Catch a load of these rookies
FANTASY f ootball brings out s ome amazing human emotion. There is the joy and elation a new season brings while we also witness the aggressive, comba t ive nature of peop le stirred up by the weekly head- t o- head competition. There is the love a good trade brings to the table, and there is obviously the agony of defeat each week.
We also all find ourselves a bit nostalgic, yearning for fantasy deliciousness of years past. The running back renaissance certainly is upon us, but with this season’s crop of rookie wideouts, many are wondering if this is the season we recapture that 2014 Year of the Rookie Receiver.
In 2014, there was an influx of receiving talent fantasy owners hadn’t seen in some time. Odell Beckham Jr. had a phenomenal rookie season, and he was joined by the likes of Mike Evans, Kelvin Benjamin, Sammy Watkins, Brandin Cooks and Allen Robinson. We even saw flashes from Jordan Matthews, Davante Adams and Marqise Lee.
Now, five seasons later, fantasy owners still are is looking for their fix.
Chicago’s Anthony Miller stands out the most in the preseason.
Th e former Memphis star has carved out a spot for himself as the team’s No. 2 wideout. He isn’t the biggest guy on the field, but his route-running and hands already have made him a favorite of head coach Matt Nagy and quarterback Mitch Trubisky. Miller is expected to see a significant number of targets between the 20s and inside the red zone.
And Miller is just the tip of the iceberg. Atlanta’s Calvin Ridley and Pittsburgh’s James Washington are both shining bright in camp. Both receivers reside in the shadows of the NFL’s most-elite wideouts, but have earned themselves a share of the targets nevertheless. Though Julio Jones and Antonio Brown get the double-coverage and Mohamed Sanu and JuJu Smith-Schuster work out of their respective slots, Ridley and Washington will be used to stretch the field and should be assets in standard-scoring leagues.
Let’s not forget Michael Gallup of the Cowboys. The receiving corps in Dallas is third-rate, at best, which means Gallup has the chance to connect with Dak Prescott this season. With the injuries to the Dallas offensive line, Prescott is going to be rolling out and looking downfield often, which sets up Gallup for tremendous possibilities. He even could end up as the most-targeted receiver on that team.
Further down the list are Denver’s Courtland Sutton and Arizona’s Christian Kirk. And don’t you sleep on New Orleans’ Tre’Quan Smith. There is no need to overdraft these names, but when looking for depth late, you have amazing possibilities.
Howard Bender is the VP of operations and head of content at FantasyAlarm. com. Follow him on Twitter @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 4-6 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for a special discount for Post readers as well as advice and NFL player rankings.