During the NFL's offseason, it's difficult enough projecting what kind of fantasy football performance you'll get from an established star, let alone a newly-drafted rookie. Will Joe FirstRoundDraftPick see the field before week six? Will the game plan give him the opportunity to succeed? What's his learning curve? Will he show up to camp underweight? Overweight? Really overweight?
Nobody knows nothin', but it's still fun to speculate, so how about we discuss what kind of impact three of the Bucs picks from the 2017 draft could potentially have on your FanDuel fantasy football lineup…the key word, of course, being potentially.
O.J. Howard: TE (Round 1)
Pretty much every gridiron pundit on the globe predicted the Bucs would grab a tight end in round number one, so there are a whole bunch of writers feeling pretty good about themselves. You know who else is feeling pretty good about himself? Tampa coach Dirk Koetter, that's who, because he landed himself not just a day one starter, but a day one contributor. The Alabama product is massive, he has great speed for his size, and he has terrific hands, but what'll keep him on the field is his ability to block, oftentimes a bugaboo for young tight ends. And if the 6'5", 250-pound Howard is on the field, quarterback Jameis Winston will have no trouble finding him.
Chris Godwin: WR (Round 3)
Three words: Steal, steal, and steal. The former Nittany Lion isn't super-tall, he doesn't have blazing speed, and he isn't a crazy leaper. But Godwin while he doesn't do one thing brilliantly, he does everything well, and that's exactly what the Bucs offense needs. Perhaps his most impressive quality is his ability to improvise down the field…and it just so happens that his new QB is a huge fan of improvisation. Godwin could be a security blanket for Winston, and security blankets often make for terrific FanDuel fantasy football options.
Jeremy McNichols: RB (Round 5)
The diminutive rusher from Boise State clocks in at 5'9", but the Bucs have had good luck with undersized backs, haven't they? McNichols is a solid receiver, and his ability to catch the ball could give him plenty of opportunities, and if he can find the end zone early in the season, he might be the change-of-pace back that FanDuel players love.
