Rookies Set to Have Biggest Impact in Fantasy Football 2015

Let’s just get this out of the way right off the top: Not every rookie class will produce a fantasy superstar like Odell Beckham Jr.

You might be paying more attention to rookies than ever before after the 2014 class gave us strong debuts from wide receivers such as Beckham, Sammy Watkins, Jordan Matthews, Mike Evans, Kelvin Benjamin, Brandin Cooks and Jarvis Landry.

The running back group wasn’t as deep but still contained Jeremy Hill, Tre Mason and Jerick McKinnon, although they had varying levels of success and didn’t necessarily contribute for the entire season like most of the wide receivers.

As you’ll learn in this article, there’s an array of talent in this year’s rookie class, but that doesn’t mean fantasy production is a given. If the situation isn’t ideal, such as with Marcus Mariota in Tennessee, then expectations should be very low.

In other instances, such as Amari Cooper in Oakland, talent should shine through no matter what happens. It comes down to opportunity, and the players on this list should have plenty of it in 2015.

Ameer Abdullah

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

Selected in the 2nd round, 54th overall

Initially, this landing spot looked good but not necessarily great for Ameer Abdullah. He was joining a backfield that already featured a solid all-around back in Joique Bell and a pass-catching specialist in Theo Riddick. With Reggie Bush gone, it made sense to pencil Abdullah into that role with Bell leading the way.

Hopefully, those plans were written in pencil.

Bell remains on the active/PUP list, as he continues to recover from offseason procedures on his knee and Achilles. While he’s progressing quickly, according to Tim Twentyman of the team’s website, he didn’t participate in any offseason workouts, which opened the door for Abdullah to take first-team reps.

Abdullah stands at 5’9” and 205 pounds, which isn’t the typical size of a three-down back and may explain why the team’s RB coach, Curtis Modkins, didn’t want to put that label on the rookie when he spoke with Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.

In the worst-case scenario, Abdullah should be a regular contributor in the Bush role because he’s a great receiver and did run a lot of routes while at the University of Nebraska. That’s assuming Bell comes back and is at full strength for the start of the season. Although with two straight seasons of just 3.9 YPC, it’s not like he ripped it up when he was healthy.

To Abdullah’s credit, he’s been taking advantage of his opportunities. Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin told Birkett, “We can’t even touch him. He’s like grasping for air.” Abdullah has also been holding his own in pass protection, which is typically a struggle for rookie running backs.

The Lions should have their back of the future in Abdullah, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the future start early. If that’s the case, he’s a legit sleeper candidate and has the upside to be an RB2.

Todd Gurley

Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

Selected in the 1st round, 10th overall

Todd Gurley ended the two-year drought of no running backs going in the first round, and for good reason.

Gurley can do it all and may be the most talented back to come out of college since Adrian Peterson back in 2007. That statement might sound extreme, but if the Rams were willing to take Gurley that high coming off an ACL tear last November, they obviously believe he’ll be a special player.

If Gurley wants to beat a defender with power, he will. If he wants to juke a would-be tackler, he’ll make him look foolish. At 6’1” and 227 pounds, Gurley has the size, speed and ability to be an every-down back in the NFL and dominate for years to come. But will that happen this year?

The Rams didn’t put him on the active/PUP list to start training camp, which was a great sign in terms of his recovery. However, head coach Jeff Fisher was on NFL Network talking about the plan for Gurley and said, “It’s unlikely you’ll see him in a preseason game because he’s got some work to do.”

This should not come as a surprise. Not only do the Rams have reason to bring Gurley around slowly because of the injury, but Fisher also has a recent history of bringing his rookie running backs along slowly. Plus, the Rams have a capable alternative in Tre Mason to keep them from overworking Gurley. 

Still, it’s hard to imagine the Rams limiting Gurley for very long once the season gets underway, especially since they don’t have an abundance of talent in their passing game and a new QB in Nick Foles leading the way. It may be a slow start for Gurley by design, so while he might be frustrating for fantasy purposes early on, you may be leaning on him come playoff time.

Amari Cooper

Eric Risberg/Associated Press

Selected in the 1st round, 4th overall

The Raiders haven’t shown a real commitment to excellence in quite some time and have become a fantasy wasteland where players go to ruin their careers.

It might be time to rethink that ideology.

In Amari Cooper, they now have a player who can do things like this to opposing cornerbacks.

As a rookie, he comes into the league looking polished and ready to dominate. Not only is he a great route-runner, but he's also a reliable pass-catcher. That gives the Raiders two wide receivers with excellent hands since they also have Michael Crabtree, who will start opposite Cooper this season.

Cooper will step into a major role immediately and should be the top target of second-year QB Derek Carr, who had a decent rookie season but has a long way to go in his development. However, Carr didn’t have much talent in his receiving corps last year and gets big upgrades in both Cooper and Crabtree.

Former Raider Jerry Rice told the team’s website that Cooper is “very much like Tim Brown, very explosive, got speed to burn, really going to strike fear into the opposing team.” When a Hall of Famer compares you to another Hall of Famer, expectations are going to rise.

Carr may not be the best quarterback for Cooper, but the rookie’s talent will shine through and cover up any of Carr’s shortcomings as a passer. If you’re hoping Cooper can be a WR2 right out of the gate, you won’t be disappointed.

Melvin Gordon

Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Selected in the 1st round, 15th overall 

Other than Jameis Winston going to the Buccaneers with the top pick, one of the easiest calls in this year’s draft was Melvin Gordon landing with the Chargers.

He filled a clear need with the team needing a new lead back when they decided to move on from Ryan Mathews after five tumultuous seasons.

But what is Gordon’s role? If you look at his ADP, fantasy players are drafting him as a high-end RB2 around the 34th pick as the 15th running back off the board. It’s tough to say a player is overrated before he even plays a down in the NFL, but for fantasy, that’s a fair assessment based on unfair expectations.

Much like any rookie back, the question of pass protection has been there for Gordon, and so far, he’s not easing any concerns. According to Kevin Acee of the U-T San Diego, Gordon has struggled as a blocker. That gives the team even more reason to get a healthy Danny Woodhead involved and use him on third downs.

Speaking of Woodhead, he should be the team’s primary pass-catcher out of the backfield, which could be a big hit to Gordon’s fantasy value. If he’s not a legit threat to catch the ball, we could be looking at a situation similar to Alfred Morris, who is a great runner but has a lower ceiling because he rarely catches passes.

Between the pass-protection issues, the presence of Woodhead and an offensive line that looks very shaky yet again, you may want to think twice before taking Gordon so early. He should be a decent RB2, but he might be frustrating to deal with as a rookie.

Nelson Agholor

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

Selected in the 1st round, 20th overall

Over the last two offseasons, the Eagles have cut DeSean Jackson and lost Jeremy Maclin to free agency, so addressing wide receiver was a priority in this year’s draft.

Even though a trade for Marcus Mariota never materialized, the Eagles still came out of the first round with a shiny new toy for the offense in USC’s Nelson Agholor.

He’s a versatile receiver and can do some damage after the catch, although he doesn’t have great size at 6’0” and 198 pounds. However, the loss of Maclin leaves a gaping hole in the receiving corps, which Agholor is expected to fill as a starter on the outside.

In the early parts of training camp, Agholor has gotten some work with the first-team offense but has “had his ups and downs,” per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. That’s not surprising for a rookie, and he still has plenty of time to prove he’s a better option than Riley Cooper, who had just 55 receptions for 577 yards and 3 TDs on 94 targets last season.

Head coach Chip Kelly has been fantasy-friendly through his first two years with the team, which should continue in 2015—good news for Agholor. The Eagles ran more plays than anyone else last year, and they have 143 targets to make up with Maclin gone.

Agholor should be considered a WR3 prospect as a rookie with Jordan Matthews looking like the team’s top target. The Eagles need Agholor to come into his own quickly to provide them with a quick return on their investment.

T.J. Yeldon

John Raoux/Associated Press

Selected in the 2nd round, 36th overall

After the Jaguars whiffed on the signing of Toby Gerhart to be their lead back last year, they addressed that need with the selection of T.J. Yeldon of Alabama.

Yeldon gives the Jaguars a back they can lean on to play a big role immediately, which is very important since second-year QB Blake Bortles is a long way off from carrying this offense. The 6’1”, 226-pound Yeldon has the size you want in a lead back but is also a good fit for the team’s zone scheme since he can slash through small cracks, as Greg Cosell of NFL Films noted (h/t Yahoo Sports).

Concerns about the Jaguars’ offensive line remain, and while Yeldon may fit the scheme, he may only go as far as their blocking lets him. Also, the team isn’t very good, which could cost Yeldon some touches if they are consistently playing from behind.

Luckily, Yeldon’s been good in pass protection, according to Hays Carlyon of the Florida Times Union, and that should keep him on the field for three downs, which isn’t always typical of rookie backs.

With an ADP around 65 as the 25th running back off the board, Yeldon is fairly classified as a low-end RB2 in a 12-team league. The Jaguars aren’t a team to invest heavily in this year, but Yeldon looks like a good fit and should be a reliable fantasy option on a weekly basis.

Breshad Perriman

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

Selected in the 1st round, 26th overall

Back in 2011, the Ravens were forced to turn rookie WR Torrey Smith into a starter when veteran Lee Evans went down with an ankle injury.

The story could be a similar one for Smith’s replacement in Baltimore, Breshad Perriman.

With an obvious need at wide receiver after Smith signed with the 49ers, the Ravens used the 26th overall pick to take Perriman and immediately put the rookie into a situation with a chance for a lot of opportunity. Unlike the start of Smith’s rookie year, the Ravens don’t have a legit, veteran option to turn to, so Perriman should be ready to play a big role.

When Perriman is brought up, his issues with drops usually follow pretty quickly. They were a problem at UCF and plagued him during offseason workouts but not enough to hurt his standing as a starter on the depth chart. The 6’2”, 218-pound Perriman has a strong combination of size and speed to be dominant, especially as a downfield option.

A knee injury has sidelined Perriman for much of training camp, but offensive coordinator Marc Trestman doesn’t believe Perriman is falling behind, according to ESPN.com's Jamison Hensley. That’s good news since Trestman’s offenses in Chicago were very fantasy-friendly and helped turn Alshon Jeffery into a top-15 fantasy WR.

Perriman shouldn’t have trouble beating out Kamar Aiken and Marlon Brown for the starting spot opposite Steve Smith as long as his knee injury doesn’t linger. The Ravens haven’t been great producers of fantasy WRs, but with Trestman running the offense, Perriman is one to watch as a potential WR3 with upside.

Duke Johnson

Tony Dejak/Associated Press

Selected in the 3rd round, 77th overall

Almost every other player on this list figures to be in the starting lineup come Week 1, and while that’s not likely for Duke Johnson, he can still finish the season as Cleveland’s best fantasy back.

The Browns didn’t get nearly enough out of their ground game last year, and that put too much pressure on a passing game that had bad QB play from Brian Hoyer (and Johnny Manziel) and one of the worst receiving corps in the league without Josh Gordon. Josh McCown, Dwayne Bowe and Brian Hartline were brought in to improve those problems, but they are not ideal solutions.

Once again, the Browns need to get a lot out of their rushing attack and are hoping Johnson can be the boost they were missing last year. Neither Isaiah Crowell nor Terrance West emerged as the team’s lead back despite plenty of opportunities. Those concerns remain in training camp, and RB coach Wilbert Montgomery is sick of it.

According to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal, Montgomery said, “It just bothers me that guys don’t want to be the lead bell-cow guy.”

In defense of Johnson and West, both players have dealt with injuries. Johnson is battling a hamstring injury, which has kept him out since August 1. West hurt his calf on the same day but has since returned to practice. That should give Crowell a leg up on the starting job, but it doesn’t mean Johnson’s fantasy value is in deep trouble.

A look at Johnson brings up talk of Giovani Bernard, and just like the Bengals have a one-two punch of Jeremy Hill and Bernard, the Browns could do something similar with Crowell and Johnson. Johnson stood out as a receiver at the University of Miami, and that’s an area in which Crowell struggled last year (nine receptions). At 5’9” and 210 pounds, Johnson doesn’t have ideal size for a lead back, and that will limit his upside.

Obviously, Johnson needs to get healthy to get back into the mix for an important role coming out of training camp. However, with little faith in West or Crowell, the Browns should give Johnson plenty of chances to succeed. That’s why he should be the Browns' running back to select during fantasy drafts, since he has the most long-term value.

All rankings and statistics are from FantasyPros unless otherwise noted.