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DYNASTY FANTASY FOOTBALL: DPON'T SLEEP ON THESE 2024 SENIOR BOWL STANDOUTS! 💤
Seniors are sometimes overlooked in the NFL draft because they are “too old” entering the league and had too late of a breakout year. While seniors may have a little more wear and tear than the underclassmen, they can still make a significant impact in the NFL. HOFers Dan Marino and LaDainian Tomlinson were seniors. So were current stars Brandon Aiyuk and Justin Herbert.
Make sure to keep an eye out on these seniors as we inch closer to the draft because they could just be the missing piece to your dynasty fantasy football team! 👇
🏈 Spencer Rattler, QB, South Carolina
Remember when Spencer Rattler was the next big thing? I do. It wasn’t that long ago that he was a five-star recruit heading to do big things for Oklahoma’s program. Spencer Rattler was the #1 QB recruit in 2019 and was assumed to be a future first-round pick. His time in college wasn’t memorable, being benched at Oklahoma for Caleb Williams and eventually transferring to South Carolina where he’d finish playing.
He didn’t have the superstar-type college career he had hoped but was still a good quarterback. He completed a shade under 69% of his passes for 3,186 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. His rushing upside is a bit underwhelming, only registering 104 yards and 4 touchdowns on 94 carries this season. With that being said, it is hard to gauge how Rattler will play against tougher levels of competition. South Carolina was one of the worst teams in the SEC, so they didn’t play well against teams like Georgia and Tennessee but did put the beatdown on the smaller schools. Luckily, the Senior Bowl gave him a chance to prove that he belongs in the NFL.
Rattler looked good in practice and even better in-game, winning Senior Bowl MVP. He only played 2 series but managed to go 4 for 4 for 65 yards and a touchdown. His best play of the game was a 29-yard touchdown pass in the back of the end zone to Georgia WR Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint. Rattler showed the arm strength and accuracy of an NFL quarterback.
Rattler is one of those guys who can have a successful career if he goes to the right coaching staff. I see Rattler as a low-risk high-reward fantasy quarterback. He has all the tools of a quality NFL quarterback, yet his quality of play against tougher competition is still a concern. I wouldn’t pick him up in redraft leagues since he’ll likely get drafted as a backup, but if he lands in a place with an aging veteran or quarterback uncertainty, he’s worth a roster spot as a high-upside stash. An ideal landing spot would be somewhere like Minnesota where he can learn from Kirk (if he does return) and eventually take over the starting position after a year or two.
2023 Quick Stats:
Passing | Rushing | AVG Fantasy PPG | ||||||||
ATT | COMP | COMP % | YDS | TDS | INTS | YDS | TDS | |||
275 | 399 | 69 | 3,186 | 19 | 8 | 104 | 4 | 19.15 |
🏈 Roman Wilson, WR, Michigan
Roman Wilson didn’t have the numbers that most top-ranked receivers have this season. This was not reflective of his talent, but rather Michigan’s run-heavy offense. There were nine games where Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy completed less than 15 passes. Of those nine games, he had three with 10 or fewer completed passes. If you look at both Roman Wilson and J.J. McCarthy’s stats together, Wilson’s production makes a lot more sense. His game against Penn State makes you think he got shut down by the DBs since he goose-egged. But after doing a little digging, you see that Michigan only attempted eight passes all game. Despite the limited volume, Wilson would end the season with 48 catches for 789 yards and 12 touchdowns, leading the team in all three categories. It makes you wonder what he could’ve done in a more passing-friendly offense.
Wilson had a lot to prove during the Senior Bowl. Luckily for him, he was arguably the best receiver during the week, scorching DBs in one-on-one drills and showing reliable hands. He unfortunately was dealing with an injury and sat out both the Thursday practice and the game itself. He got a lot of praise throughout the week and was even compared to Tyler Lockett by Senior Bowl director, Jim Nagy.
Wilson is a player to keep an eye on this offseason. While he is a bit on the smaller side for wide receivers (6’0”, 192 lbs), he makes up for it with elite athleticism. I like how Wilson plays and even see hints of Amon-Ra St. Brown in his play style. I am making sure to pick up Wilson in any draft I can since the reward far outweighs the risk. As of now, he’s a mid to late-round stash in redraft leagues and worth an early second-round pick in dynasty leagues. Don’t let the stats scare you away. Watch Roman Wilson’s tape and I am confident you will become a fan.
2023 Quick Stats:
Receiving | Rushing | AVG Fantasy PPG | |||||||
REC | YDS | AVG | TDS | ATT | YDS | TDS | |||
48 | 789 | 16.4 | 12 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 13.33 |
🏈 Cody Schrader, RB, Missouri
The story of Cody Schrader is a classic underdog story. He started his college career at Truman State in 2018 before joining Missouri as a walk-on in 2022. From there, he won the starting job as a senior in 2022 and then became the focal point of the offense as a graduate.
It’s honestly pretty crazy how much Schrader has been slept on. He had 276 carries for 1,627 yards and 14 touchdowns with an average of 5.9 yards a carry. These are impressive numbers, especially since Missouri plays in the SEC. He had 9 games over 100 rushing yards this season and in two of those games, he went for over 200. His biggest game of the season came against #17 Tennessee where he had 205 rushing yards and a touchdown as well as 116 receiving yards on 5 catches (43.1 PPR points)
A big question mark entering the Senior Bowl was on Schrader’s hands. He only had 22 catches for 191 yards this season, which were both career highs. He answered with 5 catches for 54 yards. While he did impress through the air, he didn’t do too much on the ground, only registering 12 yards on 7 carries. His receptions total and receiving yards in the Senior Bowl should come as an encouragement and only boost his draft stock despite a lackluster rushing performance.
If Schrader’s performance impresses NFL personnel enough, it may just boost his draft stock enough to be picked in the first three rounds. In a comparatively weak running back class, Schrader could be worth a dynasty roster spot depending on where he lands. He is a tough runner who has been productive in a tough conference and that is the type of player worth taking a chance on. He reminds me a lot of Kyren Williams coming out of college; an undersized, quicker-than-fast running back with great vision.
2023 Quick Stats:
Rushing | Receiving | AVG Fantasy PPG | |||||||
ATT | YDS | AVG | TDS | REC | YDS | TDS | |||
276 | 1,627 | 5.9 | 14 | 22 | 191 | 0 | 22.14 |
Thank you for taking the time to check out my content! Follow me on Twitter @aidenhauser for all things fantasy football!
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