In an ongoing segment, I will periodically provide some players I think have great value to bring onto your team (steals), and players I think can get a great return for shipping out (wheels). This is with a focus on redraft leagues and the value of projected ADP. Today, we take a look at the incoming class based on where they went in the real-life draft to identify where the most rookie value is. Check back regularly with Belly Up Fantasy Sports to see my latest suggestions.

Steal: RB Anthony McFarland, Jr., Pittsburgh Steelers

Pick: Round 4, Pick 124

McFarland joins a thin running back room in Pittsburgh. James Conner will lead in touches out of the Steelers backfield if healthy. His health, however, continues to be a question after only playing in 10 games last season. Jaylen Samuels showed a little promise as a receiver out of the backfield last year, but both he and Benny Snell Jr. failed to get much going between the tackles. The reason McFarland has some rookie value is the team. McFarland has injury issues of his own, but if he can stay healthy through camp he should easily win the RB2 role in a historically good situation in Pittsburgh.

Wheel: WR Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers

Pick: Round 1, Pick 25

Going into the draft, everyone knew the 49ers desperately needed a receiving threat to complement TE George Kittle and WR Deebo Samuel. The 49ers traded up from pick 31 to secure Aiyuk in the hopes that he can fill that void. There are a few problems I have with this fit, the least of which is the core muscle surgery Aiyuk underwent earlier this month. With OTAs, and everything else, on hold due to COVID-19, hopefully he can participate in the majority of the offseason. Rookies missing any portion of getting ready for their first campaign usually doesn’t bode well, though. It is especially difficult in an offense as complex as Kyle Shannahan’s. Speaking of, let’s not forget they don’t pass the ball all that often.

Steal: WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, Cleveland Browns

Pick: Round 6, Pick 187

Kevin Stefanski, the new coach of the Browns, brings with him a TE heavy scheme and some issues with spatial awareness. Stefanski’s offense in Minnesota last year featured two WR sets the majority of the time. With Odell Beckham, Jr. and Jarvis Landry on the roster, this might not seem like a place with many opportunities. Those two can’t be on the field for every offensive snap, though, and the WR3 position in Cleveland is wide open. Peoples-Jones was considered by many to be the best pure athlete in the draft. That didn’t translate to success at Michigan and doesn’t always translate to success in the NFL. If Peoples-Jones can develop, though, he could be a major part of the offense early on.

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Rookie Value Wheel: RB Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts

Pick: Round 2, Pick 9

While at Wisconsin, Taylor put together an impressive career, totaling 300+ touches each of the last three seasons. This is the issue at the forefront of most running back conversations these days though- how long can they hold up? Taylor reminds me a lot of another hyper-productive Wisconsin back, and that’s what scares me. Marlon Mack leads a committee that has been serviceable with flashes of brilliance in the last few seasons. The Colts could have the same concerns and limit Taylor’s usage early in his career. Philip Rivers is not the future in Indy, after all, and Taylor would be nice to have at full strength whenever the future signal-caller takes over.

Rookie Value Steal: TE Albert Okwuegbunam, Denver Broncos

Pick: Round 4, Pick 118

The tight ends in this draft class were labeled as “thin” and mostly forgotten. Cole Kmet demanded virtually all of the attention at the position, and that allowed a few interesting prospects to fly under the radar. Okwuegbunam has a lot of weaknesses in his game that reflect where he went, but this is all about location, location, location. Second-year TE Noah Fant had a decent enough season for the Broncos last year but certainly didn’t wow. Okwuegbunam should be a lock to see the field early in 2020. The biggest strength for Okwuegbunam identified by scouts was his ability to win the ball in the endzone. If Melvin Gordon regains any of his early-career goal-line yips, Okwuegbunam could be in for a lot of red-zone targets.

Wheel: Alabama Wide Receivers (Henry Ruggs, III, Las Vegas Raiders and Jerry Jeudy, Denver Broncos)

Pick: Round 1, Pick 12 (Ruggs); Round 1, Pick 15(Jeudy)

We all knew heading into the draft that Ruggs and Jeudy would go in the first round, but I think we all thought they would go in the opposite order. If that had happened, I am as high on these guys as everyone else. The way it shook out, though, makes me a little leery of the price I would have to pay for them in redraft leagues based on their names.

Ruggs is a straight-up burner with 4.2 speed. Jeudy is a precision route-runner who will always be exactly where you think he will be coming out of routes. Ruggs will be thrown the ball by Derek Carr, who failed to maximize on Amari Cooper‘s downfield ability in their time together. Jeudy by Drew Lock, an inexperienced QB with a cannon for an arm who has a penchant for overthrowing receivers. Put Ruggs in orange and Jeudy in silver and black, and I’m on the hype train. Wearing the jerseys they are, I’m not so sure.

Think the ‘Bama boys will thrive and have great rookie value? Let me know on Twitter @KyeP_Sports.
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