ASU Football: AllSunDevils Fantasy Football Round Table
Austin Grad:
N'Keal Harry: After an injury-riddled rookie year, Harry will look to prove the doubters wrong and show them why he was a first-round pick. His new quarterback Cam Newton will love the 6-foot-4 frame Harry is working with, as well as his 38.5 vertical jump, which will give him an advantage in the red zone over opposing defensive backs, quickly making him Newton's favorite target near the goal line. The lack of quality tight ends will make N'Keal get more check down targets as well, so while he may rely on touchdowns for the bulk of his points, expect him to get about five catches per game as well, which will be helpful in a full PPR league. It's a low risk; high reward move to draft the former Sun Devil late in the draft or as a waiver wire pick up.
Brandon Aiyuk: The 49ers first-round pick in 2020 will look to thrive in Kyle Shanahan's offense. The upside for Aiyuk is that the 49ers are probably not going to be blowing teams out as much as they did last year, finishing with the third-best point differential. This means Jimmy Garropolo and company will have to throw the ball more, giving Brandon more targets than some may expect, even with tight end George Kittle is the number 1 pass-catching option, with a dismantled group of receivers, look for Aiyuk to be the main target on the outside. San Francisco loves throwing the slants, which Aiyuk excelled at while in Tempe. He's only owned in 25 percent of fantasy leagues at the moment, and I think he would be a great late-round steal as I can eventually see him becoming a stationary flex player.
Donnie Druin-
N'Keal Harry: After a rookie season filled with injuries and frustration, I'm expecting Harry to bounce back in 2020 despite the change at quarterback. Cam Newton has already taken a liking to the ASU product and despite top target-getters Julian Edelman and James White (248 combined targets in 2019) remaining on the team. Harry looks to dominate outside the slot with Edelman already laying claim. He has plenty of opportunities to prove himself worthy of a late-round pick in fantasy drafts, although I am concerned his value may be touchdown dependent initially while the Patriots figure themselves out offensively. With the release of Mohamed Sanu, Harry's plate to eat just got bigger.
Brandon Aiyuk: You'll be pressed to find a rookie receiver with more initial opportunity than Brandon Aiyuk, who enters a 49ers receiving corps with little competition for playing time aside from Deebo Samuel, whose status is currently in jeopardy for week one due to injury. San Francisco doesn't pass the ball very much (bottom five in attempts in 2019), but when they do, they do so efficiently. Jimmy Garoppolo throws an excellent deep ball, a great strength of Aiyuk's, and surely a good sign of things to come for the former Sun Devil. San Francisco saw both Samuel and former receiver Emmanual Sanders finish as top 30 fantasy receivers with the presence of tight end George Kittle, and I believe Aiyuk can replicate that success in his rookie season.
Sande Charles-
N'Keal Harry: I am looking for Harry to have a bounce-back year. In a Patriots receiving core that's in flux, he has the potential be their wide receiver one. Edelman has been there forever, older and he was Brady's go-to guy, but now its Harry's turn to become Cam's guy. With no clear cut number one, Harry really has a chance to make his mark. Fantasy owners should take Harry as an upside flier, a lot of risks but exciting upside.
Brandon Aiyuk: With Deebo Samuel's injury, Aiyuk has a path to becoming the 49er's top receiving weapon. He shows the playmaking skills of being a higher-end playmaker. The former Devil has the potential to explode in the Shanahan offense. Aiyuk is a great value around round 10.
Millard Thomas-
N'keal Harry: After an injury-riddled rookie season, Harry is prime for a breakout as the No. 2 wide receiver alongside Julian Edelman. Throughout Cam Newton's time in Carolina, he has always favored bigger body pass catchers from the likes of Greg Olsen, Kelvin Benjamin, and even Devin Funchess. At 6-foot-4, weighing 225 pounds, N'keal Harry should be seeing a lot of red-zone targets from Cam Newton this season. With his potential upside of being Newton's favorite target, you should not be afraid to spend a late-round flier to snag Harry.
Brandon Aiyuk: Rookie wide receivers tend to struggle adjusting to the NFL, but Aiyuk is in the perfect situation to maximize his skill set right away. The 49ers wide receiver corps has been ravaged by injuries during the offseason, clearing a path for Aiyuk to be fantasy relevant in week one if he is healthy. Aiyuk is currently 'week-to-week' with hamstring tightness, but once healthy and on the field, there will be plenty of chances to catch it deep in this offense. The 49ers absolutely love to run it early so they can beat you with play-action late. You can steal Aiyuk near the end of your draft as a big-play waiting to happen.