Jalen Hurd (WR, SF) - 2020 Fantasy Football Draft Sleeper

4 years ago by Dan Fornek

BALLER MOVE: Target Around ~160 Overall / Waiver Wire

CURRENT ADP: 180+ (Undrafted in 12-team leagues)

ANALYSIS: What we're seeing this season with rookie WR/RB Antonio Gibson is what Jalen Hurd already did in college and entering the NFL in 2019. He was a dual-threat offensive weapon playing running back in Tennessee (589 carries for 2,635 yards and 20 touchdowns, plus 67 receptions for 492 yards and six scores) and then turning into a wide receiver in Baylor (Hurd caught 69 passes for 946 yards and four touchdowns while adding 209 rushing yards and three additional touchdowns). Versatility is the defining word for Jalen Hurd.

Even as a third-round draftee in 2019, we have yet to watch this kid on an NFL gridiron as he missed all of last season thanks to a pre-season injury and rehab issues. It's Hurd's time now, though. The 49ers are entering 2020 with 98 vacated targets (17% of 2019's total), and you need to add the potentially steeper opening in them if Deebo Samuel ends missing time after getting injured in June. Other than Samuel when he comes back, Hurd's strongest competition will come from TE George Kittle, WR Kendrick Bourne, and rookie-WR Brandon Ayiuk. That'd be not a small mountain to climb for Hurd in the pecking order.

All things considered, Hurd's upside will depend on how strong his first reps are when he hits the field. If he proves to be healthy and flourishes early in the season, he should be able to carve out a consistent role in the passing offense. If he can't, though, it's going to be a struggle for him to find a fantasy-relevant role in San Fran. For the ADP he's currently getting drafted at (WR106) and projecting to get around 40 PPR over the year, it is not that Hurd is the worst play of the year, but he's not worth a draft pick if are not in a way deeper league. You will find Hurd for free after the draft is done. If you can afford to stash him and keep an eye on how things develop for Samuel on the health side of things, you might have a potential starter in the making, but keep your expectations low.