‼️ 2 Teams Can Turn Things Around

Some players take “raising the roof” too seriously…

In today’s Fantasy Life Newsletter presented by Fantasy Life’s Merch Store:

We are 27 days away from the NFL Draft and on the edge of our seats to see how teams will navigate the three days in Kansas City to bolster their rosters.

Alright, maybe not the EDGE of our seats, but you get what I’m saying.

With free agency is almost wrapped up, there are two teams that could do some damage in the draft to set their organizations on an upward trajectory, or at least try…

🐻 Chicago Bears

The Bears had an active offseason and really kicked things off with a bang when they traded the No. 1 overall pick to the Carolina Panthers and received D.J. Moore in the process.

They also signed two RBs in D’Onta Foreman and Travis Homer, and snagged TE Robert Tonyan along the way (plus many more players).

Overall, General Manager Ryan Poles went into the offseason with a projected $73 million in cap space coupled with glaring needs and walked away with cost-efficient moves that could set his team up for success.

Reporters like Field Yates even crowned the Bears as the “most improved team” throughout the free agency period.

Is there still work to be done? Absolutely.

Going into the draft, the team needs to focus on the offensive and defensive line, alongside maybe tight end. To say they have a stockpile of draft picks feels right — they’ll have 10 picks this year and get a chance to turn things the next few years around.

I think it’s time to hit the over on that win total. Just please, don’t give up on QB Justin Fields…

👀 Houston Texans

Alright, the Houston Texans haven’t been associated with winning in recent years (unless we count this game), but new head coach DeMeco Ryans has already started making his mark on this roster.

The Texans made tons of moves during free agency — most notably trading Brandin Cooks to the Dallas Cowboys. But Ryans and Co. really chipped away at trying to rebuild this team.

Some notable moves they made included signing Dalton Schultz on a one-year deal, locking in Shaq Mason and Jimmie Ward, and even bringing in Robert Woods.

All in all, the Texans’ roster looks very different heading into 2023, and the team could be in an even better place after the draft.

NO, we are NOT saying they’ll course-correct themselves all the way to the playoffs. But they can make a difference by drafting sound building blocks for the future.

Sitting with the No. 2 and No. 12 overall picks this year, the Texans are able to address the obvious need for a QB early and will “likely” walk away with Bryce Young. They’ll need to fill holes on the defensive line and, of course, at wide receiver too, but they’re in a good spot overall.

All-in-all, maybe it’s time to start paying more attention to the Texans this year? (If they suck again, just pretend you didn’t read this).

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😆 Can you name all 32 NFL coaches? Travis Kelce DEFINITELY can’t.

🚀 This QB can’t play in a dome. You need to see this Pro Day throw.

😬 A Patriots coach already on the hot seat? Bill Belichick doesn’t hold back.

❓ A three-way battle for the #1 spot. Who you picking?

🚨 You need this WR.  Don’t draft at your own risk.

💪 This rookie reminds us of Amon-Ra St. Brown. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

💰 This rookie WR is going TOO late in Underdog drafts. Draft now, and thank us later.

✂️ Could a big fantasy RB be on the move? It doesn’t sound great.

The NFL Draft is fast approaching, so it's time to dig into the 2023 rookie class. Today Dwain discusses the pros and cons of Jalin Hyatt as a dynasty prospect and whether the hype is warranted.

🔒 Jalin Hyatt

• Rookie Draft ADP: 10 (WR6)

• Underdog ADP: 118 (WR55)

• Super Rookie Model Rank: 4

📋 Summary

Hyatt was an afterthought in NFL circles heading into the 2022 season.

But after a breakout in his junior year, that all changed. 

The speedster finished second in receiving among Power Five WRs with 1,267 yards and led the way with 15 TDs.

His expected draft capital has taken a slight hit since the combine after weighing only 176 pounds. At that weight, some were hoping for more than a 4.4-40-yard dash. Nevertheless, Hyatt should still go in the late-first or early-second round of the NFL draft.

👍 Pros

⚡️ Field-Stretching Speed

Hyatt saw 27% of his targets at 20-plus yards downfield, which influenced his 12.2-yard average depth of target (aDOT). But in his final season, that surged to 18.9, and his explosive target rate followed, exploding from 23% to 28%. Hyatt’s 1,085 yards and 13 TDs on plays with over a step of separation ranked No. 1 in the Power Five in 2022, per PFF data.

Lance Zierlein comped Hyatt to DeSean Jackson after naming Hyatt his No. 1 WR prospect.

The Fantasy Life WR Rookie Super Model likes Hyatt but doesn’t love him. He has a slender build but has difference-making speed.

Will Fuller comes to mind at times when watching him play.

🧨️ Out With A Bang

Although Hyatt didn’t break out by his age-20 season like his peers in Tier 1, statistically speaking, his junior season was quite the turnaround with his 3.21 YPTA and 37% dominator rating.

On average, WRs that went on to post a Top 24 finish in their first three seasons in the NFL delivered bests of 2.82 and 34%, respectively.

👎 Cons

🤷‍♀️ “Meh” Target Earner

Hyatt never developed into a target magnet during his career as a Volunteer. He registered shares of 11%, 9%, and 23%, and his 21% career targets per route run (TPRR) is also below average compared to high-end NFL WRs.

The average for WRs who produced a top-24 finish in their first three seasons was 25%.

❓ Needs Alignment Protection?

While many of Hyatt’s big plays can be chalked up to his angle-eliminating speed, Tennessee also went out of its way to provide their star WR with clean releases.

Of his 387 routes, 337 came with Hyatt aligned off the line of scrimmage, where he delivered a 3.17 YPRR.

Although, Hyatt showed he can win when on the line of scrimmage, as he averaged 4.00 YPRR playing on the line of scrimmage, albeit in a small sample size of only 50 routes.

However, the scheme protection does create questions about how broadly Hyatt’s skillset can be applied to an NFL offense. If he can’t defeat on-ball coverage, it could limit playing time if he doesn’t land in a suitable scheme.

🔮 Fantasy Impact

Hyatt may never develop into a high-end target earner at the NFL level. However, his big-play upside is undeniable.

If he can beat on-ball coverage, he has a clear path to earning a WR2 role on an NFL team and could become an air yards magnet. His best Year 1 fit would be on the inside as a seam stretcher on a pass-heavy offense that loves to keep three WRs on the field.

He is a boom-bust type of prospect. In our model, the low end of his comp range is James Washington, and the high end is Christian Watson. He is worth the click at his current ADP on Underdog (WR55).