Get all your news in one place.

100’s of premium titles.
One app.

Start reading

Get all your news in one place.

100’s of premium titles. One news app.

Start reading

USA Today Sports Media Group

Sport

Kevin Hickey

Fantasy football rookie dynasty rankings for 2020

The 2020 NFL Draft came and went without much of a hitch. Now after what seemed like a long offseason, fantasy football managers can begin preparing for their drafts. For those in dynasty leagues, the focus will be on the rookie class.

Though many have already had their rookie drafts, there are still plenty of us who haven’t. This year’s group features a lot of high-upside prospects in a deep class. Some of the landing spots aren’t as strong, but this year’s crop figures to feature some very productive fantasy assets both now and in the future.

Instead of linear rankings, this is tiered-based meaning players in the same tier have very similar value and are all worthy of being selected relative to the players next to them. So it isn’t simply “Player A is absolutely better than Player B.”

Here is a tiered ranking of the top-35 rookies for dynasty:

Tier 1

1. Clyde Edwards-Helaire | RB | Kansas City Chiefs | RB1

The new RB1 in almost every ranking, CEH shot up draft boards after he was selected with the No. 32 pick in the draft. The landing spot to the Chiefs is what makes him the top pick. Add in his pass-catching abilities coming from LSU and his production from his senior season to go along with the draft capital, CEH is rightfully the top rookie in the draft.

2. Jonathan Taylor | RB | Indianapolis Colts | RB2

While CEH gets all of the love, I recently wrote why fantasy managers shouldn’t be afraid to use that No. 1 pick on Taylor. The Colts traded up to get him in the second round and while he will be in a timeshare to begin his career, he has both short and long-term value. Taylor is one of the best running back prospects to come out of the draft in recent years. His statistical and athletic profiles make him worthy of the top overall pick in rookie drafts.

Tier 2

3. J.K. Dobbins | RB | Baltimore Ravens | RB3

Though Dobbins won’t be an immediate RB1 in the league, he certainly has that potential. The Ohio State product brought a strong statistical profile from college and now has the opportunity to take the lead role at some point for the league’s best rushing attack. Dobbins should be highly-coveted in rookie drafts and any manager who swipes him should be ecstatic.

Tier 3

4. Cam Akers | RB | Los Angeles Rams | RB4

I might be a bit higher on Akers than others. It is clear the Rams love his abilities and even though there are talks of a committee, Akers has the profile to be a workhorse. It is likely he works in a timeshare to begin his career, but he meets all of the thresholds for statistical and athletic profiles to be a successful running back in the league. He’s a fine pick in the middle of the first round.

5. D’Andre Swift | RB | Detriot Lions | RB5

The only reason Swift isn’t higher on this list is because of the landing spot. The Lions don’t offer the same upside as other teams would have and the fact that he will be working in a committee with Kerryon Johnson isn’t appealing either. That said, the long-term could very well pay off for those targeting Swift. He has the pass-catching chops, athletic profile and production to be a solid fantasy asset. Just don’t expect it to be right away.

6. CeeDee Lamb | WR | Dallas Cowboys | WR1

At first glance, the landing spot for Lamb looks bad. He enters an offense that already has two above-average wide receivers in Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup. However, Lamb is one of the best wide receiver prospects to come out in a long time. There’s a world where he proves to be a better option than those ahead of him on the depth chart. Lamb is an elite wide receiver and even though it might be a while until the production meets the profile, the long-term outlook is strong.

7. Jerry Jeudy | WR | Denver Broncos | WR2

Most would have liked to see Jeudy go to an offense where he’d be the unquestioned WR1, but that didn’t happen. Instead, he went to the Broncos where he will be a strong complement to Courtland Sutton. Jeudy’s athletic and statistical profile suggests he will be a strong asset in fantasy for years to come. The biggest concern comes with his quarterback in Drew Lock. That’s really the only concern with Jeudy’s outlook.

Tier 4

8. Justin Jefferson | WR | Minnesota Vikings | WR3

While Jefferson enters a low-volume passing offense, he still has the chance to produce right away. He fits perfectly as the replacement for Stefon Diggs in the slot, where he spent the majority of his senior season with great success. The draft capital, opportunity, statistical profile and athletic profile all bode well for Jefferson. But being in an offense that favors the run probably limits his ceiling.

9. Jalen Reagor | WR | Philadelphia Eagles | WR4

Reagor and the Eagles are a strong match. There’s a clear path for Reagor to be the unquestioned WR1 in the offense by 2021 and even a path for him to contribute immediately. Reagor is a big-play machine and with a weak depth chart, he has value as one of the top players in the class. Given his elite breakout age, draft capital and opportunity, Reagor is an awesome wide receiver to grab in the mid-late first round.

10. Ke’Shawn Vaughn | RB | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | RB6

For those in a league who value running backs early in the draft, Vaughn is likely to be more of a mid-first round pick. His landing spot and opportunity are the main reasons why he shot up draft boards, but he surprisingly put up strong numbers in touchdown share, dominator rating and target share during college. It will be a battle with Ronald Jones at first, but Vaughn has the ability to fill that three-down role that Bruce Arians was looking for entering the draft.

11. Michael Pittman Jr. | WR | Indianapolis Colts | WR5

I’m sure this might look high for Pittman and that’s fine. But I love just about everything when it comes to his profile. The Colts are enamored with Pittman to be their future WR1 and he even has a clear path to immediate production in 2020. The biggest knock on Pittman is his breakout age (39th percentile), everything else screams production at the NFL level. He has draft capital, opportunity and the skill set to be a strong asset to a wide receiver corps.

Tier 5

12. Henry Ruggs | WR | Las Vegas Raiders | WR6

Ruggs was the first wide receiver off the board in the draft, but his landing spot is what gives me pause. Despite a lackluster statistical profile, Ruggs is in the conversation as arguably the best wide receiver in this class purely from a talent standpoint. However, the pairing with Derek Carr limits his ceiling massively. Even if the Raiders want to use Ruggs as a catch-and-run receiver, his ceiling is limited if his quarterback won’t look to make plays downfield. He still should see a big enough target share now and in the future to be a solid fantasy asset, but he’s likely going to be a better real wide receiver than in fantasy.

13. Tee Higgins | WR | Cincinnati Bengals | WR7

I wasn’t as high on Higgins entering the draft, but there is still plenty of intrigue. The Bengals hope he can be the next A.J. Green and while those are high expectations, Higgins could be groomed to be the offense’s next WR1. Taking Higgins will be more of a long-term approach, but it could pay off after the 2020 season.

14. Denzel Mims | WR | New York Jets | WR8

Mims has the skills and athletic profile to be a team’s unquestioned WR1. He’s the prototypical X receiver and his volume alone with the Jets should make him relevant pretty quickly. That said, it’s hard to trust the pairing of Adam Gase and Sam Darnold in New York. The draft capital and opportunity make him a very high-upside pick, but I have questions about the Jets offense as a whole and the people running it.

15. Brandon Aiyuk | WR | San Francisco 49ers | WR9

It might be a little shocking to see a first-round pick this far in the rankings. Aiyuk is a big-play machine with the ability to break off a long touchdown at any given moment. He had an elite receiving yards market share and receptions per game, but his late breakout age and landing spot in a run-heavy offense as the likely WR2 cloud the optimism. That said, Aiyuk has the skillset to succeed in the YAC offense under Kyle Shanahan, and the draft capital helps his cause a lot.

16. Laviska Shenault | WR | Jacksonville Jaguars | WR10

Shenault was potentially a first-round pick in the NFL Draft but slipped to the second likely due to injury concerns. That said, he could wind up being one of the biggest steals. Shenault can step in almost immediately as the WR2 opposite D.J. Chark and with his skillset and early breakout age, there is no denying the chance for him to be arguably the top wide receiver to come out of this class. It’s all about whether he can stay healthy or not.

17. Bryan Edwards | WR | Las Vegas Raiders | WR11

Another long-term rookie, Edwards is an intriguing second-round pick in rookie drafts. His elite breakout age and statistical profile are astounding. However, his work came very close to the line of scrimmage, which means we have limited knowledge of his ability to work down the field. But his landing spot with the Raiders is strong. Derek Carr prefers the short game and Edwards can thrive in that area. It wouldn’t be a shock if he is the most productive rookie wide receiver on the Raiders offense in 2020.

Tier 6

18. Joe Burrow | QB | Cincinnati Bengals | QB1

For one-quarterback leagues, the position isn’t highly valued in rookie drafts. Rookie quarterbacks historically just aren’t productive early and in the 1QB formats, there can be value found all over the place. That said, Burrow is a strong addition for a QB-needy team on a Bengals offense that should be pretty pass-heavy.

19. Zack Moss | RB | Buffalo Bills | RB7

There’s a pretty big tier break in running backs for this class. Whether it’s because of draft profiles, landing spots or draft capital, there is more of a long-term outlook with guys like Moss. Fortunately, Moss brings strong enough production numbers and draft capital to be a relevant piece in Year 1. But he will have to split time with the explosive Devin Singletary. Expect Moss to be a goal-line back early on with the potential to steal some work from Singletary as the year progresses.

20. A.J. Dillon | RB | Green Bay Packers | RB8

This was a head-scratching pick in the real draft. But for fantasy purposes, it has at least some intrigue. Aaron Jones is great, but he’s a free agent in 2021. The same goes for backup Jamaal Williams. Dillon is an athletic freak and while he won’t make an impact in Year 1, there are chances he has the backfield to himself in 2021. That’s a BIG if, but there is at least potential for a clear path in Year 2.

21. Darrynton Evans | RB | Tennesse Titans | RB9

Evans was a sleeper in the real draft and it likely stays that way in rookie drafts. Derrick Henry is there to take the majority of work, but Evans is a strong change-of-pace back. The future outlooks is better than the immediate one for Evans but if Henry hits the market in 2021 after playing on the franchise tag, the former becomes a lot more interesting.

Tier 7

22. Tua Tagovailoa | QB | Miami Dolphins | QB2

The final of draft-worthy quarterbacks, Tua’s outlook all depends on his health. If he’s all good to go, he’s a great addition as a long-term quarterback. The Dolphins are clearly building around him and with his draft capital, Tua has a high chance to be a solid fantasy producer. Again, it all comes down to his health.

22. Antonio Gandy-Golden | WR | Washington Redskins | WR12

AGG is an intriguing rookie with a lot of upside. But there is a long-term approach with him. Given his landing spot and draft capital, he shouldn’t be expected to contribute immediately. But his college production and early breakout age bode well for a successful future in the league. He has a clear path to be the WR2 for the Redskins in 2020 but the landing spot, lackluster draft capital and rise in competition are causes for concern.

23. Antonio Gibson | RB | Washington Redskins | RB10

The backfield in Washington is an absolute mess. With Derrius Guice and Adrian Peterson still there, the outlook is cloudy for Gibson. But his athletic profile and praise from the team means there’s at least a chance he has a role early on.

24. Anthony McFarland | RB | Maryland | RB11

McFarland wasn’t all that impressive statistically, but he brings a solid athletic profile to the Steelers and will be competing with Jaylen Samuels for the RB2 role for the oft-injured James Conner. The landing spot is what gives McFarland upside if he needs to take over for Conner, who is also on the final year of his rookie contract.

25. Chase Claypool | WR | Pittsburgh Steelers | WR13

Claypool is an athletic freak who had strong production with the Fighting Irish. His landing spot isn’t great as he will work behind Juju Smith-Schuster and Diontae Johnson at wide receiver. If moved to tight end, he is behind Eric Ebron and Vance McDonald. He has solid draft capital and production to go along with athleticism, but his opportunity and late breakout age are concerns.

26. Joshua Kelley | RB | Los Angeles Chargers | RB12

Kelley is a solid sleeper as a late pick in rookie drafts. Though Austin Ekeler will be there, Kelley only has to beat out former seventh-round pick Justin Jackson for the RB2 role. Kelley has a decent statistical and athletic profile and while the fourth-round draft capital isn’t great, he has a clear path to a role early on if he can beat out Jackson.

27. K.J. Hamler | WR | Denver Broncos | WR14

Hamler brings solid production, draft capital and an early breakout age to the table, but it’s hard to see him making a big impact. Not only does he have to work behind Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy immediately, but he also has to deal with Drew Lock as his quarterback to go along with tight ends Noah Fant and Albert Okwuegbunam. There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of upside with the under-sized Hamler outside of his second-round draft capital.