Rookies are often risky propositions in fantasy sports, and football is no exception. Sure sometimes first-year players break out from the get-go, but overall it's usually wise to not bank on them too much.
That said, few things are as exciting as rolling the dice on a fresh face and having him skyrocket into the stratosphere with your team riding the momentum.
Here is a standard fantasy team made up entirely of rookies-use this as a guide to make smart bets.
Quarterback- Teddy Bridgewater, Minnesota Vikings
Bridgewater was very undervalued in the 2014 draft, going a full 29 picks after Blake Bortles of Central Florida despite proving calmness in the pocket, accuracy, and leadership ability at the college level.
It's probably for the best though, as he'll be handed the keys to an offense with an elite running game (Adrian Peterson) and a major weapon at wide receiver (Cordarrelle Patterson). He also has a huge red zone target in tight end Kyle Rudolph that will benefit from Bridgewater's precision.
While your opponents are out there drooling over Johnny Manziel's debut, sit back and pick up Bridgewater.
Wide Receiver 1- Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sammy Watkins has all the hype, but he doesn't have a quarterback to make him elite in Year 1. The QB situation in Tampa Bay isn't amazing, but Mike Glennon proved capable last season while Josh McCown put up elite numbers in a small sample last year.
There's no way McCown puts up those numbers over a whole season away from Bears head coach Marc Trestman, but he's a solid passer that will be able to get Evans the rock.
Statistically and physically, Evans profiles like Larry Fitzgerald. He doesn't have the innate skills Fitz possesses, but he has the physicality and more top-end speed. He will contribute to fantasy teams this season.
Wide Receiver 2- Brandin Cooks, New Orleans Saints
He's crazy fast, has good moves, plays in a dome, and has Drew Brees slinging the rock. He showed his promise right away in the Saints' first preseason game, and provides a completely different set of skills than the rest of this crew.
With Swiss army knife RB Darren Sproles departed to Philadelphia, Cooks can replace a lot of that production.
Running Back 1- Andre Williams, New York Giants
I wasn't sure how he'd be in Year 1, but with David Wilson out of the picture and Peyton Hillis already battling injury, Williams seems like a safe bet to secure the No. 2 spot on the depth chart. He's no burner, but he's a huge back that will be death to defenses on the goal line.
Also, Rashad Jennings isn't a superstar-it's not a stretch to believe that Williams could overtake him at some point this season.
Running Back 2- Carlos Hyde, San Francisco 49ers
No I didn't forget about Bishop Sankey in Tennessee. I am not convinced he's going to be handed the starting job and these days you have to draft him like it's guaranteed. Hyde offers more upside than Sankey at a much lower cost.
If something happens to Frank Gore, or they just want to peel back his workload a little, Hyde is going to be able to step right in and run in bruising fashion. He's NFL ready and should get chances to shine in San Fran.
Tight End- Eric Ebron, Detroit Lions
I'm not getting cute here and picking a different name just to go against the grain. Ebron has as much upside as any player in the whole draft. I'm not saying he will be Jimmy Graham, but he has that kind of talent and athleticism.
He also has a top quarterback in Matthew Stafford to help him make the big plays a la Graham, and a wide receiver in Calvin Johnson to allow him easier matchups in the middle of the field. If there's any spot to gamble on a rookie this year, it's tight end with Ebron.
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