2017 Rookie Mock Draft with Analysis (March Edition)
Below is our 2017 Rookie Mock Draft, which has both fantasy football analysis for the 2017 fantasy football season, as well as rankings/team info/position. This is all post-combine, so it’s time to get busy re-ranking this 2017 fantasy football rookie class!
| # | Player | Pos | TM | Analysis by Smitty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.01 | Leonard Fournette | RB | JAC | This kid runs hard. This might be the next Adrian Peterson right here, folks. After watching him in the first preseason game, I'm not backing down from my early Bold Prediction on the guy: View Leonard Fournette Bold Prediction In a nutshell, I write that he could very well be top 5 overall in all drafts come this time next year. He is already a double-digit TD threat -- this year. I think 1,200+ rushing yards and 10-12TDs is nowhere near out of the question for the rookie during his first season. The Jags want to run him a ton and they will! Video Footage |
| 1.02 | Christian McCaffrey | RB | CAR | I have to say, the kid is growing on me. It sounds like CAR will force-feed him the ball, and while many compare him to Reggie Bush, I think McCaffrey will have a long elite career (in fantasy football). He is easily worth the 1.02 or 1.03 in any rookie-only draft, and he commands RB2 value in redraft, and higher in dynasty start-ups. |
| 1.03 | Dalvin Cook | RB | MIN | After his first preseason outing, I'm feeling a lot of Jamaal Charles out of this rusher. If used often, and right, and it feels like MIN will use him both often and correctly, we might see high-end RB2 play in 2017 alone. | Video Footage |
| 1.04 | Joe Mixon | RB | CIN | It's crazy how good this rookie RB class is now looking. Mixon has equal parts upside and risk... and both to the extreme. He has the risk of getting into trouble and blowing his chance, yet he has the upside and talent to be a first-round fantasy football rusher. It's safer to rank him about here, but know his upside is 1.01 (rookie draft) worthy, and his overall value for the future, if healthy and on the field, could float inside the top 15 overall in all formats. | Video Footage |
| 1.05 | Corey Davis | WR | TEN | I love his skill set a lot, but it is getting tough ranking him higher than the above runners. Yes, starting rushers are tougher to find these days, so that plays into slotting him here, but the runners above are all cementing their way into their team's starting rusher slot, and they are just naturally going to gain more value than a WR that still has a lot of maturing to do. Can WRs breakout big-time as a rookie? Sure, but it's still rare to get 1,000-yard production out of a rookie WR out of the gate. So, if you need a WR, don't hesitate to call this kid the top rookie WR option in this rookie class... but, if you need a rusher, Fournette, McCaffrey, Cook and Mixon are all looking like potential studs in the NFL. Not all will likely workout to be elite studs... but all four have the potential. Video Footage |
| 1.06 | Kareem Hunt | RB | KC | This kid might be special, but keep in mind, I myself still believe the same thing about Spencer Ware. Ware was my breakout last year, and despite some slowing down in the later part of the year, Ware was a beast last year. I think Hunt is a great dynasty prospect, but if you own both rushers, you have yourself an ideal, and sneaky-good, RB2 in 2017. |
| 1.07 | Kenny Golladay | WR | DET | Checkout the Bold Prediction on this guy below: View Leonard Fournette Bold Prediction I see big things for this kid's future, and he is tucked away nicely in an ideal long-term situation. He has the size, speed and hands to become an elite receiver in this league. This is a bold prediction, so keep that in mind expectation-wise, but I am trying to grab this kid in every dynasty league I have. |
| 1.08 | O.J. Howard | TE | TB | He has top 2-5TE ability in fantasy, but it make take 1-2 years to get there. |
| 1.09 | Jamaal Williams | RB | GB | Great opportunity if he executes when called upon. |
| 1.10 | Alvin Kamara | RB | NO | This kid is special, he is just behind two studs in AP and Ingram. Injury could open the door quick, but I love this kid's talent and future. |
| 1.11 | Mike Williams | WR | LAC | Extremely talented and in a decent long-term situation; however, he isn't healthy and he's way behind. Lower expectations for 2017. |
| 1.12 | Deshaun Watson | QB | HOU | He could have a super-good rookie season. He also could be a top 8-12QB in time. |
| 2.01 | Samaje Perine | RB | WAS | Decent situation, but Rob Kelley might hold onto the job for longer than some expect. |
| 2.02 | Cooper Kupp | WR | LAR | Sammy Watkins arrival makes Kupp's upside limited, to a degree at least. |
| 2.03 | D'Onta Foreman | RB | ATL | A good talent but third on the depth chart no matter what. He needs injuries to occur to get a shot. |
| 2.04 | Mitch Trubisky | QB | CHI | He looked strong in his first preseason game. He might just have a bright future in the NFL. |
| 2.05 | Zay Jones | WR | BUF | With Sammy Watkins leaving to the Rams, the door opens for this rookie for the long-term. He could start off somewhat slow, though. |
| 2.06 | Chris Godwin | WR | TB | Tons of talent with an emerging stud QB. |
| 2.07 | David Njoku | TE | CLE | Eventual top 10TE upside. |
| 2.08 | John Ross | WR | CIN | Talented but the situation isn't ideal. For now, at least. |
| 2.09 | Joe Williams | RB | SF | Sneaky-good opportunity. |
| 2.10 | Evan Engram | TE | NYG | Decent appeal for the future. |
| 2.11 | Gerald Everett | TE | LAR | Decent appeal for the future. |
| 2.12 | Carlos Henderson | WR | DEN | Only a decent situation. For now. |
| Alternate | Elijah McGuire | RB | NYJ | Extreme sleeper alert!!! |
| Alternate | JuJu Smith-Schuster | WR | PIT | Not an ideal fit but a good talent for sure. |
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Thoughts?
Good write ups thus far! Any word on when the rest of the top 12 will be posted?
Thanks! Posting more today!
I know you cover all draft styles but I would like to get your sure fire hits for this next season….
I’ll be kinda getting the big hitting predictions together here in April. Sometimes it’s a bit early to start tossing them all out before teams draft, go through FA, but the Bold Predictions have a good list going so far!
JuJu Smith-Schuster is better than Mike Williams IMO.
We shall see. You could be right, much depends on landing spot. If in a good place to mature, I like Williams a lot. If he goes the route of Treadwell, as he landed in MIN and may never get a chance to even attempt to mature, that’s when a player like Williams, who needs to grow as a player, will likely fail.
🙂
He’s looking good!!