Rashee Rice: Dynasty Rookie Draft Advice (2023 Fantasy Football)

The 2023 NFL Draft is in the books, and now it’s time for dynasty rookie drafts. Landing spots and draft capital have been determined, and we’re here with your dynasty rookie draft outlooks. Let’s take a look at what Derek Brown expects of Rashee Rice.

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Dynasty Rookie Draft Picks & Predictions: Rashee Rice

Rashee Rice (SMU)

SMU WR 11 Rashee Rice going up and snagging this one. Reminds me of a more explosive Marvin Jones. pic.twitter.com/OpdiWhit6x

— Russell Brown (@RussNFLDraft) March 31, 2023

Stats:

2022 (286 FBS WRs, minimum 50 targets)
- Yards per route run: 9th
- PFF receiving grade: 7th
- 64.2% of target volume against zone (minimum 25 zone targets)
  - PFF receiving grade: 1st
  - Yards per route run vs. zone: 1st
Career
- 82.5-94.6% out wide in three of four years at SMU
  - 93.2% slot in 2021
- Never crested 2.1 Yards per route run at SMU until his senior year
- Didn’t post more than 700 receiving yards until his senior season

Scouting report:

Rashee Rice ranked ninth in Yards per route run and seventh in PFF receiving grade last season (minimum 50 targets per PFF). He saw 64.2% of his target volume against zone where he ranked first in Yards per route run and PFF receiving grade (minimum 25 zone targets per PFF).
Rice adjusts well to back-shoulder balls and displays solid body control. He does have some concentration drops in traffic on film.
His speed is more the build-up variety. Rice displays some inconsistencies gearing down on comebacks or curls, needing too many steps at times, or losing his balance. His short-area separation is better on slants where he can use a good first step off the line and his size. Rice, far too often, lets cornerbacks get into his body and jam him up at the top of his stem.

Player Comp: Nate Burleson

Dynasty Outlook: Rashee Rice was among the few pleasant surprises of the Day 2 NFL Draft action. Yes, I remember my Skyy Moore love, a cautionary tale for fantasy gamers before they get too attached to Rice. However, Rice could fill the void that Juju Smith-Schuster left in year one. Smith-Schuster’s calling card these days is his ability to beat zone coverage. This also is a strength of Rice as he ranked first in PFF receiving grade against zone and third in Yards per route run against the coverage type last year (minimum 20 zone targets per PFF). We’ll see how his playing time shakes out in 2023, but he could be their starting slot receiver in Week 1. Marquez Valdes-Scantling will continue orchestrating his best Demarcus Robinson impression as a starter in Kansas City with his weekly cardio routes. After Valdes-Scantling, though, the two other starting spots are up for grabs, with Skyy Moore, Kadarius Toney, Rice, and likely Justin Watson all vying for snaps. Rice should be an early to mid-second-round rookie draft pick.