Tag Archives: 2010

Top-50 Dynasty/Keeper Rookie Rankings 5.0

Our July dynasty rookie rankings may focus on fewer players than our June update; however, we want to provide you the players you need to be targeting in your rookie drafts. Many of the players outside our Top-50 are players that are only drafted in the deepest of fantasy leagues or are priority waiver wire free agents.

There is not much change from last month with only a few players moving up and down our draft board. Our rankings still heavily factor in scouting reports, college production, team situations, projected production, and the latest updates from beat writer reports.

Our fantasy football rookie rankings are based on the following:

Deep IDP/PPR Leagues
Start 3 WR and/or Flex Player
Scarcity of starting QB’s and RB’s
Defensive Tackles are devalued and start at DL

For a look at what our June dynasty rankings looked like, click here.

If you missed our look at what rookies will have the biggest impact for the 2010 season, click here.

For the latest news and information on each rookie, click on their player page link.

Rookie Blitz Top 50 Rookies – Dynasty/Keeper Rankings

Rank	Player	POS	Team	Total	Prev Rank
1	Dez Bryant	WR	Cowboys	9.96	1
2	Ryan Mathews	RB	Chargers	9.46	2
3	Jahvid Best	RB	Lions	9.13	3
4	C.J. Spiller	RB	Bills	8.92	4
5	Sam Bradford	QB	Rams	8.56	6
6	Demaryius Thomas	WR	Broncos	8.55	5
7	Golden Tate	WR	Seahawks	8.52	7
8	Montario Hardesty	RB	Browns	8.47	8
9	Ben Tate	RB	Texans	8.22	9
10	Rolando McClain	LB	Raiders	8.16	11
11	Arrelious Benn	WR	Buccaneers	7.99	10
12	Jermaine Gresham	TE	Bengals	7.90	13
13	Dexter McCluster	WR	Chiefs	7.90	12
14	Sean Weatherspoon	LB	Falcons	7.74	15
15	Daryl Washington	LB	Cardinals	7.67	16
16	Toby Gerhart	RB	Vikings	7.60	14
17	Eric Berry	S	Chiefs	7.43	21
18	Aaron Hernandez	TE	Patriots	7.40	17
19	Donald Butler	LB	Chargers	7.28	20
20	Damian Williams	WR	Titans	7.25	18
21	Jimmy Clausen	QB	Panthers	7.15	19
22	Derrick Morgan	DE	Titans	7.12	25
23	Mike Williams	WR	Buccaneers	7.04	23
24	Jonathan Dwyer	RB	Steelers	6.97	22
25	Brandon LaFell	WR	Panthers	6.77	24
26	Sean Lee	LB	Cowboys	6.72	30
27	Andre Roberts	WR	Cardinals	6.70	26
28	Tim Tebow	QB	Broncos	6.58	32
29	Rob Gronkowski	TE	Patriots	6.57	33
30	Brandon Graham	DE	Eagles	6.54	35
31	Anthony Dixon	RB	49ers	6.53	28
32	Emmanuel Sanders	WR	Steelers	6.47	27
33	Mardy Gilyard	WR	Rams	6.46	31
34	James Starks	RB	Packers	6.37	29
35	Eric Decker	WR	Broncos	6.13	34
36	Jimmy Graham	TE	Saints	6.12	36
37	Jason Pierre-Paul	DE	Giants	6.11	38
38	Earl Thomas	S	Seahawks	6.03	42
39	Brandon Spikes	LB	Patriots	5.85	41
40	Jordan Shipley	WR	Bengals	5.79	39
41	Morgan Burnett	S	Packers	5.71	50
42	Taylor Price	WR	Patriots	5.70	37
43	Joe McKnight	RB	Jets	5.70	40
44	Taylor Mays	S	49ers	5.61	43
45	Anthony Moeaki	TE	Chiefs	5.53	44
46	Nate Allen	S	Eagles	5.50	54
47	Jerry Hughes	DE	Colts	5.45	52
48	Phillip Dillard	LB	Giants	5.43	49
49	Dennis Pitta	TE	Ravens	5.34	46
50	Deji Karim	RB	Jaguars	5.32	47

Top 100 1.0 – April 2, 2010
Top 100 2.0 – April 26, 2010
Top 100 3.0 – May 3, 2010
Top 100 4.0 – June 21, 2010

Shipley and Robinson impress in All-Star Challenge

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The College Football All-Star Challenge was a good opportunity to evaluate the intangibles of each player that may not show up on game tape. It allowed you to see how the players interacted with each other and how they competed in the non-traditional football drills. The results and times of the participants are not as important, but the event is another tool in the evaluation process.

12^th Annual Mercedes-Benz College Football All-Star Challenge
Florida International University (Miami, FL)
Taped on Monday February 1, 2010 (Originally aired February 5^th, 2010 on ESPN)
ESPN Commentators: Todd McShay, Bob Davie and Mark Jones

AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic - Oklahoma State v Mississippi

Participants:

Dan LeFevour, QB – Central Michigan
Jevan Snead, QB – Mississippi
Zac Robinson, QB – Oklahoma State
Sean Canfield, QB – Oregon State

Dez Bryant, WR – Oklahoma State
Damian Williams, WR – USC
Mardy Gilyard, WR – Cincinnati
Jordan Shipley, WR – Texas

Rookie Blitz Top 100 (Ranking in Parenthesis)

Zac Robinson (UR), Stock: Up

Zac Robinson was one of the best performers of the day and he continued to impress after his solid Senior Bowl outing. Robinson was poised and had a smooth delivery with decent arm strength. Despite winning the long distance throwing contest, Robinson’s deep throws required a big windup and sailed long in the accuracy contest. Zac Robinson may have enough game to become a spot starter after a few seasons in the NFL.

Dan LeFevour (22), Stock: Unchanged

Dan LeFevour remains the third best quarterback in this draft class behind Jimmy Clausen and Sam Bradford. LeFevour was very confident in himself to the point where it was borderline arrogance. That may turn off a few teams during the NFL Draft, but he remains a perfect fit for a west-coast offense. LeFevour showed pin-point accuracy in his short to intermediate throws while his deep throws lacked zip. In the agility drill, LeFevour showed the ability to throw on the run well.

Jevan Snead (91), Stock: Down

Jevan Snead was very disappointing and appeared very stiff and rigid in the drills. Snead is not a fluid athlete and did not carry himself well. He appeared to be the loner of the group and that confirms the concerns teams will have about his leadership and his ability to command an NFL huddle. He was erratic and mechanical with many of his throws. His poor performance makes you wonder why he decided to declare early for the NFL Draft.

Sean Canfield (UR), Stock: Unchanged

Sean Canfield continued to look average and did not stand from the other quarterbacks. Canfield often threw flat footed and missed several easy throws. At one point he missed three targets in a row that were less than 10 yards away. Canfield remains a candidate to be drafted in the late rounds as a development project because of his senior year production at Oregon State.

Dez Bryant (1), Stock: Unchanged

Dez Bryant competed well in his first action since his suspension by the NCAA in September. Based on his performance, Bryant remains the top prospect on our draft board. Bryant was fluid for a bigger receiver and put his excellent hands on display in the various drills. Bryant was often seen joking around with Mardy Gilyard and was playful in front of the camera before and after the commercial breaks. The maturity issues still remain, but there is no question this kid loves to play football.

Damian Williams (10), Stock: Unchanged

Damien Williams showed he is a solid individual and could be one of the safest picks at wide receiver in this draft class. Williams appeared very humble and well coached. Williams showed quick feet and good change of direction for a bigger receiver.

Mardy Gilyard (16), Stock: Unchanged

Mardy Gilyard put his fun-loving personality on display while remaining ultra-competitive in the various drills. Gilyard confirmed our belief that he was more quick than fast and he will have enough speed to make it in the NFL. He needs to add some bulk to his frame to stand up to the weekly punishment he will endure at the next level.

Jordan Shipley (41), Stock: Up

Jordan Shipley was very impressive and we will consider moving him up our rankings. They mentioned multiple times during the broadcast that Shipley was a coach’s son and grew up catching footballs from a Jugs machine. Shipley put those strong hands on display and caught the ball well away from his body. Shipley will be an ideal slot receiver with surprising quickness and could have an impact like Austin Collie did last season for the Colts.

Rookie Rankings – Wide Receiver

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We have worked hard at Rookie Blitz headquarters to compile information and game tape for the 2010 NFL Draft class.

We are now ready to release our initial rookie fantasy rankings after reviewing college production, scouting reports, all-star games, and the scouting combine. In our first installment, we reviewed the top tight ends available.

Top-12 Tight Ends

Wide Receiver

Despite concerns about his character and maturity, Dez Bryant is the top wide receiver available. He has everything you look for in a #1 wide receiver and his college production backs up his measurables. Bryant should deserve consideration for the top selection in dynasty rookie drafts.

The depth at the position is impressive, but there are question marks for many players that could cause them to fall to the second round of the NFL Draft. In fact, there is a large gap between Bryant and Golden Tate in our fantasy rankings. Tate has the college production in a pro-style offense and had a solid combine performance to boost his stock. Aside from Bryant, Tate may be one of the most pro-ready players available.

Demaryius Thomas has the size and strength required, however, there are concerns about his ability to run the entire route tree. If you watch highlights of Thomas, most of his big plays came on broken coverage or go-routes over the top of the defense.

Mardy Gilyard and Damian Williams are both more quick than fast and should develop into solid starting options. Gilyard offers added value as a kick returner and it is hard to overlook his college production. Williams does not fit the profile of many of the failed wide receivers from USC in recent years. His game more resembles that of Steve Smith than Dwayne Jarrett or Mike Williams.

We have Andre Roberts rated higher than he will be drafted. Roberts has been the talk of the offseason and his production at the Citadel makes us believe he could be a sleeper in the right offensive system. Mike Williams has first round talent and seventh round character. Williams is the biggest boom-bust prospect available and he will need constant monitoring to succeed. Brandon LaFell and Arrelious Benn will be drafted in the early second round but we are not sold on their pro prospects. It can be argued that both were hurt by poor quarterback play but the lack of college production is alarming.

Ole Miss's Dexter McCluster in the AT&T Cotton Bowl

Dexter McCluster will be an exciting player to watch but may never be a consistent fantasy producer. Jacoby Ford does not play as fast as his 40 yard dash time of 4.28 would indicate. Ford did not stand out at the Senior Bowl, though, his speed is intriguing. For all of the positive buzz that Taylor Price has generated, we have concerns that he was not more of standout at Ohio.

1. Dez Bryant – Oklahoma State
2. Golden Tate – Notre Dame
3. Demaryius Thomas – Georgia Tech
4. Mardy Gilyard – Cincinnati
5. Damian Williams – USC
6. Andre Roberts – Citadel
7. Mike Williams – Syracuse
8. Brandon LaFell – LSU
9. Arrelious Benn – Illinois
10. Dezmon Briscoe – Kansas
11. Eric Decker – Minnesota
12. Jordan Shipley – Texas
13. Carlton Mitchell – South Florida
14. Jacoby Ford – Clemson
15. Jeremy Williams – Tulane
16. Emmanuel Sanders – Southern Methodist
17. Dexter McCluster – Mississippi
18. Shay Hodge – Mississippi
19. Antonio Brown – Central Michigan
20. Riley Cooper – Florida
21. Taylor Price – Ohio
22. Danario Alexander – Missouri
23. Freddie Barnes – Bowling Green
24. David Reed – Utah
25. Marcus Easley – Connecticut
26. Alric Arnett – West Virginia
27. Chris McGaha – Arizona State
28. Verran Tucker – California
29. David Gettis – Baylor
30. Blair White – Michigan State

Rookie Rankings – Tight End

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We have worked hard at Rookie Blitz headquarters to compile information and watch game tape for the 2010 NFL Draft class.

We are now ready to release our initial rookie fantasy rankings after reviewing college production, scouting reports, all-star games, and the NFL Scouting Combine.

Tight Ends

This is a weak draft class with huge question marks. Our two top-ranked players missed last season with injuries. Many of the other players may be better suited as H-Backs which could limit their playing time. Players that can block and play inline are in short supply.

Jermaine Gresham is a similar prospect to Brandon Pettigrew of the Lions. Rob Gronkowski will be a matchup nightmare with his 6’5” frame and he scored 16 touchdowns in 22 career games at Arizona. Aaron Hernandez is hurt by his lack of size and below-average blocking skills. Hernandez could have fantasy value if he is used in the slot like Dustin Keller of the New York Jets. Do not believe the combine hype on Dorin Dickerson. He was very average at the Senior Bowl and was known for disappearing in games at Pittsburgh.

We do not recommend taking any of these players in the first round of your dynasty rookie draft.

1. Jermaine Gresham – Oklahoma
2. Rob Gronkowski – Arizona
3. Aaron Hernandez – Florida
4. Anthony Moeaki – Iowa
5. Ed Dickson – Oregon
6. Dennis Pitta – Brigham Young
7. Garrett Graham – Wisconsin
8. Jimmy Graham – Miami (FL)
9. Anthony McCoy – USC
10. Colin Peek – Alabama
11. Andrew Quarless – Penn State
12. Dorin Dickerson – Pittsburgh

Early Look: 2010 RB Rankings

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It is never too early to start looking ahead in fantasy football. For many dynasty and keeper league owners, there is no offseason. Now is a great time to set up your team for another run in the fantasy playoffs with some savvy free agent signings and trades. Information is power, and keeping one step ahead of everyone in your fantasy league is vital.

In the fourth installment of our 2010 rankings we will breakdown the running back position. A lot can happen between now and September, and these rankings will give you a glimpse of how we evaluated each player before the start of NFL Free Agency and the NFL Draft.

Our rankings are based on the following factors:

Team Offensive Potential
Consistency
2009 Regular Season Production
RookieBlitz.com 2010 Strength of Schedule
Experience

Analysis

Chris Johnson surpassed Adrian Peterson as the most exciting running back in the NFL. Although Johnson had a heavy workload in his campaign for 2,000 yards, there is little concern of breaking down because of his young age. Adrian Peterson developed a fumbling problem that could hinder his ability to remain on the field as an every down back. Ray Rice became a fantasy sensation overnight and does not show any signs of slowing down for the Ravens. Willis McGahee is likely to leave Baltimore in the offseason, and it will only increase the value of Rice in the Ravens offense. Despite a lack of offensive weapons around him in Jacksonville, Maurice Jones-Drew continues to play with a chip on his shoulder and remains one of the elite running backs in fantasy football. Jamaal Charles was the most consistent running back in the league for the second half of the season. He scored in the top 10 at running back for eight straight weeks on a struggling Chiefs team. Based on this sample size and his 2010 schedule (Chiefs second easiest schedule in 2010), Charles will be an excellent option in the first round next year. Ronnie Brown (Lisfranc surgery) suffered another setback but will be ready for offseason team activities. Drafting Brown in 2010 will not come without risk, but he remains one of the best fantasy running backs on a per-game basis. LeSean McCoy and Donald Brown did not live up to the high expectations of being day one selections in the 2009 NFL Draft. Knowshon Moreno and Beanie Wells showed they could be a primary ball carrier in the NFL and each will enjoy favorable 2010 team schedules. Shonn Greene only had one good game against Oakland (144 yards rushing, 2 TD) in the regular season. The postseason was a different story for Greene after replacing veteran Thomas Jones as the Jets primary ball carrier. Greene showed more speed than expected and his game is reminiscent of Michael Turner. Matt Forte showed that he will be a steady running back but he’ll never be a dynamic playmaker. Forte was a consensus top-five selection in 2009 fantasy drafts and will fall to the third or fourth round in 2010. Felix Jones will continue to cut into the workload of Marion Barber with his dynamic playmaking ability. Jones will have to show that he can remain healthy for an entire season before you invest an early-round selection. Fantasy stalwarts LaDainian Tomlinson and Brian Westbrook are no longer early round options and should be avoided.

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Early Look: 2010 WR Rankings

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Green Bay Packers v Arizona Cardinals - Wild Card Round

In the third installment of our 2010 rankings we will breakdown the wide receiver position. A lot can happen between now and September, and these rankings will give you a glimpse of how we evaluated each player before the start of NFL Free Agency and the NFL Draft.

Our rankings are based on the following factors:

Team Offensive Potential
Consistency
2009 Regular Season Production
RookieBlitz.com 2010 Strength of Schedule
Experience

Analysis

Andre Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald remain at the top of our wide receiver rankings. Each player is the top receiving option on pass-first offenses, and give opposing defensive coordinators nightmares. DeSean Jackson is one of the most exciting players in the NFL as a threat to score from anywhere on the field. Undrafted Miles Austin (Monmouth) was an unlikely star in 2009 for the Dallas Cowboys. Austin displayed an impressive blend of size and speed, and made the most of the opportunity with the departure of Terrell Owens. The 2009 Draft produced one of the best wide receiver classes in recent memory. The only first round receiver who suffered through a disaster of a rookie campaign was Darrius Heyward-Bey of the Oakland Raiders. Hakeem Nicks put his big-play abilities on display in limited game action, and will be a break out candidate in 2010 for the Giants. Michael Crabtree will benefit from an entire off-season working with Alex Smith. We rated Crabtree as the 2^nd best fantasy prospect in the 2009 NFL Draft behind Knowshon Moreno of the Broncos. Calvin Johnson presents a great value in the 4^th or 5^th round next season. Johnson is one of the most physically gifted players in the NFL, but his selection will not come without risk. His inconsistent play in 2009 can be attributed to injuries and the erratic play of rookie Matthew Stafford. Despite his low touchdown total in 2009, Greg Jennings is the favorite target of Aaron Rodgers and remains one of the best young receivers in the NFL . Robert Meachem started to fulfill the promise of being a first round draft pick and he could push for an equal share of targets next season with Marques Colston. Sidney Rice blossomed in his third season in the NFL. Brett Favre may not return in 2010, but Rice will continue to be a match-up nightmare for opposing defensive backs. The Steelers finally shifted from a power-running offense to a passing offense under Ben Roethlisberger. Santonio Holmes had the best season of his young career, while rookie Mike Wallace developed into a lethal downfield threat.

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Early Look: 2010 QB Rankings

RookieBlitz.com

Fantasy Football Analysis from Bryan Fontaine