Dynasty League Spotlight: De’Anthony Thomas, RB Oregon
The Trashman, RosterWatch.com

De’Anthony Thomas, RB Oregon

Height: 5’9″
Weight: 174 pounds
40 yard dash: 4.34 (Pro Day)
NFL Comparison: Tavon Austin

Scouting Notes:

Thomas was considered one of the most electrifying players coming into this year’s draft before his abysmal 40 time of 4.5 seconds. No – that’s not terrible for a running back, but for a player who made his name on his speed and relies on it to make up for his smallish size, 4.5 just won’t do. Thomas—fortunately—put doubts of his elite speed to rest, for at least a moment, when he posted a 4.34 40-time at Oregon’s pro day last month. To go with his speed, Thomas has soft hands and good vision. For his build, he’s a fairly tough player as well. The former Duck has great patience, waiting for his blocks before he cuts and bursts up the field where he’s rarely catchable.

Fantasy Outlook:

Like the human version of a Corvette, Thomas is light but powerful and not built for everyday use. He will be most valuable in the return game, and I’d be shocked if he saw regular carries his first year. The only leagues I would draft him in are ones that count return yardage.We have enough trouble reconciling lightweight “gadget” players at the WR position here at RosterWatch when determining their fantasy value. When it comes to running backs, our evaluative standards are a little more rigid. If an RB doesn’t weigh 200 pounds or more, we will have extreme difficulty recommending that player to fantasy owners for two reasons:

1) Their coaching staff will handle them with bubble wrap offensively and their biggest contributions are likely to come on special teams where points don’t count in most traditionial fantasy leagues.

2) In the event a player this slight of frame actually did receive a volume of work that could be advantageous for fantasy owners, the risk of injury is just too high.