Fantasy Football 2017: Top rookies worth drafting high

Which NFL rookies are poised to dominate fantasy football 2017? A combination of opportunity and abilities make these guys well worth drafting this season.

Last year, a number of rookies broke onto the fantasy football scene to become some of the best players at their respective positions. The same thing may happen again this year, which begs the question: how high should these rookies be taken in fantasy drafts?

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A late round flier is not worth discussion, but are these rookies worthy of a first or second round pick? We are focusing on running backs, but a quarterback has also snuck into the debate. Which rookies must be drafted in fantasy football 2017?

Two brothers from New York, Dan Salem and Todd Salem, debate Fantasy Football in today’s NFL Sports Debate.

Todd Salem:

The top rookies are a trio of running backs: Leonard Fournette, Joe Mixon, and Christian McCaffrey. In my opinion, one deserves early consideration, and the others should be met with more worry.

Fournette is going to be the No. 1 runner in Jacksonville. He should play as much as any established runner in the league for that offense. Even beyond production, that level of opportunity is incredibly valuable in fantasy. Fournette should be a top-20 selection, near the back end of the full-time runners list. Fournette should be drafted around the same time as Jay Ajayi, Marshawn Lynch, Lamar Miller and all the other non-elite bell cow backs.

The unknown about Fournette’s ceiling may even make him more intriguing to some risk-taking owners, meaning he could be in consideration near the top of round two. Who’s to say that he won’t outproduce Ajayi or maybe even Devonta Freeman this season?

I don’t see the same upside for McCaffrey or Mixon mainly because we don’t know how often they are going to be on the field. Until Jonathan Stewart gets hurt or Jeremy Hill gets benched, are McCaffrey and Mixon even starting backs? For McCaffrey, is he just a third-down back? A slot receiver? I’d be worried about drafting him as a top fantasy option until we know his role. And Mixon has two established backs to fight over for playing time. And that’s not even considering how good of a pro they are going to be.

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These guys are being drafted way too high for the level of unknown surrounding them. Throw Dalvin Cook into the same boat in Minnesota. I don’t mind hitching my wagon to a rookie runner, but I need to know he is going to see the field. That is only Fournette.

For the top rookie wide receivers, there is less pressure, less expectation, and less worry. Mike Williams won’t even start the season because of injury. No one is banking their season on a rookie receiver, and I could argue the same should be thought of backs outside of Jacksonville.

Dan Salem:

You nailed the logic behind rookies in fantasy football. We as owners must know if they will see significant playing time. Last season, Ezekiel Elliott was a known starter and he shined in that role. Wide receiver Sterling Shepard of the New York Giants was also a starter and he did well, but not out of this world. That’s what happens when you are second fiddle on your team. Your opportunities will be more limited.

Fournette is a solid bet to break out this season in real life and fantasy football. Jacksonville desperately needs a dominant running game, so Fournette will have every opportunity as the starting back to dominate. There is one other rooking running back who is also in line to shine. Kansas City Chiefs’ back Kareem Hunt is now the number one option, after the season ending injury to Spencer Ware. He has guaranteed opportunities to dominate for a proven offense that loves to run the football.

Both Mixon and McCaffrey scare me off with their unknowns. I would take a flier on McCaffrey, only because Carolina loves to utilize multiple running backs and Stewart has a history of getting hurt. He could easily see significant touches by week two or three, especially if Cam Newton changes his game as expected. There are few other rookies who I would target early on and trust preseason. No wide receivers jump out this early, but I am willing to make a play at a quarterback.

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Don’t kid yourself, I’m not eyeing Cleveland’s rookie signal caller. I do think that Mitch Trubisky of the Chicago Bears is worth a pick in fantasy drafts. He was named the starter very early on, meaning he’s gotten all of the first team reps throughout the offseason and preseason. Chicago is not a great football team as of yet, but they do have a nice running game to help Trubisky early on. Plus, the Bears will be required to throw the ball a lot to stay in games. The interceptions may add up, but so will the garbage time yards and points. That’s money for fantasy football 2017.