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Dynasty Fantasy Football Rankings
1. Maurice Jones-Drew - Jags
2. Chris Johnson - Titans
3. Adrian Peterson - Vikings
4. Larry Fitzgerald - Cardinals
5. Calvin Johnson - Lions
6. Aaron Rodgers - Packers
7. Drew Brees - Saints
8. Andre Johnson- Texans
9. Brandon Marshall - Dolphins
10. Philip Rivers - Chargers
11. Ray Rice - Ravens
12. Jonathan Stewart - Panthers
13. Peyton Manning - Colts
14. Roddy White - Falcons
15. Frank Gore - 49ers
16. Matt Ryan - Falcons
17. Greg Jennings - Packers
18. DeSean Jackson - Eagles
19. R. Mendenhall - Steelers
20. Michael Crabtree - 49ers
» Complete Summary
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| Dynasty Digging |
Long Term Dynasty Player Prospects: NFL Draft 2010
When looking at the last few spots of any Dynasty league roster, you want to stock it with high upside talent that could eventually turn into a valuable trade chip or potential starter for your team. A combination of potential talent and potential opportunity make for an excellent Dynasty prospect. Rather than sitting on an aging role player that likely won't help your team at all, you can sit on a few prospects that have enough long term potential to warrant your patience. You will need to invest time in all of these players, but if just one develops, it will be worth the wait and the roster spot. Looking back at our 2009 Dynasty Digging piece: Of the 7 players we looked at in last year's article, only Julian Edelman broke through and made a name for himself as a fantasy commodity. But don't cut bait just yet on players like Marko Mitchell or Curtis Painter, because opportunity is still in front of them.
QB Joe Webb, Minnesota Vikings
Heading into the Draft, Joe Webb was getting listed as a wideout after a stellar career as the QB of UAB. He spent much of the spring practicing as a wide receiver, where most scouts thought he would ultimately end up in the NFL. He played WR at the Senior Bowl, and turned heads at his pro day with a 4.44 40 time and a 42 1/2 inch vertical leap. He was athletic enough to make the jump to WR, but he would be a project. Webb was drafted as a WR by the Vikings #199 overall, but they were impressed with what he brought to the table in OTA's, though, and decided to let him prove his worth as a QB. He's an electric athlete, rushing for over 2,400 yards and 22 TD's in two seasons as the signal caller. In 2008, he passed for just 10 TD's with 16 INT's and 2,367 yards. He showed growth in his senior year, with 2,299 yards, 21 TD's and just 8 INT's. He's never completed even 60% of his passes in college, but showed adequate arm strength. At 6'3" and 225 lbs., Webb was known for being a tackle-breaking threat that can dole out a punishing hit to defenders, but that could leave him open to injury in the NFL against stronger, bigger and faster defenders. He definitely needs to hone his pocket passing skills, but who better to learn from than Brett Favre. Whether he sticks at QB remains to be seen, but there is opportunity in Minnesota in the near future. Tarvaris Jackson has shown enough to deserve a shot when Favre eventually retires, but he will be a free agent after this season and will not get a long term contract from the Vikings. If you are in a QB heavy league or one with deep rosters, take a shot on Joe Webb. In a perfect world, he has the athleticism to be a Vince Young/Mike Vick dual threat QB. If things don't work out as a QB, he has enough talent to take a shot as a WR.
RB Lonyae Miller, Dallas Cowboys
Ryan Mathews gets all of the love and deservedly so, but Lonyae Miller has NFL caliber skills. He went undrafted in April, but quickly signed with the Cowboys after the Draft. He rushed for 20 TD's and just over 2,000 in his 4 years at Fresno State, but took a backseat to the more talented Mathews in what amounted to a solid but underwhelming college career. Miller has ideal size at 5'11" and 220 lbs. and he runs with power. He has a solid burst and can break tackles, but has not been used much as a pass catcher. After backing up the more heralded Mathews for 3 years, he does not have a lot of wear and tear on his body and could develop into a contributor at the next level. But the Cowboys already have three very talented backs, where could Lonyae Miller fit in? On the surface and without injury, he doesn't have a shot at value in 2010. But underneath the surface, MBIII is on the decline and Felix Jones is an injury prone back that will always be part of a committee. Tashard Choice has been very impressive in limited carries, but Miller's development could eventually allow them to trade him. At the very least, he could be the team's new Tashard Choice if Marion Barber departs or one of the top 3 gets injured. If you have very deep rosters or some stake in the Cowboys running situation, you may want to consider rostering Miller. At the very least, keep an eye on the 3 RB's ahead of him on the depth chart and should any of them get injured or traded, be ready to add Miller.
RB Keith Toston, St. Louis Rams
Who was Steven Jackson's handcuff last season? Still thinking? Yep, he really didn't have one. Enter Keith Toston, RB from Oklahoma State, who handled the load as a senior after back-up duties for 3 years. Toston has exceptional vision and patience, to go along with a solid build and excellent pass catching ability. His upside may not be skyhigh, but if he wins the job as Jackson's top back-up this year, he'll definitely be rosterable in your Dynasty league. Given Jackson's penchant for injury (just one 16 game season played) and the way he literally carried the Rams on his back (back surgery in April) last season, the Rams will want to work in touches to the back-ups to keep him fresh. The opportunity is there this summer for Toston to climb the depth chart, make sure you monitor the Rams training camp closely. Kenneth Darby is a decent 3rd down back but nothing more and Chris Ogbonnaya is thought to be a bit of a tweener. If you own Jackson, don't wait for the official announcement, hedge your bet and roster Toston now if you can. For other Dynasty owners, don't let him sit on the waiver wire too much longer this summer. He has already garnered praise from the coaching staff and at the very least, he could be trade fodder for the SJax owner in your league if he wins the job.
WR Kyle Williams, San Francisco 49ers
Kyle Williams is more than a kick-return prospect and that is exactly what the 49ers thought when they nabbed him in the sixth round back in April. The son of Chicago White Sox GM Kenny Williams, Kyle is an athletic playmaker in open space and dangerous with the ball in his hands. He has blazing speed in pads and could be an asset immediately in the return game for the 49ers behind Ted Ginn Jr. That is Williams' best shot at making the San Francisco roster in 2010. As a receiver, he is a raw product that needs to hone his route running skills and focus on beating the jam. He is looking up at Michael Crabtree, Josh Morgan, Jason Hill and Ginn at the very least. In time, though, he has the skills to be a reliable slot receiver, making Hill and Ginn afterthoughts. He would make for an excellent compliment to Morgan, Crabtree and TE Vernon Davis, with quickness and the ability to take any pass into a huge gain. Roster him in your Dynasty for his very poorman's DeSean Jackson skillset and watch him climb the depth chart in the next few seasons.
WR Dorin Dickerson, Houston Texans
Not many prospects were more impressive at this year's Combine than Dorin Dickerson, a tight end prospect out of Pittsburgh. He lit up every single drill and many experts walked away saying he could go as early as the second round in the Draft. But he lasted all the way until the 7th, when Gary Kubiak's Texans selected him. Dickerson is small for a tight end at 6'1" and 226 lbs. but has the skillset of a WR and Kubiak immediately said that they would move Dickerson there and allow him to shadow Andre Johnson this summer. They share similar size and while Dickerson might not possess Andre Johnson upside, his perfect world outcome could be pretty close. The transition will likely take time, but the Texans can afford that with Johnson, Kevin Walter and the emerging Jacoby Jones ahead of him. He might not even be active for games this season, but he is going to develop. An athletic, physical specimen with a scary combination of size and speed, Dickerson has the work ethic and determination to be a starting WR in the NFL. If you are patient enough, roster him now on your Dynasty squad. It wouldn't be a surprise if he had an excellent summer and a few standout moments in preseason games. And while he's not likely to make a splash this year on your fantasy team, his long term prospects are intriguing.
WR Blair White, Indianapolis Colts
Blair White surprisingly did not hear his name called this April in the NFL Draft, but he got the next best thing...a call from the Colts and an opportunity to one day play with Peyton Manning. He was a walk-on at Michigan State and climbed to the top of the depth chart in his 5 seasons in Lansing. As a senior, he racked up 990 yards and 9 TD's on 70 catches as the go-to receiver and team leader. It is a puzzling that he did not get drafted, but his current situation makes him worth a look in your Dynasty league. Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie emerged as solid big play and possession threats, respectively. A healthy Anthony Gonzalez will be in the mix as well, which means not many balls to go around in 2010. But Reggie Wayne will turn 32 this November and will be a free agent at the end of the season. For now, White will need to learn what he can from Manning and make it count when he gets his chance. He could eventually play himself into a lucrative WR3 or even WR2 role in Indy. His size and speed make him an interesting prospect and when you couple that with his reliable hands, above average speed and route running skills, he is someone to keep an eye on this summer. His impact will never be that of a beast, but he could develop into a solid fantasy WR3 or 4 in time.
TE Fendi Onobun, St. Louis Rams
The transition from basketball player to tight end is not without it's share of success stories. The greatest tight end of all time, Tony Gonzalez, made the leap, as did current beast Antonio Gates. One of the highest upside prospects from this past NFL draft, Jimmy Graham, is attempting to do the exact same thing with the New Orleans Saints, with just one year of NCAA football under his belt. That has allowed fellow basketball player turned tight end Fendi Onobun to fly under the Dynasty radar thus far. At 6'6" and 250 lbs. with sub-4.5 speed, Onobun is a dangerous athlete. After averaging less than 3 points and 2 rebounds a game in four years at Arizona State, Onobun took his skills to the University of Houston. He only managed 2 catches for 33 yards (1 for a TD) all season for the Cougars, although he did block 2 extra points. Plucked with the 1st pick of the 6th round, Onobun needs to work on all facets of his game in order to see the field, which is not likely to be this year. Physical gifts will keep him either on the roster or more likely the practice squad this year, but his development could lead to a payoff in the next few years. He is the definition of a raw prospect, but one that the Rams could develop into a weapon for new franchise QB Sam Bradford.
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