Award-Winning Fantasy Football Advice

The Packers drafted USC RB MarShawn Lloyd in Round 3 of the NFL Draft. Lloyd tore his left ACL in fall camp of his freshman season at South Carolina in 2020 and carried just 64 times in 2021. He emerged as the backfield leader in 2022, tallying 111 carries for 573 yards and nine TDs. Lloyd then headed west to USC and turned in a career year. Although he shared the backfield with fifth-year senior Austin Jones, Lloyd ripped off 820 yards and nine TDs on a huge 7.1 yards per carry. He took 15.7% of his carries for 15+ yards – the best rate among this year’s top-25 RB prospects. And he ranked third in Pro Football Focus’ Elusive Rating among all 157 FBS RBs with 100+ carries. Lloyd confirmed that dynamism by earning a strong 8.62 Relative Athletic Score at the Combine, highlighted by a 4.46-second 40 time at 5’9 and 220 pounds. Lloyd is relatively unproven as a pass catcher and comes with durability concerns after also missing time with a thigh injury and broken left arm dating back to high school. Unfortunately, he landed on a Packers team with Josh Jacobs under contract through the 2027 season. While Lloyd should eventually work ahead of A.J. Dillon, the rookie is off the redraft radar.

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The Steelers drafted Michigan WR Roman Wilson in Round 3 of the NFL Draft. It took Wilson until his fourth season to lead Michigan in receptions or receiving yards. But his 2023 campaign was impressive. Wilson tallied a 48-789-12 receiving line, accounting for 25.1% of the team’s receiving yards and half of the receiving TDs. Wilson caught 71.6% of his targets on a 13.9-yard average target depth. That led to a huge 11.8 yards per target. Wilson ranked 29th in yards per route and 22nd in Pro Football Focus receiving grade among 286 qualifying WRs. The 5’11, 185-pounder played 65% of his snaps in the slot last year and figures to primarily stick inside as a pro. But don’t mistake him for just a short-range target. Wilson regularly won deep at Michigan last year and blazed a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at the Combine. He also has one of the most reliable pairs of hands in this year’s WR class, dropping only one of 50 catchable targets last season, per PFF. The Steelers lost 136 targets via trade/free agency. Wilson should handle a chunk of those alongside George Pickens. While QB play is a question mark for 2024, the Michigan product is firmly in play as a late-round stash.

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The Rams spent a third-round pick on RB Blake Corum from Michigan. Corum played behind Hassan Haskins as a sophomore in 2021, ripping off 6.6 yards per carry and scoring 11 times on 144 carries (7.6% TD rate). Then came a huge 2022 season: 247 carries for 1,463 yards and 18 TDs in 12 games. All three marks ranked top-13 in the country. Corum averaged a strong 5.9 yards per carry, finishing first in Pro Football Focus rushing grade among 168 qualifying RBs. His 2022 campaign ended, though, with a torn meniscus in his left knee in late November. That injury played a part in Corum’s decision to return to Michigan for his senior year. He put up big numbers again in 2023 – 258 carries for 1,245 yards and an FBS-high 27 TDs – but his advanced metrics were down. Corum averaged just 4.8 yards per carry and sunk to 71st in PFF rushing grade among 157 qualifiers. So the big question here is whether Corum can regain that 2022 form. If he does, he’ll prove to be one of the best pure runners in this year’s RB class. If not, we’re looking at an undersized back (205 lbs.) that doesn’t offer a ton in the passing game. Kyren Williams dominated backfield work for the Rams in 2023, but the team had little else in the backfield. There's a chance Corum takes a significant amount of work from Williams. Expect him to stay close to his early rookie ADP.

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The Bengals selected Alabama WR Jermaine Burton in Round 3 of the NFL Draft. Here’s a tricky one. Burton, a highly touted recruit, began his college journey at Georgia (2020-2021). Right away, he showed value by finishing third on the Bulldogs in catches (27), yards (404) and TDs (3). His 497 yards beat Ladd McConkey and Adonai Mitchell in 2021; he ranked a close third among the group in catches (26). Come 2022, Burton transferred to SEC rival Alabama. He led the Crimson Tide in receiving over the next two seasons, showing electric downfield ability. That surfaced most prominently in 2023 with 20.5 yards per catch on a 20.2-yard average depth of target. Despite the downfield usage, Burton didn’t register a single drop last fall. A plus athlete (9.09 RAS score) at 6’0, 196 pounds, there’s a lot to like in his profile. So why’d he last so long in the draft? NFL scouts say he had “up and down moments” with both coaching staffs, per The Athletic’s Dane Brugler. Reporter Bob McGinn said pre-draft that Burton was removed from “at least two teams’ boards for various character-related issues.” Burton also lacks a standout production profile, one that includes a single-season career-high of only 40 catches (2022). That said – Cincinnati supples an excellent landing spot, particularly with Tee Higgins on the trade block. Consider Burton an upside target for dynasty rookie drafts.

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The Cardinals spent a third-round pick on RB Trey Benson from Florida State. Benson suffered a multi-ligament knee injury as a freshman at Oregon in 2020 and did very little in 2021. He transferred to Florida State ahead of the 2022 campaign and turned in two highly efficient seasons for the Seminoles. Benson averaged 6.1 yards per carry and scored on 7.4% of his attempts across the past two years. An explosive runner with strong contact balance, Benson scored TDs of 80+ yards as a runner, receiver, and pass-catcher at Florida State. He confirmed his elite athleticism by earning a 9.73 Relative Athletic Score at the Combine, highlighted by a 4.39-second 40 time. Benson also showed promise as a pass-catcher over the last two years, catching 32 of 39 targets and averaging 11.5 yards per reception. He averaged just 13.2 touches per game at Florida State but has the potential to garner a bigger workload as a pro. Going to Arizona likely limits Benson's touch outlook for 2024. But it's a solid landing spot for his dynasty outlook. Check our rookie rankings to see where he lands.

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The Jets used a Round 3 pick on Western Kentucky WR Malachi Corley. Corley has commonly drawn comparisons to Deebo Samuel for his after-catch skills. The 5’11, 215-pounder averaged a huge 8.2 yards after catch per reception over his four-year career, including 9.2 over the last two seasons. Corley boasts an impressive combination of power, acceleration, and agility. He forced 55 missed tackles over his final two seasons. There’s not much else to his game at this point, though. In fact, 133 of Corley’s 259 receptions at Western Kentucky – or 51.4% – came on screens. He did very little work downfield, with a minuscule 6.3-yard career average target depth. Corley totaled just 20 catches on 47 targets 20+ yards downfield over the past four years. He has enough athleticism to develop into a more complete receiver. But, at least in the short term, Corley will need heavy volume and designed touches to be a real fantasy factor. He projects as the third or fourth target for a Jets squad that’s expected to remain pass-centric.

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The Commanders selected Kansas State TE Ben Sinnott in Round 2 of the NFL Draft. Sinnott was a no-star recruit and walked on at Kansas State. He totaled just two catches across his first two years on campus but earned a scholarship and significant role as a junior in 2022. Sinnott ranked fourth on that Wildcats team with 447 receiving yards and tied for second with four receiving TDs. 2023 brought new career highs across the board: 49 catches, a team-high 676 yards, and a team-high six scores. Sinnott ranked ninth in both Pro Football Focus receiving grade and yards per route among 81 qualifying TEs. The 6’4, 250-pounder boasts plus ball skills and fluidity in his routes and after the catch. He crushed the Combine with a 4.68-second 40 time, a 40-inch vertical, and elite marks in 3-cone and short shuttle to earn a 9.73 Relative Athletic Score. Sinnott also brings versatility, lining up in-line, in the slot, out wide, and in the backfield at Kansas State. The Commanders currently have Zach Ertz atop the depth chart, but he’s playing on a one-year deal. He also turns 34 next season. If Jayden Daniels hits, Sinnott could develop into a spot-start TE1 before the end of 2025.

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The Colts selected Texas WR Adonai Mitchell in Round 2 of the NFL Draft. The 6’2, 205-pounder registered a 4.34-second 40 time and 39.5-inch vertical at the Combine. It earned him a 9.99 Relative Athletic Score that ranks 5th out of 3,402 WRs from 1987 to 2024. Mitchell’s college production never matched that size-athleticism combo, though. He totaled just 38 catches in 21 games for Georgia across 2021 and 2022, with a left high-ankle sprain ruining his sophomore season. Mitchell transferred to Texas this past year and set career highs with 55 catches, 845 yards, and 11 TDs. But he ranked a distant second to WR Xavier Worthy in catches and yards and underwhelmed in advanced metrics. Among 286 WRs with 50+ targets last year, Mitchell ranked just 98th in Pro Football Focus receiving grade and 179th in yards per route. His raw athleticism shows up on deep balls and contested catches, but the tape also shows below-average play strength and inconsistent effort. The ceiling here is undoubtedly high if everything clicks. But the floor is also scary-low. We’ve seen plenty of big, hyper-athletic WRs bust. Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Mitchell also didn’t interview well in the pre-draft process. With the Colts, he’ll enter training camp as the favorite to play on the outside over Alec Pierce. Even if he wins that role, Mitchell will profile as a volatile best ball pick.

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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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