With the NFL season quickly approaching, teams are assessing how much of an impact rookies will have. First-year players will populate the 2019 Fantasy football dynasty rankings, and with wage-controlled rookie contracts helping teams manage their salary cap situation, first-year players will see plenty of playing time in 2019. And there are plenty of tough calls to make for dynasty leagues. Can you trust a receiver like Marquise Brown (Ravens) or A.J. Brown (Titans) on teams with plenty of questions in the passing game, or should you go all-in on one of the 2019 Fantasy football rookies in a better situation like Mecole Hardman (Chiefs)? Before locking in your Fantasy football picks for dynasty leagues, be sure to see the Fantasy football rankings from SportsLine's Dave Richard.
Richard is a CBS Sports Senior Fantasy Writer, and a former Fantasy football writer for NFL.com. He's spent nearly his entire career covering the NFL and he continues to crunch the numbers, study film, develop tiers and trade charts, preview every NFL game and talk to decision makers. And he's done it with one goal in mind: to help you win your league.
Now he's turned his attention to the 2019 NFL season and revealed his highly-anticipated 2019 Fantasy football dynasty rookie rankings.
One thing we can tell you from his breakdown: Richard is high on San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who was picked in the second round out of South Carolina after he recorded 62 catches and 11 touchdowns in his final year with the Gamecocks.
"He's a deceptively quick and powerful catch-and-run specialist who might fit best in the slot thanks to his excellent route-running," Richard told SportsLine. "Samuel doesn't have many guys to beat out for playing time in San Francisco, and the offensive system matches up well with his strengths."
Richard calls Samuel a "sneaky-good" top-15 pick in rookie-only Fantasy drafts, so he's a player you should be all over this offseason.
Another one of the Fantasy football rookies 2019 that Richard is high on: Broncos tight end Noah Fant, a first-round pick out of Iowa. Fant wasn't the first tight end picked in 2019, and he wasn't even the first tight end picked out of Iowa, with that honor going to T.J. Hockenson, who went No. 8 overall to the Detroit Lions. But Richard still likes his upside as a player Joe Flacco can depend on in 2019, and one who could become a long-term top target for Drew Lock in Denver.
"Fant is a mismatch player the Broncos can use against slower linebackers and smaller safeties," Richard said. "That was something he did a lot of in the red zone at Iowa, scoring 18 times over 69 catches his final two seasons. But he averaged just 40.5 yards per game and had plenty of mishaps. With very good speed and unique size, Fant has the athletic profile to dominate."
Richard has also made the call on the top NFL rookies and revealed his top 50 rookie dynasty league rankings, which includes a major stunner in the top 10.
So which NFL rookies can you bank on in Fantasy football? And which shocking rookie makes the top 10? Visit SportsLine now to see a complete Fantasy breakdown of the top NFL rookies, all from a proven expert who can give you a huge edge in your league.