2015 Fantasy Football Rookies Poised to Break Out in Year One: NFC

There are a ton of rookie options to sift through for fantasy the upcoming season, but many of them won’t see much action until 2016. That’s fine for dynasty leagues, but in redrafts, we don’t have time to wait for players to develop – We need big action from the get-go. Here I’ve compiled a shortlist of the first year offensive skill players who stand to make the biggest impacts in fantasy this season:

Nelson Agholor WR, Eagles: Agholor has a sky-high ceiling as a premier receiver in Philly’s quick-moving offense, but it’s his significant floor that I’m going to love week in and out. Jordan Mathews will get his on the wings, and Josh Huff is talented enough to make a leap this season, but Agholor’s ability to play inside or outside will make him an indispensable addition to the offense. This one is ready to go out of the box, so plug him right into your lineups.

Matt Jones RB, Redskins: There are already rumors that there could be up to a 50/50 timeshare between Jones and Alfred Morris this season. I’m not quite so bullish on that prospect, but I do believe the beastly Jones will be significantly involved if his pass protection cuts the mustard. Drawing comparisons to Marshawn Lynch, we’ve always said Jones would be a formidable backfield option if he gets the chance, and it looks like he will.

Kevin White WR, Bears: White, one of the draft’s most coveted receivers, is stepping into some Brandon Marshall-sized shoes as Chicago’s new 1B next to Alshon Jeffery. He’ll have some monumental days attached to Jay Cutler’s arm, and he’ll have some less-than-amazing days attached to Jay Cutler’s arm. Either way, he’s going to be a weekly start from day one.

Ameer Abdullah RB, Lions: Reggie Bush is a 49er, Joique Bell is getting old, and Theo Riddick is going to be spending more snaps in the slot. This leaves Abdullah to split time with Bell from the get-go and potentially eat into his carries as the season carries on. Though he doesn’t possess great long-speed, Abdullah is a superb athlete and has a good head on his shoulders. He’s a fantasy-flex fantasy waiting to happen.

Stefon Diggs WR, Vikings: The outside WR spots in Minnesota belong to Charles Johnson and Mike Wallace, but the slot is wide open and Diggs is projected to play out of that position. Jarius Wright is still lurking, but Diggs is a stick of playmaking dynamite and should work his way into the starting lineup. Should he stay healthy, he’s got the potential to be a poor man’s Odell Beckham.

Tevin Coleman RB, Falcons: I’d say any starting RB in the NFL deserves to be owned in redraft leagues, and Coleman projects to start if he can beat out Devonta Freeman. Stiff-hipped but fast, Coleman will be in the mix from the first snap of the season, garnering instant RB2 consideration.

Devin Funchess WR, Panthers: The lack of depth in Carolina behind Kelvin Benjamin is staggering, so Funchess should ease right into three-wide sets or maybe even two-wide sets if he has a good camp and preseason. Either way, you’re going to see a lot of Funchess in his first year in the NFL.

Jameis Winston QB, Buccaneers: I tend to favor rookie QBs who can run over immobile signal callers, as they have their legs if all else fails during their learning curves, so I temper my expectations for Winston in year one. What he does have going for him is one of the tallest and most talented receiving corps in the league in the form of Evans, Jackson, and Seferian-Jenkins. Oh, and he plays in the NFC South.

Jamison Crowder WR, Redskins: Crowder is a longshot to have a major fantasy impact this year, but he will be in the running for slot receiver for the ‘Skins early on. He won’t be someone you can depend on from week to week, but he could prove to be a serviceable bye-week fill-in.

Todd Gurley RB, Rams: Gurley could be the next Adrian Peterson, but we won’t know for a few games as he’s rehabbing from ACL surgery. We may not see him on the field for the first month of the season and perhaps a little longer, but he’s going to make up for it in spades from then on. Barring further injury, Gurley has once-in-a-lifetime-type talent. Too bad he’s got to go against three of the toughest run defenses in the league two times a year.

2 Comments

  1. hey what do guys think about snead the rookie WR on the saints i thought he looked pretty good last night was targeted alot would he be someone to look at picking up in a PPR league

    1. he’s definitely worth rostering. seems to be brees’ favorite target right now.

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