We’re all excited about the potential for some rookies to have on our fantasy football rosters this coming season.
I already detailed the rookies I’m especially excited about, so now I’m looking at fool’s gold. Everyone’s favorite player on a team is the backup quarterback and rookies play a similar role. They’re new, shiny and feature hope for fantasy owners.
They haven’t done us wrong, and let’s be honest, those players who didn’t perform from our rosters years ago still have a stigma of being bad performers.
Here are four rookies who will have hype that should be avoided in next year’s fantasy football draft.
Jared Goff/Carson Wentz
The Nos. 1 and 2 picks in the draft will likely get a bump in fantasy ownership thanks to the hype of being the top selections in the NFL draft. But this isn’t 2015.
Last year’s top picks, Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, had moments as solid contributors to fantasy rosters. Even with those moments, they still weren’t top-10 options for fantasy rosters. And neither Goff nor Wentz are anywhere near as ready as either Winston or Mariota were last season to make an immediate impact.
Wentz isn’t going to start and Goff may not see action until the middle of the season. St. Louis has enough talent to compete, so it’s doubtful it entrusts the keys to the offense to a rookie right away.
Winston and Mariota started right away. That won’t happen with Wentz or Goff, so don’t waste a roster spot on either of them. If they start producing, they’ll be available on your league’s waiver wire.
Will Fuller, WR, Houston Texans
Wide receivers are normally a solid bet for fantasy owners looking for steals in drafts. It’s been proven yearly, and happened again last season with Amari Cooper, being a solid starter for fantasy rosters. It’s not that rookie wide receivers can’t put up big numbers. It’s more about rookie wide receivers generally starting off slow, allowing you to nab them on the waiver wire later in the season.
And in Fuller’s case, there’s not enough balls to spread around for him to put up enough production.
DeAndre Hopkins is the main target for the Texans. That won’t change this season. Hopkins was a target monster last year. Fuller will have to battle for playing time and just won’t see enough looks to justify taking up a roster spot on your fantasy roster. He doesn’t offer a big target for touchdowns, so he won’t be able to make up for the lack of targets. I’m staying away from Fuller on my roster.
Kenneth Dixon, RB, Baltimore Ravens
In the future, Dixon is likely to become a solid fantasy option. I like his potential as a starting running back at some point in his career.
However, the fourth round pick from Louisiana Tech, won’t make an impact soon enough this season for the Ravens to justify a draft pick on your fantasy roster. There’s a log jam at the running back position for the Ravens thanks to injuries in the past few years to the Ravens specialty players.
That doesn’t bode well for Dixon out of the gate. Justin Forsett will likely get the lion’s share of the load, but Lorenzo Taliaferro and Javorius Allen will get a few looks, too. That’s too many players who need to see the ball on a consistent basis.
Anyone who drafts Dixon will likely drop him by week 4 since he won’t get enough touches to be productive. He may start producing later in the season so keep an eye on him on the waiver wire.
