Penn State running back Saquon Barkley put on a show at the NFL combine with his freakish 4.40 speed and the upper-tier athletic traits that mesh with his game tape. This guy is legit. A home-run hitter. And he needs to be at the top of the fantasy radar throughout the draft process.
While we wait on the 2018 quarterback class to get a better feel for the pro-team fits and projected impact, let's focus on the offensive skill players who flashed in Indianapolis. From Barkley to LSU wide receiver D.J. Chark, here are 10 draft targets with the fantasy potential to boost your lineup this season.
Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
Plus, the tape is there with Barkley. I'm talking about the explosive runs, the matchups in the passing game and the vision to bend the ball back to daylight. And when he gets through to the second level, he can shift into another gear to make house calls.
Put Barkley in an offensive system that highlights his versatile skill set and we are talking about a projected RB1 in 2018 with major upside in both PPR and non-PPR formats. He can be an immediate star.
Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama
At 6-foot, 189 pounds, Ridley isn't a true size/speed prospect at the position and he didn't produce high-end testing numbers in the vertical (31 inches) or the broad jump (9 feet, 2 inches). However, the top wide receiver in this year's class did showcase his speed with a 4.43 40-yard dash time and the game tape is clean.
Ridley is a silky-smooth route runner who can win at all three levels of the field. And that's how you create separation versus NFL defensive backs. With the ability to get open underneath, push the secondary down the field and pickup chunk yardage after the catch, Ridley could ascend quickly to a WR2/flex play in his rookie season if the target volume is there.
Derrius Guice, RB, LSU
With a pro-ready body and the downhill toughness to win inside the tackles, Guice helped himself at the combine by posting a 4.49 40 at 5-foot-10, 224 pounds. That's a really good time for the LSU product and it shows that he has enough long speed to rip off explosive runs once he slices through the second level of the defense.
When I watch Guice's tape, he runs with power in his pads. It's a vicious style to hit the hole, and the footwork is there, too. Find a crease, show the burst and then run through contract. This is a guy who could handle a heavy workload at the pro level and has the running style to carry the ball on the goal line.
While Guice won't have as much upside as Barkley in PPR formats, he could see enough volume to jump into the RB2 discussion right from the start in non-PPR leagues.
D.J. Moore, WR, Maryland
With a 4.42 40, a 39.5-inch vertical and an 11-foot broad jump, Moore (6-foot, 210 pounds) flashed with his movement skills and athletic testing. There was a buzz in Indianapolis on the Maryland product and he could have an early fit in a pro offense because of his lateral quickness, plus the ability to slip defenders in the open field.
Given his straight-line speed, we know Moore can stretch the defense vertically in the slot or outside of the numbers, but I like the idea of getting him the ball inside on bubble screens, slants and crossers. Cater to his ability to produce after the catch. He's fights hard to tack on yards and can handle high volume at the position. If Moore lands with an offense that schemes up opportunities, he could jump into your lineup early as a WR3/flex with upside in PPR formats.
Mike Gesicki, TE, Penn State
Gesicki was one of the top prospects I watched in Mobile at the Senior Bowl and his testing numbers in Indianapolis were off the charts for the position. At 6-foot-5, 247 pounds, Gesicki posted a 4.54 40 with a 41.5-inch vertical, 10 feet, 9 inches on the broad jump and a 6.76 three-cone time. This guy can be a matchup weapon for an NFL offense as a "move" tight end or simply a big target in the slot.
Gesicki has excellent ball skills and he will adjust to make plays on contested throws. Think of the tight end working the middle of the field and then flexing from the formation on isolation routes in the red zone. Throw the slant and fade all day.
Yes, with rookie tight ends, we have to be cautious because the consistent production doesn't always show up. However, Gesicki has the frame, speed and ability of a TE2 or as an early-season streaming option in an offense that utilizes him as a weapon in the passing game.
Christian Kirk, WR, Texas A&M
Kirk (5-foot-10, 201 pounds) projects as a starter in the slot with the skill set to fit in multiple offenses. The Texas A&M product answered some questions on his straight-line speed with a 4.47 40 time. He can stretch the seam and run the deep corner route, but his ability inside the numbers look like his path to early NFL production.
The quickness is there for Kirk to separate underneath. That's why he can win on the option route or beat a defender off the jump to stem across the field on a shallow crosser. And with that comes numbers after the catch. Kirk could flourish in three-wide receiver sets to win matchups in critical down-and-distance situations.
Just feed Kirk the rock and bump up the target volume. This is a solid prospect who could slide into the lineup as a WR3/flex in PPR formats.
Sony Michel, RB, Georgia
Michel didn't post eye-opening speed in the combine testing (4.54 40-yard dash), but at 214 pounds with an electric burst on tape, the Georgia back is a great fit for a zone running scheme in the NFL. Michel's 1.56 10-yard split speaks to that first-step quickness and his running style reminds me of Atlanta's Tevin Coleman. He will slash through gaps to beat defensive angles to the ball.
Turn on the Florida tape where Michel lit up the Gators. Or go back to the Rose Bowl win over Oklahoma. The schemes there to produce monster runs? Just inside zone. That's it. See the hole and go. With Michel's running style and his ability to physically finish on contact, he can jump into a rotational role early in his pro career.
That's going to lead to some consistent volume and he can produce enough in the screen game to boost his overall impact in your lineup. I see Michel as an RB2/flex who could climb the ranks quickly.
D.J. Chark, WR, LSU
When Chark dropped a 4.34 40 time at 6-foot-3, 199 pounds, everyone in the league took notice. He's a true size/speed prospect with the long frame to win at the point of attack and the vertical ability to test defenses over the top. Plus, the footwork will flash on tape. That allows Chark to hit defensive backs with double moves and the body control is there to adjust to throws outside of his frame.
As a route runner, Chark isn't as developed as Ridley. He needs to be tighter on his cuts to generate more separation at the break point. But when he does, watch out. Then he can go to work on those deep inside routes to win in the middle of the field.
Look, the frame and speed are legit. And that gives Chark a high ceiling as a projected WR3 in non-PPR formats where he can bring some big-play ability to the lineup.
Bo Scarbrough, RB, Alabama
Scarbrough put together an excellent combine workout with a 4.52 40 to go along with a 40-inch vertical and a 10 feet, 9 inch broad jump. Great numbers. And at 6-foot-1, 228 pounds, Scarbrough has the big-boy frame to get downhill. He's that hammer in the backfield, a rotational guy as rookie who can impact an NFL offense in scoring situations.
While Scarbrough isn't going to run routes as a target flexed from the formation, he can catch the rock and pick up yardage on swings, checkdowns and in the screen game. Plus, I see the Alabama product as a possible lead back on the goal line in a committee approach for an NFL team.
That's why I would project Scarbrough as an RB2/flex play in non-PPR formats in 2018 with a higher ceiling if he's handling the carries inside the 10-yard line.
Nyheim Hines, RB, NC State
With legit track speed, Hines is a blazer who ran a 4.38 40 at the combine. Yes, he doesn't have the frame (5-foot-8, 198 pounds) to pound the ball between the tackles. I get that. But with that blistering speed and the versatility to remove from the formation as a target in the slot, Hines has the skill set of a change-of-pace/third-down back in the NFL with return abilities in the kicking game.
Teams could put Hines in the shotgun to get to the edge in the run game versus nickel fronts, swing the ball outside to get him in space or find the matchup to get him the ball underneath with room to run. A lot of possibilities here with Hines, who needs the right fit to maximize his talent and speed.
However, if he finds that fit, Hines could pop up as a flex option in PPR leagues. Keep a close eye on where Hines is drafted this spring. I like the upside here.