With the 2014 NFL Draft recorded and last weekend’s rookie minicamp in the books, Green Bay Packers fans have got to be pleased with all that’s transpired over the past couple of weeks.
The Packers‘ draft has been deemed a huge success by all the experts, GM Ted Thompson seems to be physically looking and feeling better after reports that he had been ill prior to the draft, and May is quickly turning into June when we will be just one month away from training camp.
It’s looking and feeling more like football season … in fact, there are just 108 days to the start of the NFL regular schedule.
With all that said, the fantasy football geeks are also starting to hit their stride as all the new players and their potential impacts with their new teams are now being gauged.
That’s what Jeff Ratcliffe over at profootballfocus.com (subscriber access) is up to these days. His top-50 rookie listing was published a few days ago – a ranking of how the rookies will fare with their new teams in putting up fantasy numbers.
Now I’ve never been much of a fantasy league guru and don’t pretend to be, so I’ve got to take Ratcliffe’s word in this ranking which includes three rookie Packers receivers.
Of course, the top receiver in the 2014 NFL Draft, Sammy Watkins, ranks first on this ranking as well, followed by Mike Evans, the big receiver taken by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Following Evans in the top five are Brandin Cooks (WR, New Orleans), Carlos Hyde (RB, San Francisco) and Odell Beckham (WR, New York Giants).
Jeff Janis
Just outside of the top 5 is the Packers second round pick, Davante Adams, rated sixth. The other Packers rookies rated in the top 50 are Jeff Janis at #33 and Jared Abbrederis at #36.
Here’s what Ratcliffe had to say about Adams:
"Another fantastic landing spot. Adams has the skill set to replace James Jones’ production."
Here’s what he had to say about Janis:
"Couldn’t have landed in a better spot. He’s unproven, but his freakish athleticism bodes positively."
And as for Abbrederis, here are Ratcliffe’s comments:
"Has an intriguing profile, but his history of concussions makes Abbrederis a risky pick."
Of course, so much can change between now and the start of the regular season. Their amount of playing time will determine just where these top 50 players end up by season’s end, but this is certainly a good start … and a hopeful start.
The full list can be found here or scroll down for the complete listing. What do you think about the rankings?
| Rk | Player | Pos | Tm | Comments |
| 1 | Sammy Watkins | WR | BUF | Not the most ideal landing spot, but he does go to an up-tempo offense. Still the best of this year’s class. |
| 2 | Mike Evans | WR | TB | The Bucs beefed up their offense, but still have questions at QB. Evans is a beast, though, and deserves the No. 2 pick in rookie drafts. |
| 3 | Brandin Cooks | WR | NO | Couldn’t have found a better home. Great offense + great QB = fantasy value. |
| 4 | Carlos Hyde | RB | SF | Great landing spot in a run-heavy offense. Hyde has the skill-set to be a three-down back. |
| 5 | Odell Beckham | WR | NYG | Should step in and see an immediate role, though you have to hope Eli rebounds. |
| 6 | Davante Adams | WR | GB | Another fantastic landing spot. Adams has the skill set to replace James Jones’ production. |
| 7 | Cody Latimer | WR | DEN | Rinse and repeat. Latimer could step right in to a starting gig and produce as a rookie. |
| 8 | Devonta Freeman | RB | ATL | Outside of Hyde, Freeman is the best rookie RB fantasy prospect. Could see a significant role at some point in 2014. |
| 9 | Bishop Sankey | RB | TEN | My guess is the hype train starts now, and he’s WAY overdrafted come August. Still, he’s a solid RB in a good situation. |
| 10 | Marqise Lee | WR | JAX | Not the safest pick, but his future could be bright in the revitalizing Jags offense. |
| 11 | Jordan Matthews | WR | PHI | Size, speed, and Chip Kelly’s offense. I may actually be undervaluing Matthews at this spot. |
| 12 | Kelvin Benjamin | WR | CAR | Likewise, I may be undervaluing Benjamin a tad, but he’s a one-hit wonder with suspect hands. That said, he’s the only show in town. |
| 13 | Eric Ebron | TE | DET | Likely to be gone by this point. I’m not sold that Ebron is a future elite fantasy TE. |
| 14 | Tre Mason | RB | SL | Good fit behind an solid offensive line, but almost guaranteed to be in an RBBC with Zac Stacy. |
| 15 | Johnny Manziel | QB | CLV | Would have been a spot or two higher but the Gordon situation hurts. Still, I’m buying Manziel’s long-term value. |
| 16 | Allen Robinson | WR | JAX | Not crazy about his immediate fantasy value, but Robinson has an intriguing long-term fantasy profile. |
| 17 | Isaiah Crowell | RB | CLV | Don’t let the UDFA fool you. Crowell has a ton of talent, and has a good opportunity in Cleveland. |
| 18 | Martavis Bryant | WR | PIT | A surprise draft drop for Bryant, but he has a good QB and offers a lot of upside. |
| 19 | Donte Moncrief | WR | IND | High-ceiling receiver with the best young QB in the league. Not the most consistent, but you’re drafting for upside. |
| 20 | Jeremy Hill | RB | CIN | The Law Firm 2.0? Not quite. Hill’s more talented, but that’s the role Hill will get with the Bengals. |
| 21 | Teddy Bridgewater | QB | MIN | He’s a classic high-floor, low-ceiling fantasy quarterback. I’d prefer him as roster depth in dynasty leagues. |
| 22 | Blake Bortles | QB | JAX | The third overall pick didn’t change anything. He’s still my third QB in this crop. |
| 23 | Jace Amaro | TE | NYJ | Not crazy about the prospects of Amaro in a Jets uniform, but he’s still a monster and should produce decent numbers. |
| 24 | Terrance West | RB | CLV | The ideal one-cut back for Kyle Shanahan. My concern is whether he can hack it against tougher competition. |
| 25 | Lache Seastrunk | RB | WSH | “Lake” isn’t in line for a feature role, but he’s still a home run hitter. You’re picking him for upside. |
| 26 | Austin Sefarian-Jenkins | TE | TB | Lacks athleticism, but he’s in a great spot with a basketball team in Tampa. |
| 27 | Paul Richardson | WR | SEA | Goes to a run-heavy offense where he’s likely to see a limited role early in his career. |
| 28 | Jarvis Landry | WR | MIA | Has PPR appeal in an offense that needs viable weapons for Ryan Tannehill. |
| 29 | Andre Williams | RB | NYG | Won’t see much action in year one, but has the chance for a significant role if Rashad Jennings doesn’t pan out. |
| 30 | Storm Johnson | RB | JAX | Great landing spot for Johnson. Gets paired up with Bortles again on a shallow depth chart. |
| 31 | Ka’Deem Carey | RB | CHI | Matt Forte’s handcuff will not see much action unless there’s an injury to Forte. |
| 32 | Charles Sims | RB | TB | See above. In Tampa, Sims is stepping into a backup role for Doug Martin. |
| 33 | Jeff Janis | WR | GB | Couldn’t have landed in a better spot. He’s unproven, but his freakish athleticism bodes positively. |
| 34 | Josh Huff | WR | PHI | He knows Chip Kelly’s system and could be a solid producer. But that’s not likely to come until 2015. |
| 35 | Bruce Ellington | WR | SF | Lands in a run-heavy offense, which isn’t ideal for the speedy little receiver. |
| 36 | Jared Abbrederis | WR | GB | Has an intriguing profile, but his history of concussions makes Abbrederis a risky pick. |
| 37 | James White | RB | NE | BB added another horse to his stable. You never know with Pats running backs. |
| 38 | Derek Carr | QB | OAK | Big arm, but he sees more ghosts than Blaine Gabbert. There’s a gap between him and the top 3 QBs in this class. |
| 39 | Marion Grice | RB | SD | Joins a crowded house in San Diego, and isn’t likely to see many snaps in 2014. |
| 40 | Brandon Coleman | WR | NO | An excellent landing spot for the big receiver who has a similar fantasy profile to Marques Colston. |
| 41 | Logan Thomas | QB | ARI | One of the more surprising Day 3 picks. He’s a big boy with a high ceiling, though it could take time to see dividends. |
| 42 | David Fluellen | RB | PHI | He’s in a run-heavy offense with opportunity now that Bryce Brown is in Buffalo. |
| 43 | Troy Niklas | TE | ARZ | I love his game tape, but don’t like his landing spot. Arizona doesn’t use the TE much. |
| 44 | Lorenzo Taliaferro | RB | BLT | Big back out of Coastal Carolina doesn’t have much wiggle, but the Ravens’ shaky RB situation gives him sleeper appeal. |
| 45 | Robert Herron | WR | TB | Solid receiver, but it’s tough to see him making much of an impact with the weapons in Tampa. |
| 46 | Kevin Norwood | WR | SEA | Like I said about Richardson, the run-heavy offense limits Norwood’s fantasy potential. |
| 47 | De’Anthony Thomas | RB | KC | Not the best pure football player, but has a McCluster skill set in Andy Reid’s offense. |
| 48 | Jimmy Garoppolo | QB | NE | With Tom Brady’s contract fully guaranteed through 2017, it’s tough to see Garoppolo getting a shot any time soon. |
| 49 | Jerick McKinnon | RB | MIN | Likely to be Adrian Peterson’s backup. We’ve seen production from that guy any time AP is injured. |
| 50 | James Wilder | RB | CIN | Monster of a back who is intriguing, but doesn’t have a great chance of panning out. |