Fantasy Football Top Picks-10 Rookies Who Could Have A Fantasy Impact

Fantasy Football Top Picks Rookie #1-WR Marcus Easley/Buffalo Bills

Easley is 6-3 217 out of UConn and runs a 4.46 40. He had an impressive showing at the combine and had his best season last year and could be a player on the rise. This fourth round pick could have an impact as a third WR or even a starter for the Bills this season if he continues to show improvement. Besides Lee Evans, the Bills currently have Roscoe Parrish, who has so far proven to be a better returner than WR, Steve Johnson, James Hardy, Chad Jackson, and Felton Huggins at WR, meaning Easley could be someone to keep an eye on in 2010.

Fantasy Football Top Picks Rookie #2 – TE Rob Gronkowski/New England Patriots

I’m not saying the former Arizona Wildcat Gronkowski should be a high fantasy draft pick, but if you need a TE towards the end of the draft or a fill in here and there, he could be someone to keep an eye on. The Patriots currently have the aging Alge Crumpler and another rookie who could have an impact at the TE position Aaron Hernandez of USC. Gronkowski could end up being the starter, and if he is could be capable of putting up a respectable amount of fantasy points for a TE.

Fantasy Football Top Picks Rookie #3 -WR DeMaryius Thomas/Denver Broncos

Thomas is coming off of a broken foot, which is a little scary, but he did dominate at Georgia Tech and seemed to be getting better each season. With the trade of stud WR Brandon Marshall to the Dolphins, Thomas has a chance to jump into the number one receiver slot as long as he can come back without showing any effects from being injured.  Eddie Royal needs to prove his rookie season wasn’t a fluke after a very average 2009, and Jabar Gaffney is better suited for a third or fourth WR role. Brandon Stokley always seems to have some kind of ailment and should fit in as a number 4 WR, and fellow rookie Erick Decker  of Minnesota  will likely be battling Brandon Lloyd, Kenny McKinley, Matt Willis, and Jayson Foster for a roster spot, so Thomas could have a chance to be one of the top rookie WR’s in 2010.

Fantasy Football Top Picks Rookie #4-WR Jacoby Ford/ Oakland Raiders

This Clemson graduate ran a 4.28 40 at the combine, and although he is only 5’9 186, he could become a great downfield target for newly acquired Jason Campbell.  While the Raiders currently have 10 WR’s battling for rosters spots and positioning, Ford has the potential to be better than his main competition which is Chaz Schilens and last year’s rookie WR’s Darrius Heywerd-Bey, who drops too many passes, and Louis Murphy. While TE Zach Miller could prove to be their most consistent threat, Ford could be someone to keep an eye on as the season progresses and may be worth a late round pick.

Fantasy Football Top Picks Rookie #5 – TE Jermaine Gresham/ Cincinnati Bengals

Oklahoma’s Gresham could give the Bengals something they haven’t had in a very long time, and that is a viable receiving option at the TE position. The scary thing is that Gresham was injured for the entire 2009 season, but prior to his injury was one of the best, if not the best, TE’s in college football. While he doesn’t have burning speed, he did have an excellent combine, and could prove to be a valuable asset to Carson Palmer and the Bengals passing game. Gresham is definitely someone to keep an eye on and has the potential to fill the role of a starting fantasy TE as a late round draft pick.

Fantasy Football Top Picks Rookie #6 -RB Montario Hardesty/Cleveland Browns

Right now, RB Jerome Harrison is still an unsigned restricted free agent, and any head start Hardesty can get in camp could put him into the fold as the starter in Cleveland. Hardest y, out of Tennessee, has a combination of speed and strength that could see him develop into a good starting NFL running back. Even with Harrison coming back, Hardesty has a chance to see the field for a good amount of plays, making him worthy of at least a late round pick. Keep an eye on this situation, however, as Hardesty is one rookie who has the chance to be a valuable fantasy option should things fall right for him in Cleveland.

Fantasy Football Top Picks Rookie #7 -RB Ben Tate/ Houston Texans

This Auburn product will likely battle the surprisingly tough second year RB Arian Foster and 3rd year RB Steve Slaton for the starting spot. Slaton is a great pass catcher whose running skills have been suffering, and the Texans are also becoming fed up with his problems holding onto the ball. Like Hardesty, Tate also possesses a nice combination of speed and power, and could make this an even more dangerous offense in 2010. It may take some time to sort out the RB situation here, but I think Tate could emerge as the starter for this season and become a nice mid round pick for your fantasy football draft.

Fantasy Football Top Picks Rookie #8 -TE Dorin Dickerson/Houston Texans

With Owen Daniels coming off of an injury and still an unsigned restricted free agent, Dickerson could have a chance to impress. While the Texans also drafted Wisconsin’s Garrett Graham, Pitt’s Dickerson has rare speed for the TE position, running a 4.4 40 at the combine, and also has the strength to become an excellent all around TE. Dickerson seems to be a player that is constantly improving, and could be a player to watch as the preseason progresses. If he can play himself into a starting role, Dickerson could prove to be an excellent late round pick.

Fantasy Football Top Picks Rookie #9 – QB John Skelton/Arizona Cardinals

While Fordham’s Skelton was not one of the most highly touted QB’s in this year’s draft, he is in a good position to have a chance to play in Arizona. Skelton has good size for a QB at 6-5, and if he can improve his Ivy League game enough to play at the pro level, he could surprise. Matt Leinart has not yet proven he can handle a starting role, and ex-Brown Derek Anderson hasn’t exactly looked like the second coming of Kurt Warner. With WR’s like Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston and Tim Hightower catching balls out of the backfield, Skelton could turn out to be a good bye week replacement or better if Leinart and Anderson don’t outperform him in the preseason.

Fantasy Football Top Picks Rookie #10 -WR Golden Tate/Seattle Seahawks

Seattle has had all kinds of problems at the WR position recently, and Tate has some great potential if QB Matt Hasselbeck and the offensive line can return to form. With T.J.Houshmandzadeh(gotta love the name)providing a presence on one side of the field, Tate has a great chance to become at least the number two WR for the Seahawks ahead of Deion Branch and second year WR Deon Butler. Tate brings 4.42 speed to the table and has shown improvement every year in his career at ND, making Tate worthy of at least a late round pick with the potential to move up.