Rookies are no longer simply pawns in fantasy football. They can win you a championship. Odell Beckham's 2014 rookie campaign was one for the ages, but don't forget about the impact of Mike Evans, Kelvin Benjamin and Sammy Watkins (that WR draft class, my goodness) that year. The following season, it was Amari Cooper and Todd Gurley transcending the league. Last year, Ezekiel Elliott somehow exceeded expectations as a consensus first-round fantasy pick, while Jordan Howard was an absolute monster down the stretch, and Michael Thomas had probably the quietest 92-catch, 1137-yard, 9-touchdown rookie year of all-time.
From a fantasy perspective, some of the aforementioned names were expected to be stars, some were surprises, but all were crucial in a lot of championship-winning squads. So, who's it going to be in 2017?
The draft, obviously, will play a big part in answering that question. Most believed 'Zeke would be good last year--and really, his talent would have helped him put up numbers in most places--but landing with the Dallas Cowboys where there was an opening spot at running back and a bulldozing offensive line was about as good as it gets for a rookie's fantasy value. Nevertheless, while situation will be crucial in determining the rookie fantasy rankings for the 2017 season, a player's long-term future (read: dynasty rankings) comes down more to talent. Situation will still be important, but the best players will ultimately rise to the top, no matter where they are.
With that in mind, you can click to the right for my top 2017 fantasy rookies, ranked for dynasty purposes. (Getty)
1. Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU
Fournette was transcendent during his freshman and sophomore years in Baton Rouge, tallying 2,987 rushing yards and 32 touchdowns on 487 carries (6.13 YPC). If he was in last year's class (you know, if it was possible), he would have been right there with Ezekiel Elliott for the top spot heading into the 2016 draft. But after a junior year marred by an ankle injury that has the potential to linger throughout his career, he isn't regarded as such a sure-thing anymore.
Ultimately, though, he still managed to average 6.5 yards per carry and 120.4 yards per game during his "disappointing" season. And more importantly, this is still a 6-foot-0, 240-pound bruiser with 4.51 wheels and the power to violently punish defenders at the secondary levels. His blend of size, power, quickness, athleticism and breakaway speed makes him a rare talent at the position, and considering his ceiling, I can't help but put him No. 1.
It's worth noting he caught just 41 passes in three years at LSU, and the next four guys on this list would likely jump him in PPR rankings. But in standard formats, Fournette gets the top spot. (Getty)
2. Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan
If it weren't for Fournette being such a special talent, Davis would get the top spot on this list because wide receivers are a lot easier to trust, and in dynasty formats, they have a much longer shelf life.
In terms of actual talent, the Western Michigan product is pretty close to the complete package. He has size (6-foot-3, 209 pounds). He has speed (4.48 40). He can line up all over the field, he can run every route, he can separate and he can win 50-50 balls. At the end of the day, fantasy football is about putting up numbers, and Davis did that better than most receivers in college football history, tallying a ludicrous 331 catches, an FBS-record 5,278 yards and 52 touchdowns during his four-year career at Western Michigan. If you want to use the level of competition as a criticism, keep in mind he also had 52 catches, 701 yards and five touchdowns in nine games against Big Ten schools. (Getty)
3. Mike Williams, WR, Clemson
After his 2015 season was cut short by a scary neck injury, Williams exploded to the tune of 98 catches, 1,361 yards and 11 touchdowns this year, putting him right in the center of the conversation for top overall skill player. I'm giving the slight edge to Davis because of his route running, but Williams is 6-foot-4 and ran a 4.5 40 at Clemson's pro day. That gives him an alluring size-speed blend that could make him a dangerous down-field and red-zone threat at the next level. (Getty)
4. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford
McCaffrey was pretty much a cheat code during his three years at Stanford, as the Cardinal could put him anywhere or in any situation, and he'd carve up huge chunks of yardage. In 37 games, he compiled 3,922 rushing yards (6.2 YPC), 1,206 receiving yards (12.2 YPR), 1,479 kick return yards (26.4 YPR), 380 punt return yards (11.2 YPR) and 33 total touchdowns. That versatility is what will make him such a special fantasy player. Whether or not he'll handle 200 carries a year is up for debate (he was certainly fine as a workhorse the last two years in Palo Alto), but it won't ultimately matter, because he's going to be heavily involved in the receiving game, and he may get opportunities as a return man. He's a running back and slot receiver all in one, and that gives him mouth-watering potential from a fantasy perspective. (Getty)
5. Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State
Cook being No. 5 on this list is indicative not of his talent, but of the depth of this year's class, as you could easily make a case for him being No. 1. In fact, the top five players could be arranged in any order, and it would be reasonable.
The Florida State product struggled with some inconsistency at times (20 percent of his runs went for negative yards), and he tested really poorly, but at the end of the day, he's a big-play threat (10 career runs of 50-plus yards), he's dangerous catching passes out of the backfield, and he has the ability to put up some monster numbers. (Getty)
6. Joe Mixon, RB, Oklahoma
Mixon's off-the-field problems are likely to cause him to slip during the draft, but based on talent alone, he's a first-round prospect. In two seasons at Oklahoma, he racked up 3,450 all-purpose yards (2,207 rushing, 894 rushing, 529 return) and 27 touchdowns in 25 games. That's 138.0 all-purpose yards and 1.08 touchdowns per game, which suggest the kind of immense impact he can make.
He's going to be a controversial pick and likely a controversial player, and there is a bit of an unknown here because of that. But if we're merely judging his fantasy prospects, he has to rank pretty high due to his amalgam of size, athleticism, versatility and elite production. (Getty)
7. John Ross, WR, Washington
Some guys are known as "lid lifters" due to their ability to stretch the secondary. Well, Ross blows the lid to oblivion. Boasting absurd 4.22 speed, the UW product is an obvious deep-play threat who can take the ball to the house on any given touch, but he also showed a strong ability to make catches in traffic, separate for first downs and do work inside the red zone. While his speed is clearly his greatest attribute, and it will allow him to make many splash plays, he's much more than just a speed threat.
Injury history is a concern, but that shouldn't detract from who is arguably the most exciting player in a draft full of them. (Getty)
8. O.J. Howard, TE, Alabama
Rookie fantasy rankings don't typically include a lot of tight ends, as players of that position hardly ever put up noteworthy numbers in their first year. But if we're talking long-term, and maybe even in short-term in his case, we have to include Howard. The system at Alabama limited his production, but his size (6-foot-6, 251 pounds) and athleticism (4.51 40) is reminiscent of the modern-day tight ends who can dominate down the seam and in the red zone. Throw in his terrific blocking skills, which should help him stay on the field, and it wouldn't be surprising if Howard quickly became a Top-10 fantasy tight end.
Note that his doesn't necessarily mean I think he'll put up numbers better than some receivers lower on this list, but in terms of value vs position scarcity, he ranks higher. (Getty)
9. Alvin Kamara, RB, Tennessee
Running backs who can catch the ball will always find value in fantasy football, and that's exactly what Kamara does. Though his rushing production doesn't stand out (210 carries, 1,294 yards, 16 touchdowns in two seasons with the Vols), he was really good as a receiver, racking up 74 catches, 683 yards and seven scores.
If you miss out on someone like McCaffrey in your rookie draft, Kamara is someone who could make a similar impact as someone who can line up all over the field and has the elusiveness to create chunk plays. The drawbacks, though, are injury concerns and limited experience (one year) as a starter. (Getty)
10. Zay Jones, WR, East Carolina
Take your pick for the next wide receiver. JuJu Smith-Schuster, Curtis Samuel, Cooper Kupp, Carlos Henderson, Chris Godwin and a number of others could make a case for this spot.
I value production, though, so Jones gets the edge after putting up a silly 158 catches, 1,746 yards and eight touchdowns in 2016. Though he may not have the highest ceiling of the remaining wide receivers, his ability to create separation coupled with his sticky hands (second-best drop percentage among this year's WR class) and elite toughness suggest he can be a productive possession receiver for a long time. There's without a doubt a place for that in fantasy leagues, especially in PPR formats. (Getty)
Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings 2017: Top Dynasty Players