DeAndre Hopkins vs. Odell Beckham Jr.
Fantasy Football Draft Duels are back for the 2018 fantasy football draft season! This year, we're focusing on the major decisions fantasy football drafters have to face when they're picking their fantasy football teams.
For these Duels, assume typical 12-team, point-per-perception (PPR) fantasy football leagues.
DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Houston Texans
A common misconception about Hopkins is that he's reliant on good quarterback play to produce, thanks to his subpar 2016 season that left him with only 954 yards on 78 catches, reaching paydirt just four times.
But he only played six games last season with Deshaun Watson, still producing 827 yards and seven touchdowns in the nine games he played with Tom Savage and T.J. Yates. When he was with Watson, his production was off the charts: 38-551-6 on 60 targets in six games.
So far the reviews on Watson's shoulder look pretty good, which only bodes well for the combo. Hopkins' hands are first-rate, and he's durable, having only missed five games over the course of his NFL career. There's also no threat to Hopkins' target volume.
Will Fuller will draw some deep balls, but he's not a high-volume receiver otherwise, so Hopkins' heavy target-rate should remain constant. He's the ultimate high-floor receiver. -Jeff Erickson
Odell Beckham Jr., WR, New York Giants
Motivation should never be underrated, and few players in the league have the type of motivation that Beckham will have in 2018.
He'll be playing out the fifth year of his slotted rookie deal, and the superstar will be looking to cash in on a new contract that he hopes will pay him like a quarterback. Although WRs can't expect to be paid that way, Beckham is truly one of the transcendent players of the game, and in 47 career contests, he's averaged 94 yards and 0.86 TDs, and he'll certainly be trying to raise his already-high bar to post an all-time great campaign and help him earn a massive payday.
Unlike Hopkins, Beckham can beat defenses in every way imaginable: He can turn a short pass into a long TD, or he can beat double coverage deep downfield. Due to his ability to gain excellent separation from defenders, he isn't reliant upon having great QB play.
With an incredibly high weekly floor to go along with elite upside, Beckham should be the second receiver drafted after Antonio Brown. -Jim Coventry
Now, it's your turn to vote:
https://twitter.com/RotoWire/status/1022903306891472897