NFL Draft Round 1: Fantasy Impact

Apr 27, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Leonard Fournette (LSU) is selected as the number 4 overall pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round the 2017 NFL Draft at Philadelphia Museum of Art. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

The first round of the NFL draft is officially in the books. Day one of the NFL draft was full of action and gave the fantasy community some answers that we’ve been waiting for. With some top talent now on rosters, let’s take a look at the fantasy impact.

NFL Draft: Running Backs

Pick 4: Jacksonville Jaguars Select Leonard Fournette

The first running back came off the board with the fourth overall pick in the NFL Draft. The Jaguars picked former LSU stud Leonard Fournette. The questions surrounding Fournette were not enough to keep the Jags from investing a top-5 pick on Fournette who showed his dominance during his time with the Tigers.

Fournette will head a running back group that consists of T.J. Yeldon and Chris Ivory. He will provide an immediate rushing boost that the Jaguars lacked in 2016, ranking 22nd in the NFL in rushing offense. Although Fournette has big time potential the Jaguars will need to improve the offensive line in order to help out quarterback Blake Bortles and the running game. The workload will be there for the powerful and speedy running back and there are plenty of weapons around him.

The Jags have done a great job of building what could be one of the leagues best defenses in 20017. Now they will need to focus on rebuilding an offensive lined that was ranked 22nd in the league according to Pro Football Focus. If the Jaguars don’t do so it may be rough sledding for Fournette in his rookie season.

Pick 8: Carolina Panthers Select Christian McCaffrey

One of the biggest questions in the fantasy community was answered on Thursday night. Where would McCaffrey land? Rumors were swirling around teams potentially trading inside the top-10 to draft McCaffrey. That didn’t happen. Instead he will be joining 2015 NFL MVP Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers.

McCaffrey will bring a set of skills to Carolina that very few players have. To start he will contribute to a running game that ranked 10th last season and 2nd in 2015. McCaffrey will also create mismatches catching the ball out of the backfield and lining up in the slot. Only one team completed less passes to running backs last season than the Panthers.

Last but not least, McCaffrey can be an electric contributor in the return game. How exactly he will be used is yet to be seen, but the fit is a good one and he could easily see around 20 touches per game. McCaffrey has RB1 upside no doubt about it.

Apr 27, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Corey Davis (Western Michigan) poses with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell as he is selected as the number 5 overall pick to the Tennessee Titans in the first round the 2017 NFL Draft at Philadelphia Museum of Art. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

NFL Draft: Wide Receivers

Pick 5: Tennessee Titans Select Corey Davis

Hopefully you took my advice and traded for Marcus Mariotta in your dynasty league before the start of the NFL Draft because the Titans landed the #1 wide out they have been missing. Regardless of which conference you play for the level of production that Davis was able to achieve can’t be ignored. 5,278 yards and 52 receiving touchdowns in four years speaks for itself.

Davis will have a give the young Mariotta an offensive weapon that can be utilized both out wide and in the slot. I expect Davis to step in day one and boost a passing offensive that ranked 25th in 2016.

Look for Mariotta to target Davis early and often next season and for years to come. Davis may have landed in the best situation of the three receivers taken in the first round and should benefit from a big target share in 2017.

Pick 7: Los Angeles Chargers Select Mike Williams

Didn’t see that one coming? You’re not alone. The Chargers did a great job of keeping their interest in former Clemson WR Mike Williams quite leading up to the draft. With the addition of Williams, the Chargers now have one of the leagues most dangerous receiving corps in the NFL.

The fit could not have been better for Mike Williams. Although he is able to create separation using his size, athleticism, and catch radius, a quality quarterback that can build that timing and trust will be key. He got exactly that in veteran Philip Rivers.

With so many other weapons on offense including Keenan Allen, Tyrell Williams, Hunter Henry, Antonio Gates, and Melvin Gordon, it’s safe to say that Williams will not have to face the double coverage he consistently did (and beat) in college. Look for Williams to carve out a role on this potent Chargers offense, especially in the red-zone.

Pick 9: Cincinnati Bengals Select John Ross

Quarterback Andy Dalton got a new toy on Thursday night, a very fast new toy. The fastest man in the league will line up opposite and beside star wide receiver A.J. Green. The Bengals filled a void that was apparent last year after losing guys like Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu to free agency after the 2015 season.

Speed kills in the NFL and this is next level speed. Defenses will be forced to keep Ross from blowing the top off the defense on every play which will open up more opportunities for guys like A.J. Green and Tyler Eifert. Oh yeah, and he can do a lot more! Ross is a great route runner and an underrated red-zone threat as well. What he lacks in size he makes up for in athleticism and savvy route running. John Ross should be a WR2 lock next season.

Jan 9, 2017; Tampa, FL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide tight end O.J. Howard (88) scores a touchdown during the third quarter against the Clemson Tigers in the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

NFL Draft: Tight Ends

Pick 19: Tampa Bay Buccaneers select O.J. Howard

The NFC south is now home to one of the most exciting prospects of this 2017 draft class. O.J. Howard joins an already explosive offense with a young gun slinging quarterback in Jameis Winston. The Buccaneers are doing their best to keep up with the other offensive juggernauts in the division.

Unlike most tight ends that come into the league, O.J. Howard will be able to stay on the field early and often in his rookie season because of his ability to block. This could lead to an uptick in the Buccaneers use of 12 personnel (2-tight end sets). Tampa Bay lined up in 12 personnel only 16.9% of the time last season.

The Buccaneers offense proved to be tight end friendly in 2016, producing a top 7 fantasy tight end in Cameron Brate. Howard has a top-10 fantasy season written all over him.

Pick 23: New York Giants Select Evan Engram

The second tight end to get his name called came as a bit of a surprise to some. I believe it was the right pick, Engram was my #2 TE coming into the draft. Like Howard he will see the field from the start but for different reasons.

Although Engram’s ability to block may be a bit underrated his versatility is what will make him an offensive weapon on an already stacked Giants offense. Engram has the ability to line up at the tight end position and create mismatches with his speed or he can line up in the slot and do the same thing using his polished route running.

Producing consistent fantasy numbers may be an issue on an offense with so many mouths to feed. Engram is worth drafting as a top-15 to 20 TE but grab another guy or two as a back up plan.

Pick 29: Cleveland Brown Select David Njoku

The Browns did a great job of adding quality play makers to their team in the first round of the NFL Draft. While Njoku was one of them, don’t get your hopes too high for a huge rookie fantasy season.The Browns quarterback situation is still a big question mark and the team still has a lot of wholes to fill before we can start expecting an offensive explosion from anyone.

Add that to the fact that David Njoku is still very raw as a prospect and may need a few years to really put it all together. The ceiling is as high as any for Njoku but tamper expectations for the time being.

Apr 27, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Deshaun Watson (Clemson) is selected as the number 12 overall pick to the Houston Texans in the first round the 2017 NFL Draft at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

Pick 12: Houston Texans Trade Up For Deshaun Watson

One of the blockbusters of the night came at pick 12 when the Browns traded away their pick to the Houston Texans who selected former Clemson star Deshaun Watson. Watson is the only rookie quarterback taken in the first round that carries redraft league value in my opinion.

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This is because of 3 reasons. One being the collection of weapons around the young quarterback. He will join another former Clemson Tiger in #1 wide out DeAndre Hopkins, along with many other talented players like Lamar Miller, Will Fuller and breakout tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz.

The second reason is because Watson is a dual threat quarterback which raises his floor on a week to week basis. He will be able to rack up some easy fantasy points every game on top of his normal production because of his ability to run the ball whether it be designed or when things break down.

Last but not least, Watson has a great defense to back him up. This will be huge because he will not be asked to throw the ball 40 times just to stay in the game. The ability to run a balanced offense for a rookie quarterback is a huge plus to keep defenses from keying on them early in their careers. Watson landed in the perfect place to succeed on the next level.

Next: NFL Draft: AFC West Preview

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