Rueben Randle may lose catches to his former college teammate, Odell Beckham.
Credit: Getty Images
Fantasy football isn’t quite a zero-sum game. For every yard gained by a rookie, there isn’t a full yard lost by a veteran.
But anytime we add talent to an equation, there are going to be changes in the bottom line. Perhaps more importantly, the draft allows us to evaluate how coaches really feel about their players instead of reading between the coachspeak lines.
These are the players who lost the most fantasy value as a result of what their team did in the draft.
Doug E Fresh
On the clock at No. 69 overall, the Bucs had severe needs along both the defensive and offensive lines. They surprised everyone, going with a running back in West Virginia’s Charles Sims. Perhaps it’s a sign the new Lovie Smith regime isn’t completely sold on the feature back they inherited — Doug Martin. At the very least, Sims will step right in as the passing back, leaving Martin as a two-down hammer and severely capping his reception total.
Randle gets handled
Rueben Randle is an explosive playmaker, one who projects to make you say “wow” at least once a game. He’s also proven to be unreliable, getting targeted on a team-high eight of Eli Manning’s 27 interceptions last season. The Giants clearly weren’t comfortable with Randle as the only option next to Victor Cruz, deciding to use the No. 12 overall pick on precision route-runner Odell Beckham Jr. They’ll both play plenty of snaps as new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo installs his three-wide base, but Randle’s ceiling is capped now.
Fire sale at the law firm
BenJarvus Green-Ellis has scored 37 rushing touchdowns over the last four years, making him a viable fantasy player despite replacement-level talent. The Bengals put an end to that, selecting a massive “big back” upgrade in Jeremy Hill. The LSU product will quickly move ahead of BJGE at camp, settling in to the goal-line role and change-of-pace complement to speedy Giovani Bernard.
MLB pickups …
1. Tyler Colvin, OF, Giants – He is taking advantage of everyday at-bats with Brandon Belt (thumb) sidelined another month.
2. Gregory Polanco, OF, Pirates – He’s a mega-prospect who’s a near lock to be called up in roughly three weeks.
3. Zach Britton, RP, Orioles – Tommy Hunter’s grip on Baltimore’s closing gig is shaky at best.
NBA lottery …
The Cavs, Bucks and Sixers hold the top-3 picks in June’s draft. The best fantasy prospects are also the best real-life prospects:
1. Jabari Parker, SF, Duke – He is reminiscent of Carmelo Anthony with a physical frame and shooting ability.
2. Joel Embiid, C, Kansas – Incredibly raw, yet he still averaged 2.6 blocks and 8.1 rebounds as a freshman.
3. Andrew Wiggins, SG, Kansas – He’s a 1-on-1 player who excels in the open court with freakish athleticism. That’s the NBA game.
Follow Metro fantasy writer Adam Levitan on Twitter @adamlevitan.
