We arrive at the Top Five in our final edition of 20 Late Round Fantasy Picks Worth a Roster Spot. If you’d like to check out Part One, click here. For Part Two, click here.
With no further ado, because you know how I feel about “ado,” here’s the rest of list.
5. Ryan Tannehill, QB, Miami Dolphins
ESPN Rank: 226
2016: 13 starts, 67.1 completion percentage, 2,995 yards, 19 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, 39 rushes, 164 yards, one touchdown
Like the Oakland Raiders, the Dolphins had any p.ans for a lengthy playoff stay dashed when quarterback Ryan Tannehill went down with an injury in Week 14. Last year was Tannehill’s first season in head coach Adam Gase’s system and he flourished. But with the injury, it was also the first year he didn’t pass for at least 3,900 yards since his rookie year. This is a good quarterback, better than people give him credit. The Dolphins have added more weapons this season and if Tannehill can stay healthy, and there’s no reason to believe he can’t considering these were the first games he’d missed in his entire career, the Dolphins will actually be in the AFC East hunt this year and Tannehill could throw 30 touchdowns.
4. Jared Cook, TE, Oakland Raiders
ESPN Rank: 251
2016: five starts, 30 catches, 377 yards, one touchdown
Cook made himself some money in the playoffs, making the catch that beat the Dallas Cowboys in the Divisional Round. This guy has been a solid, but disappointing player in his career. He’s put up decent stats for a tight end, but his body and talent level should put him in Rob Gronkowski and Travis Kelce territory. He’s never come close. That being said, the Raiders are a passing offense and Cook has been signed as the starter. The opportunity is going to be there for about 800 yards and six or seven touchdowns if Cook can step up to the plate and make the catches like he did last postseason. His playoff numbers in three games, 18 receptions ofr 229 yards and two touchdowns, nearly match his season total.
3. Benjamin Watson, TE, Baltimore Ravens
ESPN Rank: 259
2016: Injured all season
The Ravens snapped Watson up in the 2016 off-season to be their new weapon at tight end, only to see him go down with an injury in the preseason. Why did they want Watson so bad? How about 74 catches, 825 yards and six touchdowns in 2015 with the New Orleans Saints. Watson will be the main (if not only) tight end target for Joe Flacco and the Ravens’ offense this year with the possibly career ending injury to Dennis Pitta. If he’s got another 2015 in him, he’ll put it down this year.
2. JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
ESPN Rank: 264
2016: N/A
Martavis Bryant is probably correct in thinking he’s the No. 2 wideout after Antonio Brown, but the No. 3 job is up for grabs and while I like Sammy Coates, I see Smith-Schuster beating him and Eli Rogers out for the third spot. What does that mean? It means that when the Steelers go three-wide (or more), which will happen a lot, JJSS will be on the field and I suspect a signifcant target in the red zone. Last year at USC, Smith-Schuster caught 70 passes for 914 yards and 10 touchdowns and those catch and yardage numbers were down. In 2015, he had 10 touchdowns with 1,454 yards and 89 catches.
1. Jared Goff, QB, Los Angeles Rams
ESPN Rank: 268
2016: seven starts, 54.6 completion percentage, 1,089 yards, five touchdowns, seven interceptions
Ok, hear me out. There’s a reason every scout in the league (and most of its punditry) had Goff the No. 1 quarterback prospect. Now, I didn’t. I had Dak Prescott as mine and I’m pretty sure Dak and I were the only guys on the planet who thought that. What a difference a year makes.
But here’s the deal. My rankings were based on the ability to be a day one starter. Goff obviously wasn’t, but the raw materials and personality needed to be a good quarterback is there and he finally has a coach, Sean McVay, that can bring it out of him. There’s no way to undersell how shitty the Rams offense was under Rob Boras and quarterback “coach” Chris Weinke. Goff should get a pass on a disastrous rookie season based solely on that. With upgraded weapons, and underrated group of receivers and a resurgent Todd Gurley, Goff is going to surprise some people. Maybe your fantasy football opponent if you draft him.
That’s the 20 big dogs, but since I’ve got some extra space here I’m tossing in a few honorable mentions.
HM: Phillip Rivers, QB, Los Angeles Chargers
I don’t need to tell you to draft Phillip Rivers. Even though ESPN ranked him 144, there’s little danger he won’t end up on a very grateful team. Last year Rivers started 16 games, completed 60.4 percent of his passes for 4,386 yards, 33 touchdowns and 21 interceptions.
HM: Kenny Stills, WR, Miami Dolphins
ESPN has stills ranked 156. Last year he settled in as Tannehill’s favorite downfield target, averaging 17.3 yards per catch. He ended the season with 42 grabs for 726 yards and nine touchdowns. That’s right. NINE.
HM: C.J. Fiedorowicz, TE, Houston Texans
I steered away from any Texans players because I’m afraid a pig-headed Bill O’Brien will go ahead and start Tom Savage at the beginning of the season instead of DeShaun Watson. Regardless, Fiedorowicz might be a player to look at late or if you lose a guy to injury early. He caught 54 passes last year for 559 yards and four scores. ESPN has him ranked at 170.
HM: Taylor Gabriel, WR, Atlanta Falcons
Gabriel caught 35 passes for 579 yards and six touchdowns last season and had nine rushes for 171 yards. He was the gadget man who turned into a solid slot guy in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. Does Steve Sarkisian know how to use him as effectively? I don’t know, but he’s probably one of the first guys I’d snap up on the waiver wire if I had a guy go down. ESPN ranks him at 180.
HM: Carson Palmer, QB, Arizona Cardinals
Palmer didn’t have a horrible statistical season last year, but ESPN ranked him at 190 anyway. I didn’t put him on my Top 20 list simply because I’m not sure how much he has left and if this won’t be his year to fall off a cliff.. That being said, if you lose a QB or don’t like who you picked, he could be a solid No. 2 on a roster and will likely be a free agent for at least the first couple of weeks.
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