2024 Dynasty Rookie Post-Draft Update: Kimani Vidal
The NFL Draft is behind us, rookie drafts are taking place, and as dynasty managers, we are looking ahead to the upcoming season. In our Dynasty Rookie Post-Draft Update series, we break down all the incoming fantasy-relevant rookies, looking at their profiles and where they fit. The basis of the rookie profile involves the usage of STORM analysis, focusing on five key components: Situation, Talent, Opportunity, Risk, and Market.
Situation
Name: Kimani Vidal
Position: Running Back
Pro Team: Los Angeles Chargers
College Team: Troy
Draft Status: Round six, 181st overall
Vidal was a three-star prospect out of Marietta, Georgia who received an offer from most of the schools in the southeast. Vidal, the 62nd RB in the class, decided on Troy where he enjoyed an excellent career from the second he stepped on campus.
During Vidal’s freshman season, he ran for 516 yards and four touchdowns and his production only increased from that point forward. Over the course of his career, he amassed 4,010 yards and 33 touchdowns on the ground and added 700 receiving yards on 92 catches in the passing game. He was awarded Sun Belt Player of the Year in 2023 and led the Trojans to a 23-5 record in the last two seasons.
Talent
Kimani Vidal Combine Results:
- Height: 5’8”
- Weight: 213 lbs
- Arm: 30 3/8“
- Hand: 9 3/8“
- 40-yard dash: 4.46
- 10-yard split: 1.53
- Vertical Jump: 37 1/2”
Courtesy of RAS.
Vidal is short and stocky, standing only 5’7” and weighing 213 pounds. His build allowed him to handle an enormous workload in college with 781 attempts, including 528 of them in his last two seasons. He impressed at the combine when he stepped up to the plate for the 40-yard dash. His 4.46-second 40-yard dash was the sixth-fastest time for all the RBs at April’s combine. His short shuttle and explosive testings were also good compared to the historical average for backs at the combine.
Vidal is a physical runner who blends his strength, explosiveness, and speed together effortlessly. Against South Alabama above, he ran for 124 yards and a touchdown on 24 attempts. He is always falling forward when he’s tackled and it still brings multiple defenders to bring him down. Vidal was second nationally with 94 missed tackles forced and tied for second with 1,056 yards after contact.
Opportunity
Courtesy of 4for4 Depth Charts.
Vidal is a very trendy sleeper pick in the dynasty community because of his landing spot in Los Angeles. The Chargers brought in John Harbaugh and Greg Roman to seemingly pivot the offense to a more run-heavy approach. The starting running back for the Chargers is going to be a productive player; the question is, who will that be?
The depth chart around Vidal is ripe for opportunity. Gus Edwards and JK Dobbins came over from Baltimore via free agency with Greg Roman this off-season but those are not the two most imposing veteran figures in front of Vidal. I hate to say it, but Dobbins is probably done. He’s had multiple gruesome knee injuries and I doubt he will ever be a major contributor in the NFL again.
Edwards on the other hand is the pretty clear favorite to be the week one starter. However, he is the poster child for the “Running Backs Don’t Matter” movement and is purely an average NFL back. It doesn’t help that he’s 29 years old and already got hurt during Charger OTAs.
Vidal will get the opportunity to prove himself against this competition; it’ll be up to him whether or not that turns into meaningful carries during the season.
Risk
Courtesy of Sports Reference.
As open as the opportunity is in the Chargers backfield, Vidal still possesses a ton of risk as a dynasty prospect. Vidal was incredibly productive during college, but it would be foolish to not acknowledge that he did play at Troy against Sun Belt competition.
Vidal is also a 5’7” running back who was drafted in the sixth round to an NFL team that brought in two free-agent RBs to reunite them with their offensive coordinator. Day three picks typically are not the safest bets, especially running backs drafted as late as Vidal on day three.
Market
Courtesy of DLF’s May Superflex ADP.
Vidal was the 16th running back selected in April’s draft but now he’s going as the RB8 in rookie drafts which seems like a big stretch. In April, he didn’t even have an ADP and now he’s going in the middle of the third round of rookie drafts. That’s a big jump!
All the value of Vidal has been sapped out of his ADP now that he’s going at the 3.08 ahead of other RBs like Audric Estime and Tyrone Tracy Jr who have equally clear paths to find the field, and even day two WRs like Luke McCaffrey and Jalen McMillan.
Courtesy of DLF’s Trade Analyzer.
I would trade Vidal for a couple of players on this list in a heartbeat. Michael Wilson, Josh Palmer, and Jermaine Burton are all WRs I value much higher than Vidal. I have a lot of Vidal shares after drafting him in the fourth round as soon as the NFL Draft ended. However, with the news of Gus Edwards’s injury, and Vidal’s rising value, it may be time to sell the uncertain rookie.
- Dynasty Running Back Danger Rankings: At Risk Tier - April 19, 2025
- 2025 Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Drafts: A View from the 1.04 - April 18, 2025
- 2025 Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Profile: Jordan James, RB Oregon - April 17, 2025
