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NFL Draft Reaction - Most Improved Offenses

The dust has cleared and the picks are in. With the 2017 NFL Draft in the books, it's time to take a long look at how some of the most notable selections may impact the fantasy football landscape. Some of the effects will be immediate for current NFL players, but others may not be so obvious.

In this piece, we'll look at which teams could provide the biggest increase in fantasy value, based on the results of the NFL Draft. This could be especially important for dynasty owners and early drafters in MFL10 leagues.

For more NFL draft coverage, free agency news, and fantasy football analysis, bookmark our NFL page to get the advantage over your competition.

 

Most Improved Offenses for 2017

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Key draft picks: O.J. Howard, Chris Godwin, Jeremy McNichols

If there is a team that "won the draft" from a dynasty owner's viewpoint, it has to be the Bucs. O.J. Howard may have to share targets with Cameron Brate at first, but his talent level should elevate him to TE1 status before too long. He's a solid second-round pick in rookie drafts and is worth a late-round flier even in re-draft leagues. Godwin will take time to develop, but some fantasy draft evaluators liked him enough to call him a top-five talent at WR.

McNichols is the sneaky pick here because Doug Martin begins the year on suspension and has a growing history of injuries. Jacquizz Rodgers hasn't sold the team on using him as a feature back and Charles Sims is nothing more than a pass-catching specialist. McNichols is a speedy back (4.49 40-yard dash time) who could pick up the slack if given the opportunity, much like fellow Boise State alum and undersized RB Martin (they're both 5'9") did five years ago. According to PlayerProfiler.com, he had an excellent College Dominator rating of 41.4%. Dynasty owners would be wise to stash McNichols in the third or fourth round of rookie drafts.

Jeremy McNichols combine numbers

 

Jacksonville Jaguars
Key draft picks: Leonard Fournette, Dede Westbrook, Cam Robinson

This is mainly about the first player on this list, who also happened to be the first RB/WR taken in the 2017 NFL Draft. Leonard Fournette should make an immediate impact on a team starving for a run game to support embattled quarterback Blake Bortles. The following selection of OT Cam Robinson, in addition to the trade for veteran Branden Albert, should solidify an offensive line that was middle of the pack in terms of grading as a unit. This should have a trickle-down effect to the receiving game, where Allen Robinson now becomes a prime bounce back candidate. Expecting him to reproduce his 2015 numbers would be foolish, however.

If anything, the Jags don't plan on playing from behind nearly as much, as their young defense is also improving. Expect a more consistent, but less prolific output from Robinson and Blake Bortles. Allen Hurns and Marqise Lee shouldn't anything more than flex plays in standard leagues as the team continues to seek offensive balance in order to compete with a vastly improved AFC South.

 

Cincinnati Bengals
Key draft picks: Joe Mixon, John Ross, Josh Malone

It would seem the Bengals now have an embarrassment of riches at the skill positions. Jeremy Hill didn't have the best season in his turn as the feature back, but still managed to score nine TD. Giovani Bernard returns from ACL surgery after averaging 3.4 receptions per game and 4.2 yards per carry in his four-year career.  Enter Joe Mixon, who could quickly replace them both. It's likely that we'll see RBBC to begin the season, but Mixon should eventually assert himself. That's assuming Jeremy Hill is still around by the time the Bengals break camp.

Andy Dalton will also have multiple choices in the passing game, rather than forcing the ball to A.J. Green when nobody else is open. Green missed six games and failed to reach 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his career. As a result, Brandon LaFell suddenly became a viable target (that's not a good sign). John Ross will come along slowly as he recovers from shoulder surgery and is a dynasty-only pick for this season, but his speed threat should open things up underneath for slot receiver Tyler Boyd and tight end Tyler Eifert, who may resume his role as a major red zone threat if he can stay healthy all season. The biggest winner for short-term value seems to be Dalton. If he could throw for 4,206 yards without Tyler Eifert for half the season or Green for six games, 4,500-4,750 yards with 30+ TD is a legitimate target. If you're like me and play the waiting game on QB in re-draft leagues, grabbing him in the ninth round while you load up on other positions earlier could prove to be a steal.

 

Tennessee Titans
Key draft picks: Corey Davis, Taywan Taylor, Jonnu Smith

Corey Davis is currently the most common first pick in rookie drafts and mocks, and for good reason. Davis should immediately step in and give Marcus Mariota a reliable target that can work underneath routes and extend the defense deep at times. For all the preseason hype about Tajae Sharpe last year, he caught less than 50% of his targets and scored all of two TD despite starting 10 games. Rishard Matthews proved to be a reliable red zone weapon, but Davis has a superior skill set. Although he won't step into fantasy relevance right away, Davis is a top-notch dynasty prospect.

The Titans will continue to pound the rock with DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry whenever possible. If anything, the additions they made to the receiving corps will help the fantasy value of each RB. DeMarco Murray shouldn't see much of a reduced workload and is currently a great value in early PPR drafts (#45 overall). It's more advisable to pick up Tennessee receivers in a best-ball format like MFL10 because of the uncertainty around touchdown distribution to their receivers. Jonnu Smith is no immediate threat to Delanie Walker, so he too could be undervalued in re-draft leagues due to his age.

 

You might notice I didn't include the L.A. Chargers or Minnesota Vikings, despite the additions of big-name players like Mike Williams and Dalvin Cook. Williams will be slow to work his way into the rotation with numerous mouths to feed in that receiving corps and the Chargers haven't given Melvin Gordon a solid backup RB to keep him fresh. Cook, for all his talent, has way too many red flags to be trustworthy just yet and their other skill players like Bucky Hodges and Stacy Coley will likely be projects for the next year or two, if they even pan out.

Let me know who else you thinks belongs on this list or why you agree or disagree with the names mentioned above by hollering at me on Twitter @pfunk00 any time. Always stay tuned to RotoBaller for the best fantasy football analysis around!




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