Several rookies will have an opportunity to make an immediate impact in fantasy football this season. Here are five rookies who can jump in right away and provide quality points.

1. Amari Cooper, Oakland

Amari Cooper will provide points right away. Flickr/http://bit.ly/1KpS1X2/Matt Velazquez
Amari Cooper will provide points right away. Flickr/http://bit.ly/1KpS1X2/Matt Velazquez

We know the hype is all over Melvin Gordon. But there are just too many ways for San Diego to give the ball to other running backs for Gordon to hold the top value in fantasy football for rookies. Quarterback Derek Carr is going to sling it this year. Carr finished seventh among NFL quarterbacks in attempts last season with 599, and this year should feature the same production.

Cooper will be his primary target and many NFL draft experts listed Cooper as the player who was most NFL ready out of college. He won’t be as consistent as some of the top NFL wide receivers, but the Raiders will trail — likely often — giving Cooper plenty of opportunities to attract several targets.

2. Melvin Gordon, San Diego

The Chargers took Gordon in the first round for a reason. St. Louis Rams rookie Todd Gurley would be on this list, too, but he’s out for the first few weeks, making his value diminish in the early going. Although we’re worried about Danny Woodhead and possibly Branden Oliver taking away some touches from Gordon, fantasy football owners should feel relief that Gordon will amass the majority of carries.

Last year, San Diego running backs didn’t do much on the ground, ranking toward the bottom for NFL teams in rushing. Gordon is supposed to change that, and the Chargers did average 24.9 rushing attempts per game, which put the Chargers near the middle of the pack for carries. Quarterback Phillip Rivers also is known for using his running backs in the passing game, so there should be some value with Gordon in that category, too.

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Nelson Agholor can make an immediate impact. Flickr
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Nelson Agholor can make an immediate impact. Flickr

3. Nelson Agholor, Philadelphia

Head coach Chip Kelly’s offense is made for fantasy football. That bodes well for fantasy football owners with Agholor at their disposal.

So far, Agholor isn’t second, or even third, on the depth chart for the Eagles. That shouldn’t bother fantasy football owners entering week 1. If he stays as the fourth receiver, there will still be plenty of opportunities right away for him to make an impact.

Agholor also has plenty of big-play experience, so he will work well in the Eagles offense, which allows wide receivers to feast on defenses.

4. T.J. Yeldon, Jacksonville

We’d love T.J. Yeldon if he didn’t play for Jacksonville. The Jaguars should improve this season, but last year, Toby Gerhart was all the rage heading into the season.

Weeks after the season started, he barely was getting any touches.

Yeldon should have a far bigger impact, but the Jaguars just don’t score often enough for Yeldon to compete with some of the other top fantasy football running backs. And if Jacksonville is trailing in games, which it has done regularly in the past, Yeldon may see his touches drop.

He still will have a quality impact for a rookie, but there’s no need to reach for Yeldon in fantasy football drafts.

5. Devin Funchess, Carolina

Carolina rookie wide receiver Devin Funchess wasn’t supposed to have this role this quick. But with the loss of Kelvin Benjamin, Funchess is now a primary target for quarterback Cam Newton. He’s a big body target and Newton can only look to Greg Olsen so much in the passing game.

Newton has shown in the past to like big targets (see Benjamin during his rookie year), so there shouldn’t be any hesitation on how much he will be used. Funchess’ biggest weakness now is a nagging hamstring injury that could keep him out of the final preseason game, and possibly week 1.

If he starts, he should provide immediate impact.

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