The Fantasy Football Counselor gives you all the top rookie dynasty players to target and the guys he loves for 2020. Make sure you target them in your draft this upcoming season.
Dynasty Rookie Rankings for fantasy football 2020
- Jonathan Taylor
- Clyde Edwards-Helaire
- Cam Akers
- D’Andre Swift
- Justin Jefferson
- Denzel Mims
- Michael Pittman
- Chase Claypool
- Jerry Jeudy
- Tee Higgins
- Jalen Reagor
- JK Dobbins
This list will vary depending on the way the depth charts layout.
We’re talking about Fantasy Football 2020, dynasty rankings. Whether you’re in a keeper league, dynasty league, whatever you want to call it, I’m going to tell you guys which rookies I like at each position that could really excel and give you guys some solid Fantasy Football production for 2020 Fantasy Football and beyond. If it’s a dynasty league, you want to invest in the right player in the right position with the right talent. Very, important episode, because I keep getting asked, “What are your dynasty rankings? What do you think? Who do you really like?” I’m going to go over that with you guys right now, a very, very important episode, let’s get to the show.
All right guys welcome to the show. The Fantasy Football Counselor. I’m excited to dive into these rookies and give you guys the guys that I like. Now, if you’re on YouTube, I did link a writeup on these guys. I’m going to rank them a little bit for you below. I also did a top 10 rookies show, breaking down these guys in further detail. But this is more of a kind of informational video, going over some of the videos, guys I like. Kind of open discussion. Because I don’t really want to have too much of a structure. This is number 10, this is number five. I’m going to give you the guys I like. So if you’re in a keeper league, let’s have more of a friendly conversation here, as if I was talking to my buddies and telling you, “Hey man, these are the guys I like.” That type of thing. I’m going to give them a rank, but not really. We don’t really want to go in order and structure. We’re just want to kind of have an open discussion, okay?
Let’s talk about the wide receivers, the guys I like. Again, this can vary, and I want you guys to do your own homework because it’s important that you do your own homework on top of mine. Because what happens is, I give you guys my opinion, then you guys get your opinion, then at the end of the day, if it’s a decision between, let’s say, CeeDee Lamb and Jeudy, you’re like, okay, my gut’s saying this, “I feel good about this.” So you’ve got to use your own intuition as well, I’m sure you guys do anyway. Line mentality, guys, as I approve, okay? So we’re going to dive into this. Before I do, make sure you guys get the 16 round draft solution, because I tell you where these rookies file in, in regards to 2020 Fantasy Football. And their ADP, and when to draft them if you really like them, before they get sniped, okay? In your Fantasy Football draft. So get the 16 round draft solution at TheFantasyFootballCounselor.com. Also, there’s a link here below, guys, on YouTube. The first-ever and only video training to help you guys crush your leagues. Guys, it won’t even be fair to the competition. This is really going to help you draft, get rid of the draft kits, the cheat sheets, this is the future, 16 rounds, link below.
All right, so which rookies do I like? Now you’re in a dynasty league, you’re in a keeper league. Every league varies on the way they do their settings. Is it a four-person keeper league? Is it one person? Do you trade picks? Do you go rookies in the first round? Do you have to draft a quarterback in the first round? Is it a two-quarterback league? There are so many different variances, you’re only allowed to have one rookie. There are so many different things. So I’m not going to go into 50 million types of scenarios here. But I’m going to tell you about the rookies that I like. So looking at the wide receiver position, I’m just going to focus. I’m not going to focus too much on the tight end. I’m going to focus on the key positions, especially if you’re drafting in the first or second round, you’re probably going to be looking at a running back, maybe a wide receiver, probably a quarterback.
Justin Jefferson
So let’s start off with the wide receivers here, the guys I like. And the guy I think that is actually in the best position to succeed is Justin Jefferson, 6’3″, 190, out of LSU. Now I like him because he could be a direct drop in plug and play for digs, okay? That’s why I like him, okay? He makes difficult catches. Now he does lack that top-end speed, and his yards after catch aren’t the greatest, okay? 13.9 after he catches. Now he does, again, he’s not a run after catch kind of guy. But again, a difficult kind of catch kind of guy. He can run fast, but he’s not an absolute burner, he’s not like Ruggs or anything like that, okay? Now why I like him, again, plug and play for digs. Another thing that I like is, again, he’s had … This could be an advantage or a disadvantage. Now he was in LSU, right, working with Burrow. So the advantage is that he has worked with a top-tier quarterback. How that’s going to translate in the NFL, with Cousins, is going to be a big question mark. Again, that could work against him, because he had such a good quarterback in college. Is that going to translate over to the NFL? So that’s my big question mark here when I look at Justin Jefferson, okay? Again, like the talent, like the plug and play. Again, makes those highlight catches where they’re kind of difficult catch. So he’s a guy I definitely want to target in a position to succeed at wide receiver.
Tee Higgins
Again, you can look at the other guys, but I think he’s in one of the best positions. Another guy may take a year to develop, and again, if you’re looking long term wide receiver, Tee Higgins, a guy you can look. Clemson receivers, pretty good, right? We’ve had some good guys come out of there. 6’4″, 215, massive catch radius. A little bit sluggish off the line, a limited route tree, which is kind of an issue. Great ball tracking skills. You know, he’s a physical runner, which I like. I think he could build a good connection with Burrow. This could be really, really special in the Bangles territory, as they may be phasing out AJ Green, right? AJ, who just hasn’t been able to stay healthy. Maybe they’re going to phase him out, it could be interesting to see. But I do like Tee Higgins a lot, man, I think there’s a lot of upsides here, if you are looking at a wide receiver in a keeper league, okay?
Henry Ruggs
Again, this isn’t really in order. Again, we’re just kind of having an open discussion here on guys I like and the situations and the scenarios around them, okay? So the next guy is Henry Ruggs. I like him, but the problem is, now, I’d actually take Jeudy before Ruggs. But I like Ruggs because he was drafted really early, he was the first pick for the Raiders, he was the first wide receiver in the NFL draft to come off. Had an amazing time at the Combine, really fast 4.27, 6′, 195, out of Alabama. Fast, good body control, attacks the ball at the catch point. Here are the notes I got. Explosive leaper, strong hands. Problem is, he’s got Derek Carr throwing to him. Now, if you’re looking from a fantasy point of view, again, may not be exciting because you’re going to probably have these boom or bust type of games. I think they’re going to integrate Josh Jacobs in the pass scheme a little bit more, they might go to Waller a bit more as well. Now Ruggs also does have that limited route tree, not as good of a runner as, let’s say, a guy like Jerry Jeudy. But again, I like the upside with Henry Ruggs, and he’s going to have those boom games. I picture him being those big-play guys, burning the second air, catching the deep ball, and getting you a few touchdowns and some big scoring plays during the season. I don’t know if he’s going to be a consistent PPR guy week in, week out, that’s the knock. But again, crazier things have happened, this guy could be top 10 wide receivers for 2020. We don’t know, that’s the exciting thing here with Ruggs, okay?
Jerry Jeudy
The next guy here is Jerry Jeudy, obviously great talent. Pretty much the number one prospect coming into the NFL 2020 draft. You know, quick feet, amazing change of direction, phenomenal route running. I do like him. Now, there is criticism that 190 is a little small in regards to weight. Ran a 4.45, so the speed is there. Height, at 6’1″ is there, everything is there. The only problem I have with him is that Sutton is technically the number one right now. They also drafted KJ Hamler. They’ve got a ton of talent there. They’ve got Melvin Gordon, they’ve got Noah Fant. Tons of mouths to feed, and an unproven quarterback. Now again, the thought of it is phenomenal, the ceiling is high. But you’ve got to be cautious here when you are looking at this wide receiver. Because again, there’s going to be a ton of distribution and a ton of mouths to feed, okay? That’s something I’m a little cautious of. So in regards to massive fantasy production, I think that’s going to be limited, due to the mouths to feed. So that’s my concern there.
CeeDee Lamb
Next guy I want to talk about, I like, CeeDee Lamb, great talent. Again, in another position where Cooper’s the one, Gallup is there, they’ve got a ton of talent as well, a lot of mouths to feed. Then Dak Prescott with the contract deal, they just acquired Andy Dalton, the Cowboys did. He’s a wiry strong receiver, long limbs, strong hands, explosive, athletic, loves the talent. He’s got some issues creating separation at times. But again, phenomenal talent. This is, again, some of the reviews I read from scouts and the tape I’ve watched. But again, phenomenal, phenomenal talent. Again, not as quick off the line, but very strong, very explosive, and can catch that speed and go.
So the problem is, right now, again, a lot of mouths to feed in Cowboys territory as well, with him. There’s also Leviska Shenault, I think he’s going to remind me a little bit of a better version of Tavon Austin, gadget player, catching some balls out of the backfield, Swiss Army knife kind of player. Not expecting a huge performance out of him the first year in regards to fantasy. Again, bit of a gadget player, and I think the Jacksonville Jaguars have Sharp there, who’s going to be the main guy. So a little question mark there.
Michael Pittman and Chase Claypool
Other wide receivers I like, you could target ahead of all these guys, and could have a huge ceiling, is Michael Pittman from the Colts. You could also target Chase Claypool from the Steelers. Why I like these guys is because the quarterbacks that are throwing to them, and believe it or not, the Colts actually drafted Pittman before Jonathan Taylor in the second round, that was their first pick. So the Colts really believe in Michael Pittman, that’s what I’m thinking here. Rivers has made good wide receivers, fantasy-relevant, right? In the past, he does get the ball to them. So I am excited about Pittman, I like the upside, and I like the value for him. I think he’s pretty much going undrafted or super late in drafts. I think he’s going to be off a lot of peoples’ radar, while people are focusing on guys like Henry Ruggs, you could be getting yourself a Michael Pittman.
I don’t know if I mentioned this guy here, did I mention him? Denzel Mims, that’s another guy. Keep your eye out for him, eye out for him. I think there’s a ton of upside there, with the Jets, as they don’t have a wide receiver. Another plug and play guy. I actually like him better than CeeDee Lamb, Jeudy, in regards to potential volume upfront. So Denzel Mims, Michael Pittman, Chase Claypool, keep them on your radar. Really good position to succeed. Because again, Jeudy could see double coverage, and it could go to Claypool. They could line up D’Ante and Claypool outside, and make Jeudy the slot receiver. So I think there’s a ton of opportunity for Claypool going into the season. There’s talk, and I’m not sure if it’s been updated, or if he’s been released, but there’s talk of maybe Deon King getting released. So I think Claypool could be in a good position to really, really succeed. Obviously, the Steelers believe in him, a ton of upsides.
So out of all these guys, I love getting Pittman and Claypool later. I love Jefferson if you’re going early for a wide receiver, and that’s pretty much the wide receiver class, all in a nutshell, okay? Let’s take a look at quarterbacks briefly, I’m not going to spend too much time here. Quarterbacks, I always go for quarterbacks in fantasy that are proven. So I stay away from rookie quarterbacks. If you must draft one, I mean, Love could be in a great position with the Packers, Tua could be in a great position with Miami. I like Burr and I like Herbert, okay?
So those are the four guys that are kind of on my radar. But I don’t put too much weight on quarterbacks unless you have to draft a quarterback or the league settings are like, you should acquire a quarterback, or if you need a quarterback for dynasty, those are the four guys I like. Love, not going to be an immediate impact unless Rogers gets traded or pissed off or something like that. Burrow’s going to be a plug and play, week one, Dalton’s been shipped off to the Cowboys. Herbert could be one or two weeks in, could get the starting job. And Tua, probably in a couple weeks as well, to get into the groove as well, but tons of upsides for all of these guys, and I think Burrow, obviously, the most talented on paper right now. But we’ve seen crazier things, right?
Clyde Edwards-Helaire
All right, let’s take a look at the running back position, okay. So this is very important, guys, running backs for dynasty Fantasy Football, dynasty league, keeper leagues, who is the best running back? Now the mainstream, the analytic consensus are all telling you Jonathan Taylor’s the main guy. Or sorry, Clyde Edwards-Helaire is the main guy. I can see the debate, and I can see the argument, and I can definitely make a case for him being the guy. Now me, myself, the guy that decided I wanted to get Kareem Hunt before the Spencer Ware injury a couple of years ago, I drafted him in the second round. Then ironically, Spencer Ware went down that year, Kareem Hunt had a phenomenal year with the Chiefs, he was the workhorse, he was the guy. I genuinely believe in my heart of hearts that the Chiefs want that guy, but they’ve been kind of stuck in this circle of committees. Bringing in McCoy was a disaster last year, Darwin Thompson did nothing, never got the opportunity. Damien Williams sucked, Darrel Williams.
If I was the Chiefs, I’d want a go-to guy that I could trust on every down. Clyde Edwards could be the guy, 5’8″, 210, a little bit undersized in regards to size, but that could be an advantage because he’s compact, agile, players bounce off him, you know, he cuts really fast, low center of gravity, quick and phenomenal vision. I do like him. And he catches the ball in the backfield. So he is in a phenomenal position to succeed, but I’m torn between him and Jonathan Taylor, if Taylor gets a starting job, and also Swift, he’s also in a good position.But in regards to ceiling, in regards to the upside, the only player at the running back position I think that may have a higher ceiling or two guys that may have a higher ceiling if they get the starting job. That’s a big question. If they’re integrated and announced, hey this is our workhorse, this is our guy, we’re going to go with him, are Cam Akers and Taylor, those are the only two guys I may like ahead of Clyde Edwards. But again, I like Clyde Edwards this year. He’s going to be going late first-round or early second.
I’ve seen him, I’ve been doing mock drafts on ADP, the top 10 consensus running back right now. And is that too high of a price? Maybe, because I think Damien Williams can be a bit of a pest. I mean, here’s Damien Williams, here’s Clyde Edwards in regards to talent. I’m telling you, Damien Williams is a bench player for Miami. I’m the guy that says, “I’m not a fan of Williams.” I’m telling you, this could be an easy surpass. But I don’t really trust the Chiefs. That’s the issue I have. Sometimes I have an issue trusting the Chiefs. So be cautious. I mean, definitely go for them. If you need a running back, and you want to get a dynasty player, definitely consider him, Taylor, or Acres.
Jonathan Taylor
Let’s talk about Jonathan Taylor, I love the talent. 5’10”, 220 out of Wisconsin, ran a 4.39. Power, vision, speed, workhorse. The only two knocks are limited catching ability, but I think he caught, what? Like 26, 20-some odd, 26 receptions in 2019. He can catch the ball. Another knock is ball security. Again, the receiving, ball security people say he’s worn down because he was a workhorse for two, three years. Listen, I’m not sold on that. The Colts need a running back. I’m a Colts fan, so I’m ready to get a Jonathan Taylor jersey. Marlon Mack sucks, just not the guy to get it done. Taylor could be the guy, and if they’re smart, they run him and work him, they’ve just got to make sure his pass protection is solid, make sure he’s fully integrated. I absolutely love him. I think, if he’s the workhorse running back, he’s got a higher ceiling than Edwards. Because I think Edwards is always going to be, I think there’s going to be a bit of a committee there. I think they’re going to try to work other guys.
But I also believe that the Chiefs ride the hot hand as well, and I saw patterns of that last year with the LeSean McCoy coming in. Okay? So Edwards, Taylor, the ceiling is phenomenal. But they’ve got to be solidified as the running back one. I mean, I have heard rumors, total big rumor, I don’t even think it’s true. But just buzzes in groups that Mack maybe be … And I don’t think Mack’s going to be there this upcoming season. I hope for Taylor’s sake he’s not. I love Taylor, love Edwards. Another guy that’s in a perfect position to succeed is Cam Akers. He’s the only guy to compete with Henderson. Now, I had Henderson as a sleeper. I don’t like him anymore. I thought maybe if they didn’t acquire anybody, the Rams would’ve been believing in Henderson. But Darrell Henderson’s not going to be getting the start in my opinion, I think Akers is going to be the guy. He ran a 4.47, 5’11”, 215. Solid, solid guy. He changes direction quickly, he has that home-run speed, he can catch the ball in the backfield, he is very, very strong.
Cam Akers and JK Dobbins
Now, the good news is also, he did play behind a terrible old line in Florida State. There were some issues with some fumbling, but I think that should be good. He is a bit of a boom or bust type of potential. But I think that if he’s given the opportunity with the Rams, this could be very, very special talent. Love me some Cam Akers. JK Dobbins, a lot of people ask me about him, I’m not sold. I’ll tell you why. When you look at the attempts, I don’t have the attempts in front of me. I should’ve got them in front of me. But I’m going to tell you, because I have a good memory.
You can look it up. I ask you, I challenge you guys to look it up. I don’t have it in front of me, eyes closed here. But I believe Lamar Jackson had 176 attempts and who was it? Ingram had 200 plus attempts, 202 I believe it was. When I look at that, I’m seeing over 350, what is it? 350, 70 attempts, or whatever it is. I don’t know the math on that. Listen, 378 attempts, I think that sounds right. Anyway, doesn’t matter. The bottom line is this, over 350 attempts went to the quarterback, who’s like the running back. And it went to Ingram.
Now you’ve got Dobbins coming in. Unless Ingram is completely gone and Lamar decides, hey, I’m going to be a pocket passer, I’m just going to throw the ball, I’m not going to rush this year, that’s when Dobbins becomes valuable. This is one of those, oh damn, what a shame, this guy could’ve been a workhorse but he’s probably not going to be. So I don’t like Dobbins because of that fact. If you look at the rushing yards of Lamar, I don’t have them in front of me. I think it was over 1,200 and change, okay? He actually out-rushed every running back in the NFL except for five.
Those five were like, Zeke Elliott, CMC, Nick Chubb, Carson, and I think it was Henry. Those are the only five running backs that ran more than Lamar Jackson, okay? That? I don’t like that. Especially with Dobbins. So if you are in a dynasty, keeper league, I’m staying away from Dobbins. Trust me, maybe the year after, if Lamar gets hurt, and Mark Ingram is gone, Dobbins. But as of right now, heck no, staying away.
D’Andre Swift
I do love D’Andre Swift as well. So I don’t know, if I were to rank them, I’d probably go, Taylor, if he gets a starting job. Taylor, Clyde Edwards, Akers, Swift, or Swift, Akers. It’s tough. Again, everybody’s kind of guessing right now. But these are the four I like. I like Taylor, Swift, Edwards, and Akers. Love these guys, okay? Why I love Swift, he ran a 4.48, he’s 5’9″, 259 at Georgia. He is probably one of the most complete backs out of this rookie draft year. Great pass catcher, wasn’t used as much, shifty, complete, amazing vision, patience for blocks, makes people miss, great initial burst off the line, pass protection rock solid. Now again, what I don’t like is Kerryon Johnson being there. So if you are looking at this guy, be cautious because I’m telling you, Kerryon could be a pass still. But if the Lions are smart, they make him the workhorse. Because they’ve had some unsuccessful luck. Now, if you look at Kerryon Johnson’s numbers, again, I don’t have the numbers in front of me, this is a memory. I’m just totally immersed in this stuff. I believe he only played 18 games in two seasons, eight games, I think, 8 or 10 last season, 10 the year before, vice versa. I think there was 8 last year, 10 the year before.
Either way, the guy has not been on the field. Kerryon Johnson has not been on the field. So how can you trust a guy who hasn’t been on the field? That’s why they got D’Andre Swift. D’Andre Swift can be a workhorse. I do like the offense. I think they’ve got a center and O line guy. Lions want to protect Stafford a little bit more. They didn’t acquire another wide receiver, so Golladay, I love the value of Golladay this year. So when you are looking at a running back, this is a guy that’s in a prime position to succeed. The talent is there, the opportunity is there. They’ve just got to give him the rock and believe in him, and I would bench Kerryon.
Again, if I was coaches, I would start Cam Akers, Jonathan Taylor, and D’Andre Swift on my team, and Clyde Edwards, and just scrap the other guys, because they suck. That’s the honest truth, man. These guys are studs, they’re in a position to succeed. The guys behind them have not proven, or ahead of them, whatever you want to call it. You know? The Williams, the Max, and the Kerryon Johnson’s of the world have sucked, you know? Darrel Henderson’s done nothing, I think he had like 39 attempts last season.
I want to get your feedback. What do you think? DM me on the #1 Instagram page for fantasy football @fantasyfootballcounselor. I mean, Jefferson for a wide receiver, is he a plug and play? Do you agree? Denzel Mims, do you agree with me on that? I’ve looked at the situation, I have looked at the depth charts. I am telling you guys, the guys I’m mentioning are in a position to succeed. If you’re looking at a fantasy ball sleeper for dynasty, a guy that everyone will be sleeping on, and you want to make a sneaky move. I don’t know, depending on the league settings, maybe Pittman and Claypool. Love them guys, love them. I think Akers and Swift are falling a little bit more. You know, the Taylors and the Clyde Edwards are coming off a little bit higher. Again, the Jeudys and the Ruggs may come off higher. But then you can sneak and get yourself a Claypool and a Pittman, okay? Again, guys, a lot of analysis here, a lot of information for you guys to process. But I want you guys to process it and make the right decision, look for the opportunities, look for the opportunities, look for the depth chart, okay?
Again, I love myself some Taylor, some Swift, some Akers, and some Clyde Edwards, if they get the starting job. All right guys, leave a comment below, let me know which rookie you love the best. Who’s got the most upside? I’d love to hear the comments and your feedback. Smash that thumbs up, it means the world to me, and get the 16 round draft solution at TheFantasyFootballCounselor.com. You’ll absolutely love it.
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