Most fantasy football players will be concentrating on the big-name rookies selected in the 1st round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Trent Richardson, Justin Blackmon, Michael Floyd and Doug Martin are the obvious rookies to consider adding to your fantasy team. However, often there are rookies taken after the 1st round who have surprisingly productive seasons and outperform the more heralded ones.
Marques Colston was a little-known 7th round pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. All he did for the Saints in his rookie year was catch 70 passes for 1,038 yards (14.8 per) and score 8 touchdowns. Aaron Hernandez was taken in the 4th round of the 2010 NFL Draft and contributed 45 receptions for 563 yards (12.5 per) and 6 scores for New England as a rookie. DeMarco Murray (3rd round, 2011 NFL Draft) was the most impressive rookie running back last year before an ankle injury ended his season. Murray rushed for 897 yards, averaged 5.5 yards per carry and scored 2 touchdowns with just 7 starts for Dallas. The following are six rookies who could be more productive than many fantasy football players expect:
Nfl 2012
TE Dwayne Allen, Indianapolis Colts: The 2011 John Mackey Award winner was the draft's best all-around tight end. Allen has the size and strength to be a solid blocker. He also has the athleticism and hands to be a receiving threat. The Colts would like to play 2 tight ends, 2 wide receivers and 1 running back as their base offense. That is why they drafted Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen back-to-back. Allen figures to play a lot in this offense. Indianapolis is wisely tailoring their offense around the talents of their quarterback, Andrew Luck. The former Stanford star is used to an offense that features tight ends. Stanford did not have a strong core of receivers, but Luck thrived throwing to a deep and talented group of tight ends. A tight end can be a fine security blanket for a quarterback. Dwayne Allen could find himself the target of a good number of Andrew Luck passes.
WR Juron Criner, Oakland Raiders: The Silver & Black need a good possession receiver to complement some of their speed on the outside. Juron Criner may prove to be a steal for the Raiders and fantasy football players. Criner caught 32 touchdowns passes in college and has a knack for catching the ball in traffic. His route running ability enables him to play faster than he times in the Forty-yard dash. Carson Palmer should develop confidence in throwing the ball to Criner because he has such terrific hands. Palmer should also be better this year with a full off-season to learn the Raiders' offense. Juron Criner could push for playing time as a rookie and be a surprising contributor to the Raiders.
WR Alshon Jeffery, Chicago Bears: The Bears were wasting Jay Cutler's passing ability with a mediocre group of receivers. That changed this off-season. Brandon Marshall was brought in via a trade and Alshon Jeffery was drafted in the 2nd round. Jeffery is a big target with huge, soft hands. His ability to highpoint the ball is very impressive. A subpar conditioning effort and poor quarterback play led to a less productive 2011 season for Jeffery and cost him being a 1st round selection. He reportedly is in shape now and Jay Cutler can deliver the football. Jeffery can be a factor in the end zone and a solid possession receiver for Chicago in 2012.
RB Lamar Miller, Miami Dolphins: There is a lot of change in Miami with a new coaching staff. The west coast offense will be used and that means a good number of quick, short passes. Naturally, Reggie Bush will be utilized more as a pass receiver this season. Lamar Miller did not catch a lot of passes out of the backfield for the Hurricanes, but displayed pretty good hands. Miller has outstanding acceleration and speed. His burst was better than any back in the 2012 NFL Draft. The University of Miami product dropped in the draft due concerns over his surgically repaired shoulder. Miller is recovering well from his December surgery and will be able to handle contact in time for training camp.
He could very well beat out Daniel Thomas who was very disappointing as a rookie last year. Thomas (581 rushing yards, 3.5 yards per carry and zero touchdowns) did not run with power or speed in 2011. Miller could carve out a nice niche in Miami's offense as a complement to Bush. In addition, Reggie Bush has averaged only nine starts a season in his six-year career. It may have been an aberration that Bush started fifteen games last year. Miller is also a dangerous kickoff returner and his speed is a big play waiting to happen. A mediocre group of receivers could mean that the Dolphins must find a way to get the ball into the hands of their two most explosive players (Reggie Bush and Lamar Miller).
WR Rueben Randle, New York Giants: A rookie playing much on a Super Bowl-winning team normally does not happen. However, the Giants lost Mario Manningham to free agency and need a 3rd receiver to emerge. Randle could have put-up much bigger receiving numbers in college had he been in a better situation. LSU wins a lot of games with their strong defense and running attack. This philosophy combined with erratic quarterback play does not shine the spotlight on receiving talent. Randle ran a number of routes in college and has a good feel for the wide receiver position. He has an NFL body and physically should be able to handle press coverage. Randle is not a speed merchant, but he has enough to make some big plays downfield.
He will also notice a big difference between Eli Manning delivering the ball to him rather than Jarrett Lee or Jordan Jefferson (his LSU quarterbacks). The competition for the 3rd receiver spot is not steep for Randle. Domenik Hixon has struggled with injuries and really is a better kickoff returner than receiver. Ramses Barden has made zero impact in three seasons. Jerrel Jernigan has speed and quickness, but is small. He may be best as a punt returner and slot receiver. The Giants ideally would like Victor Cruz to work the slot and have another receiver complement Hakeem Nicks on the outside. Rueben Randle will have every opportunity to be the Giants' 3rd receiver this season.
WR Mohamed Sanu, Cincinnati Bengals: The free agency losses of Jerome Simpson and Andre Caldwell means the Bengals need some young wideouts to emerge. A.J. Green clearly is the lead receiver and an emerging star. Who is going to complement Green remains up in the air. Sanu has a good chance to emerge as a valuable contributor to Cincinnati's passing attack. Andy Dalton does not have a big arm and the fact that Sanu lacks speed may not matter much.
Sanu uses his good size and toughness to run slants effectively. Dalton may develop confidence in the rookie to keep drives alive with well-executed short passes. His competition for playing time is an undistinguished group of receivers. Jordan Shipley (recovering from a serious knee injury), Marvin Jones (fellow rookie), Brandon Tate (better kickoff returner than receiver), Armon Binns and Ryan Whalen are not proven NFL wide receivers. Mohamed Sanu has an excellent opportunity to play a good number of snaps as a rookie.
Six Non-1st Round Rookies To Consider In Fantasy Football
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