Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Update: Wan'Dale Robinson, WR NYG

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 profiles and where they fit.

Name: Wan’Dale Robinson

Position: Wide Receiver

Pro Team: New York Giants

College Team: Kentucky (Previously Nebraska)

Draft Status: Round two, 43rd overall

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

You can find many videos to watch right here on Robinson’s DLF player page.

COMBINE REVIEW

STRENGTHS

Excellent after-the-catch ability
Positional flexibility
High-end burst in and out of breaks
Creates separation on routes
Gadget type player

WEAKNESSES

Short
0th percentile wingspan
Limited release package
Can get bullied off routes

OPPORTUNITIES

The New York Giants’ wide receiver room could be one of the deepest or thinnest in the NFL. This is despite them paying top-of-market money to Kenny Golladay and spending a first-round pick on Kadarius Toney – and already rostering Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton.

Rumors swirled pre-draft that the Giants were looking to trade away Toney. Golladay underwhelmed in his first season. Shepard ruptured his Achilles during the season. Slayton was poor last season. It could be argued the Giants were desperate for help at receiver.

Robinson profiles as a moveable offensive weapon who can lineup in the slot or the backfield. He will also likely be used extensively in the screen game and on jet sweeps to try and get the ball in his hands in space to take advantage of his after-the-catch ability.

THREATS

I think there are two significant threats to Robinson seeing success in the NFL: target volume and being pigeon-holed.

While I just explained how the Giants’ receiving room struggled and underwhelmed last year, you can also paint a picture that Robinson will have to work hard to carve out an immediate role. Golladay, while underwhelming, will likely be the target leader and command north of a 20% target share. Shepard will face a battle to be fit for week one, but I now believe anything is possible after Cam Akers‘ recovery from his torn Achilles.

Robinson’s other threat is being pigeon-holed into a gadget role and therefore not carving out enough volume to be fantasy-relevant. If the Giants use him extensively in the return game, screen game, and as a part of the run game, there is potential that he will be more valuable from an NFL perspective than a fantasy perspective.

SHORT-TERM EXPECTATIONS

The short-term expectations for Robinson are a real challenge to project. Suppose he can carve out a role in training camp and secure that primary slot role, then he will likely be a useable flex piece in most dynasty leagues. He could also struggle to carve out that role and be relegated to special teams and gadget roles. If you think of Brian Daboll’s 2021 offense with the Bills, the dream scenario is that Robinson is the Cole Beasley. The worst-case scenario is that he fills the Isaiah McKenzie role.

The most realistic scenario I project is that he initially settles into the McKenzie role and gradually gets more slot work as the year goes on. He will likely be a slow burner in terms of rookie production. However, we need to remember that he is the only player of note in the Giants’ receiving room hand-picked by this current regime. Every other player is a holdover and could fall out of favor quickly.

LONG-TERM EXPECTATIONS

I believe Robinson will settle in as a nice complementary piece to an offense. He will be a solid WR2 or WR3 playing primarily out of the slot. Due to his lack of size and significant lack of catch radius, it is hard to imagine him playing on the outside. This significantly caps his fantasy ceiling but doesn’t destroy it all together. We see every year that high-volume slot players can be reliable dynasty assets and are often a reliable flex piece to the roster in a PPR format.

NFL PLAYER COMPARISON

It feels like every wide receiver used in the run game, whether in the backfield or on jet sweeps, is compared to Deebo Samuel. That’s one I’ve seen a few times for Robinson. However, I don’t see it at all. Samuel is six feet tall and 215 lbs. Robinson is 5’8″ inches and 178 lbs. Now one of these things is not like the other!

My favorite comparison is a player with significant ties to the new head coach in New York: Cole Beasley. I believe Robinson profiles as a true undersized slot receiver who can feast in the short to intermediate areas of the field. I discussed his elite separation in and out of cuts, and I can easily see Robinson becoming an important player to help the Giants move the chains consistently.

PROJECTED ROOKIE DRAFT RANGE

Robinson is currently an early third-round pick in DLF’s May 2022 Superflex Rookie Dynasty ADP. He was the WR14 and 26th player off the board. In those ten mock drafts, his ceiling was 16th and his floor was 30th.

I usually don’t like drafting wide receivers later than the second round in rookie drafts, instead opting to take a punt on the running back or quarterback position. Robinson is the last wide receiver I’d be willing to draft before opting out.

Robinson is my WR10 and 17th overall player in a superflex draft, so I’m a little higher than consensus on him. Drafting Robinson as a late second or early third-round pick says a lot about you as a dynasty player. Suppose you’re happy to go for the safer and lower ceiling player who will likely settle in as nothing more than a flex play, he would be a great value to draft. If you’re aiming for elite upside at this point in the draft, you certainly won’t find it here.

Author
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Richard Cooling

Contributor at Dynasty League Football

Richard is a despondent Jets fan from the UK. He is a value obsessive and believes in trading any player if the value is there. He aims to combine statistics and film study to provide well thought and researched opinions. When he's not thinking about player values Richard spends his time at the beach with his wife and two sons.

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