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Top 20 Dynasty Fantasy Basketball Targets in the 2015 NBA Draft

Top 20 Dynasty Fantasy Basketball Targets in the 2015 NBA Draft

dangelo-russell

  1. Karl-Anthony Towns – Kentucky – Towns is a kid I have heard a ton about for a long time.  He’s from right around the corner here in New Jersey and I thought people were exaggerating when they talked about his ability to shoot the ball and move at his size.  Well they weren’t being “homers’ when they talked about him that’s for sure.  He has great length and and enough athleticism to become a top shot blocker and rebounder in the NBA and the skill to score inside or out whenever he gets the ball.  The upside for scoring with blocks thrown in is too good to pass up as the best Fantasy Basketball Draft target in this draft.
  2. D’Angelo Russell – Ohio State – Russell is as slick as they come.  He has great handles with pin-point accuracy when he fires his passes.  If he lands in a place where the big men don’t have stone hands he could be a top six point guard out of the gates.  His defense does need a bit of work, but what point guard was all world coming out of college after just one year.  His length and body type should make it easy for him to catch up in that area as he continues to fine tune his jumper.
  3. Kristaps Porzingis – Latvia – Porzingis is the type of player that is worth the risk associated with drafting a European player on upside in fantasy drafts.  His slight build will hold him up his first few seasons in the NBA, but his height at 7’1″ and shooting skills make him someone who could end up being the best player in this draft.  He has very nice athleticism to along with his size and from what I’ve seen he really enjoys being aggressive on both sides of the ball.  His aggressiveness on defense was especially nice to see as he can be a weapon when going for blocks.
  4. Jahlil Okafor – Duke – Okafor is one of the best low-post scorers to come out in the draft in a long time.  He can score twenty and grab eight rebounds a night with out getting one ounce better at the next level.  For him to be a great fantasy asset he will have to become an even more aggressive rebounder and figure out a way to use his smarts to protect the rim.  People talk about him like he’s Enes Kanter, but in reality I think he can develop a bunch on the defensive side of the ball.
  5. Emmanuel Mudiay – China (Via-USA) – Mudiay is a guy I really like.  I loved him coming out of high school and thought he had a chance to be the top player in this draft.  He has the size and athleticism that you just can’t teach a player.  He also has blazing quickness which makes him a threat to break down a defense at will.  His issue has been his jump shot, but I have heard conflicting reports on how it looked in China, with some reports saying it didn’t get better, while others said it looked retooled and solid enough to make defenses respect it.  He is a fit with the Lakers, 76ers and the Knicks, but he may slide if they all pass on him for others in the top four.  He can play shooting guard, but I think that would put too much pressure on his jump shot at an early stage.
  6. Justice Winslow – Duke – I love wings who can shoot the ball and defend.  Why?  Because those type of players are always on the court.  In today’s NBA you need wings that can lock down the opposing team’s best scorers and space the floor with a real 3-point shot threat to open up your offense.  Winslow can do both really well already.  He came in a little shorter than most thought, but I’m not as worried about that as others as he has the body type and strength to still guard the small forward position.
  7. Mario Hezonja – Croatia – Hezonja is the player you need to add if you need 3-point shooting and scoring.  He doesn’t seem to be athletic enough to cover the really quick wings int he NBA and that scares me for his playing time.  If he lands on a team with a player that can switch off to cover the better offensive player and hide him a bit defensively than he’ll be a steal with his shooting and scoring prowess.
  8. Devin Booker – Kentucky – Booker is a knock down shooter with ideal body length to play the shooting guard position in the NBA.  He even has nice strength on his frame for his age where I think he will compete right away for a starting spot.  His game has been compared to Klay Thompson‘s so it’s worth taking him around this area if you need 3 point shooting and scoring.
  9. Willie Cauley-Stein – Kentucky – Cauley-Stein has an NBA ready skill when it comes to shot blocking and defending the rim as he enters the NBA.  he will rebound because of his elite length and athleticism, but will he score enough to make him a big time fantasy asset.  I’m not sure if we can project him to be Dion Jordan type dominant, but he could be Tyson Chandler-esque.  If he ends up on a team that runs the floor he could put up huge rookie numbers while he learns how he fits into an NBA offense.
  10. Myles Turner – Texas – Turner is a player that probably should be a lot higher on this list, but I found myself putting him here because of his slight build.  He can shoot the ball and is an excellent help defender so he should crack a rotation right away, but big minutes will be tough to come by until he can put some muscle and weight on.  If you need to gamble on a scoring big man on your team I would take Turner in this spot.
  11. Stanley Johnson – Arizona – Stanley Johnson is a bit of a conundrum for me.  He is physically strong and decently athletic, but I’m not sure he is quick enough to guard NBA Small Forwards.  His body type makes for an interesting fit defensively, but he has skills, if not inconsistent, to score in many ways on the offensive side of the ball.  He is actually projected to go in the draft right in the area where he could see a lot of early playing time.
  12. Trey Lyles – Kentucky – I really love Lyles’s feel for the game.  He has soft hands and nice passing ability and can score and rebound.  Defensively he will hold his own and he should be a nice addition to any team as a potential starting power forward in the future.  If he had better length and could actually play the five in the NBA he would have more value, but if he lands on a team with a big need at PF he could pay dividends early.
  13. Sam Dekker – Wisconsin – Dekker has nice size at 6’9″  and can score the basketball.  Sometimes guys get a knock because of how well they fit into their college system and this may be the case with Dekker.  If he lands in the right spot he is a guy who should see a lot of playing time as long as he can guard the SF spot in the NBA.
  14. Cameron Payne – Murray State – Payne is an all around point guard who has the ability to be special.  I like his speed and handle and his vision for passing.  As always it will come down to if he can defend the position at only 6’2″ in the NBA, but I think he will be fine.  If he lands on a point guard needy team you have to be happy.  If he lands as a back-up to Russel Westbrook well than he’s a stash.
  15. Bobby Portis -Arkansas – Portis is a finished product.  He is going to score and rebound and hustle his butt off.  He is not going to block a ton of shots, but he will contribute just because he will be in the tough areas all the time.  I can see him being a double double type of player int he right system or a rotational power forward who can help you when injuries hit.  Safe pick IMO.
  16. Frank Kaminsky – Wisconsin – Kaminsky can score the basketball in many ways.  He has goofy and effective low post moves that remind some of a goofier Kevin McHale and he has a shot that can go all the way out to the three point line.  He will compete on defense and is smart about positioning and blocking out for defensive rebounds.  He’s the type of guy who could find himself in and out of rotations based on his shooting and defense so I gave him a bit of a knock, but I do like him.  In the right system he could move all the way up to 10th overall in my rookie mocks.
  17. Kevon Looney – UCLA – Looney is going to need to have his hip fixed so he will be a draft and stash for a year, but he has enough upside that he is worth it.  He has excellent size and a nice inside outside game to be a featured player at the Power Forward Position down the road.  Love the upside with a stash pick this late.
  18. Kelly Oubre – Kansas – Oubre has the ideal slasher size for a small forward at 6’7″ and just over 200 pounds.  If he can learn the NBA game and get NBA strong he has a ton of potential.  At this point you need to gamble on future upside and Oubre is worth it to me.
  19. Joseph Young – Oregon – All I hear about the kid is that no one can stay in front of him and he’s got a shot and range to go with it.  I like those things especially late in fantasy rookie drafts where players start to become single category types.  If young lands in the right spot he could be a steal.
  20. Justin Anderson – Virginia – Anderson has a great body type and game to guard the big wings in the NBA.  He also has the potential to be a nice floor spacer with a 3 Point shot and good enough athleticism to finish.  He has to work on his handle and passing, but he could be a guy that contributes a lot more than we think because of his ability to stay on the floor.

Other who were under consideration are the point guards Jerian Grant of Notre Dame, Delon Wright of Utah (Great size and wing span) and Tyus Jones of Duke and shooting guards R.J. Hunter of Georgia State and Rashad Vaughn out of UNLV.  There are a few Power forward rotational types that could find themselves with nice fantasy appeal if they land on a PF needy team like Jarell Martin out of LSU and Cliff Alexander of Kansas.

In all, this crop of Fantasy Basketball Rookie prospects are a bit top heavy.  I would weigh the top four to six picks heavily over the rest of the draft.  If someone was trying to move up for say pick 11 to pick 4 it would take a haul to get up there.  Forget about trading out of the top three in this year’s Dynasty Fantasy Basketball Rookie Drafts.
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2015 Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings

2015 Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings

Todd Gurley

  1. Amari Cooper WR Oakland Raiders – Cooper is one of the best route runners to come out of college in the last ten+ years.  His explosion in and out of breaks is going to make him a nightmare to cover in one on one situations.  He has long speed and has enough size and strength to make plays down the field.  Is he an elite touchdown threat like Mike Evans?  No, but he is a better route runner and is incredible after the catch.  Going to Oakland was a nice landing spot as he can build a relationship with second year QB Derek Carr.  The Raiders finally have an elite wide receiver after years of swings and misses based on speed alone.
  2. Todd Gurley RB St. Louis Rams – I’m sure you have seen Gurley on top of a ton of Dynasty rookie boards and I don’t blame anyone one bit.  He is an amazing talent, but there are enough drawbacks with him for me to slide him to the number two spot.  Coming off of an ACL tear, a clean one but still a major surgery with a recovery that is involved, and playing a position that I don’t value as highly as the wide receiver position pushes him to the number two spot.  I don’t like drafting injured players period.  Even if he recovers fully and is right back to his old self, he landed in a less than stellar spot in St. Louis.
  3. Kevin White WR Chicago Bears – Kevin White is a specimen.  He’s got elite size and speed for the position and has showed that he can make plays on the ball in the air and run after the catch.  The issues with White are that he is coming from a college offense that hasn’t translated well to the pro game and didn’t produce as long and as much as Amari Cooper.  I think the bigger issue is the type of offense he played in, but I think he can overcome that and develop into a top 10 wide receiver in a few short years.
  4. Melvin Gordon RB San Diego Chargers – Gordon has a great landing spot and that alone moved him up my rankings a few spots.  He is a talented runner with strength and speed and showed he can do some things in the passing game in the few chances he got at Wisconsin.  If he can learn the offense fast and protect Phillip Rivers he could be a great grab in redraft leagues as well.  Danny Woodhead is recovering from a major injury and Woodhead will need to be fully healthy for his talents to once again be NFL ready.  Love the landing spot for Gordon and I even traded Jamaal Charles straight up for the right to pick Gordon at number four overall in a rookie draft.
  5. DeVante Parker WR Miami Dolphins – Even with Kenny Stills and Jarvis Landry  in Miami Parker became the best wide receiver on that team the minute he was drafted.  He has size and speed and has a great knack for making plays.  Ryan Tannehill better get his act together throwing down field because Miami really put a lot in his cupboard this off season.
  6. Breshad Perriman WR Baltimore Ravens – Breshad Perriman is big and really, really fast.  He ran a 4.2 40 at his pro day and 6’2″ and 212lbs.  That’s an insane size/speed ratio.  He showed on tape the ability to leave corners and safeties looking for answers on how to cover him and showed the ability to make tough contested catches.  He did have some drops, but his landing spot with Joe Flacco and the Ravens makes me a little less concerned about that.  He’ll be the number one receiver in Baltimore for a long time pushing the limits of Flacco’s arm.
  7. Nelson Agholor WR Philadelphia Eagles – Can you say the PERFECT landing spot?!  Agholor literally fills two spots on the Eagles that were vacated when DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin left the last two offseasons.  He is an excellent return man who can play in the slot or outside and is amazing after the catch where he can show off his return man skills.  Love this spot for Agholor, but I can’t push him over Parker or Perriman.
  8. TJ Yeldon RB Jacksonville Jaguars – Yeldon will be a better pro than college player.  That’s what the scouts have said.  I hope it’s true as his landing spot puts him in line for a great chance at being a 3 down back for a coach that wants desperately to control the clock and take pressure off of his young QB. I like Yeldon’s landing spot a little better than the other two backs ranked behind him, but I can see the argument for them as well.
  9. Ameer Abdullah RB Detroit Lions – Abdullah lands with a Detroit team that has a need at the position.  Joique Bell is coming off of surgery and is older than most people think as he was a late bloomer in the pro game.  Theo Riddick is a nice player, but all in all isn’t a supremely talented back.  Abdullah should see ealry action as a change of pace back and could eventually become the primary ball carrier for Lions.
  10. Dorial Green-Beckham WR Tennessee Titans – Green-Beckham is this high on my list based on his potential alone.  I haven’t seen any type of production to warrant a top ten pick in rookie drafts and he has an amazing amount of red flags.  I’m not going to rehash all the reasons the transition to being a professional athlete could be a difficult one for him, but I will talk about the horrible landing spot in Tennessee.  The Titans have not been able to develop a wide receiver in a long time.  Not since Derek Mason has there been a wide receiver I could count on week in and week out.  The bad landing spot and the fact that he is an unfinished product on and off the field means I’m staying away unless I get incredible value by picking him a draft.
  11. Tevin Coleman RB Atlanta Falcons – Tevin Coleman has blazing speed and good size.  He showed he can pass protect and take it to the house at Indiana, but can he be elusive enough in tight spaces to produce at the NFL level.  That’s a good question, but he does get the benefit of landing in a spot with a great passing game already set up and an excellent run game coordinator in Kyle Shanahan.  With a defensive minded coach in place he could see a huge workload so the landing spot is perfect.
  12. Jameis Winston QB Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Winston is not Andrew Luck, but he is the most NFL ready QB to come out in a while.  He landed in a great spot with tremendous weapons and should be able to produce top 20 type QB numbers in his first year.  If Tampa can keep building their offensive line and get a running game that will take some pressure off of Winston he could flourish down the road.  He’s a value at the end of the first for sure.
  13. Devin Funchess WR Carolina Panthers – Funchess is an interesting case as he was a move tight end turned wide receiver at Michigan.  He’s huge with great leaping ability and has shown some skill at making contested plays, but overall he was very inconsistent playing with a less than talented Michigan team the last few years.  The landing spot is everything with Funchess as he goes to Carolina where Cam Newton loves to hit his big targets.  The WR2 position is wide open for Funchess and he could even emerge as a better player than Kelvin Benjamin down the road.
  14. Jaelen Strong WR Houston Texans – Jaelen Strong fell in the draft and fell a bit in the rookie rankings.  I love his size and speed and he showed a great ability to go up and make plays on the ball at Arizona State.  He’s got to get quicker in and out of his breaks and learn how to separate otherwise he will struggle to get targets in the pro game.  His landing spot isn’t ideal with the QB situation looking like one of the worst in the entire NFL.  Still really like him down the road and think he could be the Rueben Randle to DeAndre Hopkins OBJ.
  15. Marcus Mariota QB Tennessee Titans – Mariota has a lot to overcome to be a great PROFESSIONAL QB.  He played in a system that looks nothing like the pro game, but he did show elite athleticism and accuracy when he was set up for success.  He will need to work on the fundamentals of the position like reading a defense and moving your feet and shoulders as you go through your projections, but Ken Whisenhunt has been doing this a long time and I expect him to make it work.  The great thing about investing a pick in Mariota is you know he has a great make up.  He’s a tremendously hard worker with great speed and size.  Don’t let him fall too far in your drafts.
  16. Phillip Dorsett WR Indianapolis Colts – Dorsett was below Devin Smith in my rankings before he landed in Indy with Andrew Luck.  Dorsett has elite speed and has shown the ability to make tough catches in traffic down the field.  He gets dinged by people for not showing all the tools needed and I don’t question that.  The big thing is he landed in Indy with Andrew Luck and you don’t spend a first rounder on a guy when you’re this close to winning without having a plan for him.
  17. Duke Johnson RB Cleveland Browns – I wanted Duke Johnson to land in so…so many places, but Cleveland was not one of them.  With two quality backs already on the roster Johnson will have to battle for playing time in the all important practices.  We all know how Pettine had a different starter each week based on practice performance so if you take Johnson you will have to watch the Cleveland beat like a hawk.  I still like Johsnon’s skills a lot.  He has great feet and vision with excellent hands and a nose for first downs and the goal line.  Take him on talent and hope he rises above the competition.
  18. Jay Ajayi RB Miami Dolphins – The knee troubles were real with Ajayi because there is no way he should have lasted to the fifth round of the draft. While his long-term prognosis is not great for dynasty purposes his landing spot is pretty good as he can either share or take over the workload from Lamar Miller.  Ajayi is a bigger back with just as good of hands and running ability as Miller.  A timeshare could work in Ajayi’s long term favor as it won’t tax his knee as much.
  19. Maxx Williams TE Baltimore Ravens – In a class that wasn’t all that good at tight end Williams stood out.  He has huge hands and nice athleticism.  He landed in the perfect spot with the Baltimore Ravens as he will be the pass catching tight end that new offensive coordinator Marc Trestman likes.  Crockett Gilmore is a converted DE who showed promise as an inline tight end last season which allows Williams to move into the Dennis Pitta pass catching role.  Flacco loves his tight ends so I love the spot for Williams.
  20. Devin Smith WR New York Jets – Devin Smith is one of my favorite players in the draft.  He has a huge chip on his shoulder because people only think he’s a downfield receiver.  He IS a great downfield receiver with elite speed and tremendous concentration, but he can also run nice routes at all three levels.  he needs to be a little more explosive after he catches the ball underneath, but I think New York is a nice landing spot as he can learn from Brandon Marshall before eventually taking over.
  21. Javorius Allen RB Baltimore Ravens – Allen was an interesting back to try and figure out.  The USC run game wasn’t what it used to be this past season but Allen flashed a lot of skills.  the landing spot in Baltimore behind journeyman Justin Forsett is perfect as Allen is a bigger back with pass catching ability.  It moved him from a third round prospect to this spot for me.
  22. David Cobb RB Tennessee Titans – Cobb is such a nice inside runner.  He’s deceptively quick and finishes his runs. The landing spot is perfect as he can challenge Bishop Sankey for playing time and probably would benefit from a timeshare where he would be the goal line back.  Having a QB like Mariota who keeps the edge guys honest opens up all sorts of room for a big back like Cobb.
  23. David Johnson RB Arizona Cardinals – Johnson is a back that looks like a stud.  He’s jacked up and is fast with excellent hands.  He landed in Arizona where they were desperate to find a running mate for Andre Ellington.  It’s perfect fit for Johnson as he could be in-line for a timeshare early with a chance at being a lead 3-down back down the road.
  24. Tyler Lockett WR Seattle Seahawks – Lockett was a huge get for the Seahawks as they desperately needed to replace both Golden Tate and Percy Harvin.  They needed a receiver to be able to win with route running and also be an excellent kick returner so they don’t have to keep using their defenders in that spot.  Lockett should see the field a lot and if Russell Wilson develops a good relationship with him he could be a nice third or fourth receiver on your team.
  25. Chris Conley WR Kansas City Chiefs – A deep speed receiver who landed with a QB who doesn’t throw the ball down the field or outside the numbers.  Not ideal for year one, but his size and speed is worth investing in especially if Andy Reid doesn’t last long in KC.
  26. Sammie Coates WR Pittsburgh Steelers – Another size speed investment that could be boom or bust.  The Steelers have a nice history of using receivers the right way to help them develop so I can see Coates being an asset down the road.
  27. Justin Hardy WR Atlanta Falcons – Hardy landed in the perfect spot in Atlanta.  A wide open WR3 spot with no tight end to threaten targets.  With Roddy White aging and Julio Jones having a foot that has been an issue he could see work on the outside before to long.
  28. Matt Jones RB Washington Redskins – Love the landing spot for this big back.  Gruden did not draft Alfred Morris and hasn’t committed to him long term.  They spent a third round pick on a back that they think can do it all.  I say believe in what your eyes are telling you and grab Jones especiallyw itht he Redskins investing a 1st round pick on an excellent run blocking tackle.
  29. Mike Davis RB San Francisco 49ers – I wanted Davis to land in Dallas, but he landed in San Francisco which has huge question mark behind Carlos Hyde.  He’s an immediate hand-cuff for Hyde owners and should be in the number two spot in the pecking order as soon as Reggie Bush plays his way out of another city.
  30. Josh Robinson RB Indianapolis Colts – I love this little ball of action.  He is tremendous in tight spaces and has the ability to bounce off tacklers and make people miss.  He could sit behind Frank Gore for a year or two, but he fits the mold of a RB that a team that doesn’t make huge holes would need.
  31. Kenny Bell WR Tampa Bay Buccaneers Nice landing spot in Tampa Bay for Bell.  He has adequate speed and size and could eventually take over the number two wide receiver role from Vincent Jackson.
  32. DeAndre Smelter WR San Francisco 49ers – Smelter is a stash, but a stash that you need to spend a decent lick on.  He is huge and fast, but raw.  Maybe down the road he could be a player that well outplays his draft spot.
  33. Tre McBride WR Tennessee Titans – McBride’s draft slide drove me nuts.  He could have landed in a ton of better spots than with the Titans, but now we will ahve to hope he can hang on to the last wide receiver spot in Tennessee.
  34. Clive Walford TE Oakland Raiders- Love the landing spot as he becomes another weapon for a young QB.  Should start from day one and could develop into a high end TE2.  At worst he’s the second best option in a weak tight end class.
  35. Cameron Artis-Payne RB Carolina Panthers – Great landing spot for the speedy running back.  He immediately becomes the back -up or third string RB behind the oft-injured Jonathan Stewart.
  36. Vince Mayle WR Cleveland Browns – A big receiver who could end up being the defacto WR1 for the Browns down the road.  I like him as more of WR2 type with a chance for him to be a WR4 in fantasy.
  37. Jeremy Langford RB Chicago Bears – Nice landing spot behind the aging Matt Forte, but I’m not a huge believer in his talent.
  38. Rashad Greene WR Jacksonville Jaguars – Love Greene but wish he landed in a timing based offense with a better QB.  He runs nice routes and catches the ball well, but it means nothing if Bortles can’t get better.
  39. Stefon Diggs WR Minnesota Vikings – A team with a WR that is evolving.  Diggs is a nice Slot WR type and benefits from having a QB who likes to throw to the slot.
  40. Jesse James TE Pittsburgh Steelers – A great landing spot for James as he can learn the position from heath Miller.  He has elite size and nice speed so he’s worth a shot especially in tight end premium leagues.
  41. Jeff Heuerman TE Denver Broncos – Stash for the future after he injured his ACL in Rookie Camp.  Love the athleticism and he showed very nice ability in 2013.  The position is wide open in Denver.
  42. Ty Montgomery WR Green Bay Packers – Nice landing spot for Montgomery as he can be a return man that develops behind some of the best in the business.  I think Jeff Janis owners or DeVante Adams owners should hedge their bets with a late pick of Montgomery.
  43. Garrett Grayson QB New Orleans Saints – Grab Grayson and stash him for the inevitable divorce of Drew Brees and Sean Payton down the road.  Who knows he could even be a guy that they develop and trade.
  44. Tyler Kroft TE Cincinnati Bengals – I like Kroft but i don’t think he is going to be a major fantasy asset.  I think he’ll be a better real life tight end than fantasy one.
  45. Zach Zenner RB Detroit Lions – Zenner could develop into a nice complement to Abdullah down the road.  At least we know he’s smart enough as he’s putting off Medical School to give his dream a shot.
  46. Darren Waller WR Baltimore Ravens –  Huge WR/TE that is a nice stash for down the road.
  47. Bryce Petty QB New York Jets – Throws a great ball, but needs to learn the position all over again.  Stash for down the road.
  48. Karlos Williams RB Buffalo Bills – A back that will help on Special teams right away and could develop into LeSean McCoy‘s hand cuff down the road.
  49. Devante Davis WR Philadelphia Eagles – A nice landing spot for the big receiver from UNLV.  I could see him claiming a spot on the team and eventually becoming a starting outside receiver in Chip Kelly’s offense.
  50. Brett Hundley QB Green Bay Packers – He gets to learn the position behind the best in the game throwing to very talented wide receivers.  Great developmental stash for a dynasty team with middle aged QBs.

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2015 NFL Draft Winners and Losers

2015 NFL Draft Winners and Losers

Dante-Fowler-Jr

  1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – The Buccaneers got extremely lucky to end up with the first overall pick when a franchise QB who is actually ready to play in the NFL happened to be available.  No one knows if Winston will mature and become a great professional, but as of now you have to believe he has a chance with a team that is ready to build around him.  The Bucs already happened to have weapons in the fold so it was important to protect their investment and they did so with their next two picks.  Donovan Smith may have been a reach, but the Bucs need a massive upgrade to the O-Line and Smith could be a nice RT in the league.  Marpet was the darling of the combine as he competed along side big school lineman and more than held his own.  There were rumors that he could find his way up into the high second round, but fell to the Bucs in the third.  All in all I like what the Bucs did, especially grabbing Kwon Alexander in the 4th round.  I would have rather seen the Bucs take a slot receiver in this draft then take Bell in the 5th.  Overall it was a very nice draft for the Bucs.
  2. Tennessee Titans – The Titans had a bit of a disjointed draft.  They held all the power in the draft as they held the two spot where Mariota was inevitably going to be available after Winston went.  With all the talk of trades nothing materialized and the Titans decided to take Mariota as their franchise QB.  The Titans have so many holes on their team that taking a QB whose game doesn’t necessarily translate to the pro game very easily is a tough sell.  In the second they traded down with the Giants and ended up taking Dorial Green-Beckham.  The Titans have spent some high draft picks the last few years on wide receivers, Justin Hunter and Kendall Wright, and spent some money in the off-season on Harry Douglas to come in as their slot receiver.  If this was a team that I trusted to develop DGB I would be excited about the pick, but I have no confidence in them to be able to get the best out of him.  Cobb, Poutasi, and Fowler can remake the Titans running game, which is something I like.  Cobb and Sankey could be a nice timeshare, especially with Mariota running some Zone-Read.  Tre McBride in the 7th was a steal, but who knows if he’ll even get a chance.
  3. Jacksonville Jaguars – The Jaguars had an amazing draft.  That’s right the Jaguars!  From rounds one through six the Jaguars did an amazing job.  Dante Fowler Jr. is going to be a very good player from day one in the NFL.  A ton of teams would have loved if he slid in the draft.  Yeldon in the second isn’t my favorite pick, but I understand why they needed to take a back with his type of upside.  Cann is better than what they have now.  Sample was a steal in the fourth round, especially if you really watched how he played at Louisville.  Greene was one of my favorite players picked in the 5th round, but it wasn’t an ideal spot for him with Allen Robinson and Marquis Lee already there.  Bennett dropping to the sixth is beyond nuts for me, because it is too hard to find interior pass rushers in this league and Bennett does that pretty well.
  4. Oakland Raiders – I had an inkling that the Raiders were going to help Derek Carr with this draft and they almost did exactly what I thought they might.  I figured they would go with Amari Cooper in the 1st and I hoped they would go with Maxx Williams in the 2nd, but they decided to go with Clive Walford in the 3rd instead.  I liked the value, but the DE they took in the second, Mario Edwards Jr., was a bit of a reach for me.  If he can be more consistent and show the quick first step he shows from time to time he could be good.  Everywhere else was kind of blah for me.  Some guys that could play, but it seemed like a lot of projection.
  5. Washington Redskins – I really liked the first two picks the Redskins made.  They broke my Giants fan heart by taking Scherff with their first round pick and then took another potential Giants target when they took Preston Smith in the second.  Matt Jones is a big back with some lateral quickness and I liked him as a value in the 4th, but in the 3rd I thought the Redskins could have continued to build their O-Line.  Instead they waited and took Kouandjio in the fourth which made a lot of sense.  I liked Spaight in the 5th a lot.  Overall this was a solid haul for the Redskins.
  6. New York Jets – The Jets had the chance to win the draft after landing , arguably the best player, Leonard Williams with the 6th overall pick.  The Jets followed that up by taking one of my favorite players, Devin Smith, to be the speed receiver to open up Brandon Marshall,  Eric Decker and the running game.  After that the Jets were okay, but not flashy as they needed to address the QB position with Bryce Petty in the fourth.  Smith and Williams are a heck of a haul all by themselves, if they get anything else, production wise, out of the rest of the draft it will be one of their all-time best.
  7. Chicago Bears – The Bears needed to address the defensive side of the ball this draft, but Kevin White being available at seven was too good to pass up.  Eddie Goldman was a nice pick in the second, but they needed to double up in the third and instead went with a Center.  Normally I’m all about taking quality O-Line in the meat of the draft, but there were too many good players still available to not address the secondary or D-Line again.  Langford could end up being a nice pick in the fourth, but again I thought there were defenders available.  We’ll see if it matters as their first two picks could end up being really good.
  8. Atalanta Falcons – I really liked what the Falcons did in the 2015 draft.  Vic Beasley is a beast and immediately upgrades the Falcons non-existent pass rush.  As you look at the rest of the draft you have to ask yourself when’s the last time a team got five solid starters/contributors in one draft.  Jalen Collins in the second was a really nice value.  Tevin Coleman immediately upgrades his fantasy stock ending up in Atlanta with Kyle Shanahan.  Justin hardy can start out in the slot and eventually replace Roddy White down the road.  Grady Jarrett brings excellent pass rush skills to the middle of the Falcons D.  Jake Rodgers is a nice grab in the seventh as a guy that could develop into a RT in the future.
  9. New York Giants – The Giants needed to address the O-Line in this draft and they seemed to like Flowers from Miami more than most as he became their pick as soon as Scherff went to the Redskins at 5.  Flowers will immediately upgrade the overall run blocking of the Giants O-Line and could make the Giants better at two positions by forcing Justin Pugh in to Left Guard.  The Giants traded up to grab Landon Collins at the top of the second and really only had to give up a fourth to do it.  Collins was the best Safety on the team the minute he was picked.  Owa Odighizuwa was a guy that I really thought fit what the Giants look for when trying to upgrade the DE behind JPP.  After the third the Giants once again started making some weird picks.  Mykkele Thompson was even more surprised to be drafted than Jay Bromley was last season.  Thompson has some Special Teams ability, but there were safeties available that looked a lot better on tape. (Derron Smith of Fresno State being example number one)  Geremy Davis is a nice pick as a wide receiver who can come in and be a gunner and special teams ace while learning how to run routes better.  Big and fast he has some upside.  Hart could develop into a future starting Guard, but we shall see.
  10. St. Louis Rams – Todd Gurley could be the best skill position player to come from this draft.  I don’t love the fit with the Rams, but it doesn’t really matter when it comes to Gurley.  They tried to remake their O-Line with some fancy trade downs, but in reality it seems like they let a lot of talent slide by in this draft.  When you look at their draft as a whole it doen’t look very good.  If Gurley ends up being an all-time great no one will remember.
  11. Minnesota Vikings – I really like how the Vikings have been going about building their team.  I love this draft for them.  They took the top corner, arguably the top middle linebacker, a DE who at times looked like a 1st round pick, TJ Clemmings who has all the tools to be one of the top four lineman in the entire draft, and with their last pick they got my favorite small school defensive flyer with Edmond Robinson from Newberry.  Zimmer has done a tremendous job and could be building the real Green Bay rival in Minny.
  12. Cleveland Browns – I don’t get why the Browns hate me.  Seriously, they don’t draft a wide receiver AGAIN and take Duke Johnson so he can be in a timeshare with two other quality backs. GAG, from a fantasy football perspective.  From an overall football perspective the Browns draft was pretty good.  Shelton, Orchard and Erving could all be big time contributors for a team that needs to continue to make strides.  With their seventh round pick they took a flyer on Ifo Ekpre-Olomu who could be a player for them in 2016 after he tore his knee up late in the 2015 season.
  13. New Orleans Saints – The Saints had a really nice start to the draft as they took a nice OT prospect in Andrus Peat and then solidified their defense with a stud MLB and one of the best pass rushers in the draft.  In the 3rd they took a QB who could be the heir apparent to Drew Brees and grabbed a corner that fell down some draft boards for getting pulled over for a possible DUI after the combine.  I was very surprised that they didn’t look at the tight end or wide receiver position.  Overall it was a solid draft.  If Kikaha can stay healthy the Saints could have really helped their D.
  14. Miami Dolphins – The Dolphins got a great value with DeVante Parker with the 14th pick.  After that they took some nice values with Jordan Phillips and Jay Ajayi in the 2nd and 5th respectively.  I’m very interested in Tony Lippett converting to a full time cornerback with the Dolphins.  Even if it takes some time for him to really make the conversion he could be a great special teams player while he learns the nuances of the position.
  15. San Diego Chargers – The Rams really forced the Chargers hand when it came to trading up for Melvin Gordon.  Gordon was a perfect fit for the offense that desperately needs a difference maker in the backfield.  The 49ers knew that their target was a scheme specific fit so they were able to trade down and still get the guy they wanted.  I like the aggressiveness of the Chargers in this instance.  After the top eight or so players it all became a bit bunched so getting a player that really solves a need was huge.  Denzel Perryman in the 2nd was a nice addition as he was potentially looked at as a late 1st rounder as the draft process went on.  The rest of the draft will be a wait and see, but if Gordon hits then the draft was a success.
  16. Houston Texans – The Texans needed to help their secondary this off-season and Kevin Johnson, who they grabbed in the 1st round, will be a nice addition.  In the second round they got a huge MLB in Benardrick McKinney, who was once rated as a top 10 draft prospect before the 2014 season.  He has a chance to be good, but he looked like he will need some coaching after seeing him struggle with pass coverage drills at the combine.  in the third and fourth round they doubled up on Wide Receivers after letting Andre Johnson walk and then trading away Devier Posey.  The value on Jaelen Strong was really nice considering some, including me, saw him going in the late first to early second round.  His lack of separation skills ultimately doomed his draft stock, but his leaping ability and size should make him a decent wide receiver 2/3 for Texans.  A good landing spot for him after he fell in the draft.  Kenny Hilliard in the seventh is like another Alfred Blue pick that we will have to monitor with Arian Foster always on the verge of injury.
  17. San Francisco 49ers – The more you look at the 49ers draft the more you like it for their specific team.  The players weren’t fits on most teams, but to the 49ers they were perfect.  The only pick I didn’t love was the 2nd round pick of Jaquiski Tartt out of Samford.  I thought that he would go in the late third to early fourth range and I liked a few other safeties more.  I’m not a fan of Blake Bell, but if they use him strictly as a pass catcher he could be useful.  Eli Harold was a nice pick and so was taking Smelter, as a redshirt, and Davis in the fourth.  I really wanted Davis to land in Dallas, but you have to keep your eye on him if you’re a Carlos Hyde owner in dynasty.  Trent Brown is extremely interesting as a developmental project.  He’s 6’8″+ and 355 lbs.  Just massive, but needs a ton of work.
  18. Kansas City Chiefs – The Chiefs draft hinges on if Marcus Peters can come into the league and be professional.  He was right there with Waynes for being the top CB in the class, but where he would go was all up to how well he interviewed with teams after being kicked off of his college team at the University of Washington.  I absolutely hate that Chris Conley landed with the Chiefs in the third round from a fantasy perspective, but for them he was a steal.  Steve Nelson was an interesting pick in the third as well as they obviously wanted to address their slot corner position.  The rest of the draft saw depth picks and also a new Center in the second.  If Morse makes the transition to Center easily than he will be a solid pick.
  19. Buffalo Bills – The Bills traded up last year to grab Sammy Watkins so they didn’t have a 1st round pick.  With what little draft stock they had they made some very team specific picks that could prove out well.  Darby fits Rex Ryan well as he can man up cover as well as most of the corners in the draft.  In the third they went with a Guard that I have seen play a lot at Louisville and think he could be a nice addition to their O-Line that desperately needs help in the middle.  Everywhere else were special teamers and role players like the pass catching, but dreadfully slow, Nick O’Leary.  I was wondering where he would land because his lack of speed makes him a liability on kick coverage teams.
  20. Philadelphia Eagles –  The Eagles fooled us all.  Everyone thought they would be wheeling and dealing from the outset of the draft, but they sat still at number 20 and took a perfect fit for their offense and their team in Nelson Agholor.  It’s crazy to think they replaced Jeremy Maclin‘s pass catching ability and semi-replaced DeSean Jackson‘s electric kick return ability with one player.  The landing spot immediately moved him up my rookie rankings.  Hopefully Chip can stay around a while to make this a magical landing spot fantasy wise.  The rest of the draft was really nice as well.  They grabbed Eric Rowe in the second, which was a steal as most saw him coming off the board at the very top of the second round. In the 3rd they got another talented linebacker to add depth and improve their team overall.  They also traded away their fourth for a 3rd rounder next year from the Dolphins.  3rds are nice to have in your back pocket as draft day trade currency.  In the 6th I thought they got two corners that were a bit lesser known, but could be nice pick ups for their pressure speed defense.  I like their size a lot.  This was a really solid draft by Chip Kelly and company, but I was very surprised they didn’t address an aging offensive line.
  21. Cincinnati Bengals – The Bengals made Andrew Whitworth mad with their first two picks in the draft, but they made Andy Dalton really happy as they took two of the top 6 Tackles available in the draft with their picks.  Cedric Ogbuehi was a top 3 prospect when the 2013 season came to a close and he was a sold top ten prospect until he tore his ACL in the 2014 season.  With Cincy having two good tackles in place it gives him a chance to make a full recovery and then play Left Tackle in this league for a long time.  (Not saying 10 years like some of the talking heads) Jake Fisher was talked about as a perfect fit for a lot of teams at the bottom of the first and who knows if Denver didn’t trade up to land Shane Ray, he may have gone there.  They then stacked up the value and team fit throughout the rest of their draft.  Getting Paul Dawson at the end of the third was such a perfect fit for both player and team, that you didn’t think it could happen.  I liked Derron Smith a lot as a value in the 6th as well.  If Tyler Croft can play right away this draft was a home run.
  22. Pittsburgh Steelers – I expected the Steelers to take a corner in the first round, but once Peters and Johnson went in the teens the Steelers were in the perfect position to take Bud Dupree from Kentucky to be their big time pass rusher.  I really liked the value with taking Dupree there and especially with the scheme fit.  I liked the corners they got in the second and fourth rounds and the safety they added in the seventh could be a nice gamble.  Jesse James going to the Steelers in the 5th is a really nice landing spot for him as he can learn a ton from Heath Miller and of course fill his shoes one day.  If they hit on Sammi Coates this draft goes from good to wholly cow.  We won’t know that for a while so for now they did well.
  23. Denver Broncos – The Broncos traded up and took Shane Ray.  Ray was viewed as a top 8 pick for the entire draft process until he hurt his toe and then got busted for possession of marijuana.   He will fit in nicely with the Denver D and should take over for DeMarcus Ware down the road.  The rest of the draft saw the Broncos try to sure up the RT position as well as Center and I think they did a pretty good job.  I would have liked if Tre McBride or Rashad Greene landed in Denver late, but you can’t get everything you want.
  24. Arizona Cardinals – I really liked the 1st round pick of DJ Humphries who would have been an ideal fit for the Carolina Panthers one pick later.  I really didn’t like the pick of Marcus Golden in the second round.  I was not high on him through the draft process and thought he was a bit of a reach.  The rest of the draft was okay, but not great in terms of value and seeing real contributors early.
  25. Carolina Panthers – The Panthers needed to address the linebacker position in this draft, but taking Shaq Thompson in the first was a bit of a surprise.  Especially with some quality tackles still on the board.  Shaq Thompson was all over draft boards in the lead up to the draft and was even picked to the Giants at the 9 spot in a mock draft that Arif Hassan and I did on the podcast.  Obviously that spot was a little high after he ran a slower than expected 40 and struggled a bit in linebacker drills.  After Thompson I really liked what the Panthers did as they got a lot of team specific fit players.  Funchess and his huge wing span fit perfectly with Cam Newton.  Daryl Williams as a Right Tackle is a nice fit. David Mayo and Cameron Artis-Payne are players that I expect to contribute right away, especially on special teams.  Overall it was a good draft and could be a really good one if Shaq Thompson develops into a play-maker at the next level.
  26. Baltimore Ravens – Is there anyone better at working the draft than the Ravens?  They replaced Torrey Smith with a top tier speed receiver in Breshad Perriman.  They replaced Dennis Pitta with Maxx Williams in the 2nd round by jumping over their rivals, the Steelers, to secure his pass catching services.  I like everything they did after those two picks as well.  Getting Carl Davis in the third was a steal.  Nabbing Buck Allen to learn from Justin Forsett really upped Allen’s stock in dynasty rankings.  Even their late picks have a ton of upside if they can develop them to what their team needs are.  Great draft once again by the Ravens.
  27. Dallas Cowboys – We know Byron Jones won the combine, but can he win the Cowboys some games.  I like the fit with the Cowboys and you have to like them addressing the defense in this draft.  Taking Gregory in the second is a lottery ticket.  If they can get him to focus on being a professional and all that comes with that then he can really help them.  if he washes out of the league after multiple suspensions then it was only a late second round pick and not the top 10 in the first that he looked like he could and should be.  Chaz Green solves the swing tackle spot and Damien Wilson and Ryan Russell will really help this defense.  Overall you have to say Jerry did a great job this year.
  28. Detroit Lions – I really like that they traded back to take Tomlinson.  It’s not always easy to find a trade partner, especially when you really want to take a player that would be a reach.  In the second round they grabbed Amir Abdullah who is the perfect compliment to Joique Bell.  The landing spot for Abdullah really ups his dynasty rookie stock for me.  The third and fourth rounds were solid, but in the fifth I thought they should have gone with a double up at corner instead of grabbing a full back.  I would have liked if they grabbed a LB at some point, but that’s a bit of nit-picking.
  29. Indianapolis Colts – Phillip Dorsett going to Indy was a huge surprise.  It obviously ups his dynasty rookie ranking, but as far a good pick for a real NFL team on the verge of competing for a title, I’m not sure.  His speed is tremendous, but the Colts needed to get more physical and I’m not sure they came out of this draft upping their physicality enough.  Dorsett will be great for us, and Andrew Luck in fantasy football but he probably wasn’t the right pick.  Josh Robinson landed in a nice spot, but in the 6th round who knows what they really think of him long term.  remember this is the same GM that thought Trent Richardson was worthy of trading a 1st rounder for.
  30. Green Bay Packers – I thought Malcolm Brown was signed sealed and delivered to the Packers after he fell in the draft, but they decided to go with a nice FS prospect instead.  Jeff Janis truthers had to be upset with the pick of Ty Montgomery in the 3rd. (I know I was)  Overall it was a nice draft, but I was surprised they didn’t grab a tackle in a draft that had a lot of quality tackle prospects.  Jake Ryan can play and Brett Hundley was once thought of as a 1st rounder before he took a beating this year at UCLA.  If Hundley can develop as a back up to Aaron Rodgers than the Packers got a nice future trade piece.
  31. Seattle Seahawks – The Seahawks didn’t have a pick until the second round after trading for Jimmy Graham.  When they did pick in the second round they really showed themselves as a team desperate to get the Lombardi trophy back by taking Frank Clark who was not even on most team’s draft boards after he was arrested for domestic abuse. I can’t believe that they didn’t interview one witness who was there the night Clark allegedly (only because it was reduced to a misdemeanor) slammed his girlfriend’s head against a wall.  They even had the nerve to say he never hit her even though every witness including a child who ran out of the room screaming because he thought Clark was going to kill his sister said he did. (I have heard most of this situation before, but OTL on ESPN had an in-depth piece on it today)  I guess the Seahawks needed it on YouTube in order for them to pass on the last pass rusher left in the draft.  With that pick not withstanding you know the Seahawks draft well so I’m sure they came out okay, but I tuned out after Clark.  Tyler Lockett makes Doug Baldwin expendable to me.
  32. New England Patriots – I love the Patriots draft.  I really like that they took Malcolm Brown at the end of the 1st instead of trading out of the first and after that they picked really good football players.  Jordan Richards is a good football player, is he a second round talent?, I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter because the Pats think he is.  Their fourth round was fantastic as they got Trey Flowers, Tre Jackson and Shaq Mason.  Love the physicality of Mason and Jackson.  Any fringe players on the Patriots have to be concerned as it looks like they grabbed a lot of guys who will contribute and play special teams, heck they drafted a long snapper in the fifth round.


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New York Giants Perfect 2015 Draft

New York Giants Perfect 2015 Draft
Giants Needs OL, DE, S, LB, TE

New York Giants

  1. 9th Overall – No matter how I look at the draft, I cannot see Brandon Scherff falling to the Giants at number 9 overall.  The player I do see falling is either Amari Cooper or DaVante Parker.  If either of these players are there the Giants may have to stick with the best available strategy especially with two teams taking QBs in the top few picks.  The supposed falls of Shane Ray and Randy Gregory make getting Scherff even tougher.  This isn’t ideal, but it’s not the end of the world either.  If Scherff isn’t there I would prefer a trade back to pick La’El Collins, but it’s very doubtful the Giants do that unless they get overwhelmed.  Since this is the perfect draft the Giants DO get Scherff at 9 after teams trade up to grab WRs in front of them.

  2. 40th Overall – The Giants need to address the DE position with JPP not really living up to his talent and the fact that he’s playing on a one year deal.  I see them going with Preston Smith here, but since this is the perfect draft maybe they can wait one more round.  The Giants get lucky in this draft and grab Eric Kendricks from UCLA to man the middle of their defense.

  3. 74th Overall – Preston Smith is long gone at this point, but there are some DE prospects I like in this range for the Giants.  While I would love to see Smith or Mario Edwards fall to here, they more than likely won’t. The best option for the Giants at this spot would be to grab Kendricks’s teammate at UCLA Owamagbe Odighizuwa.  The fall back would be Trey Flowers from Arkansas who would be a very nice addition to the rotation up front.  For now the pick is UCLA’s Odighizuwa.

  4. 108th Overall – The Giants need to address the safety position if they can and their pick at 108 puts them in line to pick a nice prospect here.  While position isn’t deep there are a few bright spots with some upside.  If the Giants can land James Sample of Louisville in the 4th round it would be a steal.  Too much upside with Sample for him to last this long, but in this draft he does.

  5. 144th Overall – The Giants go back to the Safety position as they go with Derron Smith from Fresno State.  Smith is small at only 5’10” but he played really well for Fresno State and showed excellent coverage skills.  If all goes well with the last two picks the Giants could have their future SS and FS in the 4th and 5th rounds.

  6. 186th Overall – The giants really should come away with a young TE as it looks like the JPP of tight ends never took the next step.  I would love if the Giants could have grabbed Jeff Heuerman or Tyler Kroft earlier, but I think they would get a steal with E.J. Bibbs of Iowa State this late in the draft.

  7. 226th Overall – The Giants need another DE and Clemson’s Corey Crawford could fall down draft boards because of his inconsistent tape.  In this perfect draft the Giants land him with their first pick of the seventh round and it would be a steal.

  8. 245th Overall – The Giants take a chance on the best size/speed player available in Justin Cox.  At worst they could try to make Cox a gunner on the punt team and coach him up as he has the size and flashed some cover skills in college.

 

To Recap, The Giants Perfect Draft goes:

  1. Brandon Scherffgametime_200x200_banner

  2. Eric Kendricks

  3. Owamagbe Odighizuwa

  4. James Sample

  5. Derron Smith

  6. E.J. Bibbs

  7. Corey Crawford

  8. Justin Cox

 

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Top 30 2015 NFL Draft Prospects

Top 30 2015 NFL Draft Prospects

NFL Draft

        1. Leonard Williams DE USC  –  Williams is a bit of puzzle as far as being the best overall prospect in the 2015 NFL Draft .  Williams plays the run extremely well.  He shows flashes of getting off the ball and wreaking havoc in the backfield.  He has the size and body to be a dominant 3-4 Defensive End or can be a combo type Defensive Lineman in a 4-3.  The big issue is he hasn’t shown enough production rushing the passer for many to think of him as the best player available.  I see the flashes and think he will bring it to another level in the NFL.

        2. Amari Cooper WR Alabama – Cooper has his detractors because of his size (6′ 1″, 211 lbs) and the drops that he showed this past season.  Even with the drops and his lack of ideal Red-Zone threat size, I still absolutely love him.  He explodes in and out of his routes and his top end speed at 4.4 or lower comes so easy.  He makes plays at every level of the passing game and is the type of wide receiver that you shouldn’t sleep on.

        3. Kevin White WR West Virginia – Kevin White has the upside to his game to put him near the top of last year’s all star side receiver class.  Even with that upside I have him just behind Cooper.  The size (6′ 2+” 215 lbs) is ideal and the speed (4.3) is unreal at that size.  In dynasty fantasy football leagues I will be tempted to take his upside over Cooper.

        4. Donte Fowler Jr. DE Florida – Fowler Jr. is a fun football player to watch on tape.  He lined up all over the place at Florida and always seemed to be in the backfield causing problems.  His ideal spot could be in a hybrid defense where he gets to play 4-3 DE and 3-4 OLB.  I doubt he gets past the Redskins at the 5 spot, but if he does there could be teams scrambling to trade up to grab him.

        5. Brandon Scherff OL Iowa – Scherff is a guy that every single offensive line coach in the NFL wants to get his hands on.  You can’t teach a motor and relentlessness that Scherff has.  The only thing keeping him from being the best player in this draft is…his arm length.  The sad thing is it probably won’t even matter with this guy.  He can play anywhere on an Offensive Line right away and I wouldn’t be surprised if he was a rookie Pro-Bowler.  He isn’t as technically sound as Zach Martin was coming out of Notre Dame, but he is more physical and has a good enough skill set that he could make the leap as seamlessly.

        6. Jameis Winston QB Florida State – Winston obviously has some baggage, but I won’t even think about that when discussing his Skill Set Rank versus this class.  Winston has a little bit of hitch at the top of throws, but he can make all the throws an NFL QB needs to.  He also is athletic enough when it comes to the position.  He made a lot of poor choices this year (Not even talking off the field)  when throwing and I would love to know what his answers were when NFL position coaches questioned him on it.  He can make plays and hit receivers in the right spot that allows them to continue to run after the catch.

        7. Todd Gurley RB Georgia – Where would he be if he didn’t tear his knee up during the season?  I’m guessing he would be in my top three.  He is the type of running backs that drives GMs nuts, because none of them want to pass on the next Adrian Peterson or Eric Dickerson.  The knee injury is really too bad because I would have loved to see the debate leading up to the draft on where he could land.  Gurley is making my decisions hard when it comes to the overall Dynasty Rookie Ranks as I almost always side with building through wide receivers.

        8. DaVante Parker WR Louisville – Parker had the opportunity to catch balls from Teddy Bridgewater his first few years and that experience had him on the minds of many scouts going into the 2014-15 season. Parker showed his ability to make plays all over the field.  He’s got the body you want to see at almost 6’3″ and 210 lbs.  He’s got the speed as he ran around a 4.4 at the combine.  There really isn’t anything keeping him from being the top wide receiver in the class except the fact that his route running was not quite as polished as Cooper and he isn’t as fast as White.  He’s gonna be a good player and if he lands in the right spot he could have more production than the other two.  We shall see.

        9. Danny Shelton DT Washington – Shelton is a very big man.  (6’2″  340lbs)  He is also lightning quick and stout at the point of attack.  I don’t like taking DT’s in the top 10 who aren’t big time pass rushers, but Shelton definitely should be in the conversation after the top skill players are taken.  His production in the Pac-10 was excellent, especially when you look at his tape versus some of the 3-4 Defensive Ends that could be in the mix when teams look at him as a nose or DT.

        10. Marcus Mariota QB Oregon – Mariota was a heck of a lot of fun to watch play in college.  His accuracy and elite athleticism made him a highlight reel player, but his lack of ideal arm strength and lack of experience in a Pro-Style Offense makes him a bit of a risk.  At worst he’s a better NFL QB than Alex Smith, at best he can possibly work himself into being a top 10 QB in the NFL.  If he ends up on the Eagles he could be a hall of famer. (Obviously that’s hyperbole)

        11. Vic Beasley OLB Clemson – Beasley is a freakish athlete.  At 6’3″ and 246 lbs Beasley possesses that rare speed and ability to get to the QB off of the edge.  He is also extremely strong, but his shortish arms see him have problems using it against Offensive Tackles.  If he can learn how to lengthen his reach by turning his body , ala Trent Cole, he could be a steal for a team.  He can’t just be a speed rusher in the NFL and make a team elite.  He needs to show he can anchor and use counter moves.  I believe he can end up being good at both.

        12. La’El Collins OL LSU – Collins is a guy that a lot of people want to force inside because of the same reason that Scherff isn’t in the top 3 of this draft, his arm length. I’m a believer that arm length does matter at the tackle position, but I have seen a lot of Offensive Tackles play at a Pro Bowl Level with less than 34″ arms.  Collins is an incredible blocker when he gets his hands a defender.  He can run block with the best of them and explodes with his punch.  He has nice footwork in the passing game and shows the ability to reach the second level and cover up defenders.  I personally love him, but he could slip if this last minute story from Adam Schefter turns out to be more about him than the tragedy it contains.

        13.  Melvin Gordon RB Wisconsin – Gordon was electric at the University of Wisconsin, but even he has his detractors.  He didn’t get a ton of work in the passing game and that is probably the only thing dragging some running backs up towards him while slides a bit compared to where we pictured him after his record breaking performances.  He’s fast, he has very good vision, he has strength (have you seen those guns?) and he has that ability to take it to the house when given a crack.  It’s scary to think of him landing in Dallas with that O-Line,but if he does you better have your finger on the trigger come fantasy draft day.

        14. Marcus Peters CB Washington – I know he’s a bit of scary prospect to take high in the first round because of how his college career ended, but man he played really well when you watched him play.  If not for him getting kicked off the team, I think we would see him in the conversation in the bottom single digits.  He can cover, he can run and he really can tackle.

        15.  Shane Ray OLB/DE Missouri – Ray has a high motor and was productive at Missouri, but he could have sen his stock fallen out of the first few days with some very bad news the last few days.  First his foot injury became an issue as teams started to think he may need surgery either now or after the 2015 season and then he got bust for possession of pot the week of the draft.  Decision making like that will not have GMs happy after trying to talk themselves into him despite his underwhelming Speed/Size tests and the fact that he’s a bit of a tweener when it comes to the NFL.  I still like his tape as a pass rusher and he played hard nosed against the run.  I predict the Ravens will get him as value in round 2.

        16. Kevin Johnson CB Wake Forrest – Who knew Wake had a first round talent?  Obviously not me before I went back and studied this kid.  I really liked him after watching him play.  He can cover in press-man/off-man (This was really nice to see as a ton of Pros can’t do this) and zone.  He liked to tackle and made plays when give the chance.  Sure he wasn’t matched up with top tier talent all the time, but he showed up in all the tape.

        17. Andrus Peat OL Stanford – Peat is an enormous man.  He is over 6’6″ tall and weighs around 320lbs.  He has ideal arm length and nice feet for a man his size.  The only issue is he doesn’t have ideal strength yet and needs to be more consistent when it comes to technique and effort.  He has a ton of upside as a big time Left Tackle prospect and at worst will be a good Right Tackle if he can’t hold up on the blind side.

        18. Breshad Perriman WR UCF – Perriman didn’t run at the combine, but he blew everyone away at his pro-day as he was clocked as low as a 4.2 FLAT.  That’s insane at 6’2″ 212 lbs.  He can be more than just a field stretcher as he showed the ability to make contested and circus like catches.  The only issue was his very inconsistent route running and drops.  I was surprised by the drops and inconsistency in his routes given his blood lines, but I think he can definitely be a better version of Torrey Smith in the NFL.

        19. Trae Waynes CB Michigan State – Waynes is a nice ball player.  He is extremely fast and can make up for a lot problems in a secondary with his ability to cover over the top.  He isn’t quite as physical as some of the earlier mentioned corners or looks as natural going after the ball.

        20. Randy Gregory OLB/DE Nebraska – Gregory was firmly in my top five after watching him last year and for a few games this season.  Then I went and watched some tape on some other players and saw Gregory really struggle.  He is just so bad against the run that it makes his pass rushing upside not as attractive.  Obviously the failed drug test at the combine doesn’t help his draft stock, but his low weight at under 230 lbs at over 6’4″ makes his position a tough sell for me.  He’s not fast enough to be an OLB and he’s not physical enough at that weight to be a DE.  I believe he could be a nice hybrid, but only if he gets up into the 250 lbs range.

        21. Arik Armstead DE/DT Oregon – Armstead didn’t make a ton of plays at Oregon, but I think his role in the defense and the lack of depth at Oregon played a big role in that.  I can’t make any excuses for how slow he was off the ball.  That will have to change if he is going to be an impact player in the NFL.  He also has to play lower and get off blocks quicker.  The thing he has is elite size at over 6’7″ and 290+ lbs.  If he can get coached up and wants to be great he could be an unbelievable 3-4 DE.

        22. DJ Humphries OL Florida – Humphries has nice size at over 6’5″ and 300+ lbs and has really nice feet for a left tackle prospect.  When I watched Fowler jr. I made sure to watch Humphries as well, even though Florida had a really rough year on that side of the ball.  Humphries showed me enough to think he can be a nice left tackle in the NFL.  Not top 10 pick type talent, but he has the tools to develop.

        23. Devin Smith WR Ohio State – I know most mock drafts and experts won’t have him over a few other wide receivers that haven’t been mentioned, but Smith has something that they don’t possess. He has the ability to make plays down the field.  He has incredible body control and the ability to adjust and make plays against taller defenders. When I spoke with Matt Harmon he called it his trump card and I believe that skill as well as his excellent Speed and route running will see him contribute right away in the NFL.

        24. Landon Collins S Alabama – Collins is the consensus top safety in the 2015 NFL Draft and I’m on board with that.  He may not have the elite range and make up speed you would like, but he can diagnose and cover very well and is extremely active around the line of scrimmage.  With a lot of teams needing safety help you could see him push up draft boards.

        25. Ereck Flowers OL Miami Florida – Flowers is an extremely powerful Right Tackle prospect.  He wowed the combine with his 37 reps at 225 lbs, but he also left a lot to be desired with his footwork and that showed up when I went back and watched his tape.  He’s slow with his kick steps and tends to turn and play catch up when facing speed rushers.  He’s a bigger version of DJ Fluker and he will immediately upgrade a team’s running game the way Fluker did for San Diego two years ago.  I do not see him being a good option at Guard.  It’s RT or bust for me with Flowers.

        26. Jaelen Strong WR Arizona State – Strong has ideal size and speed for a wide receiver prospect as he’s 6’2+” tall and 215 lbs and he ran a 4.4 forty.  It thought his hands would be bigger from seeing his tape, but 9″ hands is pretty average.  His 42″ vertical is bit better than average.  He’s an outside receiver that will be a top end WR 2 on most NFL teams.  I liked him more and more as I watched him.  Hope he lands in the right spot for fantasy purposes.

        27. Eric Kendricks LB UCLA – Kendricks is the type of player you love to watch on tape.  It looks like he knows what play is coming before you can even tell what the offense is doing.  He’s quicker than fast and can even cover a bit.  I think he’ll be fine in zone coverage and can even play man on RBs.  His size may be a problem if he finds himself chasing huge tight ends down the middle, but I think he’ll make up for it with how he plays in the running game.  Second round steal if he lasts that long.

        28. Cameron Erving C Florida State – I really liked watching Erving run the offensive line from the Center position.  He’s strong and he’s an excellent pass blocker that should be able to go in and start right away.  He is so tall that it feels weird that he can get low and anchor in the middle, but he’s shown at the college level that he can handle it.  With the Guards in the NFL helping with the snap cadence in shot gun I really don’t see any problems.

        29. Malcolm Brown DT Texas – Brown is going to go well before where i have him in my rankings, but that has a lot to do with other positions being deep and DL as a whole being pretty weak.  I like Brown a lot, but he’s not an elite prospect and that makes it tough for me to swallow taking him as mid first rounder.  I think he’s a solid value in the early to mid 20s.

        30. Tie – Nelson Agholor WR USC and Maxx Williams TE Minnesota – Agholor is a player I really like, but just like Marquis Lee last year Agholor was a little inconsistent at USC.  He showed a ton of quickness on tape and looks like he could play inside or outside, but I haven’t been able to get a 3 Cone Drill time on him.  His value in fantasy has the possibility to raise dramatically if he ends up in a great system that will know how to use him.  Maxx Williams is not the perfect tight end at this point.  He’s not a great blocker and he’s not really fast, but he is pretty athletic and catches the ball extremely easily.  His over 10″ hands show up when you watch him pluck the ball out of the air.  His speed and run after the catch ability make him a very nice option for teams that need a tight end to add to their offense.  I could see him go any where from the late teens to the second round, where he would be a steal for a team looking to help their QB.  Imagine a young Derek Carr getting Amari Cooper/Kevin White and Maxx Williams to give him some options.

 

 

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Final 2015 Preseason Fantasy Baseball Rankings

Final 2015 Preseason Fantasy Baseball Rankings

       Better late than never, is what I always say.  In truth I never say that, but here I am making excuses for the last minute reorganization of my 2015 Fantasy Baseball Rankings.  I found this particular preseason a bit tough when it came to ranking the starting pitchers and closers and I needed to see some of them with my own eyes before settling on where I would be comfortable taking them.  The Phantom-Suspension of Josh Hamilton and the Ervin Santana Steroid bust were just a few of the things that I got to throw into my last ditch rankings.

Miguel Cabrera is a key target in auctions

When you peruse my rankings, you will see I’m a bit high on the top of the Mets rotation and I’m a bit bullish on Kris Bryant, Jorge Soler, and Joc Pederson.  I’m dangerously low on Justin Verlander and Matt Cain, but I don’t think you’ll begrudge me treading lightly on their over-taxed arms.  My biggest issue came when looking at the closer situation for every team.  With Dellin Betances struggling so much in the spring it made taking a Chapman or Holland that much more important to me.  I’m kind of excited about some of the arms behind Sonny Gray in Oakland and hope you can pepper your roster with the Scott Kazmirs and Drew Pomeranzs of the world.


Fantasy Baseball Rankings powered by FantasyPros

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Episode 058: Best Running Backs in 2015 NFL Draft

Episode 058: The Fantasy Coach Podcast
Fantasy Football: Best Running Backs Available in the 2015 NFL Draft
Featuring: Jeff Lloyd (@Jeff_LJ_Lloyd) of DraftBreakdown and FootballConvosTodd Gurley

About My Guest: Jeff is an former college football wide receiver who excels at breaking down draft eligible players.
Twitter Bio: Host- Draft Room-Mon’s 830 est contributor Former CFB WR, Husband, Dad, Evaluator   Football 24-7
Jeff and Matt Waldman chatting at Football Convos – HERE

Show Rundown:

  • Intro (Brought to you by RevoLabels.com (Get your live fantasy draft supplies at RevoLabels.com and use the coupon code (coachesser) for 10% off your purchase.)Ameer Abdullah
  • Get to know Jeff
  • Our Top Ten 2015 NFL Draft Eligible Running Backs are discussed As followed, but not necessarily in that order.
    Todd Gurley, Melvin Gordon, Ameer Abdullah, Tevin Coleman, Duke Johnson, Jay Ajayi, TJ Yeldon, David Johnson, David Cobb, Mike Davis, Jeremy Langford, Karlos Williams, Cameron Artis-Payne, Josh Robinson
  • Best Fits for each running back are discussed for Fantasy Football Outlook purposes.
  • Outro

A special thank you to my good friend C-Quel who provided the amazing intro and closing beat to The Fantasy Coach Podcast.  Also a big thank you to RevoLabels.com for sponsoring the podcast and don’t forget to use the coupon code “coachesser” for 10% off of your purchase.
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Episode 057: Fantasy Football with Matt Harmon

Episode 057: The Fantasy Coach PodcastMatt Harmon- Reception Perception
Fantasy Football: Talking Wide Receivers using Reception Perception
Featuring: Matt Harmon(@MattHarmon_BYB) FootballGuys, TheBackyardBanter

About My Guest:  Matt Harmon is 23 years old and has only been writing about fantasy football for a little over a year and he has already come up with a very unique (and possibly groundbreaking) way of looking at the wide receiver position with his Reception Perception Methodology.
Twitter Bio:  Football Writer | Staff | creator | Optimum Scouting | Over-posting dog pictures | We are only at the beginning

Episode Rundown:

Links to articles mentioned by Matt on the podcast:
Amari Cooper (http://subscribers.footballguys.com/apps/article.php?article=harmon_receptionperception_nfldraft_amaricooper15)
Dorial Green-Beckham (http://subscribers.footballguys.com/apps/article.php?article=harmon_receptionperception_nfldraft_dorialgreen-beckham15).
Michael Crabtree (http://www.thebackyardbanter.com/reception-perception-impending-free-agent-michael-crabtree.html)
Sammy Watkins (http://www.thebackyardbanter.com/reception-perception-sammy-watkins-and-cordarrelle-patterson.html)
Brian Quick (http://subscribers.footballguys.com/apps/article.php?article=harmon_receptionperception_brianquickwr14)
Devin Smith (http://www.thebackyardbanter.com/reception-perception-devin-smith-and-the-value-of-a-trump-card-fbg.html)

A special thank you to my good friend C-Quel who provided the amazing intro and closing beat to The Fantasy Coach Podcast.  Also a big thank you to RevoLabels.com for sponsoring the podcast and don’t forget to use the coupon code “coachesser” for 10% off of your purchase.
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Episode 056 Fantasy Football Bob Harris

Episode 056: The Fantasy Coach Podcast
Fantasy Football, Heavy Metal Music, and Life
Featuring: Bob Harris (@footballdiehard) of Football Die Hards (SiriusXM Radio)

Bob Harris SiriusXM

Show Rundown:

  • Intro
  • Get to know our guest:  We get to know a little about how (FSWA Hall of Famer) Bob Harris got into Fantasy Football.  We also discuss how the industry has grown and how he has grown with it.  Lastly, we touch on the future of Fantasy Football.
  • Music:  Bob and I talk about his love of musicianship and how his tastes turned to the heavier side of the dial.  We also touch on how my home town had a hand in the Thrash Metal Movement of the early 80s.  I am just a little jealous that Bob was able to see the Maynard Birthday Show.

 

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2015 NFL 1st Round Mock Draft Podcast

Episode 055 The Fantasy Coach Podcast

2015 NFL 1st Round Mock Draft Podcast

Featuring Arif Hasan (@ArifHasanNFL) of VikingsTerritory.com, BR, Optimimum Scouting, The Norse Code Podcast among others.

Aif and I go back and forth drafting for each team 1-32 (and yes, even the Browns twice!) and talk about team needs, player profiles and the fantasy football potential of some of the best offensive players in this draft.  We especially focus on the New York Giants and the Minnesota Vikings when those picks come up, but we spend quite a bit of time on every team so make sure you hang out for the entire 2 and a 1/2 hours to catch it all.  Stay tuned as we revisit this topic before the draft and see if our thoughts change at all.

NFL Draft

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