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NFL Draft Surprises Up And Down The Board
In today's Fantasy Life Newsletter, presented by Pop-Tarts.
We are now one week away from the NFL Draft, which means we’ve entered the final blitz of insider reports, trade rumors and agent-driven subterfuge.
Our very own Matthew Freedman did a very Matthew Freedman thing and released an updated mock draft on Tax Day while also on paternity leave—congrats dude! … on the mock draft … the baby is cool, too, I guess. I suppose that’s just what you do when you are the No. 1 mocker in the universe since 2020.
Anyway, here are some interesting tidbits from his latest mock for those who are getting caught up …
- No one, including Freedman, is budging on Fernando Mendoza to the Raiders at one. It’s a lock, we can move on.
- Speaking of not budging, he’s holding strong on Jeremiyah Love to the Titans at four. I think all of these teams should prioritize WR instead and I’d also prefer him on the Commanders, but this landing spot is consensus right now.
- The Top 3 WRs are the most interesting part of this draft for me. Freedman has Carnell Tate > Browns (6), Jordyn Tyson > Saints (8) and Makai Lemon > Rams (13). There are so many teams in this range who could use a legit WR1 that this is going to be a tricky trio to nail down.
- The biggest WR surprise to me is Omar Cooper Jr. flying all the way up to the Jets at No. 16. This would be a great test of what matters more in fantasy—draft capital (Top 16!) or landing spot (behind Garrett Wilson with Geno Smith at QB? yuck). FWIW, our CEO (and self-hating Jets fan) thinks they should go defense.
- Kenyon Sadiq > Panthers (19) is fun, but I’m holding my breath for the Bucs at 15 instead.
- Only one other skill position player sneaks into his Round 1 mock—KC Concepcion > Dolphins (30). That one makes a ton of sense. Malik Willis needs something, anything…
Selfishly for fantasy purposes, I hope a couple other skill guys sneak into Round 1. Denzel Boston to the Bills maybe? Or the Seahawks going rogue and selecting Jadarian Price at RB??
Time will tell …
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Editors’ Picks
We survived Tax Day. Yay! Now don’t go spending that refund just yet, because there are fantasy football dues to pay in a few months. And here’s some fun reading that will help you win …
History of Draft Capital
Does it really matter where a player is selected in the NFL Draft? Ian Hartitz dove into the historical data to determine if being drafted higher meant a better chance for a rookie breakout.
Dynasty Personalities
Are you a Narcissist or a Perpetual Rebuilder? Jake Trowbridge breaks up the different personality traits of dynasty managers into five pockets.
So You Have the 1.03 Rookie Pick
Do you go for a top WR prospect or Fernando Mendoza? Jonathan Fuller weighs the options on this high pick in dynasty.
32 Beastly NFL Draft Takeaways
It’s getting late in the NFL Draft process, which usually means that every last nit is picked on all the most prominent prospects out there. It also means it’s time for mock drafts to expand, giving us even more players and their landing spots to react to. Ian Hartitz took a deep dive into The Athletic’s Dane Brugler’s seven-round mock that comes on the heels of the release of his yearly draft opus, The Beast. Ian found a fantasy takeaway for every NFL team, and how players drafted—or not—impacted each team. And over in DC, Ian found a lot to love about the Commanders’ pick, and not just for Matthew:
Washington Commanders
- Highlighted pick: Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love (1.07)
Love would immediately profile as a three-down workhorse inside a Commanders backfield currently expected to be headlined by Rachaad f*cking White. After all, RBs with top-10 draft capital have almost always gotten force-fed the football over the years. Throw in the fact that Daniels and company are just one year removed from finishing with the league's fifth-ranked scoring offense, and it's possible we would see Love as a consensus first-round pick in redraft fantasy land by August.
- Also, check out the latest updates to our NFL Draft Guide, presented by our friends at Hims.
Who’s WR1? The Case for JSN, Puka and Chase
What’s an offseason if not a time to foster discussion about rankings, projections and ADP as we while away the months until football returns? One of the most fun debates centers around who should be the top WR selected in fantasy drafts. Ja’Marr Chase, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Puka Nacua all have cases to make for the WR1 throne, and Adam Pfeifer made arguments for each:
- Chase: Since 2023, Chase is averaging 10.6 targets, 7.4 receptions, 93.8 receiving yards and 21.5 PPR points per game with Burrow under center.
- JSN: He won at all three levels of the field, and although he saw a massive drop in slot usage, JSN still crushed on the perimeter, leading the league in YPRR (3.8), receiving yards (1,378) and receptions (88) when out wide.
- Puka: Since entering the league in 2023, Nacua has ranked 1st, 2nd and 6th in fantasy points per game, averaging 19.9 during that stretch.
Who are you picking? ⤵️
Around the Watercooler
Our merry band of football nerds is back and bringing you the latest news, content and memes from the NFL universe …
💪 A draft prospect is choosing where the landing spot. Where’s Mouth Heaven?
🤔 Could Ty Simpson sneak into Round 1? Maybe!
🫶🏼 A lot to Love about this ranking. Even without yet knowing his landing spot?
🧀 A Year 2 WR breakout after busting as a rookie? Hmm.
🐬 Will Achane get traded? The GM weighs in.
🚨 Sign up for Fantasy Life text alerts for the latest updates in our content.
Are These Draft Prospects Any Good at Football?
Underdog’s Hayden Winks joins Ian Hartitz on the latest Fantasy Life Show, as they discuss NFL Draft prospects like Mike Washington, Jadarian Price, Chris Bell and many more to project if they can succeed at the highest level.
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