No longer is the college game just about a power running game. The 2014 NFL Draft was one filled with talented wide receivers ready to make their mark on the NFL. These guys are potential Fantasy Husbands.
Mike Evans (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) – In the NFL, success is as much about situation as it is about talent. Evan couldn’t be in a better position to succeed. First, Evans is huge at 6-5 and 231 pounds and has a history of playing against and shredding tough, SEC defenses. Before the draft he drew comparisons to Tampa Bay’s WR Vincent Jackson because of his size, speed and great hands. Now, Evans will be opposite Jackson in a division that lacks real talent at the cornerback position. It helps that Evans has a solid QB to throw him the ball in Josh McCown whom we all know I LOVE. Evans will be a red zone nightmare for opposing defenses.
Sammy Watkins (Buffalo Bills) – Sammy Watkins is a machine and is amazing for dynasty leagues. Pick him up! The reality is that Sammy Watkins has all the talent in the world and there isn’t a lot of competition for targets on his new team. The Bills best WR, Stevie Johnson, now plays for San Francisco and newly acquired Mike Williams won’t allow defenses to focus solely on Watkins. Watkins faces two tough challenges. First, the QB situation in Buffalo isn’t great. EJ Manuel is a great talent, but he does have a history of injury and when the backup comes in Watkins’ value will be affected. It doesn’t help that the Bills o-line isn’t great and could create problems. Second, the division that Watkins plays in is filled with great corners, so there is a high probability that Watkins will be playing against top talent when he lines up on Sunday. That being said, Watkins is a pure playmaker and if the Bills can find a way to get him in space, look out.
Kelvin Benjamin (Carolina Panthers) - The Carolina Panthers raised eyebrows when they gutted their offense in the offseason. I don’t know if anyone could name a player for Cam Newton to throw to before the Draft. Playing in a division that includes a revamped Bucs offense and Drew Brees, a great defense alone won’t translate into success for the Panthers. That’s where Benjamin comes in. What’s scary about Benjamin is that he is even bigger than Evans. The guy has red zone target written on the back of his jersey, after all he caught the game winning red zone TD in the BCS National Championship game last year. Outside of TE Greg Olsen, Benjamin will have every opportunity to be successful.
Brandon Cooks (New Orleans Saints) – It’s no mystery that the New Orleans Saints are an offensive juggernaut. However, this offseason we saw some of the Saints main weapons depart. No worries, I am not talking about Jimmy Graham. But there is an opportunity for some new players to emerge and have a significant fantasy impact on your team. The Saints moved up in the draft to select Cooks, so that means they have plans to use him in the offense. He is undersized, but has tremendous speed that is built for the Superdome. Look at Cooks as a high risk/ high reward type player that has always existed in New Orleans.
Odell Beckham (New York Giants) – Eli Manning was horrible last year, really bad. Brandon might even say worse then that. This will scare a lot of fantasy owners away from players like Reuben Randle and Victor Cruz. With that being said, there were some bright spots on offense for the Giants last year. One of those players was Reuben Randle. Randle did the majority of his damage playing out of the WR 3 role. With the departure of Hakeem Nicks, Randle will move into the WR 2 role leaving, you guessed it, Beckham to fill the WR 3 role that Randle was so successful in last year. There is a real possibility that Beckham will see soft coverage that will allow him to demonstrate his great potential. If you can bear cheering for Eli every week then Beckham might be a good pick up.
