Tag Archives: Damian Williams

The Rookie Blitz – Week 6 in Review

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The Rookie Blitz goes beyond the box score to examine the fantasy football impact of each NFL Draft class.

Quarterback

Sam Bradford continues to improve every week and has the Rams thinking playoffs for the first time since the greatest show on turf days. As I have analyzed in prior articles, Bradford has favored the right side of the football field with his passing attempts until this past week. For the first time all season, 25.8% of Bradford’s attempts went to the left side of the football field and only 22.6% to the right. Displaying veteran-like ability to take what the defense was giving to him, Bradford targeted 9 different receivers and no one player had more than 5 targets (Alexander and Amendola, 5).  Look for Bradford to continue to utilize all of his weapons and solidify himself as a top-end backup QB for your fantasy team. Continue reading →

The Rookie Blitz – Week 5 in Review

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The Rookie Blitz goes beyond the box score to examine the fantasy football impact of each NFL Draft class.

Quarterback

Sam Bradford lost his security blanket when Mark Clayton was injured for the season against Detroit. I posed the question last week whether Bradford was favoring throwing to his right because of Clayton or if the Rams were limiting his reads to the right side of the field. Once Clayton was out of the game after 3 snaps, 7 of Bradford’s 45 passing attempts (15.5%) went to the left side of the field, an increase over his season average of 12.7% before the game. Although it was considered a down-game by his standards (+0.5), Bradford continues to show he is the real deal. We are now left asking ourselves who is the next wide receiver Bradford can make fantasy relevant. Continue reading →

Top 25 Rookies for 2010

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The 2010 NFL Season begins in just 60 days.  Many of you are starting your fantasy football draft prep work or have already drafted some of your teams.  To help you win your league, we are going to take a break from our dynasty rookie rankings and focus on what rookies you should draft this summer.

Knowing when to draft rookies in your redraft league can be an important part of the success of your fantasy team.  Rookies are overvalued in fantasy drafts, so we have also included each player’s current ADP in PPR leagues.  This will give you an idea of their perceived value.  For example, Montario Hardesty is a better value than Ben Tate in our opinion – and you can draft him almost a round and a half later or more than Tate.

Our Player Projections are current as of July 10, 2010.

POS Player Team Bye ADP RushYds RushTD RecYds RecYds RecTD
RB Ryan Mathews SD 10 28 1035 9 28 209 1

Outlook: Ryan Mathews is an early favorite for the Rookie of the Year award as the successor to LaDainian Tomlinson in the Chargers backfield.  Head Coach Norv Turner has already penciled in Mathews for 250 carries and 40 receptions.  Darren Sproles is back for another season as the third-down back and could steal some carries from the rookie.  Mathews did struggle with injuries at Fresno State which will cause concerns for fantasy owners.  Mathews has crept into the first round of many drafts; however, we would feel more comfortable with Mathews as a RB2 and is a good bet to exceed 1,000 rushing yards and score 9-10 touchdowns.

POS Player Team Bye ADP RushYds RushTD RecYds RecYds RecTD
RB Jahvid Best DET 7 50 882 6 38 281 1

Outlook: Jahvid Best will give Ryan Mathews a run for the Rookie of the Year honors.  Best is one of favorite players from this draft class and could be considered a poor-man’s Chris Johnson with his electrifying speed in the open field.  However, proceed with caution in drafting Best early in your fantasy drafts; the Lions have struggled on offense in recent years and they face a tough schedule in 2010.  With a big season in 2010, Jahvid Best may be one of the best keeper options available next year.

POS Player Team Bye ADP RushYds RushTD RecYds RecYds RecTD
RB CJ Spiller BUF 6 62 562 3 40 335 1

Outlook: At the time of writing this, Marshawn Lynch is still a member of the Bills which hampers the value of C.J. Spiller this season.  Spiller was a favorite of many experts leading up to the NFL draft.  Spiller is viewed as an all-around player that can also contribute on special teams; however, he may already have maxed out his potential.  Spiller will be used similarly to Reggie Bush has been for the Saints, and that is also a good player comparison for his early career.

POS Player Team Bye ADP RushYds RushTD RecYds RecYds RecTD
RB Montario Hardesty CLE 8 96 698 6 18 122 0

Outlook: Montario Hardesty was drafted to be a big-back compliment to Jerome Harrison, and based on his early camp reports, may ultimately pass Harrison on the depth chart sooner than later.  Hardesty was a late-bloomer at Tennessee and struggled with injuries at times.  The Browns have made improvements under Mike Holmgren; however, it is unlikely that Hardesty will be anything more than a flex option this season.

POS Player Team Bye ADP RushYds RushTD RecYds RecYds RecTD
WR Dez Bryant DAL 4 74 2 0 44 657 5

Outlook: Dez Bryant slid down draft boards due to maturity and character concerns.  Jerry Jones traded up in the draft to land one of the best college wide receivers in recent memory.  Bryant will have no issues displacing Roy Williams in the starting lineup, and is already slated to have punt return duties to begin the season.  Bryant is one of the few wide receivers from this draft class that could be a potential keeper in 2010.

POS Player Team Bye ADP RushYds RushTD RecYds RecYds RecTD
RB Ben Tate HOU 7 80 564 4 20 168 1

Outlook: Ben Tate enters training camp in a battle with Steve Slaton and Arian Foster for the starting running back spot.  Tate was a late-riser in the draft process with an impressive combine performance, although, he does not play as fast as he timed at the combine.  Tate fits the Texans’ one-cut running scheme well.  Tate is currently overvalued in redraft leagues, and is a risky selection with the uncertainty of who will start for the team.

POS Player Team Bye ADP RushYds RushTD RecYds RecYds RecTD
WR Dexter McCluster KC 4 154 72 1 43 499 3

Outlook: Dexter McCluster will open the season as the starting slot wide receiver for the Chiefs.  For what McCluster lacks in size, he makes up for it in sheer play-making ability and versatility.

POS Player Team Bye ADP RushYds RushTD RecYds RecYds RecTD
WR Golden Tate SEA 5 131 28 0 43 524 3

Outlook: The 2009 Biletnikoff Award winner will likely open the season as a starting wide receiver for the Seahawks over T.J. Houshmandzadeh or Deion Branch.  Tate is a physical player and would have been a first round selection in the NFL Draft if he had ideal size.

POS Player Team Bye ADP RushYds RushTD RecYds RecYds RecTD
WR Arrelious Benn TB 4 153 4 0 42 547 3

Outlook: Arrelious Benn is almost assured of a starting spot as the Buccaneers attempt to replace the departed Antonio Bryant.  Benn declared for the NFL Draft after struggling in his junior campaign with nagging injuries and poor quarterback play.  Benn is a physical player with decent speed, but struggled to make big-plays in college.  He has more value in PPR leagues where second-year quarterback Josh Freeman will be looking his way often this season.

POS Player Team Bye ADP RushYds RushTD RecYds RecYds RecTD
WR Mike Williams TB 4 179 0 0 38 559 3

Outlook: The troubled ex-Syracuse wide receiver fell in the NFL Draft because of character concerns.  When he was on the field, he looked like a first round talent.  He has a great situation to become a starting receiver with Arrelious Benn this year.  Williams has to prove that he is willing to put in the work to become a solid pro before you should pull the trigger during your draft.

POS Player Team Bye ADP RushYds RushTD RecYds RecYds RecTD
WR Demaryius Thomas DEN 9 142 3 0 35 506 3

Outlook: Demaryius Thomas was surprising the first wide receiver selected before Dez Bryant on the first day of the draft.  Thomas is a high character player with loads of talent.  Thomas is a similar player to fellow Georgia Tech alumni Calvin Johnson; however, he lacks the same polish entering the NFL.  Thomas is the best long-term bet to help fill the role left by the trade of Brandon Marshall this offseason.  Thomas will have to beat out either Eddie Royal or Jabar Gaffney to get regular targets in Josh McDaniel’s offense.

POS Player Team Bye ADP RushYds RushTD RecYds RecYds RecTD
RB Toby Gerhart MIN 4 160 325 3 16 112 0

Outlook: Toby Gerhart is the handcuff running back to Adrian Peterson owners with the departure of Chester Taylor to the rival Bears.  Gerhart could see some action as the short-yardage back.  If Peterson goes down with an injury, it is not a certainty that Gerhart would receive all the carries or participate in a committee.

POS Player Team Bye ADP RushYds RushTD PassYds TD INT
QB Sam Bradford STL 9 192 123 1 2856 13 16

Outlook: Sam Bradford is the only rookie with a good possibility of opening the season as a starter for his team.  The Rams finally selected their franchise quarterback after passing on Matt Ryan and Mark Sanchez.  Bradford has top-10 fantasy upside down the road, but he is going to struggle as a rookie with a poor supporting cast and a rebuilding offensive line.  He could be useful in a spot start, but do not expect to count on Bradford on a weekly basis this season.

POS Player Team Bye ADP RushYds RushTD RecYds RecYds RecTD
RB Joe McKnight NYJ 7 205 204 2 17 137 0

Outlook: Joe McKnight was drafted to be the understudy to Tomlinson and provide help in the return game and on third down.  McKnight struggled at USC with Reggie Bush comparisons, and he should only be considered in the deepest of redraft leagues.

POS Player Team Bye ADP RushYds RushTD RecYds RecYds RecTD
TE Jermaine Gresham CIN 6 186 0 0 36 381 3

Outlook: Jermaine Gresham will give the Bengals the first legitimate weapon at the tight end position in recent memory. Gresham missed the entire 2009 season due to knee surgery, but scored 14 touchdowns in 2008. Gresham has shown the ability to become a true three-down tight end – now the question is can the Bengals find a way to use Gresham on the football field. Offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski does not have a history of featuring the tight end in his offense.

POS Player Team Bye ADP RushYds RushTD RecYds RecYds RecTD
WR Brandon LaFell CAR 6 264 0 0 20 265 1

Outlook: Brandon LaFell will compete with Dwayne Jarrett for the No. 2 wide receiver job this season.  The winner of the competition will not make much of a fantasy impact, the Panthers remain one of the most run-heavy teams in the NFL.

POS Player Team Bye ADP RushYds RushTD RecYds RecYds RecTD
WR Jordan Shipley CIN 6 264 0 0 22 241 1

Outlook: Jordan Shipley will compete with Andre Caldwell for the slot receiver  job.  If Shipley wins the job at some point this season, he could be worth a flier in deeper PPR leagues.

POS Player Team Bye ADP RushYds RushTD RecYds RecYds RecTD
RB Jonathan Dwyer PIT 5 258 175 1 8 64 0

Outlook: Jonathan Dwyer slipped to the sixth round due to a failed drug test.  He could earn the short-yard role as a rookie.  He does have the size to become the feature back if Rashard Mendenhall went down with an injury.

POS Player Team Bye ADP RushYds RushTD RecYds RecYds RecTD
WR Mardy Gilyard STL 9 264 0 0 17 201 1

Outlook: Mardy Gilyard was an impressive college performer at Cincinnati, but he looks like he will focus on kick and punt return duties in his rookie season.  If he sees any game action in 2010, it will likely be in the slot at the expense of Danny Amendola.

POS Player Team Bye ADP RushYds RushTD RecYds RecYds RecTD
RB Anthony Dixon SF 9 259 121 1 10 80 0

Outlook: Anthony Dixon also slipped to the sixth round.  He will compete with Glen Coffee to backup Frank Gore.  Dixon is a limited player; however, he could be a late season waiver wire steal if Gore misses time again this season.  He is a physical back that could take the punishment as a featured back.

POS Player Team Bye ADP RushYds RushTD RecYds RecYds RecTD
WR Damian Williams TEN 9 264 0 0 15 167 1

Outlook: Damian Williams gives the Titans a young receiver to eventually pair with second-year player Kenny Britt, but Williams is blocked this season by Nate Washington.  The Titans run their offense quite literally through Chris Johnson at this point, so it is tough to see the team passing more this season.

POS Player Team Bye ADP RushYds RushTD RecYds RecYds RecTD
WR Andre Roberts ARI 6 264 0 0 13 167 1

Outlook: The former Citadel star likely will not see the field much in 2010 as the Cardinals shift to a run-first philosophy after the retirement of QB Kurt Warner.  Roberts is worth monitoring if injuries strike the Cardinals receiving core sans Anquan Boldin.

POS Player Team Bye ADP RushYds RushTD RecYds RecYds RecTD
RB Deji Karim JAC 9 266 110 0 9 73 0

Outlook: Karim will compete with Rashad Jennings to backup Maurice Jones-Drew.  Even though Karim was just a small school player from Southern Illinois, he put on a show for NFL scouts at his pro-day.

POS Player Team Bye ADP RushYds RushTD RecYds RecYds RecTD
RB James Starks GB 10 267 149 1 6 49 0

Outlook: Starks will likely red-shirt this season behind Ryan Grant and Brandon Jackson.  Starks missed his senior season at Buffalo.

POS Player Team Bye ADP RushYds RushTD RecYds RecYds RecTD
TE Aaron Hernandez NE 5 264 0 0 23 254 2

Outlook: Aaron Hernandez is likely to earn the move-tight end role for the Patriots this season while fellow rookie Rob Gronkowski handles the in-line duties.  Hernandez is generating a lot of positive buzz in OTA’s, however, with all the options QB Tom Brady has on offense, it is hard to see Hernandez getting consistent targets in his rookie season.

Damian Williams to the Titans

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Emerald Bowl - Boston College v USC

Damian Williams was selected in the third round (77th overall) by the Tennessee Titans.

Tennessee has been in search of quality wide receivers ever since Derrick Mason left town for the Ravens.  Kenny Britt, the Titans 2009 first round selection, showed promise as a rookie and will form a solid wide receiver tandem with Damian Williams.

Williams currently ranks fourth among the rookie wide receivers in our rankings.

The Titans are very excited about bringing him into the fold:

Titans GM Mike Reinfeldt said Friday night that he believes third-round pick Damian Williams “has a chance to be our No. 1 (receiver).”

Vince Young showed remarkable improvement in 2009 and almost led the Titans to the playoffs after a 0-6 start to the season.  Nate Washington and Justin Gage provide the veteran presence to help develop Williams early in his career.  Williams is talented enough to join Kenny Britt in the starting lineup by midseason.

Williams should deserve consideration in the early second round of your dynasty rookie drafts.  You should be very excited about his future potential in the NFL.

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.

12th Annual Mercedes-Benz College Football All-Star Challenge
Florida International University (Miami, FL)
Taped on Monday February 1, 2010 (Originally aired February 5th, 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

Georgia v Oklahoma State

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