This will be the first of a series of articles titled The Foresight, with the goal of predicting up and coming players at each position. Every Season we start off thinking we drafted all the right pieces for a championship run. Whether we drafted Patrick Mahomes number 1 or overhauled on a skill position, there’s always that feeling that we won this year in the draft.  Then injuries happen, players underperform and some players just have amazing week 1’s on the waiver wire (i.e. Malcolm Brown) and get picked up…only to be dropped. The purpose of this article is to give you insight on draft steals to give you an edge going into your dynasty leagues.

Schemes/Teams

Analysts talk about it all the time. Wherever a player is drafted can be the biggest indicator of a player’s success. How good a team is at developing a position can be a major factor in player longevity and effectiveness. There are only a couple teams that can have multiple players succeed based on their game plan. Identifying these teams can help you acquire a possible league winning player or two before playoffs. Last year players like Mike Davis, Jeff Wilson and Cam Akers are examples of players in great schemes who helped you win your leagues because of their performances on the back end of the season. These players stepped up when a  player got injured or the team switched up the rotation.

These examples I’m going to give are guys that you should get on your deeper dynasty rosters. These players have proven they can make an impact when given the chance on their current team. These are players that are taken in the backend of your draft because they may not be the starter, but have proven to their team to be a quality player with upside. The players that can win you a title in week 16 or can come through when a team’s starter goes down.

Jeff Wilson Jr. – Running Back, San Francisco 49ers

The guy is underrated. Jeff Wilson Jr. had 10 TDS and 700 yards from scrimmage last year while only starting 3 of 11 games. Each of his 3 starts saw him score 20+ pts in fantasy. With his biggest performance coming against a stout Patriot’s Defense giving up 3 TDs to Wilson. As of now he’s the main backup to Raheem Mostert, but he should be considered at the very least a handcuff to  the team that drafts Mostert.

The Foresight on Wilson Jr. is that he’ll have a breakout season with Mostert entering his last year under contract. This offseason has been good to Wilson’s stock, with Jerick Mckinnon and Tevin Coleman leaving via free agency. This legitimizes Wilson’s number 2 role going into camp with a chance of getting goal line work. Wilson has a good chance of usurping Mostert as starter and enjoying a 1000 yard year with 10-12 TDs.

Gus Edwards-Running Back, Baltimore Ravens

Gus Edwards has been the embodiment of consistency throughout his career. You know exactly what you’re going to get when you put him on the field. The “Gus Bus” has put up an astounding 5.2 yard per carry (YPC) avg over his 3-year tenure with the Ravens, eclipsing 700 yards in each  season. 2020 was Edwards year to establish himself as a goal line back going forward for the Ravens. He should also be considered an excellent candidate for a dynasty league, because he could end up with a new team and a new role following the 2022 Free Agency period.

The Foresight on Edwards is even with J.K. Dobbins Emergence as the number 1 RB, look for Edwards to take the ball in on the goal line. I’m predicting Edwards has a career year for TDs, while taking a hit in rushing yards. Lets say 8-10 TDS and 550-700 yards.

Damien Harris-Running Back, New England Patriots

The lone bright spot in the New England Backfield was Damien Harris. A guy who’s hard running style and tenacity showed up every given Sunday. Even though he only scored 2 TDs in 10 Games, Harris averaged 5 YPC. If this isn’t sounding impressive to you, then just remember Cam Newton was the Quarterback of the Patriots last year not Tom Brady. So this guy was pretty much working his butt off every time he got the ball, while averaging 5 YPC over 10 games. With the additions on offense this year, hopefully the Patriots won’t be as predictable and Harris wont be ran into the ground.

The Foresight on Harris is that he has beaten out Sony Michel and the rest of the backfield for the number 1 spot. That being said I’m predicting that Harris will take over in New England with a 1000 yard, 5-10 Tds campaign. This of course is barring he stays healthy for at least 12-14 games.

Draft Capital

How much has a team invested in a player? Usually if a team has drafted a player in rounds 1-4 they are expected to give that player a shot at starting. While not every player will start year one, lots of players start seeing more time year two. Teams will lose players every offseason, which  opens the door for the 2nd year player to get more playing time. These are the type of players that start to look like a solid flex player or maybe that guy you take a chance on late in drafts. We all have that one guy that fell past his average draft position (ADP) and could be the steal of the draft. Here’s 3 youngsters that I think could be a steal next year based on their draft capital from last year.

La’michal Perine-Running Back, New York Jets

La’mical Perine was a guy last year that I never considered grabbing in my drafts…even deep drafts. The reason was solely because of the team he played for…the J-E-T-S! That being said with Adam Gase gone and Robert Salah becoming the new Head Coach, as well as bringing his new Offensive Coordinator from San Francisco. I have to think they’re going to try and do something with Perine and this run game.  As of today the only Running Backs in Perine’s way are Tevin Coleman and Ty Johnson. Both are in no way shape or form the future of the franchise at Running Back. So, here’s to taking a chance on the youngster.

The Foresight on Perine is that the Jets Running Back turns in a 700-800 yard, 7 TD season. Expect him to be a RB3/Flex with the upside for RB2 numbers. This might be the boldest prediction of the article, but that’s what makes a winner…bold decisions.

Jerry Jeudy- Wide Receiver, Denver Broncos

Jerry Jeudy wasn’t bad this past year, but he was projected to be better. Jeudy was touted as the cream of the crop when it came to the 2020 rookie wide receiver class. He ended up being the forgotten man with Jefferson, Claypool and Aiyuk emerging as stars. Jeudy had good numbers with 856 receiving yards and a 16.5  yards per reception avg. Jeudy’s issue was his 12 drops, which ranked 2nd in the league. Even with his struggles last year, I recommend getting Jeudy early in Dynasty Drafts due to the longevity of his style. Jeudy’s real skill is his fluid route running. A skill that doesn’t deteriorate nearly as fast as physical strength and speed. Realistically Jeudy can be a 10-15 year player if he keeps in good health and is going to be a steal in most leagues.

The Foresight on Jeudy is that he’ll be a 100 Catch ,1000 yard and 10 Td receiver sometime within the next 2 years. Grab Him before you have to play against him.

Michael Pittman Jr. – Wide Receiver, Indianapolis Colts

You heard it here first, Michael Pittman is going to be a gem this year! Michael Pittman Jr. was kind of seen as a disappointment last year. Don’t be fooled though, this guy can create space on his routes and has the potential to be a yard after catch (YAC)  Machine! Plus I like the addition of Carson Wentz as his QB,  getting him the ball downfield more consistently then Philip Rivers did. Although his rookie stat line of 40 catches for 500 yds and 1TD wasn’t bad for a #2 wide receiver. I expect him to outplay that stat line this upcoming year by a mile. Here’s a hot take for Pittman, I see him becoming the number 1 receiver by the end of the season.

The Foresight on Pittman Jr. is that he’ll have 800-1000 yards with 8 Tds. Go grab Pittman while he is available, if he’s there in the later rounds of any platform snatch him up.

Final thoughts

As draft season approaches we all can’t wait to start getting into leagues and most importantly into our draft modes. Take these points as food for thought when drafting. No draft is won in the first round, and leagues are rarely won in the draft. Being able to analyze a players potential and take a risk on him could be the decision that wins you the big one. Sometimes you have to think outside the box and follow your foresight.

If you liked the article, check out https://bellyupfantasysports.com/ for more like it. You can also catch me @semtexmex93