The NFL draft has come and gone. Fantasy Football draft season is upon us. In this article I will be assessing the top 5 players at each skill position and where you should look to draft them in your dynasty rookie drafts.. whilst also getting stoned as fuck.
For the proceedings, I’ve rolled up Biker Kush and Dirty Orange Apricot from Benson Arbor. Rolled with a RAW rolling machine in RAW paper with a RAW tip (send me free shit, please). I’ll let ya know how it treated me after we talk shop. Now, let’s light this cannon and get down to it.
1: Clyde Edwards-Helaire
There’s been a debate raging in the fantasy community for some time now: Who is the RB1 in this draft class? Swift and Taylor seemed to be the two names mentioned most before the draft blew our rankings to shit, like it tends to do. With the other top 3 being mentioned on occasion (and not without good reason), as well. It soon became apparent that there was no clear-cut RB1 and landing-spots would dictate who came off the board first in rookie drafts.
Our debate was settled with the last pick in round one of the draft. Reigning Super Bowl Champions Kansas City Chiefs select: Clyde Edwards-Helaire. The LSU Junior breakout and neglectful parents to Burrows’ Kevin McCallister (lets face it.. he wouldn’t have stopped the wet bandits without ’em) landed in the best possible situation for almost any draftee. I think it’s safe to say the fantastical-football fucks of the world went resoundingly ape-shit. With 1414 rushing yards and 453 Receiving yards in 2019 and a combined 17 touchdowns from scrimmage, CEH seems taylor-made for the fast-paced Andy Reid offense.
If you have the 1.01, you’re most likely using it on CEH. Yes, Damien Williams and the other DW’s are still in KC. Sure, Taylor and Swift (…) were ranked higher on most pre-draft lists. Yeah, it could turn out his Junior year at LSU was lightning in a bottle. The talent is there, though. Along with more than enough opportunity for you to pull the trigger at 1.01. Just watch some tape. The burst, vision and patience will show you why he was the first running back off the board to what is arguably the most high-powered offense in the league. Don’t fuck this up, bud.
2. D’Andre Swift
Oh, Detroit.. 7 really doesn’t feel like the most magical number for ya, does it? 2013 was the last time the Lions had a 1000 yard rusher. Weed wasn’t even legal in Oregon, yet. So, it was basically a lifetime ago. I would love to tell you that Swift is going to break that streak but with Kerryon Johnson (though, often injured) still in the backfield, I can’t say my hopes are as high as I am right now. Not gonna lie, the idea of KC taking Swift had me so emotionally horny that I could barely contain myself. Needless to say, his Detroit landing spot is disappointing on more than just one level.
Swift had a pretty prolific college career in Georgia: 2885 rushing yards. 666 receiving yards (the most metal amount of receiving yards that one can earn). 25 touchdowns over 3 years. He pops on tape. If you haven’t seen the one-handed TD catch against Notre Dame, go look that shit up. Now. His receiving contributions could definitely make him reliable in fantasy, year one. If Kerryon stays past 2020-2021, his ceiling will stay lower than most in this class, though. For that reason (and despite the overflow of talent he exudes), I’ve got Swift as my RB5. He’ll most likely go sooner in rookie drafts and I really can’t blame anyone for taking him. Just be cautious when counting on the Lions rushing attack.
3: Jonathan Taylor
I don’t think anyone was truly expecting JT to cry them a Rivers this season. Terrible jokes aside, the Colts have backed Marlon Mack as their starter long enough. Taylor is the superior back and lands behind one of the best offensive lines in the league. In college he rushed for a fucking BRUTAL 6174 yards over 3 years (while carrying the ball 926 times over that span). With 407 yards receiving, more than half of which came in his Junior year and 55 TD’s from scrimmage, Taylor is no fucking joke. Even with Marlon Mack in the backfield, with that O-line and his big-play ability, Taylor can be fantasy relevant in his first year.
An argument could be made to draft him with the 1.01. Not just an argument, a pretty convincing argument. Though, barring a Marlon Mack trade I think expectations should be slightly tempered. With his usage in college, Taylor may not be the longest lasting of the bunch, but he can be one of the most productive over the next few seasons. He was far and away the most productive in CFB in this class. If you love him, take him with the 1.01. Marlon Mack could cut into his first year numbers but his talent should make him the RB1 in Indy soon enough. I’m taking him as my RB2 currently.. Ask me tomorrow and I may answer differently.
4: Cam Akers
I’m salty. After winning the ‘ship in my home league last year, I snatched a misplaced Darrell Henderson off the waiver wire. It felt like fate. Giving up my 2019/2020 first round picks for Sony Michel hadn’t exactly panned out the way I was hoping. Henderson seemed like he may be able to fill the void left by Sony’s lack of elite production. Then Gurley got cut and I got reeeeally hyped. Seemed like Henderson had a clear-cut path to the starting job for the Rams. Enter: Cam Akers. Or to put it another way, Enter: The Saltiness. My aforementioned lack of 1st round picks leaves me with no chance to draft the player who rushed for 2875 yards on 586 carries over his 3 years in college. While also laying down 486 receiving yards and 34 TD’s. He’s a great fit for the McVay offense.
After a down Sophomore year, Akers bounced back in 2019. He carried the ball 70 more times while playing one less game than he did in 2018. Breaking out for over 1000 yards as a Freshman, his sophomore year seems to be an outlier. The landing spot is what makes grabbing him more than appealing. With Gurley out of the picture, the Rams wouldn’t have used a 2nd round pick on a running back if they had faith in Henderson. Gurley was still an RB2 with RB1 upside in fantasy last season. Akers looks like a lock for the starting job on a (hopefully) improving offense. If Goff can keep his shit together this year, we should see immediate production from Akers. I wouldn’t scoff at anyone taking him as the third RB off the board. He lands at my RB4 spot here. Not because my saltiness, only because of the next player on this list..
5: JK Dobbins
Last but certainly not least, the 5th RB off the board in the NFL draft: J.K. Dobbins. I fucking love this guys tape. He joins the current league MVP (former NFL WR hopeful) Lamar Jackson and the Ravens in Baltimore. The college production. The drive. The fucking lowered shoulder against defenders. The GODDAMN landing spot. Dobbins lands in the most productive rushing attack in the NFL. He would easily be my RB1 on this list if it weren’t for the fact that Mark Ingram is still thriving at age 30. At 5.0 ypc, Ingram went for over 1000 yards last season. Could you imagine the kind of production we’d see from Dobbins if Ingram got hurt or traded next year? Gus Edwards ran for over 700 yards as the RB2 in Baltimore last year. Dobbins should exceed those numbers in a similar role.
Running for over 2000 yards in 2019 after a down sophomore year, Dobbins runs with a chip on his shoulder. A chip that tends to smack a lot of defenders in their face as he runs through them. With 645 receiving yards over his 3 collegiate seasons, Dobbins is a true 3-down back. I don’t know exactly what to expect in 2020 but if Ingram leaves in 2021 and Dobbins takes the starting spot, I would expect top 5 RB fantasy production. Take him anywhere from the 1.01-1.05 and give yourself a big, fat pat on your big, fat back. He may not be the guy in 2020 but he will be the man when he assumes the starting role in Baltimore. He slots in as my RB3 only because of Ingram. Draft him where you can. Even if you have to be a bit patient with the situation.
My Dynasty Rankings:
- Clyde Edwards-Helaire
- Jonathan Taylor
- J.K. Dobbins
- Cam Akers
- D’Andre Swift
Redraft Rankings:
- Clyde Edwards-Helaire
- Jonathan Taylor
- Cam Akers
- JK Dobbins
- D’Andre Swift
Except for CEH, who will probably get scooped up by an eager KC fan in your league or Jonathan Taylor (same scenario but Colts fan), you probably won’t have to spend anything later than a mid-to-late round pick on these guys. All of them could end up in RBBC’s. Don’t let your team bias poison your line-up and keep your expectations tempered, as rookie development can be hard to predict.
About the Bud:
Benson Arbor is an outdoor cannabis grow-operation based in Oregon. Their Dirty Orange Apricot (or simply Orange Apricot as it’s otherwise known) is a sweet, tangy, fruity indica dominant strain. The Biker Kush has earthy, piney tones and is also indica dominant. I may have zoned out on season 3 of Community for about 2 hours in the midst of writing this article. The mixture of the two caused a 2am taco bar in my kitchen while I sang Barbara Ann in a voice that sounded like Stitch with laryngitis. 10/10 would smoke again while watching Community but I may steer a little more toward the sativa side of the spectrum for the High Five: Wide Receivers Edition. Check out Benson Arbor on Instagram to get a look at their beautiful buds @bensonarbor.
Gettin’ Down to the Crutch:
To reiterate, rookie development can be difficult to predict. Damien Williams, Marlon Mack, Mark Ingram, Darrell Henderson and Kerryon Johnson could all take a stranglehold of the RB1 spot on their respective squads next season. One of these rookies could end up with a season ending injury before the season even begins. A number of elements come into play for individual player success. Anything could happen. I could stop rambling because I’m baked and ya know, what? I think I might..
Thank you for reading.
Stay safe. Stay stoned. Never start sleeping on the sleepers or starters.
-MarkiePMC
Dynasty High 