Fantasy Football: 2020 Dynasty Rookie Rankings
Round 1 Dynasty Rookie Rankings
1. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin – Colts (2.09)
5’10” 226lbs, 4.39 40yd
Taylor is by the best rookie running back prospect. His measurables are on par with guys like Ladanian Tomlinson and Ezekiel Elliott. The speed, the size, the college production; these stats all bode well for a smooth transition to the NFL. He was the 3rd running back off the board at the NFL Draft, but I say NFL teams got it wrong. He goes to Indy, where he will be running behind one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. The only issue is that he may be running behind Marlon Mack as well. It’s only for one year though, as Mack will be an free agent in 2021. The knocks on JT are ball security and how he projects as a pass catcher. Taylor caught 26 passes in 2019, almost doubling his catches from his prior two seasons. Despite possibly being in a RBBC, Jonathan Taylor is the best talent in this draft and would be my top pick in Dynasty rookie drafts in 2020.
2. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, LSU – Chiefs (1.32)
5’7” 207lbs, 4.60 40yd
Small, slow running backs do not peak my fancy in dynasty. The thing that moved CEH up my draftboard is the respect that Kansas City had in him, and the response from personnel around the league. The Chiefs took CEH in the first round for a reason. They could have had any RB in the draft and chose CEH. Maybe it was his college production. I will not take anything away from his junior year, commanding a 10% target share in an offense riddled with talented options. Still, I cannot look past the size and speed measurables. With his profile, I cannot see him commanding a 3 down role. He is an excellent receiver out of the backfield and joins one of the best offenses alongside Pat Mahomes in the champion’s backfield. He could very well go 1.01, but I am not as high on CEH as others in your draft will be. That being said, he has a chance to have an Alvin Kamara role.
3. JK Dobbins, Ohio State – Ravens (2.23)
5’10” 209lbs
As you know, the Ohio State product chose not to participate in running drills at the combine nursing an injury. Then his pro day was cancelled due to social distancing. It is difficult to project athletic performance, so I will not attempt to. We do have athletic measurables from High School, as he balled out at the Nike Combine and eventually landed at Ohio State. That present promise, but remains speculative. I would have preferred him measuring closer to 220lbs, to solidify his 3 down back potential, but it culminated in JK landing in an intriguing situation. Yes, he may be behind Marc Ingram for one year, as Ingram is old and a FA in 2021. However, expect JK to be a big play star next to Lamar this year and beyond. The tape and production is just too enticing to let him slip past 1.03.
4. Cam Akers, Florida State – Rams (2.20)
5’10” 217lbs, 4.47 40yd
Akers sets up to be a 3 down back in the NFL. He has solid size, speed, and hands. The Florida State product had 30 receptions in his Junior (final) season, while producing 18 total touchdowns behind an inconsistent offensive line. Akers is drafted to play behind another inconsistent line in LA, but one that likely improved from 2019. He also enters a backfield with less competition than his other running mates, as he has only Henderson to surpass. I love the draft capital, I love the pairing with Sean McVay, and I respect his potential.
5. DeAndre Swift, Georgia – Lions (2.03)
5’8” 212lbs, 4.48 40yd
Swift is another very talented Georgia running back that enters the NFL draft fresh. Nick Chubb and Sony Michel hawked a lot of his targets as a Freshman, but Swift was able to put together 2 solid seasons prior to forgoing his Senior season for the NFL draft. The Georgia product has great hands and plus speed. He is a true 3 down back, but must continue to improve in pass blocking if he wants a 3 down role. A proper comparison to Swift is Miles Sanders or Jamaal Charles with more juice between the tackles. He enters a Detroit backfield that Kerryon Johnson struggled to command due to injuries. The Patriots disciple coach somewhat scares me away, but Matt Patricia’s days may be numbered. I would love to land Swift at this pick.
6. CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma – Cowboys (1.17)
6’2” 198lbs, 4.50 40yd
Lamb can line up anywhere on the field. He played X and slot at Oklahoma and he projects to be a workhorse. His comparable players are DeAndre Hopkins and Sammy Watkins for a reason. He commanded 20+ percent of the teams target share in his final 2 seasons, and was used on offense and special teams. The Cowboys will have to be creative getting him the ball this year. With Elliott, Cooper, and Gallup serving in defined roles, the addition of CeeDee is exciting for Dallas, but gives me pause for his fantasy success. CeeDee is not built like Hopkins and Watkins. He will have to gain bulk to be the bully WR we loved from Oklahoma, and we do not know what effect that will have on his explosiveness. He earns the this spot because he has the highest ceiling of the top WR’s.
7. Justin Jefferson, LSU – Vikings (1.22)
6’1” 202lbs, 4.43 40yd
Jefferson put up huge numbers on Joe Brady’s record setting LSU offense last year. Even with the emergence of Ja’Marr Chase, Jefferson commanded 21 percent of the team target share. He amassed 1500 yards and over 100 receptions, ushered by Joe Burrow’s accurate arm. He has a similar production profile as the other top prospects in this class and he goes to a tremendous situation. He will slot into the Diggs role in Minnesota with a 30 year old Adam Thielen lining up beside him.
8. Jerry Jeudy, Alabama – Broncos (1.15)
6’1” 193lbs, 4.45 40yd
Scouts praise Jeudy for his highly polished route running. He was productive at Alabama, but he did not command the trarget share of an elite producer. Jeudy has NFL speed and agility, but his slight stature places him with comparable NFLers such as Santonio Holmes and Gregg Jennings. That does not inspire much confidence. Many compare him to Amari Cooper, but Amari was more dominant at Alabama and did so at a younger age. Jeudy enters an intriguing situation. I have no faith in Drew Lock, and Jeudy will have to compete for targets with Sutton, Hamler, Fant and Gordon. He knows how to get open and is athletic, so he still possesses upside.
9. Henry Ruggs III, Alabama – Raiders (1.12)
5’11” 188lbs, 4.27 40yd
Ruggs is a track star with hops and huge hands. He is John Ross with more hops and less drops. DeSean Jackson with less baggage. NFL teams love the ability to keep teams honest with a field stretcher. Having the fastest guy on the field is more important to real football than fantasy though, and limits where you should select Ruggs in rookie drafts. He will earn a role in Las Vegas as a contributor on offense and special teams. Oakland fortified their pass catchers through the draft, so Ruggs will also be competing for targets with Edwards and Bowden Jr., in addition to Williams and Waller. He was the first WR drafted, but is the 4th WR in my rookie rankings.
10. Jalen Reagor, TCU – Eagles (1.21)
5’11” 206lbs, 4.47 40yd
Reagor commanded a significant target share in his freshman season at TCU, and an early breakout is correlated with success at the next level. A few interesting stats assigned to Reagor include: he was targeted 283 times in his three-year college career and only finished with 148 receptions, his production dipped by almost 50% in his final (junior) season, and his 3 cone drill and 20-yard shuttle disappointingly rank in the bottom fourth of WR data. Of note, Reagor suffered from miserable QB play, and recorded a catchable target rate of 61.4%, one of the lowest of the 2020 WR class. Reagor was rumored to compete with Henry Ruggs III for the low-40 time at the combine. That did not happen. 4.47 is still good, and couple that with a 42 inch vertical and you have an explosive rookie wide receiver prospect. I will note that he ran an unofficial 4.22 at his pro day. Reagor is the WR that the Eagles wanted, as they drafted him over Jefferson. He will fit in nicely beside Ertz and Jeffery. Carson Werntz will love his new toys.
11. Ke’Shawn Vaughn, Vanderbilt – Buccaneers (3.12)
5’10” 214lbs, 4.51 40yd
Vaughn is a between the tackles grinder that flashed some hands in his senior season at Vanderbilt, catching 28 catches out of the backfield. He also commanded a 10% target share in his senior season, which is elite. His combine was decent, but he did not flash the explosiveness that I would have liked to see. He ranked in the bottom half in both broad jump and vertical. He clearly belongs in a tier below the top 5. He does enter an good situation though, and can oust RJ2. Jones ranked in the bottom half of starting running backs as a pass blocker according to PFF, while Vaughn was an excellent pass blocker at Illinois and Vanderbuilt. Tom Brady needs protection, so Vaughn may have an inside track. Other analysts may have Vaughn ranked higher than the 1.11, but you have to consider that he will turn 23 prior to the start of the season. He is actually older than 3rd year RB Ronald Jones, which is not ideal for dynasty.
12. Denzel Mims, Baylor – Jets (2.27)
6’3” 207lbs, 4.38 40yd
Mims is how you would build a wide receiver prospect in a lab. The guy is carved out of granite. He’s long, has great top end speed, he’s agile, and he’s explosive. He is DK Metcalf, but more dominant at the college level. He commanded a target share of over 20 percent during his final 3 seasons at Baylor, and finished his career with 30 touchdowns and close to 3,000 yards despite inconsistent/atrocious quarterback play. Mims is a freak, and I comp him to a leaner Andre Johnson. I love the situation, where Mims looks to slot in to the number one wide receiver role. Gunslinger Sam Darnold is the perfect pairing for a bully wide receiver.