Martavis Bryant, WR Pittsburgh Steelers Rookie Fantasy Spotlight
Byron Lambert, Rosterwatch.com

In our pre-NFL Draft rookie evaluations, The Trashman told us that Martavis Bryant’s “frame and ease of movement reminded you of A.J. Green, and that he’s got a ceiling as high as any receiver coming into the league. His combination of size and speed make him an easy pickup in dynasty formats.”

Having scouted Bryant live, he reminds me more of Tennessee Titan 2013 rookie Justin Hunter- a player who we really like heading into his second season. Both players have all of the measurables in the world, and some stretches of very compelling college game tape. Both are raw, especially in terms of route-running. However, both have the potential to be high-level “X” receivers on the outside.

Our notes from live receiver drills inside the NFL Combine reflect this sentiment. Bryant had a hard time breaking down and dropping his hips in the pro-style routes. Yet, he moved with great speed and fluidity down field and has exceptionally long arms which he used to make hands catches out in front of his body.

Now that we know where Bryant has landed- we really like him in Pittsburgh with Antonio Brown, Heath Miller, and Ben Roethlisberger. He’s a perfect complement to the offense, a piece they haven’t truly had since Plaxico Burress. He should provide Big Ben and his big arm (and big, nasty head) with a big, vertical red-zone threat. We also see some Mike Wallace-type potential here as well.

Yes, the Steelers drafted small-framed speedster Markus Wheaton last year– but as far as we can tell the jury is still out on him. Even if Wheaton shakes out, he’s likely best suited as a WR3. Team management has already stated they expect Bryant to compete for the WR2 spot on the outside this year as a rookie.

Given the circumstances, we currently have Martavis Bryant ranked as a Top 10 Dynasty Rookie WR. We recently drafted him at 2.09 in the rookie draft of our own Experts 12 Team PPR Dynasty League and loved the value- selecting him over the likes of running backs Terrance West and Storm Johnson.

In re-draft leagues- Bryant will be worth a late round flier as a rookie. We wouldn’t be shocked to see 500-800 yards and 5-7 touchdowns as a rookie. Numbers that equate to WR4/5 status with WR3 upside. We expect to be pretty high on Bryant by Year 2 in Pittsburgh.