With the draft less than a week away, I took a detailed look at the rookie landscape and broke down the top 50 prospects in terms of potential future fantasy value.
I expect this list to change a lot after the draft, but based on the present state of things, here's how I have the top 50 rookies:
Ratcliffe's Pre-Draft Top 30 IDP Rookies
| Rk | Player | Pos | College | Comments |
| 1 | Sammy Watkins | WR | Clemson | He's a smaller version of Calvin Johnson and the best fantasy prospect in the 2014 class. |
| 2 | Mike Evans | WR | Texas A&M | Almost guaranteed to be the No. 2 pick in rookie drafts regardless of landing spot. |
| 3 | Odell Beckham | WR | LSU | Blazing speed, but not much size. Still projects to be a solid long-term fantasy option. |
| 4 | Marqise Lee | WR | USC | A very complete receiver, though I see a somewhat limited fantasy ceiling. |
| 5 | Brandin Cooks | WR | Oregon State | Tons of speed and has the ability to do a lot of things, though he's only 5'9″. |
| 6 | Allen Robinson | WR | Penn State | Shows up faster in pads than his 4.6 40 time suggests. His decent size will prove an asset in today's game. |
| 7 | Carlos Hyde | RB | Ohio State | He's not a burner, but in the right situation Hyde could step right in and be a productive fantasy option. |
| 8 | Jordan Matthews | WR | Vanderbilt | He's raw, but he has the size/speed that you just can't teach. |
| 9 | Johnny Manziel | QB | Texas A&M | The most polarizing player in this year's class. He's ranked here because his ceiling is the highest among the QBs. |
| 10 | Davante Adams | WR | Fresno State | Doesn't blow you away on film, but he does everything well and could be a solid No. 2 WR in the league. |
| 11 | Teddy Bridgewater | QB | Louisville | The safest QB in this class, though his ceiling isn't as high as Manziel's. |
| 12 | Eric Ebron | TE | North Carolina | The Vernon Davis comparisons may be a bit much, but Ebron has the tools to be a TE1. |
| 13 | Lache Seastrunk | RB | Baylor | Dynamic and willing to run between the tackles. Hands are a concern. |
| 14 | Kelvin Benjamin | WR | Florida State | He's a big-bodied receiver who could move up in the right landing spot. |
| 15 | Cody Latimer | WR | Indiana | The more I see, the more I like. Good size/speed combo. Has some sleeper appeal. |
| 16 | Tre Mason | RB | Auburn | Nothing Mason does is particularly special, though he could contribute in the right situation. |
| 17 | Donte Moncrief | WR | Mississippi | If he only had a QB. Moncrief is one of the more underrated WRs in this year's deep crop. |
| 18 | Jace Amaro | TE | Texas Tech | Basketball background with solid receiver skills. Has the makings of a PPR asset. |
| 19 | Isaiah Crowell | RB | Alabama State | Crowell stands out much more than Mason on tape, but his competition wasn't the SEC. Wouldn't be surprised if his stock rises after the Draft. |
| 20 | Devonta Freeman | RB | Florida State | Not a speed back, but a he's very complete player who could step right in to a committee. |
| 21 | Ka'Deem Carey | RB | Arizona | Lack of speed is a concern, but Carey is a tidy back who can run between the tackles and catch passes out of the backfield. |
| 22 | Martavis Bryant | WR | Clemson | Another big and fast receiver. Very high ceiling but closer to his floor at this point. |
| 23 | Storm Johnson | RB | UCF | Capable of making one cut and going. Possesses good hands. |
| 24 | Bishop Sankey | RB | Washington | Tempted to rank him higher, but he has some holes to his game that he needs to shore up. |
| 25 | Charles Sims | RB | West Virginia | Lacks wiggle, but Sims has good straight line speed and solid hands. |
| 26 | Blake Bortles | QB | UCF | Not as polished as Bridgewater, and lacks Manziel's ceiling. Still could be viable long-term fantasy option. |
| 27 | Austin Seferian-Jenkins | TE | Washington | Massive size, and good hands. Not an elite fantasy prospect, but still on the TE2 radar. |
| 28 | Terrance West | RB | Towson | Huge numbers at a Division II school. Not convinced he makes much impact at the pro level. |
| 29 | Paul Richardson | WR | Colorado | He's 175 lbs dripping wet, but Richardson can straight up fly. |
| 30 | Jeremy Hill | RB | LSU | Big back who doesn't particularly stand out at anything. Seems destined for a limited role. |
| 31 | Derek Carr | QB | Fresno State | Rocket arm, but concerned about his poise in the pocket. Has some Jay Cutler to his game. |
| 32 | Jarvis Landry | WR | LSU | PPR potential, but very limited upside. |
| 33 | Jared Abbrederis | WR | Wisconsin | Great route runner, but nothing else about him really jumps off the page. |
| 34 | Troy Niklas | TE | Notre Dame | Physically imposing player has gotten poor man's Gronk comparisons. |
| 35 | Andre Williams | RB | Boston College | Good size, though he doesn’t blow you away with any part of his game |
| 36 | Robert Herron | WR | Wyoming | Has plenty of speed. Not quite sure he has much else to offer. |
| 37 | Brandon Coleman | WR | Rutgers | Stands 6'6″ and has decent speed. Not a very instinctual player. |
| 38 | Colt Lyerla | TE | Oregon | Freakish athlete who has a long way to go, but an extremely high ceiling. |
| 39 | Henry Josey | RB | Missouri | One of the faster backs in this class. Has the look of a committee back. |
| 40 | Marion Grice | RB | Arizona State | Good size, but isn't going to make anyone miss. Likely destined for a committee. |
| 41 | Bruce Ellington | WR | South Carolina | Love his athletic ability, but he's another receiver closer to his floor at this point |
| 42 | James White | RB | Wisconsin | Shifty little back who could move up if the right team selects him. |
| 43 | Kevin Norwood | WR | Alabama | Doesn't blow you away with any aspect of his game, though he has decent size/speed. |
| 44 | De'Anthony Thomas | RB | Oregon | Plenty of speed, but has some significant holes in his game. Could wind up with a McCluster-like role. |
| 45 | Jeff Janis | WR | SVSU | Big and very fast, but he has an unproven resume that came against mainly Division II competition. |
| 46 | Zach Mettenberger | QB | LSU | His ranking could go up if he lands in the right spot. |
| 47 | Brett Smith | QB | Wyoming | Looks a little awkward throwing the ball, but he's very accurate and can run like a deer. |
| 48 | Josh Huff | WR | Oregon | A bit of a mystery because we didn't see much of him in Oregon's offense. |
| 49 | Cody Hoffman | WR | BYU | Big-bodied receiver who isn't a burner, but could be a solid contributor on an NFL team. |
| 50 | Silas Redd | RB | USC | Lacks speed and size, but has decent burst and wiggle. Hasn't reached his full potential, but don't know if he ever will. |
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