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Doug Orth | Archive | Email |
Staff Writer


NFL Draft Fantasy Recap: Rounds 6 & 7
5/1/16


NFL Draft 20166.09 - TE Jerell Adams, Giants

A strong case could be made that Adams should have been a late Day 2 pick, so New York lands a potential steal here. The Giants have made a living out of getting production out of late-round picks or undrafted free agents at tight end, and I'd argue Adams is the most talented one they have acquired in recent year. Adams can stretch the seam at 6-5, 247, it will get plenty of opportunities to do so with Odell Beckham Jr. and Sterling Shepard occupying the majority of defensive attention outside the hashes. He is a willing blocker - although he has much room to improve in that area - and should be at least a very capable complement to Will Tye. Although he has no redraft value, Adams should eventually emerge as the more valuable of the two in fantasy, making him a worthwhile third-round pick in rookie drafts.

6.17 - WR Kolby Listenbee, Bills

There is a giant void opposite Sammy Watkins at receiver in Buffalo, so any respectable wideout prospect is going to be given a chance to make some kind of impact. Josh Doctson may have stolen the show at TCU, but Listenbee was the silent tag-team partner who averaged nearly 20 yards on 30 catches in 2015. The track standout needs to add some muscle to his frame - he is rail-thin for a 6-0, 197-pounder - but it should be noted that his initial responsibility in Buffalo will be to stretch the defense, not run over the middle of it. As a result, he should be an afterthought in redraft leagues, but his raw speed is enough to put him on the dynasty league radar. He's worth a shot sometime in the third round of rookie drafts.

6.36 - RB Kelvin Taylor, 49ers

There is Carlos Hyde in San Francisco, and then there is a whole lot of uncertainty behind him in an offensive system that is dictated on the running game. The son of Fred Taylor, Kelvin lacks the all-around game of his dad but may be the best among the best 2-3 pure runners in this draft. Kelvin possesses the kind of advanced football intelligence that one might expect from a longtime NFL standout and more lateral agility than most of the backs in this class. He was the featured back in Florida in 2015 and never fumbled the ball in 510 career offensive touches, so he should have no problem earning Chip Kelly's trust. The reason he falls to the end of this round is because he is not a tackle-breaker per se, fights the ball a bit as a receiver and doesn't possess breakaway speed. Nevertheless, Taylor has a realistic shot at becoming Hyde's handcuff right away, and warrants RB4 consideration in redraft leagues. He's also a worthy mid-to-late second-round investment in rookie drafts.

7.09 - WR Daniel Braverman, Bears

Braverman isn't going to wow anyone with his deep speed or ability to high-point the ball, but he's a near-lock to carve himself out a fairly long career in the NFL. The Western Michigan product, who declared for the draft early after posting a 108-1,367-13 line in his final year in 2015, is one of the top 2-3 route-runners in this draft and more than enough foot quickness to succeed. At worst, he can be Cole Beasley. If Chicago commits to using him a lot in the slot, Braverman will give defenses fits as a chain-mover. He's not worth a pick in redraft leagues, but dynasty leaguers should have him on their radar.

7.20 - WR Charone Peake, Jets

If we've learned anything in recent years, it might be that receivers out of Clemson are worth paying attention to in the NFL. In fact, the recent run of talent the school has had at the position (DeAndre Hopkins, Martavis Bryant and Sammy Watkins) as well as injuries served as the major reasons why Peake failed to deliver on his talent until 2015. At 6-2, 205 pounds and 4.4 speed, he looks the part of a lead receiver and fights for yards after the catch. Hand size (leading to a high drop rate) and the aforementioned injuries kept him on the board until late in Day 3, but it should be noted that New York doesn't have much behind Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker (Quincy Enunwa is his main competition). He's off the redraft radar, but he has an outside shot at becoming Marshall's successor if last year proved to be a sign of things to come for Peake.

7.21 - RB Keith Marshall, Redskins

Marshall went to Georgia as a more highly touted recruit than Todd Gurley, but a torn ACL in 2013 (and a slow recovery from it) resulted in him missing most of the next two seasons. He had a chance at some significant playing time in 2015 after Nick Chubb was lost to injury midway through the season, but his continued hesitancy allowed Sony Michel to take the feature back role at Georgia. Marshall's stock spiked a little bit after the NFL Combine after running a 4.31 and has wonderful size (5-11, 219) for a feature NFL lead back, but his future will depend on whether or not he can ever fully trust his knee again. If he does, he should have no problem climbing to No. 2 on the depth chart in relatively short order behind Matt Jones, who still needs to prove himself as well. Marshall has a shot at being a late round pick in redraft leagues with a good camp (and if he can pass Chris Thompson on the depth chart), and is also worth a third-round flyer in rookie drafts.



Doug Orth has written for FF Today since 2006 and been featured in USA Today’s Fantasy Football Preview magazine since 2010. He hosted USA Today’s hour-long, pre-kickoff fantasy football internet chat every Sunday in 2012-13 and appears as a guest analyst on a number of national sports radio shows, including Sirius XM’s “Fantasy Drive”. Doug is also a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association.