Award-Winning Fantasy Football Advice

The Panthers selected Texas RB Jonathon Brooks in Round 2 of the NFL Draft. Brooks spent just 10 games as Texas’ lead back and is coming off a November ACL tear. But there’s a reason the Panthers made him the No.1 RB off the board. Brooks averaged 114 rushing yards and 1.0 rushing TDs on 6.1 yards per carry across his 10 outings last year. He ranked top-12 among 157 qualifying RBs in Pro Football Focus rushing grade, missed tackles forced per attempt, and PFF Elusive Rating. Brooks was also a weapon as a receiver, averaging 2.5 catches and 29 receiving yards per game. He ranked 21st among 112 qualifying RBs in yards per route and 12th in PFF receiving grade. Flip on the tape and Brooks impresses with elite acceleration, sneaky elusiveness, and enough long speed to break big runs. He’s a natural pass-catcher with good hands and plenty of juice after the catch. The 6’0, 216-pounder certainly has three-down potential in the NFL. We’ll track his rehab from that torn ACL, but Brooks is on track to be medically cleared by the start of training camp (confirmed by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport). If healthy, Brooks should slot in as the RB1 ahead of Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders. There’s a top-15 ceiling here if the Panthers can get significantly better play out of Bryce Young.

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The Patriots selected Washington WR Ja’Lynn Polk in Round 2 of the NFL Draft. Polk transferred to Washington following one season at Texas Tech (28-264-2). He proceeded to miss nine games in 2021 with a fractured clavicle. Polk started producing with QB Michael Penix Jr. in 2022. Polk ranked third behind Jalen McMillan and Rome Odunze in all three major receiving categories, though: catches (41), yards (694), and TDs (6). He did lead the group with 16.9 yards per catch. The 22-year-old’s production reached another level in 2023, boosted by several missed games from McMillan. Polk set career highs across the board and popped with a 92-yard TD vs. Stanford. On tape, Polk shows inside/outside versatility and fearlessness over the middle. His hands, body control, and strength allow him to excel in contested situations. Polk also passed the NFL Combine test with an 8.85 Relative Athletic Score. He lands in a New England offense with weak WRs, which presents immediate opportunity -- plus a first-round QB in Drake Maye. We're not especially excited about Polk but will be curious to see how the market treats him. Keep an eye on his rookie ADP heading into your dynasty rookie drafts.

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The Chargers traded up in Round 2 of the NFL Draft to select Georgia WR Ladd McConkey 34th overall. McConkey’s raw college production doesn’t jump off the page. He never reached 60 catches or 800 yards in a season. But he played in a run-leaning Georgia offense and had to battle TE Brock Bowers (among others) for targets. McConkey was super efficient, leaving school with career 75.3% catch rate and 2.54 yards per route. His career-best 3.26 yards per route last year ranked eighth among 409 WRs with 35+ targets. McConkey is devastatingly quick and a polished route runner, making him one of the best separators in this WR class. And he’s a weapon after the catch, with a career 0.25 missed tackles forced per catch – a better rate than guys like Marvin Harrison Jr. and Rome Odunze. McConkey boosted his stock at the Combine with a 4.39-second 40 time and 9.34 Relative Athletic Score. The 6’0, 186-pounder can play both outside and in the slot. He might not big a big-play producer or high-TD-rate receiver at the next level, but McConkey has the potential to rack up a bunch of receptions. Going to the Chargers presents immediate opportunity. The WR corps shed Mike Williams and Keenan Allen this offseason, leaving Josh Palmer and Quentin Johnston as the top returning players. The landing spot helps McConkey's fantasy outlook. Check out our rookie rankings to see where he lands.

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The Bills selected Florida State WR Keon Coleman in Round 2 of the NFL Draft. Coleman’s most impressive college season came at Michigan State back in 2022. He led that squad as a sophomore with 58 catches, 798 yards, and seven TDs – notably ahead of then-senior Jayden Reed. Coleman transferred to Florida State this past year and turned in a mixed season. The good: He led the Seminoles in receiving yards and tied for 11th in the country with 11 receiving TDs. The bad: Coleman trailed teammate Johnny Wilson in most key metrics, including yards per game, targets per route, yards per route, and Pro Football Focus receiving grade. He ranked 149th in PFF receiving grade among 286 qualifying WRs and 175th in yards per route. Coleman’s tape is also a mixed bag. The 6’3, 213-pounder boasts one of the most impressive highlight packages in this year’s WR class, combining a big vertical with impressive body control and strong hands to make some nasty grabs in traffic. But he’s inconsistent in contested situations, converting just 20 of 46 (43%) such targets over the last two seasons, according to Pro Football Focus. That includes just 10 of 30 last year. Coleman also struggles creating separation, landing in the 47th percentile among all FBS WRs in separation rate vs. single coverage, per PFF. His combination of size and ball skills gives Coleman the potential to be a downfield and red-zone weapon as a pro. Landing in Buffalo, he joins a squad that lost 241 targets with the departures of Gabe Davis and Stefon Diggs. Couple opportunity with the presence of Josh Allen, and Coleman has the potential to enter fantasy lineups in Year 1.

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49ers GM John Lynch and HC Kyle Shanahan talked about WR Ricky Pearsall as a guy they believe can contribute right away. “(Pearsall) just plays the position real well, whether he was outside, inside, all three positions,” Shanahan said in his post-draft press conference. “He can separate down the field, he can separate underneath, extremely good hands. … There’s nothing he can’t do." It sure sounds like the Pearsall pick was made with the expectation that WR Brandon Aiyuk or WR Deebo Samuel will be traded. Insider Michael Silver tweeted late Thursday night that he's heard Samuel is more likely to be traded at this point. Shipping away either guy would be excellent news for Pearsall's dynasty value -- and turn him into an interesting 2024 redraft pick.

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The Panthers traded up one spot to grab South Carolina WR Xavier Legette with the final pick of Round 1. Legette is one of the toughest evaluations in this year’s WR class. He did next to nothing over his first four college seasons, totaling just 42 catches. That stretch included a 2020 hamstring injury and a 2021 motorcycle accident – all after Legette spent his senior year of high school playing QB. Then he came out of nowhere for a huge 2023 campaign. Legette’s 1,255 receiving yards ranked eighth in the country. He accounted for 37.6% of South Carolina’s receiving yards and 33.3% of the receiving TDs. And he ranked top-16 among 286 qualifying WRs in both yards per route and Pro Football Focus receiving grade. Then Legette smashed the Combine, recording a 4.39-second 40 time and 40-inch vertical at 6’1, 221 pounds to earn a 9.90 Relative Athletic Score. That elite combination of size and speed pops off the tape. Legette can dominate on deep balls and after the catch. He also has a big catch radius and reliable hands. Legette is relatively raw in the route-running department, though, and isn’t the most agile player. It’s fair to wonder how much more room he has to grow considering he turned 23 in January. Legette lands in an offense with decent opportunity, but we wouldn't bet on big target share in 2024. Carolina acquired WR Diontae Johnson to boost a receiving corps that Adam Thielen led in 2023. Check our rookie rankings to see where Xavier Legette settles.

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The 49ers selected Florida WR Ricky Pearsall in Round 1 of the NFL Draft. Pearsall spent five years in college and will turn 24 before his second NFL game. But he’s a polished prospect, winning with precise route running, sticky hands, and after-catch elusiveness. Pearsall emerged as Arizona State’s No. 1 WR in his third year on campus in 2021. He then transferred to Florida, where he led the Gators with 661 receiving yards and five TDs in 2022. This past year brought new career highs with 65 catches and 965 yards – a big 31.4% of Florida’s total receiving yards. Pearsall also ran it 21 times for 253 yards (12.0 YPC) and five TDs across his five college seasons. He surprised at the Combine with a 4.41-second 40 time and 42-inch vertical at 6’1 and 189 pounds. Pearsall’s advanced age and middling production profile are legit concerns. But his polish and ability to contribute in multiple ways gives him a chance to make a fantasy impact early in his career. We'll see whether the 49ers retain Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel. Long term, the Florida product projects as a real-life WR2 and a potential fantasy WR3.

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The Cardinals spent the 27th pick on Missouri DL Darius Robinson. Through four years, Robinson totaled just 4.5 sacks and 7.0 tackles for loss. He broke out with 8.5 sacks and 14.0 tackles for loss in his fifth season. Robinson should get a shot at early playing time, but beware of his late college breakout.

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The Chiefs selected Texas WR Xavier Worthy in Round 1 of the NFL Draft. Worthy set the Combine record with a 4.21-second 40 time and plays to that speed on the field. He averaged 14.0 yards per reception for his college career, making big plays both downfield and after the catch (7.3 career YAC/reception). He’s also an impressive route runner. Worthy broke out as an 18-year-old true freshman, easily leading the Longhorns with 62 catches, 981 yards, and 12 TDs. A QB change and a fractured finger led to a dip in raw production in 2022, although Worthy still led Texas in all major receiving categories. He made it three straight seasons as Texas’ top receiver last year, despite the arrival of WR Adonai Mitchell. Not only did Worthy easily beat Mitchell in catches (75 to 55) and yards (1,014 to 845), but he also dusted him in advanced metrics like targets per route (0.25 to 0.17) and yards per route (2.14 to 1.72). The glaring concern with Worthy: He’s just 165 pounds. Only two WRs at 170 pounds or lighter – DeVonta Smith and Tank Dell – have reached 10 PPR points per game since 2000. Worthy, though, is just the third sub-170-pound WR since 2000 to be a top-50 pick in the draft (joining Smith and Dexter McCluster). His chances of success increase in Kansas City. The Chiefs are simply thin at WR, especially with Rashee Rice facing a multi-game suspension. Note that free-agent addition Marquise Brown signed a one-year deal. Worthy ultimately projects in WR5 range for early best ball drafters.

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The Lions traded up to the 24th spot in Round 1 of the NFL Draft to select CB Terrion Arnold. He spent just three years at Alabama, the past two as a starter. He snared 5 INTs as a junior. Arnold plays the wrong position to make a significant impact in most IDP dynasty leagues, though.

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