Fantasy Sports

As fantasy football writer Jakob Sanderson points out, Etienne’s option being exercised the same weekend the Jags only added return man RB Keilan Robinson in the draft makes it a good weekend for Etienne’s Dynasty league value despite coach Doug Pederson’s supposed desire to get Tank Bigsby more involved in 2024. ’23 was definitely a shaky campaign for Etienne, but he appears poised to remain the Jags’ primary backfield option on every down.

Future Hall-of-Famer Frank Gore’s son, Gore Jr. (5'8/201) was a three-star recruit coming out of high school and proceeded to have a three-star career at Southern Miss. Gore went 4-for-4 on 700-yard rushing campaigns, including 1,000-yard efforts each of the past two years, but hovered around 5.0 yards per carry for his career, settling at 5.3. That’s a good mark, of course, but not the elite one usually borne by future NFL runners. Gore did acquit himself well enough as a pass catcher, catching 75 career balls, 27 of which came in 2023. Compact and stout with good contact balance in the estimation of NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, Gore sees the field well but isn’t an overly explosive athlete. Zierlein believes Gore ultimately lacks the traits of a future locked-in backup.

A Division II transfer from Truman State, Schrader (5’9/202) arrived at Mizzou as a 2022 walk-on and proceeded to earn No. 1 back status with tough, one-cut running. After a 745-yard inaugural SEC campaign, he exploded for 276/1,627/14 in 2023, frequently putting the Tigers’ offense on his back and flirting with Heisman finalist status as he was named a first-team All American. Schrader exceeded 20 carries eight times last season, including each of his final seven appearances. He had nine 100-yard rushing performances, including 200-yard explosions vs. Arkansas and Tennessee. Limited by 4.61 speed, Schrader compensates with elite instincts and getting skinny through the hole despite his bulked-up frame. He finishes runs with authority. The kind of “volume back” that is out of vogue in the modern NFL, Schrader does offer plus pass-protecting and potential receiving upside despite limited side-to-side agility.

Hartman (6’1/211) is yet another six-year quarterback prospect. After spending five seasons at Wake Forest in which he amassed 12,967-110-41, Hartman closed out his career in 2023 at Notre Dame, throwing for 2689-24-8 while leading the team to a 9-3 record. A willing deep ball thrower who is capable of extending plays from the pocket, but turnovers have also been a concern. His 2.5 percent interception rate is among the highest for recent quarterback prospects, and he completed less than 60 percent of his passes for his career. Hartman has the experience and talent to earn a legitimate look from teams, but he’ll need to fight to earn a QB2 role early in his career. He could find himself in a QB2 competition with Austin Reed, who was signed by Chicago as a UDFA out of Western Kentucky.

Reed (6'1"/220 pounds) threw for a whopping 71 touchdowns and ran for a dozen more in the same Western Kentucky offense that produced Patriots QB Bailey Zappe. Reed racked up nearly 16,000 passing yards over 51 collegiate games in the pass-first Hilltoppers offense. He’ll compete this summer to make the Bears roster and possibly serve as Caleb Williams’ backup.

Key began his career at UAB and didn’t see the field much until his fourth season when he broke out with 4.5 TFLs, a sack, and three interceptions. He then transferred to Alabama and posted another productive season as a starter. He racked up 35 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, and another interception. Key doesn’t have elite athleticism or production, but he was a solid start at one of the nation’s best programs. He will need to contribute on special teams to make the Jets roster but could work his way into a hybrid safety/nickel corner role down the road.

Pratt (6’2/217) saw a significant amount of playing time during his four years at Tulane. As a true freshman, Pratt started nine games and threw for 1,806-20-8, and finished his career with a line of 9,611-90-26 in 46 games. A high rate of fumbles and sacks are two concerning marks on his resumé, but his experience and accuracy – particularly over the last two years – are promising. He could eventually earn a spot as a backup but may need to spend ample time on a practice squad before getting that chance. The Packers will give him time to develop behind Jordan Love to start his career.

The son of NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, Brenden Rice (6’2/208) brings elite bloodlines to whatever team drafts him. After spending two years at Colorado, Rice transferred to USC ahead of the 2022 season and immediately set career highs in receptions (39), yards (611), and touchdowns (4). He would expand on that production in 2023 (45-791-12) but has been relatively average as far as efficiency is concerned. Rice brought a 60 percent contested catch rate into his final season but caught only three of his 12 contested targets in 2023. He’s a physical receiver who possesses good size, but Rice doesn’t profile as anything more than an adequate backup at this time.

After starting for the better part of four years at NC State, Leary (6’1/215) transferred to Kentucky for his final season. Life wasn’t easy for Leary in the SEC, as his 56.1 percent completion percent, 5.4 percent turnover worthy play rates, and 12 interceptions were his worst since 2021. Playing with an underwhelming wide receiver corps only amplified Leary’s struggles in 2023, but the numbers are hard to ignore. Leary flashed in 2021 when he threw for 3,435-35-5, and has an adjusted completion percent of 70.4 for his career. The Ravens will give him a chance to win a backup role with a strong showing in the preseason, with a chance to carry him on the practice squad if they don’t feel he’s ready for the active roster.

Karty (6’2/207) saw his first action as a sophomore in 2021. He struggled on field goal tries, making just 10-of-15 attempts. Karty refined his game in the offseason and put his best work on tape as a junior, connecting on all 18 of his field goal tries. He also missed just one of his 25 PATs. Karty wasn’t perfect in 2023 but still went 23-of-27 on field goals with a perfect record on PATs. Karty’s year-to-year consistency is less than ideal, but his true talent is almost certainly represented by what he did in his final two seasons. He has the leg to easily make kicks from 50 yards out and will have a high touchback rate on kickoffs in the pros. Kicking for a high-powered Rams offense, Karty will be a fantasy-relevant leg as a rookie.