Instant Fantasy Analysis - Round 4

[The Football Guru 210]

As I have done in recent years, I will focus only on Day 3 players who I believe have a realistic shot at fantasy relevancy going forward.

[Marshall 98]

Makes sense to me.

[The Football Guru 210]

WR Dede Westbrook, Jaguars

 

A second-round receiver based on production, Westbrook last until the third day based on off-field issues and character concerns. The Oklahoma product basically carried the Sooners' passing game in 2016 and should be able to give Jacksonville a bit of a deep threat as an owner of 4.38 speed. At 6-0 and 178 pounds, he isn't ready to hold up to full-time duty and will be hard-pressed to bypass Allen Hurns or Marqise Lee on the depth chart anytime soon.

[The Football Guru 210]

RB Samaje Perine, Redskins

 

Washington got a lot of mileage out of Rob Kelley last year, but the Redskins could very well be drafting his eventual replacement here. Perine rivals Leonard Fournette as among the most physical runners in this draft, and he possesses more speed than Kelley. Although Chris Thompson will continue to hold onto the majority of passing-down duties, Perine also is a more natural receiver than Kelley. "Fat" Rob will almost certainly begin the season as the starter, but it should really only be a matter of time before the NCAA single-game record-holder in rushing yards passes him on the depth chart. He should be able to give Washington what it hoped it was getting for Matt Jones and is certainly worth a look late in redraft leagues.

[The Football Guru 210]

WR Josh Reynolds, Rams

 

Los Angeles continues to remake its receiving corps, and Reynolds is a solid addition who could be starting - along with Cooper Kupp - by the end of the season. Reynolds is a long-strider who may be the best bad-ball/50-50/end-zone fade receiver in this draft. At 6-3 and 194 pounds, he needs to add some muscle, but he gives the Rams a much-needed tall wideout who can potentially bail Jared Goff. There is a bit of Alvin Harper to his game, and he could eventually settle into being a very good No. 2 receiver in the NFL.

[The Football Guru 210]

RB Tarik Cohen, Bears

 

The 5-6, 179-pound Cohen is virtually no kick or punt return experience, so Chicago is rolling the dice he can earn his keep as an explosive third-down/passing-down option. Here's saying he will. Nicknamed "The Human Joystick", Cohen is ridiculously elusive and should become a fan favorite in short order. Most amazingly for a player of his size, he is a bit of a freak show physically with huge hands (10 1/8") and a powerful lower half. He obviously presents no threat to Jordan Howard, but Chicago will almost certainly try to use him in a Darren Sproles-like fashion, which obviously makes him a potential fringe option in PPR leagues.

[The Football Guru 210]

RB Joe Williams, 49ers

 

Sitting behind Carlos Hyde and Tim Hightower on the depth chart, Williams isn't going to see any immediate playing time, but he's going to be worth a stash in deeper leagues given Hyde's injury history and Hightower's age. Furthermore, any middle-round pick new HC Kyle Shanahan makes needs to be monitored. Williams is a more physical runner than his size (5-11, 210) might indicate, and it is very possible Shanahan sees this Utah Ute as his new Tevin Coleman, although he has work to do as a receiver. Still, with the issues Hyde and Hightower (one-year contract as well) have, Williams is a dark-horse candidate to be a lead back in San Fran by 2018.

[The Football Guru 210]

TE Michael Roberts, Lions

 

Eric Ebron has been put on notice, as if the fact Detroit not yet picking up his fifth-year option wasn't enough. The 6-4, 270-pound Roberts is more Brandon Pettigrew than Ebron, but he gives Detroit a dependable set of hands as a possession receiver and a plus-blocker in the run game, which makes him a possible three-down option if the Lions want to move on from Ebron at some point in the near future. While this selection means more for the running game now than it anything, Roberts has a shot of being a starter in 2018 and a low-end fantasy TE2 option at that point.

[polecatt 399]

Ryan Switzer out of UNC to the Cowboys

 

I'm a Tar Heels fan and I couldn't be happier that my favorite NFL team drafted this guy. He is an immediate big boost to the kick return game.

In the Cowboys offense he is somewhat of a Cole Beasley clone but also is a vertical threat.

Switzer was 9th in the nation with 96 catches last season. Dak Prescott loves to check down and Switzer really has the potential to be a PPR gem.

This is a great pick for the Cowboys and a possible fantasy football sleeper.

[The Football Guru 210]

RB Donnel Pumphrey, Eagles

 

Philadelphia obviously has no desire to move away from a running back by committee. While Pumphrey leaves college football as the NCAA’s all-time leading rusher, he is much more likely to replace Darren Sproles as the team's primary passing-down option in 2018 than steal the starting job. Like Sproles, the 5-8, 176-pound Pumphrey made his living at San Diego State thanks to elusiveness and speed - qualities which will allow him to excel in the return game and on designed shot calls when the Eagles see a matchup they like.

[Marshall 98]

Pumphrey is so fun to watch - sorta like a waterbug scooting around.

[The Football Guru 210]

WR Ryan Switzer, Cowboys

 

Switzer was a dynamic slot option for North Carolina this season and quickly emerged as Mitchell Trubisky's favorite option in the passing game. He is better known for his exploits as a return man, tying the NCAA record with five punt return touchdowns in 2013 and finishing one shy of the NCAA career mark with seven. On the surface, Switzer seems like he'd be a carbon copy of Cole Beasley, but the former is a better all-around player and will probably overtake him at some point this year or next. He's obviously not going to overtake Dez Bryant as Dak Prescott's top option, but Switzer should eventually be able to become a consistent 50-catch player and will obviously have a ton of upside in return leagues.

[polecatt 399]

Good write up on Switzer, pretty much exactly what I was thinking

He's got big play ability that Cole Beasley doesn't and if he can become as valuable to the Cowboys as he was to the Tar Heels he'll have decent value in fantasy football

[The Football Guru 210]

RB Jamaal Williams, Packers

 

Attention, fantasy owners: we have our first Day 3 running back who should have immediate value in redraft leagues. Williams did not get nearly enough buzz during the draft process and should quickly find himself working in tandem with Ty Montgomery as the power complement in the Packers' backfield. Williams' leg drive is among the best in this draft and, to that end, PFF charted him with 55 missed tackles in 2016, eighth-best in this draft class. Williams is a bit more than just a between-the-tackles bully, however, as traditional power backs typically don't fare overly well running behind zone-blocking lines, which is what he did for the Cougars. He is fast enough to hit the edge and repeatedly shows the vision to do a lot of damage once he plants his foot in the ground. Williams only fumbled twice on 369 touches over his last two seasons as well. Long-term, the Packers may have just found themselves their successor to Eddie Lacy.

[The Football Guru 210]

RB Wayne Gallman, Giants

 

Gallman finds himself in a pretty good situation, but a bit of an ordinary runner and may not give the G-Men anything more than a younger, more powerful version of Bobby Rainey. Paul Perkins' job security should remain pretty safe with this pick, even if he loses a few short-yardage/goal-line carries to the new guy as a result of this selection. Gallman should probably be selected late in deeper leagues because he should be the No. 2 option in relatively short order, but he doesn't possess a ton of upside.

[The Football Guru 210]

WR Chad Hansen, Jets

 

Just about every skill-position player drafted by New York warrants a write-up, if only because the Jets are in full-scale rebuild mode. Hansen has a bit of Eric Decker in his game but should be a long-term reliable possession receiver in the league. Especially given the quarterback situation, Hansen isn't anywhere close to being on the radar in redraft leagues, but his is a name to keep in mind down the road.

[The Football Guru 210]

RB Marlon Mack, Colts

 

Perhaps it shouldn't be all that surprising given the depth of this draft class, but it comes as a bit of a shock a big-play back like Mack is still available. With only Robert Turbin and Josh Ferguson in front of him, South Florida's all-time leading rusher becomes a name to know in fantasy with Frank Gore near the end. Mack is also an exciting cutback runner with enough power to break arm tackles, although he runs a bit too upright at this point to be considered an "inside runner" - something Gore should be able to help him with. Mack does his best work on the perimeter, however, and he will be able to contribute more in the passing game than his 65 receptions over three seasons might suggest. On 651 career offensive touches, he committed 12 fumbles - a rate of 1.8 percent (roughly 2.5 times what evaluators deem acceptable). With that said, it might take a year or two for Mack to get there, but once he irons out his flaws, he has a good chance of being a lead back at the next level.

[sirensong 111]

Ryan Switzer out of UNC to the Cowboys

 

I'm a Tar Heels fan and I couldn't be happier that my favorite NFL team drafted this guy. He is an immediate big boost to the kick return game.

In the Cowboys offense he is somewhat of a Cole Beasley clone but also is a vertical threat.

Switzer was 9th in the nation with 96 catches last season. Dak Prescott loves to check down and Switzer really has the potential to be a PPR gem.

This is a great pick for the Cowboys and a possible fantasy football sleeper.

 

 

from a fantasy standpoint, i think switzer is probably only relevant WRT the streaming D/ST picture unless a receiver gets hurt. between zeke, dez, witten/hanna/swaim, beasley, twill, and supplemental RBs, there just aren't enough looks to go around to make switzer viable even in PPR.

 

i appreciate the pick in terms of depth and special teams, but i just don't see it as having much bearing on fantasy.

[sirensong 111]

WR Ryan Switzer, Cowboys

 

Switzer was a dynamic slot option for North Carolina this season and quickly emerged as Mitchell Trubisky's favorite option in the passing game. He is better known for his exploits as a return man, tying the NCAA record with five punt return touchdowns in 2013 and finishing one shy of the NCAA career mark with seven. On the surface, Switzer seems like he'd be a carbon copy of Cole Beasley, but the former is a better all-around player and will probably overtake him at some point this year or next. He's obviously not going to overtake Dez Bryant as Dak Prescott's top option, but Switzer should eventually be able to become a consistent 50-catch player and will obviously have a ton of upside in return leagues.

 

 

turns out switzer has even better short-area quickness than beasley: 4.0 sec short shuttle (beas was 4.4), and 6.77 sec 3-cone (vs. 7.16).

[The Football Guru 210]

 

 

from a fantasy standpoint, i think switzer is probably only relevant WRT the streaming D/ST picture unless a receiver gets hurt. between zeke, dez, witten/hanna/swaim, beasley, twill, and supplemental RBs, there just aren't enough looks to go around to make switzer viable even in PPR.

 

i appreciate the pick in terms of depth and special teams, but i just don't see it as having much bearing on fantasy.

Yeah, it will be hard for him to do much in fantasy this year, but he's a better talent than Beasley. I would expect that to become more apparent in 2018 and 2019.

[polecatt 399]

 

 

turns out switzer has even better short-area quickness than beasley: 4.0 sec short shuttle (beas was 4.4), and 6.77 sec 3-cone (vs. 7.16).

He will give us some big play ability.

Don't be surprised to see him used on reverses and end arounds as well.

[Gepetto 977]

WR Ryan Switzer, Cowboys

 

Switzer was a dynamic slot option for North Carolina this season and quickly emerged as Mitchell Trubisky's favorite option in the passing game. He is better known for his exploits as a return man, tying the NCAA record with five punt return touchdowns in 2013 and finishing one shy of the NCAA career mark with seven. On the surface, Switzer seems like he'd be a carbon copy of Cole Beasley, but the former is a better all-around player and will probably overtake him at some point this year or next. He's obviously not going to overtake Dez Bryant as Dak Prescott's top option, but Switzer should eventually be able to become a consistent 50-catch player and will obviously have a ton of upside in return leagues.

 

Coach Barry Switzer is a cousin of Ryan Switzer. Coach Switzer congratulated Ryan on his Twitter page.

[Donkey 34]

to this thread.

[stonewall 647]

RB Joe Williams, 49ers

 

Sitting behind Carlos Hyde and Tim Hightower on the depth chart, Williams isn't going to see any immediate playing time, but he's going to be worth a stash in deeper leagues given Hyde's injury history and Hightower's age. Furthermore, any middle-round pick new HC Kyle Shanahan makes needs to be monitored. Williams is a more physical runner than his size (5-11, 210) might indicate, and it is very possible Shanahan sees this Utah Ute as his new Tevin Coleman, although he has work to do as a receiver. Still, with the issues Hyde and Hightower (one-year contract as well) have, Williams is a dark-horse candidate to be a lead back in San Fran by 2018.

 

 

.....or mid-late 2017.

 

Firstly, these write-ups you do are excellent, Guru. On behalf of all of us, thank you.

 

Secondly, there is occasionally an overlooked draftee that screams out at me as having that "it" factor, from a FF standpoint, of course. It was David Johnson a couple of years ago (admittedly, perhaps just a lucky hit), and this year it is Joe Williams. Yes, he has his challenges.....some of which you already mentioned. In fact, he quit on his team last year, only to return when other backs started dropping. And return he did.....1400 yards in 9 games with 6.7 ypc.

 

I watch a ton of college ball (much more than I should), and see a lot of immense talent. However, every once and a while some guy jumps outta the screen at me. Sometimes, it is someone that others are just ho-hum about....which is the perfect scenario in FF.

 

Heck, he may turn out to be a schlub. I'm no pro scout. Yes, he is in SF with a couple of suitable RB's ahead of him. Yes, he lost 5 fumbles last year as a Ute. Nevertheless, I can't help but think, with some solid coaching & a couple of breaks, that this guy is gonna win some FF championships.....maybe as early as this year. Remember, Arians held DJ back as a rookie, although he was obviously the best RB they had, because he had to "pay his rookie dues". Kyle Shanny is no Bruce Arians.

 

I am not gonna break down his game for you. There is plenty of write-ups and film. In short, I will simply assert that he is a football player...the real deal. Remember the name: Joe Williams

[The Football Guru 210]

 

 

.....or mid-late 2017.

 

Firstly, these write-ups you do are excellent, Guru. On behalf of all of us, thank you.

 

Secondly, there is occasionally an overlooked draftee that screams out at me as having that "it" factor, from a FF standpoint, of course. It was David Johnson a couple of years ago (admittedly, perhaps just a lucky hit), and this year it is Joe Williams. Yes, he has his challenges.....some of which you already mentioned. In fact, he quit on his team last year, only to return when other backs started dropping. And return he did.....1400 yards in 9 games with 6.7 ypc.

 

I watch a ton of college ball (much more than I should), and see a lot of immense talent. However, every once and a while some guy jumps outta the screen at me. Sometimes, it is someone that others are just ho-hum about....which is the perfect scenario in FF.

 

Heck, he may turn out to be a schlub. I'm no pro scout. Yes, he is in SF with a couple of suitable RB's ahead of him. Yes, he lost 5 fumbles last year as a Ute. Nevertheless, I can't help but think, with some solid coaching & a couple of breaks, that this guy is gonna win some FF championships.....maybe as early as this year. Remember, Arians held DJ back as a rookie, although he was obviously the best RB they had, because he had to "pay his rookie dues". Kyle Shanny is no Bruce Arians.

 

I am not gonna break down his game for you. There is plenty of write-ups and film. In short, I will simply assert that he is a football player...the real deal. Remember the name: Joe Williams

Thanks Stonewall.

 

The only reason I said 2018 is because I tend to believe Shanahan will give Hyde and Hightower the bulk of time in 2017 to prove they deserve to stay longer (Hyde is in the final year of his rookie deal and Hightower signed a one-year deal), and I'm not sure SF has the linemen it needs yet to execute his system. If memory serves, the reason Williams quit was because of the guilt he felt when his younger sister died in his arms a year or two ago. (Doctors believed she was dehydrated, but she was having a heart attack.) At any rate, I guess he returned after he was able to process those emotions and I think what we saw was an inspired player as a result.

 

Anyway, I compiled my rookie rankings list for dynasty purposes over the weekend and have Williams ranked 17th at the moment, although that is very much subject to change (up, not down). The only reason he's not higher is due to the exceptional depth of this class. I believe he is one of nine RBs in this class who will be regular starters no later than next season. Shanny knows what RBs fit in his running game and I don't get the sense he took Williams with the hope he might contribute. I tend to agree with Shanny in this case anyway: Williams is a good fit and I think, at worst, Shanny uses Williams like he did Tevin Coleman.

[kutulu 1,541]

RB Wayne Gallman, Giants

 

Gallman finds himself in a pretty good situation, but a bit of an ordinary runner and may not give the G-Men anything more than a younger, more powerful version of Bobby Rainey. Paul Perkins' job security should remain pretty safe with this pick, even if he loses a few short-yardage/goal-line carries to the new guy as a result of this selection. Gallman should probably be selected late in deeper leagues because he should be the No. 2 option in relatively short order, but he doesn't possess a ton of upside.

darkwa and vereen are banged up and have each missed the last two practices. Gallman may get a shot sooner rather than later... Giants run game is awful so who knows?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wayne's World

[SaintsInDome2006 128]

This is so !

[SaintsInDome2006 128]

The one thing I would say has changed from that Gallman write-up is that the situation is no longer a good one.

[The Football Guru 210]

The one thing I would say has changed from that Gallman write-up is that the situation is no longer a good one.

 

I should have been more clear about "good situation." What I meant was a good situation for immediate playing time, not so much a good one for fantasy production.

[TennisMenace 156]

Good stuff Guru. I thought about cuffing Ty Monty but didn't. Oh well....

[The Football Guru 210]

Good stuff Guru. I thought about cuffing Ty Monty but didn't. Oh well....

 

You may not end up paying for it after all. The reports seem to be pretty positive for Montgomery right now.

[RaiderHaters Revenge 3,565]

 

 

.....or mid-late 2017.

 

Firstly, these write-ups you do are excellent, Guru. On behalf of all of us, thank you.

 

Secondly, there is occasionally an overlooked draftee that screams out at me as having that "it" factor, from a FF standpoint, of course. It was David Johnson a couple of years ago (admittedly, perhaps just a lucky hit), and this year it is Joe Williams. Yes, he has his challenges.....some of which you already mentioned. In fact, he quit on his team last year, only to return when other backs started dropping. And return he did.....1400 yards in 9 games with 6.7 ypc.

 

I watch a ton of college ball (much more than I should), and see a lot of immense talent. However, every once and a while some guy jumps outta the screen at me. Sometimes, it is someone that others are just ho-hum about....which is the perfect scenario in FF.

 

Heck, he may turn out to be a schlub. I'm no pro scout. Yes, he is in SF with a couple of suitable RB's ahead of him. Yes, he lost 5 fumbles last year as a Ute. Nevertheless, I can't help but think, with some solid coaching & a couple of breaks, that this guy is gonna win some FF championships.....maybe as early as this year. Remember, Arians held DJ back as a rookie, although he was obviously the best RB they had, because he had to "pay his rookie dues". Kyle Shanny is no Bruce Arians.

 

I am not gonna break down his game for you. There is plenty of write-ups and film. In short, I will simply assert that he is a football player...the real deal. Remember the name: Joe Williams

 

whoops, not only is he hurt, but he looked like garbage in the preseason and camp as well

[kutulu 1,541]

darkwa and vereen are banged up and have each missed the last two practices. Gallman may get a shot sooner rather than later... Giants run game is awful so who knows?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wayne's World