We are a little over halfway through the NFL season and the picture is a little clearer on the value of the rookies from the 2017 class. This class is looking like it will provide many fantasy assets for dynasty squads for years to come. The halfway point is a great time to take stock of the rookies in your league so you have a better idea of what to do with them. This edition is broken down into two categories, with one player per position group representing each. The Cornerstones are the players you want to build your teams around going forward. If you have them don’t sell them unless you’re getting top dollar and if you don’t have them you should try to get them at all costs. The Rookies to Buy are all players who might be struggling a bit but have shown enough promise that you should take a chance in acquiring them.
The Cornerstones
Deshaun Watson, QB – Houston Texans
Deshaun Watson’s season was prematurely ended when he tore his ACL in practice. Prior to the injury, however, Watson showed that he has the makings of a fantasy superstar. In seven games this season, six of which were starts, Watson had amassed nearly 1,700 yards with 19 touchdowns and 8 interceptions, all while carrying the Texans offense. If you want an idea of Watson’s value, just watch the efficiency of the Houston offense without the rookie under center. Spoiler alert: It is awful. Watson has also provided fantasy value with his legs. His supporting cast should return intact with Lamar Miller, DeAndre Hopkins, Will Fuller and C.J. Fiedorowicz all under contract for 2018. The only concern with Watson going forward is the injury bug, as he has now torn the ACL in both knees. Still, the rookie signal caller should be a ‘set it and forget it’ starter for your dynasty team for years to come.
Leonard Fournette, RB – Jacksonville Jaguars
Choosing just one Cornerstone running back is very difficult as there are five guys that I could have put in this spot. I was really close to choosing Alvin Kamara because I love his game, but Leonard Fournette was my pick here. Fournette had a hiccup in week 9 when he was deactivated for violating some team rules but I still love what he brings as a fantasy asset. It was widely known that the rookie running back was a great runner coming out of college, however, there were quite a few questions about what effect he could have in the passing game. During the first half of the season, Fournette has shown he has the ability to catch the ball. The Jaguars willingness to use him as both a runner and receiver is enough to make him a dynasty Cornerstone. He may never catch as many balls out of the backfield as a Kamara or some of the other backs in this class, but he has shown the ability to be a home run hitter at running back. Fournette is already the focal point of the Jags offense and they should continue to build the offense and the offensive line around him. Going forward, Fournette will have a chance to be one of the best in the NFL and in fantasy.
JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR – Pittsburgh Steelers
Surprise, Surprise! I am jumping on the JuJu Train. The rest of the receivers from this rookie class have been lackluster, to say the least, which is clearly impacting the choice here. Juju Smith-Schuster has looked like the best of the bunch as far as fantasy goes though. Corey Davis’ health has a lot to do with that, and this may change as Davis gets more involved. JuJu broke out with 7 receptions for 193 yards and a touchdown performance against Detroit. That touchdown was from 97 yards out and JuJu showed better speed than he was known for as a college player. He is also the youngest player in the league as he will turn just 21 on November 22nd. The rookie from the USC has overtaken Martavis Bryant as the number two receiver in Pittsburgh. This should give him plenty of good looks as Antonio Brown draws most of the attention of opposing defenses. JuJu is just scraping the edge of his potential and has a chance to flourish as he gains experience.
Evan Engram, TE – New York Giants
Tight end is one of the most difficult positions in which rookies can have a big impact, but that is exactly what Evan Engram has done. This season has been a disaster for a New York Giants team that had Super Bowl aspirations when the year began. Their offense was expected to flourish after they added Brandon Marshall and Engram to an offense led by Eli Manning. The Giants then lost Marshall and Odell Beckham Jr. to season-ending injuries. At the same time, the defense seems to be doing everything it can to get Ben McAdoo fired. All of a sudden, New York has a better chance at the first overall pick than they do the Lombardi Trophy. But we’re here to talk about Engram. He has been thrust into being a focal point of the offense and has produced like one of the top tight ends in the game. He has quickly become my favorite tight end to own in dynasty and should be looked upon as the top dynasty asset at the position. He has scored a touchdown in five of nine games this season and has at least four catches in eight of nine games this year. Engram is a stud and will only get better as the other weapons in the Giants offense regain their health.
Rookies to Buy
DeShone Kizer, QB – Cleveland Browns
I know, I know. Why buy a guy whose team just tried to trade for a different quarterback? That is a good question since DeShone Kizer has had a roller coaster ride of a rookie year so far. He’s been benched, reinserted, benched again, reinserted again and nearly benched one more time when the Bengals tried to trade for A.J. McCarron. That’s enough to make Kizer’s situation with Brian Kelly seem like rainbows and unicorns. But Kizer is coming off two solid performances against Minnesota and Detroit and should be getting Corey Coleman and a possibly reinvented Josh Gordon back. He could very well be a solid starter by the end of the year and push Cleveland to commit to him as the future at the position heading into the offseason. Also, he can probably be had relatively cheap and could pay big dividends by the end of the year.
Joe Mixon, RB – Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Mixon was my favorite running back coming out of the draft this year. Despite the struggles so far this year, he remains one of my favorite dynasty assets. The Bengals offensive line is not opening many holes and Mixon’s fantasy output has been struggling as a result. Now is the time to take advantage of his owners’ frustrations and see if you can pry Mixon away at a discount, especially if you find yourself in a rebuilding situation. Cincinnati’s offensive line can only get better, and Mixon could become a top 10 running back as early as next year.
Kenny Golladay, WR – Detroit Lions
Kenny Golladay was one of the most hyped rookies throughout the summer. That hype exploded when he started the season with a two touchdown performance against Arizona. That hype came crashing down with two lackluster performances followed by a hamstring injury that sidelined the rookie from Northern Illinois for five games. Golladay came back in week 10 against Cleveland and had two catches, one of which was a beautiful 50 yard over the shoulder grab where the rookie showed the ability that led to all the overpaying for him throughout the offseason. Check in with whoever the Golladay owner is in your league and try to get him cheap now as he looks like a guy that could provide some solid fantasy production down the stretch.
Adam Shaheen, TE – Chicago Bears
Adam Shaheen was another guy that was receiving a lot of attention over the summer. Coming out of a small school in Ashland University, it was easy to see that he would need some time to adjust to the NFL game. He has yet to have a breakout performance, but due to the horrific injury to Zach Miller, Shaheen will be thrust into a bigger role in the Chicago offense. With Chicago all but out of the playoff talk, the Bears would be wise to let Mitchell Trubisky throw the ball and get some on the job training throughout the rest of the season. If that turns out to be the plan, you can expect Shaheen to get a heavy dose of action as well. The rookie tight end is a huge target with better than average athleticism who should provide a security blanket to the rookie signal caller. Look for Shaheen’s value to only increase for the rest of the season. That means now is the time to acquire him and reap the benefits later.
It is a very difficult thing to judge when to acquire a rookie or cut them loose. You don’t want to get rid of a guy only to see him break out the following week. You also don’t want to hold a player until all of his value is gone. It is a delicate balance that can make or break the success of your dynasty team. A guy like Kareem Hunt is someone I would put on the trade block to see if someone wants to mortgage their future for him. Hunt has fallen off just enough to question if he is a true top ten running back in the league. He hasn’t faded enough to think you couldn’t get someone to make a franchise-changing offer for him though. Some people like to cut bait on rookies too quickly and, in dynasty, taking advantage of those people is a good way to build up your roster with the depth needed to dominate your league.
