Fantasy Football Rookie Landing Spot Recap
2023 Rookie Landing Spot Recap
The NFL Draft is one of the most exciting events of the year. After the draft, fantasy team owners start to strategize who will become the best players from each class. Here are my favorite picks from this year’s draft fantasy owners should be drafting in their dynasty leagues. Rookie Draft position is based on prioritizing running backs first, wide receivers second, quarterbacks third, and tight ends fourth.
Quarterback
The Carolina Panthers drafted their new franchise quarterback with the first overall pick last Thursday night. Young is an intelligent player who can easily scan the field, is a good decision-maker, can extend the play, and is an accurate quarterback. Unfortunately, he stands at 5’10” which is on the smaller size for a quarterback, but that did not change the Panthers perception of his ability to play football at a high level. Young should be drafted in the early first round of Dynasty rookie drafts this year.
Running Back
The Atlanta Falcons selected Robinson with the eighth overall pick in the draft, which surprised many. In my opinion, Robinson is the best prospect at the running back position since Saquon Barkley was drafted by the Giants in 2018. Robinson possesses all the qualities of an NFL running back with the size, speed, agility, change of direction, good hands, and his ability to break tackles. Even though the Falcons have an aging Cordarrelle Patterson and Tyler Allgeier already, I expect Robinson to receive the bulk of the carries in the backfield as the Falcons drafted him to become their starter. Robinson should be drafted with the first pick in rookie drafts this year.
Running Back
The Detroit Lions selected Gibbs with the twelfth pick overall in the draft. After the Lions drafted Gibbs, they opted to trade former starting running back D’Andre Swift to the Philadelphia Eagles. This now leaves the backfield to Gibbs and newly signed running back David Montgomery. I’m not worried about Montgomery taking away touches from Gibbs as running back duos are a common tactic by NFL teams. Gibbs stated in an interview that the Lions are expanding his route tree, so expect Gibbs to be heavily involved in the passing and running games. This year, gibbs should be drafted in the early first round of rookie drafts.
Wide Reciever
The Seattle Seahawks selected Smith-Njigba with the twentieth overall pick in the draft. Smith-Njigba will work as the slot receiver in a loaded offense next to D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. Smith-Njigba commands the middle of the field with his amazing ability to get open and run for extra yards after the catch. He possesses excellent hands and can track the ball down with ease. Smith-Njigba should be drafted with the second pick in rookie drafts this year.
Wide Reciever
The Los Angeles Chargers selected Johnston with the twenty-first overall pick in the draft. In my opinion, this was the best pick in the first round of the draft. The Chargers added another big body receiver next to Mike Williams and Keenan Allen which was brilliant. I am confident in Johnston playing an important role in the Los Angeles offense and should be drafted in the early first round in rookie drafts this year.
Wide Reciever
The Baltimore Ravens selected Flowers with the twenty-second overall pick in the draft. Flowers joins Odell Beckham Jr., Rashod Bateman, and Mark Andrews as another weapon for franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson who recently signed a $260 million five year extension with the Ravens. An interesting fact about Flowers is that while at Boston College he received a $500,000 offer to transfer to another school, but remained at Boston College out of loyalty to the program. He possesses great hands, good route-running, and consistently makes contested catches. Flowers should be drafted in the early first round in rookie drafts this year.
Wide Reciever
The Minnesota Vikings selected Addison with the twenty-third pick in the draft. Addison will play a major role in the offense and operate as the team’s WR2. Addison is a versatile player who has the ability to line up on the outside and in the slot. In college, he was a major red zone threat in the USC offense which I expect to continue as he enters the NFL. Addison should be drafted in the early first round in rookie drafts this year.
Tight End
The Buffalo Bills selected Kincaid with the twenty-fifth overall pick in the draft. Kincaid is an all-around athlete who is dominant in both the passing and running games. I expect Kincaid to be Josh Allen’s primary target in the red zone and will become an important piece of the offense quickly. Kincaid should be drafted in the late first round in rookie drafts based on a twelve-person league.
Tight End
The Green Bay Packers selected Musgrave with the forty-second overall pick in the draft. Musgrave will be the team’s starting tight end come September. When healthy, Musgrave was considered the best tight end in college football. Musgrave will become a prominent piece of the Green Bay offense and should be drafted in the late second round, early third round in rookie drafts based on twelve-person leagues.
Wide Reciever
The Houston Texans selected Dell with the sixty-ninth overall pick in the draft. Dell impressed at the combine running a 4.49 second 40 yard dash and earned himself a third round projection. The Texans decided to surround their young franchise quarterback with talent by drafting Dell in the third round. I’m confident that Dell will earn himself a starting position in the Texans offense this season. He should be drafted in the mid-to late third round, early fourth round in rookie drafts this year.
Wide Reciever
The Indianapolis Colts selected Downs with the seventy-ninth overall pick in the draft. Downs put on phenomenal performance at the combine. In my opinion, Downs was the best route-runner in this year’s draft class. This was a great pick by the Colts as I believe Downs will work his way into the starting lineup. Downs should be selected in the late second round, early third round in rookie drafts this year.
Running Back
The Dallas Cowboys selected Vaughn II with the two-hundred twelfth overall pick in the draft. I absolutely loved this pick by the Cowboys as he and starting running back Tony Pollard become the newest running back duo for the team. After catching passes, Vaughn caught my attention while watching the combine earlier this year. He has great vision as a pass-catcher, where he will excel in the Dallas offense. Do not overlook Vaughn in rookie drafts, I fully believe he will play an important role in the offense. Vaughn should be drafted in the later rounds of rookie drafts this year.
Lawrence is a fan of the Green Bay Packers. He is currently a graduate student at William Paterson University pursuing a master’s degree in Financial Planning. His hobbies include all things fantasy football, weightlifting, collecting Yu-Gi-Oh trading cards, and playing Madden. He specializes in dynasty fantasy football having won two championships in the past five years. He is also a college football fan who loves to watch his Buckeyes play on Saturdays while drinking pumpkin-flavored coffee. He is always looking to evolve his game as a fantasy football player and one of his goals is to help other players do the same.
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