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Fantasy Football: Winners and Losers From 2017 NFL Draft, Day 1

By Dan Thomas

Apr 27, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Corey Davis (Western Michigan) poses with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell as he is selected as the number 5 overall pick to the Tennessee Titans in the first round the 2017 NFL Draft at Philadelphia Museum of Art. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 27, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Corey Davis (Western Michigan) poses with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell as he is selected as the number 5 overall pick to the Tennessee Titans in the first round the 2017 NFL Draft at Philadelphia Museum of Art. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Day 1 of the NFL Draft came to a conclusion yesterday. Who are the winners and losers from a fantasy football perspective?

There is always drama when it comes to the NFL Draft and yesterday was no different. We had players going well before they were projected and some players stayed on the board a lot longer than expected.

Must Read: Fantasy Football 2017: Mike Gillislee Joins Crowded Patriots Backfield

A few of those rookies have their fantasy football stock soaring but their presence on their new teams impacts some of the veterans. Which players benefited the most from yesterday and which had their fantasy stock damaged?

Here are the fantasy football winners and losers from Day 1 of the NFL Draft.

Winners

Titans WR Corey Davis – Last year the Titans No.1 wide receiver was Rishard Matthews. He had a good season with 945 yards and nine touchdowns, but he’s not a true No. 1 wide receiver in the NFL. Davis has the ability to come in right away and lead the team in receiving.

Titans QB Marcus Mariota – In his second season in the NFL, Marcus Mariota showed everyone he’s a legitimate franchise quarterback and a QB1 in fantasy. Now he gets arguably the best receiver in the draft in Corey Davis.

Jaguars RB Leonard Fournette – When a team selects a running back fourth overall, they do it with the intention of feeding him a ton. Leonard Fournette will average 18-20 touches in an offense that wants to limit Blake Bortles pass attempts. Trading for tackle Branden Albert during the offseason will only help Fournette too.

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Chargers QB Philip Rivers – He gets Keenan Allen back from injury and now the Chargers add Clemson wide receiver Mike Williams to the mix. Philip Rivers is going to be an underrated QB1 in 2017.

Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey – This guy could have went to the Browns and still would have been a fantasy football winner. He’s too versatile and too dangerous to keep off the field. He’s going to get his touches and he’ll do glorious things with them.

Bengals QB Andy Dalton – Do I think John Ross was worthy of the No. 9 pick? Not at all. Still, the Bengals just gave Andy Dalton another weapon and Ross is one who can stretch the field.

Texans QB Deshaun Watson – I’m not saying he’s a QB1 but I’m intrigued by his upside. He has weapons in DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller, he’s mobile and Bill O’Brien knows how to coach quarterbacks. He’ll easily be the most relevant rookie quarterback in fantasy football this season.

Texans WRs DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller – Watson can’t be any worse than Brock Osweiler was last season, right?

Buccaneers QB Jameis Winston – Tampa Bay went out and got DeSean Jackson during the offseason and then they stole tight end O.J. Howard yesterday. Jameis Winston has plenty of options now.

Giants QB Eli Manning – The Giants added wide receiver Brandon Marshall during free agency and yesterday they drafted TE/WR Evan Engram from Ole Miss. Eli Manning will be a tremendous value pick for owners who draft him in the double-digit rounds.

Panthers QB Cam Newton – Carolina added a wide receiver to their backfield in Christian McCaffrey. Cam Newton‘s passing total will go up when McCaffrey racks up the YAC. That is something Newton never really had before in Carolina.

Losers

Jaguars RBs Chris Ivory and T.J. Yeldon – Hey guys, ask Alfred Morris and Darren McFadden how much playing time they got when their team took a running back fourth overall last year.

Chargers WR Mike Williams – He goes to an offense that already has some decent weapons in Keenan Allen, Tyrell Williams, Travis Benjamin, Hunter Henry and Antonio Gates. Too many mouths to feed for Williams to be reliable as a rookie.

Titans WR Rishard Matthews – The Titans added wide receiver Corey Davis with the fifth overall pick. That doesn’t exactly help Rishard Matthews’ outlook.

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Panthers RB Jonathan Stewart – He never makes it through a full NFL season due to injuries so maybe adding Christian McCaffrey will help prevent that. Even if that happens, Jonathan Stewart is going to see less touches in the Panthers backfield. He still could be a great value pick if he falls too far in drafts.

Giants TE Evan Engram – There’s no arguing this young man’s athleticism and ceiling. Yet, he won’t come close to reaching it as a rookie with all the other weapons on the Giants offense.

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