Rookie Relevance in Fantasy Football

When you're just a rookie experiencing your first NFL training camp, you have to defer to the veterans, doing things like carrying pads of players at your position (or maybe you don't). But when you're a fantasy football rookie, sometimes no deference is necessary.

Ever since the beginning of time, rookies have managed to get on the football field and find value in fantasy leagues. From Clinton Portis to Matt Ryan to Randy Moss, you can find many, many instances of players making a huge impact in their first seasons. 2010 will be no different.

The new season brings us a rookie that's landed in a more favorable fantasy situation than any other rookie over the past several years, as well as a young receiver that's already turning heads with his performance and with his attitude. Both players will be hot commodities in fantasy drafts, but how high should you target them?

Below you'll find the rookies with the best shot of having fantasy value this season, ranked by my opinion on their fantasy impact by season's end. Have problems with the list? Let us know in the comments.

1. Ryan Mathews, RB, SD

No one should have a problem with No. 1. The Chargers traded up from 28 to 12 to draft the Fresno State product, and maybe you should as well. He enters an offense featuring a gaping hole left by the former king of fantasy football, LaDainian Tomlinson. Coach Norv Turner expects Mathews to receive 290 touches, and that sounds about right to me, as I think Mathews will approach 300 carries in his first season. Barring injury, he's the clear fantasy Rookie of the Year and worthy of a second-round pick.

2. Jahvid Best, RB, DET

The third running back taken in the draft, Best lands in a more favorable situation than the Bills' top pick, C.J. Spiller, thanks to a developing passing game and a better offensive line than the rag-tag Buffalo bunch. As Kevin Smith continues to heal, Best will be leaned on heavily at the beginning of the season, and a few successful games would pave the way for Best to be the feature back for the forseeable future. Model Best's upside on the rookie season of Steve Slaton (1,650 total yards and 10 TDs), and take him by the end of the fourth round.

3. C.J. Spiller, RB, BUF

Unlike the two backs above, Spiller walks into a situation with a couple healthy, pretty talented backs already on the roster. As a result, coach Chan Gailey plans to utilize Spiller both at running back and receiver, sort of like a poor man's Reggie Bush. All Bush did in his first season was amass 1,300 total yards and eight TDs while catching 88 passes. Catching that many balls may be asking too much of Spiller, but he could still have a productive season as a No. 3 fantasy running back. Pick him up in the seventh round, but expect growing pains in this terrible offense.

4. Dez Bryant, WR, BUF

Yes, Bryant is causing quite a buzz after making several "jaw-dropping" catches at his first practice and subsequently refusing to carry Roy Williams' pads. Frankly, Williams should be the one carrying the rookie's pads. Bryant is, by far, the best receiving option in this rookie class, and fantasy owners will be grabbing him in the seventh round with visions of fantasy greatness. Tread carefully, as Bryant will be at best the No. 3 option in the offense initially, and that's only if he beats out Williams for a starting role. Still, the receiver pool dries up pretty quickly after the Mike Wallace-Jeremy Maclin tier, so anything lower than a seventh-round pick makes Bryant a nice fantasy gamble.

5. Golden Tate, WR, SEA

After the first four rookies, there's a sizable drop-off in talent and fantasy worth. While I wouldn't draft Tate as the fifth rookie off the board -- nor would I expect you to do so -- I do feel he has a solid shot at being a productive fantasy receiver. Seattle is a pass-first team, though with Matt Hasselbeck spending so much time hurt, the offense has failed to find rhythm. If Hasselbeck can stay healthy, Tate, a TD machine at Notre Dame, has the opportunity to step right in to a big role int his offense, making him worthy of a late-round pick as a No. 5 WR.

6. Montario Hardesty, RB, CLE

You'll likely see Hardesty go much higher than I would take him, but he's a solid gamble as a No. 3 fantasy RB, seeing as how the Browns have been reluctant to commit to Jerome Harrison full-time. The most logical scenario has the Browns splitting time between Harrison and Hardesty, Don't forget that Josh Cribbs is around to steal carries as well, making this situation worth ignoring in fantasy football.

7. Ben Tate, RB, HOU

Tate suffers a bit of the same situation as Hardesty, in that he has to battle for playing time with a somewhat established NFL player that closed the season strong. Tate is drawing more fantasy love than Hardesty, but I like his situation less. The Texans called about 15 percent less rushing plays than Cleveland last year, and the passing game promises to be featured prominently again this year. I'd treat Tate like Hardesty and ignore him at the mid-round price with which he comes, but if you can land him as a lottery ticket near the end of your draft, he's worth the gamble.

8. Arrelious Benn, WR, TB
9. Mike Williams, WR, TB

With Antonio Bryant out of Tampa, and with a rushing game that features the lowest drafted starting running back (Cadillac Williams) in fantasy drafts, it's clear that plenty of opportunity exists for someone to step up in Tampa Bay. Will it be Philadelphia re-tread Reggie Brown, or one of these two talented rookies? Benn doesn't have a long track record of success at Illinois, but he was taken in that golden area for rookies, the top of the second round, and could immediately develop into Josh Freeman's second option behind tight end Kellen Winslow.

However, Benn is dealing with an injured ankle, leaving Williams ready to pounce on the early targets in practices. Benn will get the underneath work, as he's a superb after-the-catch weapon, while Williams should make some highlight-reel long TD receptions. Neither are getting much play in fantasy drafts, but I'd invest my last WR pick in one of the two at the end of my draft.

10. Dexter McCluster, RB/WR, KC

Also taken at the top of the second round, McCluster surprised many folks when he was selected so early, and then surprised nearly everyone when he was announced as a wide receiver. What does Kansas City have up its sleeve? The 5-foot-9 McCluster is never going to be a bell-cow running back, but the Chiefs will likely use him in a Percy Harvin-type role, catching passes in space and using his incredible quickness to try and break long plays. If you play in a PPR league, McCluster could be quite the find at the end of your draft, especially in larger leagues where usable running backs go quickly.

Other youngsters to watch: St. Louis QB Sam Bradford, Carolina QB Jimmy Clausen, Minnesota RB Toby Gerhart, Denver WR Demaryius Thomas, Carolina WR Brandon LaFell, Pittsburgh WR Emmanuel Sanders, Denver WR Eric Decker, St. Louis WR Marty Gilyard, Tennessee WR Damian Williams, Oakland WR Jacoby Ford, Buffalo WR Marcus Easley, Cincinnati TE Jermaine Gresham, New England TE Rob Gronkowski, New Orleans TE Jimmy Graham.