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Overvalued Draft Targets: WR (Fantasy Football)

Overvalued Draft Targets: WR (Fantasy Football)

The NFL prefers to stay in the news cycle as much as possible in the offseason. The abundance of pre-draft events began in January with the Senior Bowl and the East-West Shrine game. The NFL Combine is nearly upon us as a number of young men continue their journey to become a professional football player. Which ones will be a good fit for your dynasty team? This article will share three wide receivers who are overvalued based on our consensus rookie rankings.

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OVERALL RANK ROOKIES POS
7 James Washington WR3
12 D.J. Moore WR5
30 Allen Lazard WR12

 
James Washington (OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS)

Did you know Washington is one of five players in school history with multiple 1,000 receiving yard seasons? He joins Justin Blackmon, Rashaun Woods, Hart Lee Dykes, and Adarius Bowman. Washington finished his collegiate career averaging 4.4 receptions, 87.7 receiving yards, and 0.76 touchdowns per game. You won’t believe what big takeaways I uncovered after watching game film on him.

Washington has very good quickness and change of direction with the play speed to attack defenses vertically. He also has very good hands. Washington has not displayed the ability to run many routes. The Cowboys ran a spread offense which took advantage of a number of weak defenses (and inflated Washington’s statistical production) in the Big 12. As a result, Washington could struggle with press coverage at the next level. He is better suited as a No. 2 WR in the NFL. Washington is not a player to reach for in fantasy rookie drafts. There are other players like Christian KirkEquanimeous St. Brown, or Calvin Ridley you should consider keeping on your radar around his average draft position (ADP).

D.J. Moore (MARYLAND TERRAPINS)

Moore made 35 straight starts dating back to 2015 and had a reception in 33 consecutive games which were the longest streak in the Big 10. He holds numerous school records. Moore ranks fifth in career receptions (146) and sixth in career receiving yards (2,027). He finished his collegiate career averaging 4.05 receptions, 56.3 receiving yards, and 0.47 touchdowns per game. But guess what I realized after watching game film? Moore has good agility and short-area burst to create yards after the catch with his adequate hands. He ran a very limited route tree and rarely attacked defenses vertically as evidenced by his 13.9 career yards per catch. Could Moore have an NFL future as a slot receiver? This is not the type of investment you want to make at his current ADP. A superior option would be WR Michael Gallup, Auden Tate, or Tre’Quan Smith.

Allen Lazard (IOWA STATE CYCLONES)

Lazard finished his collegiate career as the Cyclones career leader in receptions (241) and receiving yards (3,360). He averaged 5.02 receptions, 70 receiving yards, and 0.54 touchdowns per game. And then it hit me after breaking down the game film. Lazard has very good size, play strength, strong hands, mental toughness, and a willingness to run block. He lacks the explosiveness and agility needed to be successful against NFL-caliber corners. Lazard does not have the play speed to threaten defenses vertically. He has the profile of a possession receiver and has the skillset to make contested catches. Could Lazard’s NFL future be as a tight end?

CONCLUSION

It is important to play the piano with both hands by analyzing a WR’s statistical production and game film. The type of offensive scheme and competition the WR played against is also critical. What did you find most useful?


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Eric Moody is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Eric, check out his archive and follow him @EricNMoody.

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