Dynasty Fantasy Football: Rookie Top 40 Rankings

A couple of thoughts about my Top 40 before you dive in:

• With the recent comments by Todd Haley saying that Le’Veon Bell is “…not a guy that you’d shy away from giving it to him 30 times a game,” he’s moving into my #1 spot. This is a perfect intersection of talent and situation. To all those shouting out Bell as the next Daniel Thomas or Shonn Greene: I could not disagree more.
• I honestly don’t know what to make of the Eddie Lacy/Johnathan Franklin situation in Green Bay. So far, the idea is that Lacy is the 2 down thumper and Franklin is the 3rd down receiving/change of pace back. I don’t think Franklin really fits that receiving back mold, so I ranked him low because of the risk factor. Lacy will probably be the goal line back, but this seems like a quasi-Carolina Panthers situation brewing in Wisconsin. On one hand, Lacy could get the lion’s share of yards and touchdowns, but there is a chance his injury problems catch up with him and that Franklin runs away with the job. I just don’t know.
• Zac Stacy is the best running back on the Rams roster, and it isn’t close. I have no problems taking him in the 1^st round.
• Ranking Marcus Lattimore at 26 means I won’t own him on any of my teams. I think people taking him in the 1st round are wasting their pick; athletes “return to previous levels of function” at a rate of 20-30% according to Scott Peak. Even if he does recover and regains his talent, I don’t think he’s better than Kendall Hunter. I’m rooting for him, but it’s very unlikely you’ll see decent returns on the pick.
• In what world is Latavius Murray not a 2nd round pick? He’s a bigger Darren McFadden, standing at 6’3″, 223, with similar speed, agility, and explosion measurements. McFadden has been consistently injured since he entered the NFL, and is a free agent in 2014. You could be looking at the future starting running back for the Oakland Raiders, and the most you have to spend is a 2nd round pick! I’m making a point to grab all the young running backs who I think can start in 1-2 years, and Murray is a guy I’m adding to that list.
• I’m bullish on Quinton Patton. The 49ers don’t pass a lot, and I’m not sure he’s better than incumbent A.J. Jenkins. Boldin and Crabtree could potentially be gone by 2015, but you can let someone else draft him then buy low in a year or two.
• Christine Michael will be on all of my teams this year. He’s in a bad short term situation, similar to the one C.J. Spiller was drafted into, but the Seahawks can cut Marshawn Lynch for little penalty and save themselves some cap space. Perhaps they know something we don’t about his back or are preparing for some sort of punishment stemming from his pending DUI trial. Combine Michael’s talent with Seattle 264 rushing attempts per game and you have fantasy success.
• Aaron Mellette, the Baltimore Ravens 7th round wide receiver, is a guy I’d be snatching in the 3rd round. The Ravens have a hole opposite Torrey Smith, and I’m not sure Tandon Doss, Tommy Streeter, or Jacoby Jones are the answer. Mellette reminds of Marques Colston in a lot of ways, in playing style and draft position. He could get playing time sooner than people think.

If you any questions or comment, hit me up on twitter. I’m always open to discussing the thought process behind my ideas.