With the NFL draft creeping closer and closer, obsessive fantasy football owners will be watching in anticipation to find the next diamond in the rough. The 2014 NFL Draft can affect your fantasy football draft. For those of you who question whether the NFL draft really impacts fantasy leagues, we don’t have to look back very far to see stars that transformed leagues and won owners fantasy championships. Two years ago we had RG3, Alfred Morris and Doug Martin. Last year we saw rookies like Eddie Lacy, Le’Von Bell, Zac Stacey, Giovani Bernard, Keenan Allen, and Cordarrelle Patterson fill important roster spots when our high drafted players faded or got injured.
Let’s face it, the college game has changed and now more college coaches are installing high-octane pro-style offense than ever before. This means that offensive skill position players are coming into the League ready to make an immediate impact. Keep in mind these are players that are bought low (late rounds of a fantasy draft or waiver wire) and maintain a high value. Each year there is only a couple, so if you manage to snag one you’ve got a clear advantage. So here’s a list of players that could make a splash in their rookie year:
Tre Mason, RB, Auburn University: Playing in the SEC, a conference that has seen some of the best college defenses in a generation, Mason ran for 1,816 yards and scored a whopping 23 TD’s. Those are impressive numbers for Mason and remember it was Eddie Lacy who put up those kinds of numbers a year ago. He will have to work on his pass blocking ability to secure a semi—starting spot on an NFL squad, but he is certainly worth keeping an eye on.
Mike Evans, WR, Texas A&M: First, Evans is huge at 6-5 and 231 pounds. Evans also shredded tough SEC defenses all year last year. He has drawn comparisons to Tampa Bay’s WR Vincent Jackson because of his size, speed and great hands. In a league that throws as much as it runs in goal line situations, a guy like Evans could have legit fantasy value in his first NFL season.
Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Florida State: What’s scary about Benjamin is that he is even bigger than Evans. Last year anyone watching could see that he was clearly the best WR on a pass happy FSU national championship team. The guy has red zone target written on the back of his jersey, after all he caught the game wining red zone TD in the BCS national championship game last year.
Eric Ebron, TE, North Carolina: Not to be outdone by any player in this year’s NFL draft is UNC TE Eric Ebron. He has the same size and speed as FSU’s Benjamin, but he plays in a TE’s body. Anyone with a pulse understands was a quick TE can do in a modern NFL offense. Last season saw a deficit of TE talent, which will force owners to be receptive to emerging TE talent. If Ebron can find a starting spot in the NFL, look out.
With all that said, what NFL team these skilled players end up on will have a lot of impact on whether they are fantasy football draft worthy. The NFL Draft starts on May 8th at 8pm. Three days of fun and exciting starts for football players and fantasy owners. Her Fantasy Football will be there if you want to stop by to say hi.