Fantasy: 2019 NFL Draft instant analysis - Round 1
Find positional rankings, additional analysis, and subscribe to push notifications in the NFL Fantasy News section.
theScore's Justin Boone provided his instant breakdowns of every fantasy-relevant selection in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Kyler Murray, QB, CardinalsStar potential: a...a...a...a...a...
2019 projection (16 starts): 3,651 passing yards, 21 TDs, 11 INTs
584 rushing yards, 5 TDs, 3 FUMs
While we may never know how successful Murray would have been as a fantasy baseball player, he'll have a shot to be one of the most dangerous fantasy football quarterbacks in the NFL. His rushing ability alone will give him the chance to post top-15 numbers as a rookie. The Heisman Trophy winner is a more accomplished all-around passer than either Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen, both of whom were fantasy starters in the second half of 2018.
Murray will join forces with new Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury, who's expected to bring a more high-volume passing offense to the desert.
With an underrated supporting cast that features future Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald, surging sophomore Christian Kirk, and the incredibly versatile David Johnson, Murray will be an intriguing late-round pick in this year's fantasy drafts. Don't be surprised if the Cardinals find him another receiving weapon in the second or third round, which would boost his fantasy value even more.
Stock Up: Johnson, Kirk, Fitzgerald
Stock Down: Josh Rosen
Star potential: a...a...a...aa
2019 projection: Will back up Eli Manning for at least one year
The rumored connection between the Giants and Jones turned out to be real, and now the Duke product will become the successor to Manning in New York. With the way the Giants have handled Manning in recent years, it's highly unlikely Jones will have a chance to usurp him as a rookie, so fantasy owners will need to look to the future for value here.
Jones was my fourth-ranked fantasy quarterback in this class, as the negatives far outweighed the positives when breaking down his NFL potential. His lack of production in college is also concerning as is Jones' throwing motion, which features far too much of a windup. He had a surprising number of balls batted down at the line of scrimmage for a 6-foot-5 passer. He's not a natural ball carrier, and no one would mistake him for fast, but he's a big-bodied runner who can pick up yards when needed.
We'll have plenty of time to dissect Jones before he sees the field. His presence gives the organization some hope a year after it passed on several highly touted quarterback prospects in favor of Saquon Barkley. With all the young talent on the roster, Jones will have every opportunity to excel, but his skill set doesn't inspire confidence that he'll develop into a fantasy starter.
Stock Up: Sterling Shepard (long term), Evan Engram (long term)
Stock Down: Eli Manning
Star potential: a...a...a...a...a...
2019 projection: 49 receptions, 553 receiving yards, 4 TDs
The Lions were open about their desire to address the tight end position in the offseason and Hockenson is an outstanding prospect who has all the elite athleticism and tools to occupy a starting role for the next decade-plus.
Hockenson is a dominating blocker and will immediately help the Lions' rushing attack, which already boasts a quality offensive line. That skill will keep him on the field for a full complement of snaps, something most rookie tight ends aren't afforded.
In the receiving game, Hockenson rarely drops a pass and is lethal down the seam. He's shown the ability to get physical after the catch, and though he didn't rack up many yards after his receptions, that might be an area which he improves on in the pros, similar to another former Iowa tight end, George Kittle.
Normally, we don't recommend targeting rookie tight ends in fantasy, but Hockenson is an exception, with the opportunity to be a top-12 option in Year 1.
Stock Up: Matthew Stafford, Kerryon Johnson, C.J. Anderson
Stock Down: Jesse James, Michael Roberts, Danny Amendola, Marvin Jones
Star potential: a...a...a...a...a
2019 projection (10 starts): 2,395 passing yards, 12 TDs, 9 INTs
39 rushing yards, 0 TDs, 2 FUMs
In the lead up to the draft, my contention was that this class had one impact fantasy quarterback in it (Murray), with Haskins having the next best chance at stardom if his new team let him learn from the bench for a year or more. He's not going to get that opportunity in Washington.
The Redskins thought they had an answer at quarterback when they traded for Alex Smith, but a devastating broken leg has put his career in jeopardy and left them scrambling for another solution. Colt McCoy is an above-average backup and, sadly, the same can be said for Case Keenum, who Washington acquired in the offseason.
With two journeymen ahead of him, Haskins will likely be thrust into action at some point in 2019, preventing him from getting that redshirt year he needs. Haskins is a stiff, old-school prospect with an arm strong enough to make any throw. Unfortunately, he often lacks touch on his passes and frequently puts the ball in harm's way when pressured. A year spent refining his mechanics would be ideal.
As it stands, we're probably going to see Haskins become the starter in October or November. Despite his prolific 2018 campaign at Ohio State that saw him throw for 4,831 yards and 50 touchdowns, the Redskins' offense won't have that kind of upside. Plus, Haskins offers nothing in the running game, which drastically lowers his odds of fantasy success as a rookie. Without a major upgrade to his receiving corps, Haskins isn't a player I'll have on many rosters in re-draft or dynasty leagues.
Stock Up: Jordan Reed, Trey Quinn, Derrius Guice
Stock Down: Keenum, McCoy
Star potential: a...a...a...a...a
2019 projection: 42 receptions, 416 receiving yards, 3 TDs
Fant may not be the complete tight end package that his college teammate Hockenson is, but the former is just as capable of making a fantasy impact thanks to his receiving ability.
In Denver, Fant should move to the top of the depth chart by overtaking Jeff Heuerman and Jake Butt, neither of whom were able to capture the starting role during the last two seasons. New Broncos quarterback Joe Flacco had a history of favoring tight ends in the Ravens' offense, a trait that could follow him to the Mile High City.
Fant has his flaws; his blocking could get him in trouble at times and might limit his snaps early on. He also dealt with drops at Iowa, though others like Eric Ebron have overcome similar issues. However, the Broncos are one of the few teams that could feature Fant as a top weapon in their passing attack once he's ready. In his debut season, Fant will be a streaming option in fantasy who will struggle with consistency until he finds his footing in the pros. Once he does, we'll be talking about him as a TE1.
Stock Up: Fant, Flacco
Stock Down: Heuerman, Butt, DaeSean Hamilton
Star potential: a...a...a...a...a...
2019 projection: 215 carries, 968 rushing yards, 5 TDs, 2 FUMs
24 receptions, 197 receiving yards, 1 TD
Jacobs was as close to an elite running back prospect as this year's crop had to offer. With a first-round pedigree, he'll step into a starting job in Oakland and is sure to catapult up fantasy draft boards between now and August.
Playing at Alabama, Jacobs was spoiled with a strong offensive line that controlled opponents on a weekly basis. The Raiders' front five isn't as stout as it was a few years ago but it certainly won't stand in the way of a rookie breakout. With Antonio Brown drawing attention on the outside, Jacobs shouldn't deal with eight defenders in the box very often, which makes another box checked for his early-career success.
Recently signed Isaiah Crowell will be relegated to backup duties and pass-catching specialist Jalen Richard will have his targets cut into by Jacobs, who can be deployed as a receiver out of the backfield.
Though he won't command a massive workload, Jacobs will be in the RB2 discussion as the lead back in Oakland and worthy of a fourth-round pick in re-draft leagues.
Stock Up: Jacobs, Derek Carr
Stock Down: Richard, Crowell
Star potential: a...a...a...a...a
2019 projection: 48 receptions, 633 receiving yards, 4 TDs
Not every story on draft night is a happy one. We knew the Ravens would be in the market for a receiver after John Brown and Michael Crabtree moved on this offseason. "Hollywood" Brown drew the short straw and joins a Baltimore passing game that was almost nonexistent once Lamar Jackson became the starter.
Jackson is assuring anyone within earshot that he's working on his accuracy, and the coaching staff has expressed a desire to throw the ball more in his second season. Until we see that happen, though, it's hard to invest in any Ravens pass-catcher.
The 171-pound Brown is also recovering from Lisfranc surgery, which puts his availability in doubt for OTAs and training camp. At worst, he could miss valuable offseason reps, increasing the degree of difficulty for his rookie season.
It's hard not to see Brown step into the speedster role occupied by John Brown in 2018, a player who was extremely productive before Jackson was at the helm. Hollywood is an exciting addition with a cool nickname and family ties to Antonio Brown, but this landing spot moves him even further down my board. Let's hope the other receivers in this class find more fantasy-friendly homes.
Stock Up: Jackson
Stock Down: Brown, Willie Snead, Chris Moore
Star potential: a...a...a...a...a...
2019 projection: 51 receptions, 707 receiving yards, 5 TDs
The Patriots were an ideal fantasy landing spot for Harry. New England's need for playmakers in the passing game was obvious with 31-year-old Demaryius Thomas rehabbing from a torn Achilles, Josh Gordon's reinstatement hanging in the balance, and Rob Gronkowski enjoying retirement.
Depending on what happens with Gordon, Harry's only real competition for targets in the receiving corps will be Julian Edelman and James White, which could give him a sizable target share as a rookie.
One of my comparisons for Harry was Thomas, given his ability to win contested battles and generate yards after the catch. Harry is experienced in the screen game and might be the most pro-ready receiver of any wideout coming out of college this year.
Harry was the second-ranked fantasy wideout in my rookie dynasty rankings and his arrival in New England could push him back to No. 1, depending where Hakeem Butler ends up. In re-draft, Harry has WR3 upside while we wait for a decision on Gordon's future.
Stock Up: Harry, Tom Brady
Stock Down: Demaryius Thomas, Phillip Dorsett
Copyright (C) 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.