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We got together with our Footballguys staff members and asked a simple question: Which player -- generally taken in the fifth round -- do you most-like having on your team?
Here are their answers.
Jeff Pasquino
As for my favorite, it has to come from the receiver group. Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf are strong picks, but Seattle has a balanced offense and has added talent at tight end (Greg Olsen and the return of Will Dissly), not to mention that there are rumors of the Seahawks adding either Josh Gordon or Antonio Brown. With multiple options for Russell Wilson, Lockett or Metcalf are solid choices, but none elevate to great picks with other mouths to feed, including the competition for both against one another.
That leaves me with a strong veteran option that has some concerns at quarterback - Keenan Allen. Allen will be working with a new quarterback for the first time as Philip Rivers is now a Colt, so either Tyrod Taylor or rookie Justin Hebert will be trying to get the ball to the veteran wideout. Allen is a superb talent who has been a Top 25-30 pick in previous years, so his value is suppressed due to questions about the post-Rivers offense. I am willing to take that gamble of potentially getting a Pro Bowl-caliber wide receiver in Round 5 in Allen, knowing that he will see the most targets for the Chargers and will have every opportunity to push for his fourth Top 15 season in a row.
Dan Hindery
I am going to go off the board again. I would take Terry McLaurin or A.J. Green over any of these options in the fifth round. I expect both to be target hogs (130+) and each has more than enough talent to turn that number of targets into fantasy gold.
Andy Hicks
After an injury-plagued start to his career, Keenan Allen has been a star. For the last three years, he has at least 97 receptions and 1196 receiving yards in every season, as well as six touchdowns each year since 2017. Why then does he seem unwanted at his current ADP? Does the departure of Philip Rivers affect Allen's production that much? That is the crux of the issue. The Chargers offensive coordinator is the same one that took over early in the 2019 season, the receiving and running back group hasn’t changed significantly. Will Tyrod Taylor or Justin Herbert shy away from their best receiver? Despite this being his eighth season, he is still well under 30 and seeking a new deal. His current ADP has a fail-safe mechanism of being well below his current production. A very solid WR2 to take when the opportunity presents itself.
Matt Waldman
This tier is loaded with good picks. If you're not shy about taking a quarterback, Dak Prescott is a great choice at this point because he has the surrounding talent to deliver another stellar season.
However, my favorite player is D.J. Chark. I have not seen a young wide receiver improve at the rate that Chark did between his first and second seasons in a long time--if ever. Chark shored up his technical skills and became a reliable and dynamic pass catcher. He has excellent body control, good speed, and he's a sturdy player who is difficult to overpower with physical coverage.
Gardner Minshew established a nice rapport with Chark before the Jaguars replaced the rookie with Nick Foles. With Minshew the undisputed starter, we'll see more aggressive downfield targets to Chark, as well as big plays off scramble drills where Minshew excels. Combine that big-play ability with consistent route running and Chark should earn 120 targets, over 1,000 yards, and close to double-digit scores. As much as I like D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, I like Chark just a little more--especially with the Jaguars likely playing from behind a lot more than Seattle.
Jeff Haseley
My favorite pick in this round is Keenan Allen. Allen can be had at a tremendous discount this year due to the uncertain performance of his quarterback whether it's Tyrod Taylor or Justin Herbert. Allen and Philip Rivers built a long-lasting rapport with each other for several seasons, so that aspect of Allen's game won't be there in 2020, however, he is still the best receiver on the team, by far, and will be the favorite target for the offense no matter who is under center. The level of connection to the quarterback won't be the same, but it will improve as the year goes on. Any way you examine it, Allen will see volume, which is a vital factor in the success of a fantasy receiver. In addition to that, Allen is one of the best route-runners in the league. He will make it easy for his quarterback to get him the ball. One last nugget, Allen is motivated to prove that he is the best receiver in the AFC West, and he won't stop there.
Jason Wood
My favorite player in this tier is Raheem Mostert, particularly now that the 49ers acquiesced to his demands for a better contract that matches what Tevin Coleman makes. Mostert was a journeyman before turning into the 49ers' workhorse down the stretch. With the 49ers returning intact, I don't see why Mostert won't continue in that role, as Kyle Shanahan generally likes to ride a single back when he's got one he trusts.
Ryan Hester
I'm with Dan in taking McLaurin here. We both mentioned that we'd entertain taking him in Round 4 over that group of players, so it stands to reason that we'd do the same here. If constrained to this list (because I already took McLaurin in Round 4), I like Mostert the best. However, I'm willing to bet that Mostert isn't being selected in Round 5 in a couple of weeks. He seems like a player whose stock is about to rise.
Chad Parsons
Keenan Allen stands out as a target player here. There is still too much quarterback value left to dive into the position. While I have concerns about quarterback play for the Chargers, Allen is the most insulated wide receiver or tight end in the offense considering his profile of production. Getting Allen as a WR2/3 of a typical balanced build in Round 5 speaks to the quality depth for 2020 drafts. If pivoting to more of an upside play, D.K. Metcalf stands out with his promising rookie season and attachment to Russell Wilson.
Phil Alexander
Put me down for D.J. Chark. Jason, I'd argue the fact Jacksonville will be awful is a boon for Chark's chances of racking up garbage-time stats, which counts the same for our purposes. I love how the stench of the Jaguars is masking just how great Chark was in 2019.
Chark is on a shortlist of wide receivers since the turn of the century to record a season with minimums of 70 receptions, 1,000 yards, and 8 touchdowns before his age-24 season. Kelvin Benjamin notwithstanding, the other players on that list are certifiable fantasy superheroes.
When a player with Chark's elite athleticism translates to the NFL at a young age, it should command our attention, especially since he's still in a great situation:
- The Jaguars' defense is terrible, and Gardner Minshew will make his share of mistakes. Jacksonville's offense should skew pass-heavy.
- Chark is a splash-play specialist. He led the Jaguars with a 33% market share of the team's air yards -- a rate that ranked 15th in the entire league.
- His target volume is safe. The only addition to Jacksonville's wide receiver corps was rookie Laviska Shenault. Shenault is an oft-injured athletic marvel in the Percy Harvin/Cordarrelle Patterson mold -- not a guy who will command any of the targets that are ear-marked for Chark, especially not in year-one.
- Jay Gruden is bringing his West Coast offense to Jacksonville this season. It's a system that got the most out of A.J. Green, another rare athletic talent who always got his numbers despite less than stellar quarterback play. Chark also has experience in a similar system from his time at LSU.
Jason Wood
That is quite an impressive list of players. Phil, you actually have me re-thinking my anti-Chark status.
Jordan McNamara
This is an interesting range of the draft. If you have yet to go quarterback, Dak Prescott is a really intriguing option. Dallas had the best offense in football last year, subtracted Witten's low production-per-target, and added CeeDee Lamb. On the season, Prescott finished as QB2 last season on a 5% touchdown rate, which is slightly above league average. That speaks to a terrific floor. All QB1 finishers are the benefit of variance, and Prescott is a player who can put himself in the position for things to break favorably for him. Quarterback in start-1-QB leagues become a balance between cost, upside, and floor. Prescott strikes me as the best combination of all three factors this year.
If I was going to pass on quarterback, Tyler Lockett is interesting this year at this cost. It is notable he and DK Metcalf are both going in the same round. As a rule of thumb, when deciding between two wide receivers who have the same price in ADP, if you select the one who has a top 24 seasonal finish, you will end up significantly further ahead than if you select the receiver without a top 24 seasonal finish on his resume.
Andrew Davenport
Tyler Lockett gets my pick here. I wrote about him recently in my wide receiver auction target article. I understand his limitations with the Seattle offensive tendencies and with the development of D.K. Metcalf. But it seems like every year there are questions about his role or his efficiency yet they continue to put him in high leverage situations. Lockett was injured in Week 10 of the 2019 season after a monster performance in Week 9. The amazing thing is, he was actually the PPR WR3 heading into the game where he went down. That's skewed a bit because of the big Week 9, but his price never seems to match his upside. Even if you give him a haircut because of Metcalf and a veteran coming in, I still like Lockett to be a good pick this late.
Bob Henry
There are a few ways to answer this question. My favorite player to target in this group is probably Dak Prescott, but to the spirit of the question, I am also not targeting him in the fifth round when he is generally available into the sixth round in my experience. If that means I miss on him, that's ok, as I am quite happy to land Russell Wilson, Deshaun Watson, or Kyler Murray a round later.
Therefore, for the fifth round, my favorite target amongst this group is Tyler Lockett, by a hair over DK Metcalf. Metcalf helps Lockett on the field, but also by suppressing his ADP just enough due to his own ascension in the league that I am thrilled if Lockett's available in this range as I'm likely adding him as my WR2 or possibly even WR3 depending on draft slot and roster construction.
