It’s a far more difficult exercise to find three valuable rookies in fantasy football than to locate the players with too much hype.
I’ve already located three players who I’m keeping an eye heading into the NFL draft, so now I’ll shift gears, and identify three players who will be over-hyped heading into the 2018 fantasy football season.
Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia
Chubb is already a household name, so that will create some buzz heading into the 2018 fantasy football season.
And 10 years ago, Chubb could have made an immediate impact as a downhill runner. In today’s NFL, coaches are looking for more than just that first and second-down running back.
Chubb was at a bit of a disadvantage because of the Bulldogs’ wealth of running back talent, but he still only tallied two receptions out of the backfield last season. Even with Sony Michel in the backfield, that’s just not enough production to convince me that Chubb will come close to a three-down back in his career, let alone in his rookie campaign.
Early-down running backs are a dime a dozen, so I’d favor Michel as the better fantasy option than Chubb in their rookie seasons.
Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama
Ridley is probably going to be the first wide receiver drafted in the 2018 NFL draft, but that shouldn’t make him the best fantasy football option.
Ridley is difficult to assess based on the Crimson Tide’s focus on the running game. He had decent production, but his NFL combine workout didn’t jump off the page for future success.
The wide receivers in this year’s draft don’t register much optimism for future game-breakers. Even if Ridley is the first wide receiver off the board, don’t expect much from him during his rookie campaign.
Hayden Hurst, TE, South Carolina
It’s tough for tight ends to make immediate impacts in fantasy football. OJ Howard was one of the best tight end prospects in years in last year’s draft, and while he had some moments in the 2017 fantasy football season, he was far from being a reliable source of production.
Hurst is the best of the bunch among tight ends in the 2018 class, but he’s not close to Howard’s skill-level.
Hurst could go in the first round, meaning that he’ll get an opportunity at significant snaps in 2018. But those likely won’t translate to consistent value at the tight end position. He’s nothing more than a TE2 — at best — in the 2018 fantasy football draft.
