The first three rounds of the NFL draft are littered with possible impact players. I'm looking for first year impact players that you should consider drafting in 2017. So I guess this could be your rookie primer for the 2017 fantasy football draft. These are re-draft takes with some sprinkles for the folks doing rookie drafts. You're going to get a quick assessment of the pick along with the players current average draft position in re-draft and rookie fantasy drafts.
Pick #4. Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU - drafted by the Jaguars. Now we're talking. A sexy pick that will immediately help the always "almost" there Jaguars. He's the consensus #1 pick in rookie drafts and is going in the 3rd round in standard re-draft leagues. I traded up this week in my rookie draft from 1.04 to 1.01 to ensure I get Fournette.
Pick #5. Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan - drafted by the Titans. Surprised they took him over Mike Williams but he is the kind of WR who can take the top off a defense and is not afraid to make a catch in traffic. He's around the the 3rd pick in rookie drafts and is coming off as a late 8th round pick in standard re-draft leagues.
Pick #7. Mike Williams, WR, Clemson - drafted by the Chargers. Touted as the most NFL ready receiver, he will be paired with a "healthy" Keenan Allen should make for an exciting 1, 2 punch for Philips Rivers. He's a mid-first round pick in rookie drafts and is going in the 10th round in standard re-draft leagues. Buyer beware, he's already hurt and falling behind in OTAs.
Pick #8. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford - drafted by the Panthers. This guy is a strong runner between the tackles and has the ability to catch out of the backfield or in the slot. Cam and crew will love their new offensive toy. He is the consensus #2 pick in rookie drafts and is going in the 5th round in standard re-draft leagues and 4th round in PPR leagues.
Pick #9. John Ross, WR, Washington - drafted by the Bengals. Speed. Speed. Speed. With a true field stretcher and alongside A.J. Green, Andy Dalton will love chucking the pigskin in 2017. He's a mid to late 1st round pick in rookie drafts and is going in the 12th round in standard re-draft leagues.
Pick #12. Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson - drafted by the Texans. Houston needs a QB and got one in Watson. A good character guy does the little things right and will make fellow Clemson alumn DeAndre Hopkins very happy. Going in the late 1st / early 2nd round of rookie drafts and the 14th round of re-draft leagues.
Pick #19. O.J. Howard, TE, Alabama - drafted by the Bucs. The 1st T.E. off the board is a great one. Does it all; run block, protect the quarterback and most importantly (fantasy wise) catch and runs great routes. Bucs now have 3 receiving threats. He's a mid'ish 1st round pick in rookie drafts and is going in the late 10th round in standard re-draft leagues. Rookie tight-ends historically don't make an impact in their 1st season however, Howard could easily be an exception to the rule.
Pick #23. Evan Engram, TE, Ole Miss - drafted by the Giants. If Odell Beckham Jr., Brandon Marshall and Sterling Shepard weren't enough to put fear in defenses now they added a legit TE to the mix. He's a early 2nd round pick in rookie drafts and is going in the 13th round in standard re-draft leagues. I don't look for him to make an impact this season.
Pick #29. David Njoku, TE, Miami, Florida - drafted by the Browns. A freakish talent with a tremendous catch radius. Ready to wow on highlight reels and score his fair share of TDs right out of the gate. It's safe to say Cleveland won the first round! He's a late 1st round pick in rookie drafts and is going in the 14th round in standard re-draft leagues.
Pick #37. Zay Jones, WR, East Carolina - drafted by the Bills. A physical receiver that will dominate over the middle and has the ability to break away from DBs downfield. He's a early 1st round pick in rookie drafts and is going in the 13th round in standard re-draft leagues.
Pick #40. Curtis Samuel, WR, Ohio State - drafted by the Panthers. Duel threat WR/RB at 5'11" he might not have the size but he does have the elusiveness to take it to the house anytime the ball is in his hands. Think Percy Harvin without the headaches. He's a mid 2nd round pick in rookie drafts and is going late in the 14th round in standard re-draft leagues.
Pick #41. Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida - drafted by the Vikings. Adrian Peterson and Matt Asiata are out, Cook and Jerrick McKinnon (especially PPR) are in. Both will be interesting picks on draft day. Watch camp closely. He's a mid 1st round pick in rookie drafts and is being drafted as a late 7th round pick in standard re-draft leagues.
Pick #48. Joe Mixon, RB, Oklahoma - drafted by the Bengals. On the field he could be the game changing RB Cincinnati has been looking for. Off the field, a despicable assault on a woman chased him out of the top 20 overall. If you can overlook that like the Bengals did than you could be happy with the return. He's a early 1st round pick (4th overall) in rookie drafts and is going in the 6th round in standard re-draft leagues. People are really thinking this guy will pass up Hill and Gio, that says a lot!!
Pick #62. JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, USC - drafted by the Steelers. Quite a crowded WR situation in Pittsburgh. Antonio Brown is top dog and the other 3 will fill in and take turns having big weeks. He's a early 2nd round pick in rookie drafts and is going late in the 14th round in standard re-draft leagues.
Pick #67. Alvin Kamara, RB, Tennessee - drafted by the Saints. Can he get 12 touches a game with AP and Ingram in the backfield? If it wasn't for the AP signing I'd be on board with this pick but... I think he's a high risk / high reward back in PPR leagues. He's a late 1st round pick in rookie drafts and is going in the 13th round in PPR re-draft leagues.
Pick #86. Kareem Hunt, RB, Toledo - drafted by the Chiefs. He is Toledos' all-time leading rusher, posting a career line of 782-4,945-44 (6.32 YPC) with 73 receptions, including 41 grabs as a senior. The highest running back ever drafted by Andy Reid in Kansas City is going to get a shot. He's a early to mid 2nd round pick in rookie drafts and is going in the 11th round in standard re-draft leagues. Before your fantasy football draft watch the video below for a complete comparison between Ware and Hunt. Looks like a value pick at his current ADP in my opinion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IChVvmD8j74