2019 NFL Draft: Day 3 Fantasy Analysis

The last day of the draft weekend is used to fill out rosters and build depth for positions. Not a likely spot for some fantasy-relevant starters. However, there actually have been quite a few players drafted in rounds four through seven that went on to become great fantasy starters. Tarik Cohen, George Kittle, and Tyreek Hill were all products of the last day of the NFL Draft.

With this article, hopefully, some prospects can be highlighted as possible fantasy relevant players in this year’s fantasy season. Let’s dive in and see which players are in good situations to warrant your attention come the fall.

2019 NFL Draft: Day 3 Fantasy Analysis

Hakeem Butler, Wide Receiver, Arizona Cardinals

Count this as another target for Kyler Murray and the Arizona offense. Butler has the skills to become an heir to Larry Fitzgerald, but it will take some time. Joining Kliff Kingsbury’s offense will be good for him to develop his skills and compete for a big role early in his young career.

Butler displays a good catch radius and is a constant winner when it comes to high pointing the ball and grabbing those 50/50 balls. His route-running is average and could use some work, but he definitely shows good athleticism and agility. One thing that may hold him back from carving out a role with the Cardinals offense is his drops. This is one of the reasons why he slid in the draft and became a day three selection. If he can learn from one of the greats in Fitzgerald, he has the rest of the tools to become a great receiver in the league for years to come.

Now as mentioned, he is joining a developing wide receiver room with lots of freshman players. Andy Isabella and KeeSean Johnson join him as fellow rookie receivers looking to earn some targets in this spread offense. Christian Kirk and Fitzgerald are the penciled in starters, but the supplementary pieces are up for grabs. Since there are lots of mouths to feed in this offense, there is no real idea of how involved Butler will be. He needs to be more consistent catching the ball first and then the targets should start coming his way.

As of right now, he will go undrafted in re-draft leagues but he has some good value in dynasty leagues. He has the skill-set to become a great wideout in the league, but will he be able to become consistent? Keep tabs on the Arizona target share as the season goes, but most likely he won’t be a huge factor early in the season.

Projected Draft Round: Undrafted
Projected Statline: 30 receptions, 219 yards, 2 touchdowns

Riley Ridley, Wide Receiver, Chicago Bears

With such limited draft picks this year, the Bears needed to be sure that every selection made was well-thought out. After picking David Montgomery in the third round to supplement the running game, Ridley was drafted in the fourth to add more weapons in the passing game for Mitchell Trubisky. The brother of the Falcons promising receiver, Calvin Ridley, some say that Riley may eventually be better. Now he does not have the stats that Calvin had in college, but Riley boasts similar skills to that of his brother.

Joining an evolving passing game, Ridley should be able to get some targets sooner than later. Chicago boasts some good receivers in Trey Burton (tight end), Allen Robinson, and Anthony Miller but adding Ridley can take this offense to another level. His ability to be a willing blocker will also get him on the field more and help him get involved in the offense. Now he doesn’t possess breakaway speed or good yards-after-catch skills, but he does show the skills to become a legit #2 receiver in this Bears offense.

He could see the field a lot in his rookie season but similar to Butler in Arizona, he has some issues with consistency catching the ball. Now it’s a small sample size with Ridley and he has a slight edge to overcome that issue compared to Butler, but it is worth noting.

His ability to help in the run game as a blocker as mentioned earlier will get him on the field often. Those times he is on the field just means that he is more often going to have targets as well. Right now, Ridley may become another undrafted player in your upcoming draft, but keep an eye on him early as he may supplant Taylor Gabriel in the Chicago Bears offense and become a more valuable outside target.

Projected Draft Round: Undrafted
Projected Statline: 39 receptions, 340 yards, 2 touchdowns

Caleb Wilson, Tight End, Arizona Cardinals

Yes, Mr. Irrelevant of the 2019 NFL Draft has made an appearance in this article! Now Wilson is listed as a tight end, but he is just a big bodied wide receiver. Especially in Kingsbury’s spread offense, he will not be asked to block too much as they will likely employ a twin tight end package in those cases. He runs good routes and shows an ability to get open in crucial situations. Now he is a bit smaller than your average tight end and will need to bulk up to separate from the linebackers and safeties in the NFL.

Being in the Arizona spread offense will be good for Wilson to gain some targets, as he becomes another option for Murray to throw to. Hate to play the same song on this record, but with so many options available, Wilson may not get enough targets to warrant being fantasy relevant this season. He needs to still develop as both a receiver and a tight end, but the promise is there because of the situation. A worthy investment in dynasty leagues, but not worth your time in re-draft leagues. He may come on towards the end of the season to help in the fantasy playoffs, but for the majority of the season, he will remain in the free agent pool.

Projected Draft Round: Undrafted
Projected Statline: 22 receptions, 190 yards, 1 touchdown

Hunter Renfrow, Wide Receiver, Oakland Raiders

If there is one word to describe Renfrow, it would be reliable. In any situation back at Clemson, Renfrow would come through in the clutch and put his team in the best situations to get points on the board. That is part of the reason why he is now the newest member of the Oakland Raiders. Pairing him with Antonio Brown and Tyrell Williams will give the Raiders a good set of receivers to get this passing game going again.

Making the transition to the NFL, Renfrow will more than likely be used in the slot position. He does not possess the blazing speed of other slot receivers, but he is reliable and can convert on crucial conversion downs and in the red zone. His size and speed obviously led to him sliding in the draft, but make no mistake this guy will produce at the next level.

As mentioned, pairing him with Brown and Williams will give Derek Carr a good set of weapons to move the ball down the field. Renfrow won’t have much competition for targets besides fellow rookie, Keelan Doss and the second-year receiver, Marcell Ateman. Renfrow will get targets in this offense and warrants a selection in your fantasy draft. Depending on the consistency of Williams in the offense, Renfrow may even get used on the outside as well. Renfrow is going to be a solid producer in the league, as long as Carr gets the protection to get the ball out. Draft Renfrow and he can be inserted in your FLEX position very quickly, if not right away in week one.

Projected Draft Round: 14th
Projected Statline: 60 receptions, 654 yards, 5 touchdowns

Austin Seibert, Kicker, Cleveland Browns

Kickers get love here too and if you’re a Browns fan, they know the trouble when the kicking game is not working. Early season losses might have cost the Browns from making the playoffs for the first time since 2002. The kicking got better as the season went on, but this was a position that needed to be addressed. Insert Seibert.

Now a kicker appearing in this fantasy football article may be weird to some. The reality is that kickers win you games in fantasy football too. Now Seibert joins a totally revamped Browns offense that on paper, looks like it may be in scoring position on a regular basis. Adding Odell Beckham Jr. through trade to a team that already had Jarvis Landry, David Njoku, and Nick Chubb means that Baker Mayfield has a good shot on taking this team to another level in his second-year.

Seibert left the University of Oklahoma as the FBS leader in scoring for kickers. A very good reason why he was selected by the Browns in the fifth round at pick 170. Now in standard 10-man leagues, Seibert may be one of those fringe players that possibly could get drafted. In a 12-man league, he is for sure going to be one of the 12 kickers drafted. Now if he happens to go undrafted in your league, he should be added to your watch list for sure. This Browns offense is going to be in scoring opportunities a lot and Seibert will benefit for sure.

Projected Draft Round: 15th
Projected Statline: 30/33 (field goals made/field goals attempted), 34/36 (extra points made/extra points attempted)

Trayveon Williams, Running Back, Cincinnati Bengals

There is no change in the fact that Joe Mixon is the lead dog in this backfield. The running back that will supplement Mixon, giving him rest every so often, is the position up for grabs. Giovani Bernard is currently slotted there, but he is in a contract year. Williams is hoping to come in and become the cheaper option, but also the better producer.

Unlike Bernard and Mixon, Williams is not a threat in both the passing game and the running game. He is strictly a runner and has shown that he can be a dynamic runner for sure. Williams left Texas A&M as the school’s third-leading rusher and was in the running for the Doak Walker Award his final year there. Williams does have a few things to improve on if he wants to be an NFL running back. He lacks the ability to break tackles because of his frame and will need to hit the weight room to handle the rigors of the NFL. Coming with time, he also needs to work on his vision and decision-making in hitting the hole.

Williams is going to get on the field in his rookie year and he will have the opportunity to showcase his abilities. Being used as a runner will be something that the Bengals have lacked. Using Mixon for the majority of the touches and then spelling him with Williams can bring another level to this rushing attack in Cincinnati. Williams can bring value in the special teams and also as a red zone option.

The value of Williams really depends on the play and health of Bernard. Since he is in a contract year, Bernard may be working towards a big payday in the offseason. So most likely Williams will go undrafted in most re-draft leagues, but he holds some solid value in dynasty leagues. Play the waiting game with him and be alert of his potential to breakout. Watch-list candidate, 100%.

Projected Draft Round: Undrafted
Projected Statline: 430 rushing yards, 1 touchdown. 20 receptions, 126 receiving yards, 0 touchdowns.