With the NFL Draft just a few short days away all the time for talk is coming to an end. All the blowhards like me that have been breaking down different draft prospects will get a chance to see how smart we are over the next couple of seasons. Football fans have been flooded with a ton of different names, so I thought it would be a good idea to pick out five guys people will want to track during the draft. In my opinion these are the names fantasy owners should be watching closely once the elite prospects are taken off the board.
LaMichael James, RB Oregon
I’ve made my feelings about James known on many occasions over the past few months. I think James is a special player who can can do things very few other running backs can do. He has those quick feet that makes him dangerous even when there doesn’t seem to be any running lanes.
James is also a lot tougher than people give him credit for. I remember when Ray Rice was coming out and some questioned his size. I pointed out that he was a much tougher inside runner than most thought and his size wasn’t a big factor. I feel the same way about James. Despite being known for his speed almost all of James’ runs at Oregon came between the tackles. It’s a misconception that James made all of his plays once he got in space. That’s not true at all.
Whichever team drafts James in Round 2 will be getting a steal in my opinion. I expect James to come in and have an instant fantasy impact. In keeper leagues I would advise making James one of your top targets. Every once and a while I’ll get this feeling in my gut about a player and while I’m far from always being right, those particular feelings are rarely wrong. I have that feeling about James. He’s pound-for-pound my favorite player in this draft.
Ronnie Hillman, RB San Diego State
Like James, I’ve been all over Hillman since the draft process began. Hillman is my top sleeper at any position in this draft.
I always make a mental note of certain players I watch over their careers that I’m eager to see on film. Hillman was one of those guys because every time I saw him play in college he really impressed me. I like to compare prospects to NFL players so people can get an idea of what I’m talking about . When I watch Hillman I see a guy with a similar skill set to Tiki Barber. Hillman is faster than Barber was when he played but they’re similar in size and like Barber; Hillman is an excellent receiver out of the backfield.
Hillman was also a stronger inside runner than I thought he would be. For a guy his size (5-10, 200) Hillman really breaks a lot of tackles and didn’t wear down in games where he got 20+ carries. Hillman carried the ball 20 times or more in in 11 of 13 games last season and eclipsed the 100-yard mark nine of those times, so he can handle a heavy workload.
I think the worst case scenario with Hillman is a team ends up with a great pass catching back who can play a complementary role for an offense. The best case scenario is a team finds a gem in the middle rounds that becomes one of the most dangerous running backs in the NFL. Either way, Hillman will contribute to an NFL offense in some capacity.
A.J. Jenkins, WR Illinois
Jenkins is one of my favorite players in the draft and I think he has a good chance to be a Top 40 selection. Jenkins has great speed and I thought he was one of the best open-field runners I saw on tape. I really liked the way Jenkins caught the ball on the run and was able to instantly kick into another gear and separate from defenders.
Jenkins didn’t play with great throwing quarterbacks at Illinois but he still managed to catch 90 balls for 1,276 yards and 8 touchdowns last season. On tape Jenkins displayed excellent hands along with the ability to make tough catches in traffic. I look at Jenkins like a former Big 10 receiver I love; Eric Decker. Both guys put up big numbers in college and looked good doing it despite playing with less-than-average passing quarterbacks.
Keep a close eye on Jenkins. If he gets drafted by a team in need of receivers like Cleveland or Minnesota, he’ll instantly become one of my fantasy sleepers.
I’m going to do something crazy. I’m going to compare a non-white receiver to Wes Welker. I know it’s never been done before but when I watch Broyles I see Welker. Like Welker, Broyles is more quick than fast and he always finds a way to get open.
I know he’s coming off a knee injury but Broyles is a well-rounded receiver with a lot of upside. It’s tough to evaluate Big 12 receivers because they’re never covered but Broyles is a really impressive route-runner from what I’ve seen on tape. He breaks his routes off and changes direction very well, making it difficult for defenders to read where Broyles is going.
I had a second round grade on Broyles before he injured his knee and even with the injury I still see him going in the second/third round range. It’s going to be too hard for teams to pass on a guy with his skill set for very long. I say Broyles will be considered one of the NFL’s top slot receivers in 2-3 years time. If I’m right, he’ll also end up being one of the big steals to come out of this draft.
Dwayne Allen, TE Clemson
Allen has been my top rated tight end since October and I haven’t once considered changing my mind. I think Allen is the most well-rounded tight end in this draft and I expect him to go off the board early in Round 2. For fantasy purposes if Allen goes to a team like the Giants at 32, he will make an immediate impact for owners.
In my opinion, Allen is the next in line of the new age tight ends that are changing NFL offenses. He’s big, quick, has good hands and is versatile enough to line up all over the place and cause headaches for opposing defenses. Allen doesn’t have the same kind of blazing speed as a Jimmy Graham but he’s far from slow. Allen actually reminds me of Detroit’s Brandon Pettigrew, only with better hands.
Adding to Allen’s value in the NFL is the fact that he’s arguably the best blocking tight ends in this class. How much Allen helps fantasy owners this season all depends on where he gets drafted but I predict he’ll become one of the better fantasy tight ends in the next couple of seasons. I like Allen more than Stanford’s Coby Fleener but apparently not many people agree with me. Let’s see how it plays out.
All this research reminded me of last year’s season. I had put together a scrappy team (most trades and waiver claims by far in my league) that I really loved and managed to somehow win the most games in the regular season, storm the playoffs, and make the final. My best friend was playing against me but I lost to him BIG. I just remembered that he announced during the draft back in September that he didn’t do ANY research at all and had the fewest waiver pickups. Lucky mofo had the luckiest draft of his life. He won’t do that ever again.
It’s kind of tragic to acknowledge but being lucky is better than being good in Fantasy Football. Having said that, I will say that everybody’s luck runs out and in the end, the research done now is going to carry you further than you think. In more cases than not, championships are won at the waiver wire. So get your sleepers together, gentlemen.
/end rant.
is it september yet?
But let me ask you this: Who had more fun? Great, he got lucky and won the league. That happens every now and then if you draft a great team and don’t have injuries. But he’s not really playing fantasy football. I’ve played better some years where I lost in the playoffs and then won it all some years when I made some bad moves and got lucky by getting the right matchups at the right time during the playoffs. Winning in the playoffs takes some luck. Guys like us want to win but we also enjoy the ride. That’s why we play. Having said all of that I will do my best to help you get revenge this year and score one for our kind.
Broyles is gonna be a steal; I don’t know why he seems to be so under-the-radar goin into the draft. Didn’t he set the NCAA receptions record? You’d think that would count for something…
To sorta build off the Welker comparison, do you think he could be a return man?
Yes, he returned punts at OU as a freshman and he has that kind of skill set for sure. Also, I think NFL teams are high on Broyles I don’t think he was getting talked about a lot because he’s been hurt and not participating at things like the Combine where people fall in love with players. I actually think he will go in Round 2. And yes he is the all-time Division I leader in receptions. The guy just gobbles up catches. If he were healthy Broyles would be getting much more love from the media outlets.