Fantasy Football 2020: Latest Rankings and Stock Watch Ahead of NFL Draft

The 2020 NFL draft is almost upon us. Beginning April 23, hundreds of prospects will officially become NFL players, which will obviously have an impact on the fantasy football landscape.

In some cases, the rookies will become new fantasy stars. This is believed to be a stellar wide receiver class, one that could mirror the fantasy impact had by players such as DK Metcalf and A.J. Brown last season. In other cases, the incoming rookies will either help or hamper veteran fantasy options.

Here we will dig into some of the latest fantasy stock trends with the draft right around the corner. First, though, a look at the latest PPR rankings.

2020 Fantasy Football Rankings, PPR

1. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers

2. Michael Thomas, WR, New Orleans Saints

3. Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings

4. Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants

5. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys

6. Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints

7. Davante Adams, WR, Green Bay Packers

8. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Arizona Cardinals

9. Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans

10. Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers

11. Julio Jones, WR, Atlanta Falcons

12. Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

13. Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns

14. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

15. Tyreek Hill, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

16. Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

17. Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

18. George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers

19. Josh Jacobs, RB, Las Vegas Raiders

20. Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

21. Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens

22. Kenny Golladay, WR, Detroit Lions

23. Amari Cooper, WR, Dallas Cowboys

24. Kenyan Drake, RB, Arizona Cardinals

25. D.J. Moore, WR, Carolina Panthers

26. Zach Ertz, TE, Philadelphia Eagles

27. Jarvis Landry, WR, Cleveland Browns

28. Leonard Fournette, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

29. Miles Sanders, RB, Philadelphia Eagles

30. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs

31. Odell Beckham jr., WR, Cleveland Browns

32. Courtland Sutton, WR, Denver Broncos

33. Todd Gurley, RB, Atlanta Falcons

34. Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

35. Allen Robinson, WR, Chicago Bears

36. JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

37. A.J. Brown, WR, Tennessee Titans

38. Adam Thielen, WR, Minnesota Vikings

39. Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams

40. Chris Carson, RB, Seattle Seahawks

41. DeVante Parker, WR, Miami Dolphins

42. Devin Singletary, RB, Buffalo Bills

43. Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens

44. Calvin Ridley, WR, Atlanta Falcons

45. Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks

46. Stefon Diggs, WR, Buffalo Bills

47. DJ Chark Jr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

48. Mark Ingram II, RB, Baltimore Ravens

49. Darren Waller, TE, Las Vegas Raiders

50. T.Y. Hilton, WR, Indianapolis Colts

Stock Up: Kyler Murray, QB, Arizona Cardinals

Lindsey Wasson/Associated Press

Arizona Cardinals quarterback and 2019 first overall pick Kyler Murray flashed plenty of promise as a rookie. He passed for 3,722 yards, rushed for another 544 yards and scored 24 total touchdowns. His fantasy stock should take a major leap in Year 2, and not just because of the experience he's gained since being drafted.

The Cardinals traded for star wideout DeAndre Hopkins at the start of free agency, giving Murray the young No. 1 receiver he previously lacked. He should immediately make Murray a more productive passer.

"Hopkins isn't a freak athlete like Julio Jones," The Athletic's Ted Nguyen wrote. "His 36-inch vertical is only in the 57th percentile among wide receivers. However, his ball tracking and ball skills are second to none. He has an extraordinary sense of where passes will land and routinely puts in himself in the best position to catch the ball or shield defenders off."

The addition of Hopkins gives Murray a second go-to target alongside ageless wonder Larry Fitzgerald. With Fitzgerald, Hopkins, Christian Kirk, Andy Isabella and KeeSean Johnson in the fold, the Cardinals now boast one of the better receiving corps in the NFC.

Stock Down: Tyrell Williams, WR, Las Vegas Raiders

Doug McSchooler/Associated Press

While the trade for Hopkins will help Murray, the acquisition of wideout Nelson Agholor is likely to hurt Las Vegas Raiders receiver Tyrell Williams. While Agholor isn't the most dependable pass-catcher, he has the speed necessary to stretch the field. That was largely Williams' role in 2019.

Additionally, the Raiders are expected to target a wide receiver early in this year's draft.

"Don't rule out a quarterback, one source said, but the expectation around the league is a wide receiver early and a middle-of-the-field defender with their second Round 1 pick," Bleacher Report draft analyst Matt Miller wrote.

Las Vegas is armed with the 12th and 19th picks in the first round. If the first pick is used on a wide receiver such as Oklahoma's CeeDee Lamb or Alabama's Jerry Jeudy, it would push Williams further down the pecking order.

Hunter Renfrow became a bigger part of the offense and one of quarterback Derek Carr's favorite targets as last season went on. Between Renfrow, Agholor, tight end Darren Waller and potentially a Round 1 rookie, there will likely be fewer passes headed Williams' way. Don't expect him to match the 651 yards and six touchdowns he had in 2019.

Stock Up: Hayden Hurst, TE, Atlanta Falcons

Nick Wass/Associated Press

Tight end Hayden Hurst was a first-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens back in 2018. However, he never lived up to that draft status, largely because the Ravens also selected Pro Bowl tight end Mark Andrews in the same draft class.

In two seasons with Baltimore, Hurst had just 43 receptions, 512 yards and three touchdowns. He could have more than that in 2020 alone as a member of the Atlanta Falcons.

Atlanta traded for Hurst in order to replace Austin Hooper, who caught 75 passes for 787 yards and six touchdowns last season. That's the sort of production Hurst could have as Atlanta's top tight end.

This isn't to suggest that Matt Ryan is a better quarterback than Lamar Jackson or that Atlanta's offense is necessarily a better fit for Hurst than Baltimore's. His rising stock is almost exclusively a matter of opportunity. No matter how much Hurst grew, he wasn't going to overtake Andrews on the depth chart.

Being part of Atlanta's offense will play a part, though. With guys like Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley roaming in the secondary, Hurst will have plenty of opportunities at one-on-one coverage underneath. Ryan is a seasoned veteran who will use this to his advantage.