than Snead when it comes to fantasy football.

Projected Range for Rookie Drafts

In DLF’s rookie ADP, he is going 40th overall. In superflex rookie drafts on myfantasyleague.com, his ADP is 4.07, which is a great price for a player who has a great chance at being the WR2 on a team with a solid quarterback for fantasy. The players on either side of him in ADP are Lamical Perine, DeeJay Dallas, Dalton Keene, and Albert Okwuegbunam. I would prefer to have Cephus than any of those players as he has the cleanest chance to touches on his team.