2009 NFL Rookie Fantasy Rankings
The Top 25 rated NFL rookies for fantasy football are dominated by running backs and wide receivers in 2009.
With running back being the most coveted position in the game, Knowshon Moreno of the Denver Broncos tops our list of rookies with fantasy football value coming into this season.
Moreno tops this list mostly because he should begin the season as the starting running back for the Denver Broncos. This same case should apply to Beanie Wells in Arizona, although he will very likely lose goal line carries to Tim Hightower. Hightower scored 10 touchdowns and rushed for nearly 400 yards in his rookie campaign last season, and it is likely he will continue to see a lot of touches in goal line situations this season. Donald Brown, Shonn Greene, and LeSean McCoy are also expected to perform well while splitting carries with incumbent fantasy football stars in their rookie seasons, too.
Rookie wide receivers tend to have a lot of hype in fantasy football, but they also tend to leave owners who reached for them during a draft empty handed. In the last 10 years, only 10 wideouts have recorded over 50 catches. To make matters more daunting, only 4 have gone over 1000 yards… and only 1 wideout has caught more than 10 TDs.
So, instead of drafting traditional wide receivers who are just lining up for receptions like Michael Crabtree and Hakeem Nicks, we suggest drafting a multi-purpose rookie receiver to benefit your fantasy team. Hence our high ranking for players like Percy Harvin and Jeremy Maclin, who are likely to contribute extra yards and highlight reel touchdowns by returning kicks, running reverses, and allowing their teams to run Wildcat plays.
While quarterbacks have a lot of value in college fantasy football, rookie quarterbacks in the NFL traditionally carry a very low fantasy value due to lack of playing time and the huge learning curve that comes with adjusting to the complexities of NFL playbooks and defensive schemes. While Mark Sanchez, Matt Stafford, and Josh Freeman should all see playing time this season with their teams, it is very unlikely that either of them will have a Matt Ryan-type rookie campaign.
Outside of the top-12 rated rookies for 2009 fantasy football, the only player really worth considering on draft day is Detroit Lions tight end Brandon Pettigrew. The rest should be available on the waiver wire following draft day.
Check out our ranking of the top 25 NFL rookies heading into the 2009 fantasy football season.
- Knowshon Moreno, RB, Denver Broncos
- Beanie Wells, RB, Arizona Cardinals
- Percy Harvin, WR, Minnesota Vikings
- Jeremy Maclin, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
- Donald Brown, RB, Indianapolis Colts
- LeSean McCoy, RB, Eagles
- Michael Crabtree, WR, San Francisco 49ers
- Shonn Greene, RB, New York Jets
- Kenny Britt, WR, Tennessee Titans
- Hakeem Nicks, WR, New York Giants
- Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Oakland Raiders
- Brian Robiskie, WR, Cleveland Browns
- Mark Sanchez, QB, Jets
- Matthew Stafford, QB, Detroit Lions
- Josh Freeman, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Detroit Lions
- James Davis, RB, Browns
- Juaquin Iglesias, WR, Chicago Bears
- Glen Coffee, RB, 49ers
- Bernard Scott, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
- Gartrell Johnson, RB, San Diego Chargers
- Andre Brown, RB, New York Giants
- Mike Hart, RB, Colts
- Rashad Jennings, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
- Shawn Nelson, TE, Buffalo Bills
