Hello and welcome to the fourth installment of my annual Top 100 Rookies series! If you’re new to the series, every year I put together 100 rookies entering the NFL and rank them based on the impact I believe they’ll have for fantasy football purposes. This is not a “how good this player will be for real football game impact” conversation. This is specifically designed for you to use as an initial data set in building your own rookie rankings for all sorts of fantasy football drafts. And of course, it’s here to help you learn a few fun things to help you sound smart talking football with your friends.
Yes, you’re going to disagree with some of these rankings. And that’s okay! The goal here is to give you a baseline ranking to cross-reference with your own research. And believe me when I say this list has been a work in progress for at least three years. Thanks to college fantasy and devy leagues, I’ve been following most of these players since they were in high school. It’s a blast for me to finally see them land in the NFL, live their dream, and help you (the reader) win fantasy championships.
I used to keep things limited to offensive players, but for those of you who are super nerds like me, having some individual defensive players (IDPs) included definitely helps.
Some things to note as you read:
- The position listed is where I believe they will play most frequently in the NFL.
- “EDGE” players are typically 3-4 outside linebackers or pass-rushing 4-3 defensive ends.
- “DL” are typically DTs and DEs that will work exclusively between the 0 and 5 techniques on the defensive line.
- “LB” are the playmaking off-the-ball linebackers.
- Scoring format assumed is Superflex (can start 2 QBs), PPR, and a balance between tackle-heavy and big-play (for the IDPs)
If you missed the first part of the series:
Without further ado, here are the players currently ranked No. 21 to No. 40 in the early edition of the RotoViz 2021 Top 100 Rookies series!
40. Kylin Hill, RB Mississippi State
Kylin Hill begins the “actually quite intriguing” running back conversation in this class. 2021 isn’t filled with automatic lock talents, but Hill’s production profile is certainly a lot of fun.
| Seas | Games | RuAtt | RuYds | RuTD | RuYPC | RuAttAdjMS | RuYdsAdjMS | RuTDAdjMS | rbDominator | Rec | RecYds | RecTD | RecYdMS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 11 | 74 | 386 | 2 | 5.22 | 0.18 | 0.19 | 0.14 | 0.17 | 4 | 38 | 0 | 0.02 |
| 2018 | 11 | 117 | 734 | 4 | 6.27 | 0.48 | 0.48 | 0.33 | 0.53 | 22 | 176 | 4 | 0.08 |
| 2019 | 13 | 242 | 1350 | 10 | 5.58 | 0.73 | 0.71 | 0.59 | 0.74 | 18 | 180 | 1 | 0.08 |
| 2020 | 3 | 15 | 58 | 0 | 3.87 | 0.31 | 0.81 | 0.00 | 0.49 | 23 | 237 | 1 | 0.24 |
Not many running backs have a 1300-rushing-yard year and a season with 24% receiving yard market share. Hill does. And yes this year was cut short due Hill’s opting out, but he was off to an unreal start as a receiving back.
Hill had to wait his turn to earn the 2019 feature back role, but when finally given the opportunity he carried the entire offense. And like I talked about in NFL Prospects Weekly, even with a new coach, new scheme, and new quarterback Hill stepped up to the challenge early this fall in a completely different role. That balanced skill set, ability to learn/adapt, and completely unique production profile will likely interest quite a few NFL teams early in the draft.
