Friday, May 17, 2024

Fantasy Football, Featured

Rookie WRs & TEs: The Dynasty Down-Low

Dynasty fantasy football value for rookie WRs and TEs

Fantasy rookie WRs and TEs are probably the toughest to accurately predict but are very valuable when they hit, depending on league settings. With the 2022 NFL Draft wrapping up a month ago, we are in full swing of the “hype up” portion of the fantasy football offseason. All rookies drafted in 2022 are being touted as the best thing since sliced bread and are being compared to other NFL stars and recent rookies such as Justin Jefferson and Kyle Pitts. Here, I will point out my favorite players with great rookie value, go over my 2022 statistical predictions for them, and touch on their dynasty worth.

The Down-Low on Rookie WRs

Christian Watson, #9 | Rookie WR Green Bay Packers

Drake London

He was the first WR taken off the board and had a good landing spot. Now the only question for Drake London is, can either Marcus Mariota or Desmond Ridder feed him the ball enough to help him hold his draft capital and redraft and dynasty worth? I think that the answer is yes. Before becoming an NFL star, however, he needs to continue expanding his route tree, and he is still lacking in the department of elite burst and speed.

2022 Fantasy Stat Predictions: 188.9 FPTS | Starts: 16 | Games Appeared: 16

Dynasty Analysis: WR15-WR19 with low bust potential.

Garrett Wilson

Garrett Wilson could very well be the next Davante Adams in his own right. His hands and route running are near-elite. We just need to see if Zach Wilson is ready to take his game to the next level, play like his draft capital suggests, and be the Jets’ franchise QB. The Jets have something cooking and could eventually have one of the most elite WR rooms in the NFL. Wilson still needs to work on blocking during rushing attempts and balance during contact before he can claim to be a WR1 in dynasty.

2022 Fantasy Stat Predictions: 141.0 FPTS | Starts: 15 | Games Appeared: 15

Dynasty Analysis: WR14-WR18 with low bust potential.

Christian Watson

Has there been a more hyped-up rookie WR this season than Christian Watson? Not only does he have one of the highest upsides of all rookie WRs, but he gets to play for future NFL hall of fame QB Aaron Rodgers. That alone is enough for me to buy shares of Watson. If not the WR1 on his own team, he will easily be the WR2 opposite of Allen Lazard. Watson has the following cons: he is still extremely raw, has some route timing inconsistencies, and does not always use his size to his advantage.

2022 Fantasy Stat Predictions: 186.4 FPTS | Starts: 16 | Games Appeared: 16

Dynasty Analysis: WR28-WR32 with medium bust potential.

Jahan Dotson, #1 | Rookie WR Washington Commanders

Jahan Dotson

Who is a sneaky player that you can get cheaper than some of the “more highly touted WRs,” yet will have a prominent offensive role and a lot of upsides? That’s right, you guessed it! Jahan Dotson! Please pat yourself on the back and make sure to draft him in your rookie drafts. A few struggles to keep an eye on are durability concerns and route release during man coverage.

2022 Fantasy Stat Predictions: 120.1 FPTS | Starts: 14 | Games Appeared: 14

Dynasty Analysis: WR55-WR59 with medium bust potential.

The Down-Low on Rookie TEs

Jelani Woods, #80 | Rookie TE Indianapolis Colts

Trey McBride

With Zach Ertz‘s career beginning to slow down, Trey McBride is in the drivers’ seat to becoming a target monster. Although Kyler Murray scrambles a lot, this often helps TE productivity as they are usually the closest option to the QB. I could very easily see him as a top-five TE in just a few short years. Here are some apparent cons: inconsistent blocker and needs to work on his RedZone presence.

2022 Fantasy Stat Predictions: 66.5 FPTS | Starts: Two | Games Appeared: 13

Dynasty Analysis: TE16-TE20 with medium-high bust potential.

Jelani Woods

There is an argument that Jelani Woods should be the first TE taken in rookie drafts. First, he is really big, measuring at six feet seven inches and 259 pounds. Secondly, he is extremely athletic, with a raw athletic score (RAS) coming in with a perfect score of ten. Historical data shows that elite tight ends are usually very athletic and score a RAS higher than nine. Get a share of Woods as soon as possible.

2022 Fantasy Stat Predictions: 91.7 FPTS | Starts: Nine | Games Appeared: 15

Dynasty Analysis: TE23-TE27 with medium bust potential.

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