Fantasy Football 2019: Notable Rookies to Watch During Combine

The NFL draft can be a crapshoot for real-world general managers and their counterparts in the fantasy realm.

But the right freshman-to-be can be a godsend to both.

Just last season, first-year rusher Saquon Barkley produced the seventh-most fantasy points overall on Yahoo Sports. Draft classmate Baker Mayfield delivered a 16th-placed finish among quarterbacks, even though 2018's No. 1 pick watched the Cleveland Browns' first two contests from the sideline.

While not every rookie can be relied upon for statistical stardom, the good ones can deliver in a monster way.

With that in mind, let's spotlight three top fantasy prospects worth watching at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma

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The reigning Heisman Trophy winner is, as the kids would say, living his best life.

His solo season as the Sooners starter was electric, featuring 4,361 passing yards, 1,001 rushing yards and 54 total touchdowns. As if those numbers weren't intriguing enough, Murray delivered a second encouraging set at the combine, measuring in over 5'10" tall and weighing 207 pounds with 9.5" hands.

As NFL.com's Jeremy Berman relayed, Murray weighs more than Russell Wilson did at the 2012 combine and has larger hands than Mayfield measured at the 2018 version. Murray may not throw at the combine, so it's possible his best work there is already done, but even if that's the case, his stock is up.

While Murray is still on the shorter side, his physical attributes make him appear ready for the modern NFL. That could do wonders to his draft stock, which—depending on your analyst of choice—may have already been inside the top 10.

Fantasy football owners will still want to see where Murray lands on draft night and what kind of weapons he'll have around him. But if you want a reason to be excited about this quarterback class, the award-winning dual threat just gave you (another) one.

D.K. Metcalf, WR, Mississippi

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There are physical individuals, and then there's Metcalf, a sculpted receiver in a class of his own when it comes to his natural gifts.

His combine measurements are almost impossible to believe:

Metcalf also checked in with nearly 10" hands and a wingspan just shy of 83". Once he gets loose for the 40-yard dash, he might throw another eye-popping number our direction.

"We had a guy walk in our room last night, a receiver out of Ole Miss, his name is Metcalf, and he looked like Jim Brown," Oakland Raiders coach Jon Gruden said. "I mean he's the biggest wideout I've ever seen, and you got to ask yourself, 'Who's tackling this guy?'"

While Metcalf had trouble staying on the field—he broke his foot as a freshman and suffered a neck injury this past season—he defines the term "home-run hitter" when he plays. He averaged 18.3 yards per reception at Ole Miss and turned 14 of his 67 catches into touchdowns.

Damien Harris, RB, Alabama

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Even though Harris led the Crimson Tide in carries last season, it's his backfield mate Josh Jacobs who typically holds the top spot on most running back prospect rankings.

This week, though, Harris should get the lion's share of the spotlight. That's because Jacobs—a possible Alvin Kamara clone—suffered a groin strain in a recent training session and won't be doing any workouts this weekend.

"I'm going to save it all for my Pro Day, I'm not performing in no drills," Jacobs told reporters. "I can obviously run on it, I'm about 85 percent, but I feel like if I run and do bad, it'll hurt me more than if I was just to take my time and wait (until the Pro Day)."

Harris might not have Jacobs' ceiling, but the former is a handful when he's running downhill. With loads of power and good enough elusiveness for his size (5'10", 216 pounds), Harris could be an every-down option in the right situation.

He won't win you a 2019 fantasy title, but he can help your cause. Over four seasons at Alabama, he totaled 3,477 scrimmage yards and 25 touchdowns.