Will the young players have an impact? That’s always one of the biggest questions going into a fantasy draft, because there are often sleepers, average players, and complete busts. Last year, the best potential offensive players were JJ Arrington, Braylon Edwards and Mike Williams. None of them ended up having the kind of seasons that warrant a high draft pick, which definitely has to stick in your mind this year.
rating system
*****: The best player. They have the potential to be in the top five at their position in the entire NFL this year, as well as making the Pro Bowl or being named offensive rookie of the year.
****: He will definitely be a starter for his team and will perform somewhere between an average NFL player and the best player.
***: He will have an average performance, because he does not play in the best team in the world, or he will need some time to develop.
**: They can take over as a starter in the middle of the season. In general, they really won’t have much of an impact.
*: They will either see limited play time or not perform well enough to come up with something worthy of a fantasy point.
quarterbacks
First, let it be known that it’s too difficult to project whether a quarterback will have a chance to do well for his team. Most of the time, a rookie quarterback has an average first year at best in learning the system, or sits behind the starting quarterback for most of the year. A note of advice: don’t take a rookie quarterback within the first ten rounds of the draft: it won’t be worth it.
Important stat for QBs: 27 non-rookie quarterbacks threw for more yards last year than Kyle Orton, who led rookie quarterbacks with 1,869 passing yards.
Vince Young, Tennessee Titans ***
The Titans just released Steve McNair, narrowing the competition down to Volek and Young. Young won’t sit out the entire season, but when he gets in, he’ll have to learn that he can’t run as freely as he did in college. He has the most potential this year of any rookie quarterback.
Matt Leinart, Arizona Cardinals **
Kurt Warner will be the man for the Cardinals, and Leinart’s playing time could end up like what Eli Manning saw two years ago under the Giants. He won’t do you any good until the end of the season.
Jay Cutler, Denver Broncos *
With Jake Plummer coming off a career year, Cutler won’t even see the field. Don’t even think about taking Cutler with you, because he doesn’t make any sense.
runners
Important stat for RB’s: 12 running backs finished ahead of Carnell Williams, the leading rusher among rookies last year.
Reggie Bush, New Orleans Saints ***
Of all the players in the draft, Bush certainly has the potential to become a five-star player. However, he’s playing on a team that wasn’t very good last year and will split time with another talented running back in Deuce McAllister.
Laurence Maroney, New England Patriots **
Corey Dillon will remain the go-to man for the Patriots, leaving Maroney as a backup. However, the Patriots always find a role for their players, and Maroney will still get plenty of playing time.
From Angelo Williams, Carolina Panthers *
Theoretically, it looks like Williams could have a lot of potential playing time due to DeShaun Foster’s past injuries. Yards aren’t easy to rack up in the Panthers’ system, though, and Williams won’t see a lot of playing time per game.
Joseph Addai, Indianapolis Colts ***
Addai isn’t the Colts’ starter yet, but once the season starts, he’ll earn the job. Addai might be the biggest offensive sleeper in the draft because he’s not very well known, but he will play in a system that is very well developed.
Len Dale White, Tennessee Titans **
White could potentially be a red zone threat for the Titans, allowing him to rack up some touchdowns like Brandon Jacobs did last year for the Giants. However, he will also see some action outside of the red zone.
wide receivers
Important stat for WR: This year’s reception class was deemed “not very good.” Last year, Braylon Edwards led rookie receivers with 512 yards, leaving many other receivers ahead.
Santonio Holmes, Pittsburgh Steelers **
The Steelers’ leading receiver is usually Hines Ward, and then they look for the running threat. Holmes won’t jump into the league with big numbers, but he’ll be smooth as an average receiver in his first year.
Chad Jackson, New England Patriots **
Although the Patriots are starting to use Deion Branch a bit more, they like to give their receivers equal playing time. The Patriots need another receiver to produce in the absence of David Givens.
Sinorice Moss, New York Giants *
The Giants already have several receiving threats, so Moss won’t see many plays. However, he can find himself on the receiving end of the deep ball from time to time.
tight ends
Please note: a four-star rating for a tight end would be different than a four-star rating for a wide receiver. If a rookie tight end logs 700 yards, that would be an outstanding season as a tight end, but mediocre for a receiver.
Vernon Davis, San Francisco 49ers ****
Davis will have an incredible rookie year as a tight end, edging closer to some of the elite tight ends. Alex Smith needs a man to turn to, and that will turn out to be Davis.
Marcedes Lewis, Jacksonville Jaguars *
Lewis will see some touches, but it won’t be enough to become a constant threat for his team.
Conclusion
In general, it should be known that rookies rarely make a decent impact for their fantasy team. The players with the most potential this year are Reggie Bush, Vernon Davis and possibly Vince Young if he’s named the starter. The biggest sleeper will undoubtedly be Joseph Addai, but even he shouldn’t be carried any higher than necessary.
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