It’s kind of time to think about fantasy football again. No, seriously. If you’re in a dynasty league, you’re probably drafting rookies right now, and even if you’re not in a dynasty league, it won’t be long to start thinking about drafting this year’s rookie class. So, let’s start there.
Get to know Seahawks do-it-all running back C.J. Prosise
He’s a running back. No, he’s a receiver. He’s both!
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
The clear cut top rookie available this year is Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott. A lot of smart people already see him as a slam dunk choice to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. He plays behind an incredible offensive line in a system that leans heavily on the running game. Elliott also happens to be that rare back who figures to get 25-30 carries a game.
Elliott’s an easy choice. But what about the rest? This wasn’t a great year for offensive playmakers in the draft, but if you dig a little, you can find some help. I recommend Evan Silva’s dynasty rookie rankings over at Rotoworld, which happens to be about the most thorough analysis on the subject as you’ll find.
One name I’m intrigued by is the Seahawks third-round pick, running back C.J. Prosise. The first question is where he falls on the depth chart, since he was one of three running backs the Seahawks drafted this year. Marshawn Lynch’s heir apparent, Thomas Rawls, is coming off a broken left ankle, so he’s no lock to hang on to the job all season. Prosise came to Notre Dame as a safety, then made the switch to receiver before he became a running back. Seattle already plans to make him their third down back, and they can use his versatility all over the field. He’s already practicing some with the receivers.
Pete Carroll’s excited about him: “He’s really unique. I’ve never had anyone that was a receiver that went to running back that could do both. It’s a real prize for us. I don’t really have a guy to compare him to at this point.”
It’s pretty clear that Seattle plans to make him a regular part of their offense in one way or another. That’s great news for potential fantasy owners ... and potentially worrisome news for the rest of the NFC West.
MORE NFL THINGS TO KNOW
BIG TRADE NEWS: The Lions traded for Patriots linebacker Jonathan Bostic. He adds depth to a relatively thin group of linebackers in Detroit. New England got a conditional seventh-round pick for Bostic. Not bad for a player they were probably going to cut anyway.
MELVIN GORDON’S SURGERY: Chargers running back Melvin Gordon had microfracture surgery in January. That’s a pretty serious procedure, but the Chargers are optimistic about his recovery. The four to six month timeline would put him on track for training camp, but it doesn’t answer the larger question of whether he’ll find a way to live up to first-round promise.
ELLIOTT IS ALREADY A TOP-10 RB: Rookie Ezekiel Elliott is already paid more than most starting running backs. The rookie wage scale has the No. 4 overall pick making top-10 running back money.
HOT SEAT WATCH: 3 different reasons NFL coaches could be on the hot seat in 2016. Marvin Lewis, Gus Bradley and Mike Mularkey all have something to prove in 2016, or it could be the end of the road.
INTEL FAIL: The Giants had an “intelligence failure” in the first round of the draft. The Giants had Jack Conklin and Leonard Floyd in their sights with the 10th pick. Somehow, everyone else in the league seemed to know that. That made them reach for Eli Apple, the player they ended up selecting.
NFL PODCAST: Let’s talk about the draft. Danny Kelly, Stephen White and RVB reconvene to discuss this year’s NFL Draft results. This includes a lot of cussin’ about the Buccaneers trading up to take a kicker in the second round.
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