The 2020 NFL Draft is in the books and now it’s time to start thinking about each player will fit in with their new teams. More importantly, it’s time to start finding the players who can make an impact on your fantasy football team this year. Here is a look at some of the players from the 2020 NFL Draft who are poised to become fantasy football superstars in their rookie season and beyond.
Joe Burrow, Bengals
Will Burrow one day lead Cincinnati to the Super Bowl? Who knows, but the top overall pick in the 2020 Draft is likely to post some big numbers in the NFL. At LSU, Burrow showed the accuracy and intelligence to put up record-setting numbers. With the Bengals, he’ll have A.J. Green, Tyler Boyd, John Ross, and fellow rookie Tee Higgins at his disposal. That’s a quarterback-friendly set of receivers when everyone is healthy, which could help Burrow become a top-10 fantasy quarterback right away.
Jerry Jeudy, Broncos
Granted, Jeudy will have an unproven quarterback throwing him the ball in 2020 with Drew Lock set to be Denver’s starter. But the former Alabama wide receiver has the kind of speed and quickness that will make him a nightmare for NFL defenses in the slot. The Broncos also have a young wide receiver in Courtland Sutton that should draw plenty of attention, opening up opportunities for Jeudy, who could rack up a lot of yards and fantasy points after the catch.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Chiefs
History tells us that you can’t go wrong banking on an LSU running back. While Burrow got most of the credit, Edwards-Helaire rushed for over 1,400 yards and 6.6 yards per carry in 2019. More importantly, the Chiefs don’t have an established no. 1 running back. Edwards-Helaire could lead Kansas City in carries in 2020 and become the team’s top-choice running back for many years. He was also an underrated part of the LSU passing game in 2019, so he should pick up some fantasy points in the passing game as well.
Ke’Shawn Vaughn, Buccaneers
Vaughn was overlooked by most teams, but he’ll have a chance to be one of the top rookie running backs in 2020. In 2018, he rushed for over 1,200 yards and nearly eight yards per carry, following it up with another 1,000-yard season in 2019. Keep in mind he did that at Vanderbilt against SEC defenses that knew he was Vandy’s only serious offensive threat. With Ronald Jones doing nothing spectacular for the Bucs the past two seasons, Vaughn could end up leading Tampa in carries as a rookie and be a nice check-down option for Tom Brady.
Cam Akers, Rams
The Rams parting ways with Todd Gurley makes a lot more sense after they drafted Akers. If Florida State had been good the past two seasons, he’d have been a Heisman contender; he’s that good. Akers may not be the same caliber of pass-catcher as Gurley, but he can be the kind of workhorse back that can help get the L.A. offense back to its 2018 production, making Akers a no-doubt starter in most fantasy leagues.