Welcome to Pick Six, where each week, I’ll tackle a dynasty topic in list form. It’s the off-season for the NFL, but a good dynasty league never slows down. You’ve likely already had your annual rookie draft and the likes of Sammy Watkins, Mike Evans, Bishop Sankey and Johnny Manziel have already found their way to a roster in your league. That doesn’t mean your work is done though. To stay on top of your competition, you need to be scouring the waiver wire and mining for those potential hidden gems.
There are a few rookies who I think are being overlooked for a variety of reasons. These are not players who will be first round rookie picks, but they could still help your team this year, and they might get that opportunity thanks to where they landed on NFL Draft weekend. These players have seen their value increase thanks to their location and there is still room to grow.
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1. Devin Street, WR DAL
Devin Street enjoyed a solid, albeit quiet college career at the University of Pittsburgh before being selected by the Cowboys in the fifth round of May’s NFL Draft. While Street does not possess elite speed, he does have impressive agility, posting high marks in both the vertical and broad jumps at the NFL Combine. Street has also proven to be a reliable target hog. He set the all-time Panthers record for receptions and only missed three games during his college career.
In Dallas, Street is already considered a lock to make the roster before training camp even begins, and although the top two receiver positions seem to be set in stone with Dez Bryant and Terrance Williams in place, Street’s size, at 6’2” and 200 pounds, will provide him the opportunity to step in for either starter, should they miss time.
2. Zach Mettenberger, QB TEN
It hasn’t been the best off-season for Titans’ quarterback Jake Locker, who is coming off a season-ending Lisfranc surgery. In April, the team opted not to exercise the 2015 option on Locker’s contract, meaning he will be an unrestricted free agent following the 2014 season. They followed that up by selecting former LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger, himself recovering from a season-ending knee injury, late in the May draft.
Although Mettenberger lacks the mobility Locker offers, that could be a better fit for new head coach Ken Wisenhunt’s offense. Wiz has worked with quarterbacks like Ben Roethlisberger and Philip Rivers in recent years, and their style of play is clearly closer to what the rookie can offer. Not only is Locker potentially a bad fit for the new offense, he also can’t seem to stay healthy, never playing more than 11 games in any season as a Titan.
3. TJ Jones, WR DET
Former Golden Domer TJ Jones is way under the radar as training camp nears. The Detroit Lions selected him in the sixth round of the NFL Draft and if he can quickly recover from his recent shoulder surgery, he could land a starting job as a slot receiver.
It’s well known the Lions have been desperate for other pass catching options for many years. It has been the Calvin Johnson show for years in the Motor City and recent attempts to add a consistent Robin to Johnson’s Batman have failed. Nate Burleson couldn’t stay healthy. Tight end Brandon Pettigrew couldn’t hang onto the ball. This off-season, the team made a big splash by signing Golden Tate away from the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
The Lions and Matthew Stafford have been among the league leaders in pass attempts for several years and that won’t change in 2014. Although Jones won’t eclipse Johnson or Tate for looks, TJ has a chance to see 75 targets in his rookie season, which will give him some solid dynasty value heading into his second season.
4. Jerick McKinnon, RB MIN
As the 2013 season drew to a close, Vikings running backs Adrian Peterson and Toby Gerhart were both banged up, so who was it that led some fantasy teams to a playoff victory? Of course, Matt Asiata! With Gerhart dashing off to Jacksonville and Peterson another year older, the Vikings clearly need to start thinking about their future at the running back position and they did just that in the NFL Draft as they used their third round pick on small school phenom Jerick McKinnon. Many dynasty players and football fans in general were not familiar with McKinnon until he blew up the NFL Combine, announcing his presence among the rookie class.
Through some early OTAs, McKinnon seems to have already claimed a third down role, along with drawing praise from his teammate, Peterson, who called McKinnon “impressive.” Peterson has missed an average of nearly two games per season over the last four years, so McKinnon’s role could turn out to be more than just a third down back.
5. Lorenzo Taliaferro, RB BAL
The off-season woes of the Baltimore Ravens have been well documented, especially at the running back position. As we know, starter Ray Rice was arrested for a domestic issue and is now facing a two week suspension. Fortunately, the Ravens invested in a young backup runner, Bernard Pierce. Unfortunately, Pierce is recovering from shoulder surgery that has kept him out of action throughout the off-season. While Pierce is expected to begin the season as the starter, the team will need another back to spell him.
That second option could be rookie Lorenzo Taliaferro, the big-bodied fourth round pick out of Coastal Carolina. Taliaferro was once considered a fullback prospect due to his size, but the combination of speed and agility he displayed at the Combine and pre-draft workouts showed teams he could handle an every-down role. While Taliaferro is a deep sleeper and has more to overcome, that also equates to a lower price in dynasty leagues.
6. Richard Rodgers, TE GB
The tight end needy Green Bay Packers have added two rookies at the position this off-season, following the injury to former starter Jermichael Finley. Following the draft, the team signed troubled tight end Colt Lyerla, who quit on his Oregon team in mid-season and has dealt with multiple drug-related issues in recent years. Lyerla was considered one of the most talented tight ends in the draft class, but most teams avoided him due to the off-field concerns.
The Packers third-round selection of former Cal Bear tight end Richard Rodgers is getting far less publicity, even though a recent roster projection left Lyerla off the team. Rodgers’ stock has been growing over recent weeks, however. Beat writers tabbed him as the MVP of OTAs and quarterback Aaron Rodgers came away impressed by the hands of his new teammate. Rodgers is now considered the favorite to start at tight end, and despite the stacked depth chart of pass catchers, any offensive skill player for the Packers has dynasty value.
