What I am going to do - and you may find it useful or useless - that is your prerogative - is to go through the 2019 class and quickly give a 'soundbite' on each player. Basically my thoughts from a fantasy biased perspective. Where possible I will try and re-capture what I thought of the player early on, but that may be tough.
I will use the Mizellle Rookie Rankings as a guide (ie Oct ADP ordered solely for Rookies).
http://www.mizelle.net/mfl/2019/
Josh Jacobs
Coming out I thought he was worthy of 1.01 consideration, and the NFL Draft only solidified that. Halfway through the season, I think he has done nothing to disprove being a top pick if the draft was revisited today. Raiders have used him as expected & this is a good meld of talent & situation.
David Montgomery
While I was not a Montgomery supporter, neither do I feel I was a disbeliever. I believe that a lot of owners expect RBs to be able to be immediate RB1s. I think that there are (obviously) only 12 RB1s each year, and there are more than 12 RBs capable of putting up RB1 production in the right situation. I am not sure if Montgomery was one of those. However I do feel that managing your expectations is key to rookies. I rather expect less & get more, than expect more & get less. So to me Montgomery being a mid RB2 despite his situation & usage has been a good start.
Miles Sanders
It feels to be that Sanders is/was the most controversial RB of this class. I think that sometimes we give a nod to the talent vs. situation debate but do not fully appreciate it. Basically I feel Sanders is in the right situation & wrong situation at the same time. Huh? Simply put I believe he is on a team that can get the most out of him, but at the same time they do not need to because they have other RBs they can rely on. So basically if you own Sanders be patient, but also be aware.
DK Metcalf
Not going to revisit the controversy around Metcalf other than to (a) remind you that when a player of the boom/bust mold booms, they boom & (b) if you make an absolute statement for/against a players success you're likely to find yourself doubling down to defend your position that is quickly turning into quicksand. Believers are going to be happy with where they drafted him, and if you had him 'fall to you' then you're probably quite happy at the moment too.
AJ Brown
I have yet to see anything that suggests his talent cannot win out in the NFL. But I will quite understand, and possibly agree with those that have concerns about his current situation. But so what - situations can improve. Maybe AJ Brown will have to follow a Robert Woods path and only become truly fantasy valuable on his 2nd team. Or maybe it will be sooner. Regardless if you own him, you should be pretty pleased on how his rookie year has gone - assuming you have reasonable expectations & do not expect 1000 yard seasons from the get go.
Marquise Brown
I think the 1st game showed what the upside to Hollywood is. I think the rest has shown the up & down nature of a rookie season & situation. I think apart from the truthers, he is always going to be a hard sell to the rest. Which is tough because he is exactly the WR you will want to be patient. He may never be that guy you feel comfortable slotting in as your WR1 but he can be that guy you slot in as a flex to add the final nail to your opponents coffin when rolling out your lineup.
N'Keal Harry
Basically nothing has changed, yet everything has. IE Harry has not changed as who he is and what he can become. But our perceptions of him have changed based on where he was drafted, who he plays for, and of course not being on the field. Good news is we are only a couple of weeks away from seeing what he looks like on game day.
Devin Singletary
I sort of avoided him in my rookie drafts. Perhaps I should not have. However, and unlike many maybe, I was pretty excited by this class & the challenges & potential shown. And I was not excited by Singletary. Kudos to those that were so far.
Terry McLaurin
Every year it seems like a guy slips through into the 3rd & 4th rounds of rookie drafts, that maybe should not have. Sometimes we course correct - other times we do not. Stefon Diggs, Tyreek Hill, Cooper Kupp, Kenny Golladay, and perhaps now McLaurin? Basically you are likely now in 1 of 3 camps. (A) I bought low so I am going to sell high (B) I bought because I believed or (C) I did not believe then & now believe this is situational. It is going to be interesting to see how this plays out. I like what I have seen so far though.
TJ Hockenson
About what I was expecting from a 1st year TE. However I think this is why we hate injuries - and especially the C word. I hope he is going to be ok. Long term this may not be serious, but best to be cautious for the rest of the year.
Mecole Hardman
I think most owners are happy with Hardman so far, provided they invested reasonably (ie late 1st or later).
Deebo Samuel
Always disappointing to have your guy blocked by veteran additions. But I have not heard of anything that seems discouraging re: Samuel himself. This seems more of a case of wait & see how Year 2 sets up.
JJ Arceda-Whiteside
Seemed more hype than substance but I can respect those that believe in him. May be a wait before he arrives. But 2020 could come and Agholor &/or Jeffery &/or DJax are gone. Some guys have enough talent to stick in the NFL, but not enough to demand being top dog (see Josh Reynolds). So basically a stash for the future if you like him.
Tony Pollard
Situationally propped talent that if you paid a 1st or 2nd for - well that was an expensive backup - but better safe than sorry right? Austin Ekeler waited behind Melvin Gordon.
Justice Hill
Cannot really comment on him other than I am not surprised he has been blocked by Mark Ingram (who is underrated). The Ravens offence goes through Lamar Jackson and I do not see Hill being much other than depth for the near future. That does not mean has has no talent or use.
Parris Campbell
If there is a bright light it may be that Campbell finally flashed this week? Talk about a rough ride for owners - drafted because he was tied to Luck, except no Luck. Brissett loves Hilton, but then no Hilton. And now no Brissett? Hoyer to Campbell choo choo?
Kyler Murray
Have said plenty on the Murray threads. But a rough 1st season can lead to a better 2nd season. I'd rather have a progressive struggle year 1 and improvement Year 2 than an easy Year 1 & a rough Year 2 - right Mayfield owners?
Noah Fant
1st year TE. Patience. Broncos do use the TE - so he'll be good eventually as long as he develops. Is what I would have said before Week 9 - and now you've seen the potential one hopes.
Damien Harris
Bill Belichick hates fantasy.
And the Patriots are 8-1. Be patient, or give up - the choice is yours. I doubt you spent much.Preston Williams
There are guys whose off-field concerns cause drops in the draft, or to go out of the draft. Preston Williams was one of those imo. I cannot predict how long his situation will last because honestly the Dolphins organization perplexes me. Just enjoy the ride, or sell for a profit.
Darrell Henderson
I think we may see a little more of him if Malcolm Brown remains injury-sidelined. But I never thought he would replace Gurley in 2019 & I do not see him, from what I have seen at this stage, on doing so next year. Of course if Gurley is sidelined then who knows.
Alexander Mattison
Seems like he is everyones favorite sleeper. Heck I love the guy. I just caution everyone not to bet that Cook will get injured. If you want to bet on Mattisons talent great! If you want to own the next man up great! Just do not place your bets on having a specific scenario play out. Cook can easily play the whole season.
Diontae Johnson
I did not think he would beat out Moncrief. But then again I did not think Roethlisberger would get injured so soon either lol. Point is kudos to Johnson on earning his playing time, and looks like he is developing chemistry with Rudolph. I can think that and still think that Big Ben was raving about Moncrief for a reason. As long as I admit Moncrief has busted this year.
Andy Isabella
Well hello there. I guess we shall see more of you going forward?
Darwin Thompson
There was a debate on whether or not Reid is an RBBC type coach or not. I think Reid does what he feels is best for the team, and will go RBBC if that works, and will feed 1 guy if that works. Either way, right now, obviously Thompson is not clicking so he is not playing.
Miles Boykin
About what you should expect out of a 3rd or 4th round rookie selection. Lets see where this leads.
Irv Smith Jr.
1st Year TE. If Smith is Goedert & Rudolph is Ertz, then Smith will continue to earn more responsibility and will be even better Y2. Rudolph is an easy target for fantasy owners to hate. Just do not let that hate put blinders on your ability to see that Rudolph serves a role in the Vikings offence and that may not go away. If they want to roll out 2 TEs, then they need 2 TEs.
Ryquell Armstead
Not much to say other than he seems like a good handcuff for Fournette owners, especially now that Blue is gone.
KeeSean Johnson
Meh. Sorry that is all I have.
Daniel Jones
Lets ignore his draft spot for a moment. Is he perfect? No. Is he doing well for a rookie? Yes. If Daniel Jones had been drafted where Dak Prescott had been - we'd be a lot more open it seems to me. Regardless, as with Josh Allen last year & with most 1st round QBs - even if they bust you'll still get a few years of starter production. And things look promising.
Dawson Knox
Rookie TE. Stash for TE Premiums.
Hunter Renfrow
Happy with what I have seen so far. And based on cost of acquisition what were you expecting?
Jalen Hurd
Wait til next year I guess?
Darius Slayton
Pleasant surprise.
Bryce Love
As a player on the PUP list, Love became eligible to return to practice after the Redskins' win in Miami. He does not have to play or practice all year, though, and can remain on the PUP for the entire season. The Redskins retain his rights for four years on his rookie contract.
Jace Sternberger
There are guys I put on do not own lists because every time I own them they seem to burn/disappoint me. Jimmy Graham. So please please get on the field. Just remember he is a 1st year TE whose been delayed by IR.
Hakeem Butler
What goes up must come down. But sometimes what goes down can go up. Maybe in 2020 Butler will make a name for himself. Maybe not.
Jacobi Meyers
I saw a couple of owners sell Meyers just before / after the news about Sanu & Harry. Good on them. Not sure what the owners who were buying were thinking *shrugs*
Gardner Minshew
I believe he can be a Starter. I also believe that his lack of draft pedigree means that the road to such will be harder, except when the door is opened due to injuries. If you've liked what you've seen remember that (a) QBs take years to develop (b) some teams screw up QB development and (c) Some teams want to win more than they build a winner. In other words, don't expect the moon, expect to be frustrated, and hope to be rewarded.
Dwayne Haskins
Plenty of promise. Just an awful situation. I've known for years that the Redskins organization is one of the worst - they have just been able to hide it better than some teams. I really want this guy to succeed in spite of the Redskins, but believe they can destroy him as easily as they have previous QBs. If I had 1 wish, I'd wish that I could snap my fingers & make Daniel Snyder the owner of the Cowboys and someone else could own the Redskins, like the DLF Forums. I guarantee, as chaotic & crazy as some of us sound, that we could still do a better job.
Kelvin Harmon
Every year there are guys we like pre-nfl draft, and then wonder why they fell. This year Harmon was one of them. Maybe this article explains why: https://riggosrag.com/2019/05/25/redski ... nfl-draft/ I think he is a guy that may be a popular stash in 2020.
Benny Snell
Just a handcuff type player.
Ty Johnson
Just a handcuff type player.
Josh Oliver
Got to love the depth of the 2019 TE class.
Dexter Williams.
Is he still on a NFL roster?
Jarrett Stidham
Well if Brady plays as long as he wants, this guy will have a career being a journeyman QB elsewhere.
Kahale Warring
Got to love the depth of the 2019 TE class. If the 2020 TE Class is weak, maybe buy him instead.
Myles Gaskin
Cannot comment on a player who is not on the field, other than to say obviously the Dolphins prefer to use other guys.
Travyeon Williams
Gio Bernard & Jeremy Hill ate into each others shares. Now it seems Bernard & Mixon are doing the same. So do we really expect anything out of him? Desperation stash.
Foster Moreau
Got to love the depth of the 2019 TE class.
Drew Lock
I find it hard to comment on him for a couple of reasons. Elway seems to struggle at evaluating QBs. I am a Raiders fan and probably have an inherent bias against Broncos. Finally Lock to me was the 5th or 6th QB ranked. In 1 QBs to me he can be found on waivers, except in leagues with taxi squads or deep rosters. In SF/2QB obviously he needs to be stashed. Basically since he has not played, if you liked him in College, I would not give up, and if you did not like him in College, well lets see what he can do before we judge.
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And that is the list as per mizelle. Feel free to share your thoughts, comments, or ignore. My final comment is that nothing has changed for me in that the 2019 class remains better than many wanted it to be and there are players here that could have helped your team if you had opened your eyes to their possibilities. Kudos to you if you did.
Edited to include Drew Lock. If I missed anyone else please let me know.
, and don't usually hold one in the offseason
