It's NFL draft week! That brings the excitement of new talent coming into the league and hopefully landing in situations that could provide fantasy football value.
Last year, the wide receiver needy Detroit Lions landed Amon-Ra St. Brown in Round 4. He became one of the top wideouts in fantasy football in the second half of the season. That's what we're looking for in this draft—talented players finding themselves in a position to make an immediate impact both for his NFL team and fantasy fans.
With that in mind, let's look at some preferable landing spots for the projected top wide receivers and tight ends in the upcoming draft. These players would make a lot of sense both for the NFL teams to pick them and from a fantasy football perspective.
Best Fantasy Rookie Landing Spots: Quarterbacks & Running Backs
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Wide Receivers
Round 1, Pick No. 8: Falcons – Garrett Wilson, Ohio State
The Falcons' depth chart at wide receiver currently "features" Auden Tate, Damiere Byrd and Olamide Zaccheaus. That’s not what I would call an impressive list. Enter Wilson, who seems to be the consensus No. 1 wideout in the 2022 class, who would instantly be the favorite to lead Atlanta's wide receivers in targets as a rookie. In this sort of scenario, I could see the former Buckeyes standout pushing for No. 2 wideout value.
Round 1, Pick No. 10: Jets – Drake London, USC
Fantasy fans all love the upside of Elijah Moore, but the Men in Green still need to add talent to the offense to support second-year quarterback Zach Wilson. Assuming they cannot trade for Deebo Samuel, the Jets should look to draft a wideout with one of their two top-10 picks. London is a big, physical receiver who could come right in and compete to start with Corey Davis and Moore in New York’s passing game.
Round 1, Pick No. 18: Eagles – Jameson Williams, Alabama
Many draft experts believe that Williams would have been the top receiver in this class had he not suffered a torn ACL in his final collegiate game. Selecting him or another receiver would be the Eagles third year in a row taking a first-round wideout. Williams's talent would be tough to pass on when you consider that their offense lacking playmaking wide receivers beyond DeVonta Smith. Depending on his health, Williams would have mid- to late-round redraft value.
Round 1, Pick No. 19: Saints – Chris Olave, Ohio State
There have been rumors the Saints could trade up to take Kenny Pickett, but I like them to take a wideout if they decide to stay put. The best remaining option on the board could be Olave, who scored a career-high 13 touchdowns in his final season with the Buckeyes. He would slot into the starting lineup opposite another Ohio State product, Michael Thomas, and would have late-round value in most traditional redraft leagues.
Round 1, Pick No. 22: Packers – Treylon Burks, Arkansas
Whichever wide receiver the Packers select in the first round (assuming they actually do draft one) will instantly bring back some fantasy value. That, of course, is due to the team's lack of a true No. 1 wideout and the presence of future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers under center. Burks has good size at 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, and he has the speed to make plays in the vertical pass attack. He could be a YAC machine.
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Round 1, Pick No. 23: Cardinals – Jahan Dotson, Penn State
The Cardinals lost slot receiver Christian Kirk to the Jaguars, so Dotson can come right in and fill the void. Though he’s not a big receiver, Dotson finished his collegiate career with the Nittany Lions with 91 catches, 1,182 yards and 12 touchdowns while averaging 13 yards per catch. Landing in Arizona’s offense would help make Dotson worth a late-round look in redrafts and a first-or second round selection in all dynasty formats.
Round 1, Pick No. 29: Chiefs – George Pickens, Georgia
The trade that sent Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins left a huge void at wide receiver for the Chiefs. The team did add JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, but that doesn't preclude them from adding more playmakers at the position. Pickens would be ranked higher among wideouts in this class had he not suffered an ACL injury in March 2021. Regardless, catching passes from Patrick Mahomes would increase his stock.
Round 2, Pick No. 39: Bears – Christian Watson, North Dakota State
The Bears' wide receiver depth chart is not all that impressive beyond Darnell Mooney, with Bryon Pringle and Equanimeous St. Brown behind him. Chicago will want to add talent around Justin Fields, and Watson would be an instant upgrade over the current receivers on the roster (besides Mooney). An explosive player who can make noise in the vertical passing game, Watson could become an instant starter.
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Tight Ends
Round 2, Pick No. 52: Packers – Trey McBride, Colorado State
McBride, considered the best tight end prospect in the 2022 draft class, proved to be a tremendous pass catcher last season with 90 catches and over 1,100 yards. He also has the tools to develop into a good blocker at the next level, meaning he has a chance to be on the field a lot. Most rookie tight ends don’t make an immediate impact, but I’d like his long-term value in Green Bay as long as Rodgers is throwing him the football.
Round 3, Pick No.67: Giants – Greg Dulcich, UCLA
The Giants have a huge need at tight end after losing Evan Engram to the Jaguars and cutting Kyle Rudolph. With Ricky Seals-Jones slated to be the starter, Dulcich would come right in and have a chance to compete for playing time. I’d temper expectations for him as a rookie, but Dulcich could become the Giants' No. 1 tight end of the future. If this scenario comes to fruition, he could be a very attractive dynasty option.
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Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on Sports Illustrated and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. Click here to read all his articles here on SI Fantasy. You can follow Michael on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram for your late-breaking fantasy news and the best analysis in the business!
