Fantasy football 2019 strategy: Five rookie wide receivers most likely to make an impact
The 2019 NFL Draft is over and SportsLine is looking at five rookie wide receivers who could make an impact in 2019.
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The 2019 NFL Draft is complete and a fresh crop of young talent enters the NFL player pool hoping to make their mark on the country's most popular league. Fantasy football owners everywhere are already looking at the results of this year's draft and trying to identify the rookies who can make an impact in 2019 and in years to come.
Both in single-season, keeper or dynasty formats, landing on a rookie who can outperform their fantasy draft position can be the catalyst for a championship run. But the learning curve is steep in the NFL and if you spend too early a pick on a rookie who doesn't pan out, it can set you back.
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Of course, few positions allow for rookies to contribute as early and significantly as wide receiver and every season it appears there are a player or players who come from completely off the radar as a rookie to make an impact. And landing a rookie on the right trajectory in Fantasy football is a fast track to league success, particularly in keeper and dynasty formats.
So let's take a look at the rookie wide receivers selected last week and try to sort through who has the highest fantasy ceiling, the highest floor and when contributions might be expected.
No. 1: D.K. Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks
Metcalf might not be the most adept route runner in this class, but the freakish athleticism gives him a chance to make an impact as a deep threat immediately and Russell Wilson is really good throwing the football down the field. And things start looking even better (for Metcalf that is) if any of the rumors concerning a potential Doug Baldwin are true.
No. 2: Parris Campbell, Indianapolis Colts
Campbell's considerable talents were on full display last year in Ohio State's pass-happy offense, but his 4.31-second 40-yard-dash at the NFL scouting combine should help alleviate any concerns his numbers were the byproduct of the system. He's got a clear path to starting in the slot for Indianapolis and he and T.Y. Hilton give Andrew Luck a glutton of speed at wide receiver.
No. 3: Mecole Hardman, Kansas City Chiefs
To assume that Hardman simply replicates what Tyreek Hill gives the Chiefs on the field is quite obviously misguided but the size and speed comparisons are sensible and it's pretty easy to see what Andy Reid is trying to do with uncertainty surrounding Hill. If Hill faces the long-term suspension many assume (he's been suspended indefinitely in a preemptive move by the Chiefs), Hardman is going to see a lot of action in the quick passing game and use his speed to attack vertically.
No. 4: Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers
Rookie wide receivers take time to adapt, but when they arrive at teams without a clear No. 1 option, they have their best chance to make a strong fantasy contribution because of sheer volume. Samuel's only real challenge to being the No. 1 option is Dante Pettis, who played well late last year but it's reasonable to question if he can sustain that play. If Jimmy Garoppolo is healthy, you can expect the 49ers to throw more often and Samuel should benefit.
No. 5: N'Keal Harry, New England Patriots
Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels clearly liked having a big-bodied receiver who could dominate while the ball was in the air when they had Josh Gordon in the lineup last season. So with Gordon suspended yet again, they spent their first-round pick on a player with similar traits (albeit less explosive). Harry is hyper-competitive, blocks and will win in the red zone. Hard to imagine a better set of traits as a wide receiver to earn opportunities in New England. All that being said, it still might take some time.
Written by Ryan Wooden
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