Rookie Watch Part I

1.Leonard Fournette

The person: Some say that he is the next Adrian Peterson. That's pretty good. Almost all agree he has the talent needed to succeed.

The place: The Jags have franchise QB (at least for now), and passing weapons. This means that Fournette can come in and augment what the Jags already have in place. Their defense should be improved too, which favors more ball control game scripts, which means better numbers for Fournette.

X Factors: Fournette gets a tough welcome to the NFL with some match-ups against some of the better run D's. You may see him do better after the first 3 weeks (HOU, TEN, BAL). He was the Jags first round pick (4th overall) because they are going to use him. Offensive line is not the best, but it may not matter.

What to watch for: Does he pass the "eye test" in the NFL? In the preseason, we would like to see what he looks like against NFL players, as opposed to collegiate players.

2.Christian McCaffrey

The person: McCaffrey is a weapon, and a play maker, a “home-run hitter”. It’s in his blood.

The place: Carolina has been a running team, but they have other RB’s that are going to also get touches. In addition to J. Stewart, you still have Cameron Artis-Payne, and Fozzy Whittaker, not to mention that Curtis Samuel could get some touches from the backfield too. All diluting McCaffrey’s value.

X Factors: McCaffrey is a great as a receiver. His value is definitely greater in PPR or .5 PPR leagues. He also will likely be involved in the return game. So, in leagues that award points for yards and TD’s in the kicking game (mine do), he gets a boost.

What to watch for: It will be hard to see just how Carolina intends on using him in the preseason. But he has missed some time at camp, and had some injury concerns. So, look to see how sharp he looks - does he look like he gets this new system, and how he fits into it? Since he went to Stanford, I guess he will.

3.Joe Mixon

The person: Well, his head coach Marvin Lewis says that Mixon is “off the charts talent-wise”

The place: CIN is not a great place for a rookie RB since the backfield is a bit volatile. There are other (non-rookie) RBs already there, so Mixon will have to battle it out with, and prove he deserves more touches in a competition with Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard.

X Factors: CIN’s O line was not good last year. They do have a nice passing offense which should keep NFL defenses honest though, and not let them key in on the run.

What to watch for: How does Mixon perform in comparison to his teammates in the backfield facing the same opponents?

4.Dalvin Cook

The person: Cook was touted as one of the more complete backs in the draft.
He was a dynamic weapon at Florida, and is proven as a pass catcher out of the back field. He would get a boost in PPR and .5 PPR leagues because of this.

The place: MIN had a bad Oline last year, though they did make some moves to improve. MIN did sign Latavius Murray, but right now it looks like it’s Cook’s job to lose as Murray is still recovering from an ankle injury.

X Factors: MIN starts the season against NO and PIT, which are favorable for the rookie RB. It is reported that Cook may have a role in the KR game. If this holds true, he would naturally get a boost in leagues that award points in the kicking game.

What to watch for: Mainly, we need to see how the MIN Oline looks this year. Also, is Murray ready and steady? If not, Cook could be great just from the volume he will see.

Up next - Rookie Watch Part II