[DYNASTY] Eddie Royal (1 Viewer)

[EBF]

Where would you rank him among dynasty WRs after seeing the clinic he put on last night?

I'm thinking somewhere in the WR20-25 range. Below guys like Jennings and Bowe, but ahead of guys like Chambers and Berrian.

I think it would take a pretty good offer to get him from me. The stats he put up last night were impressive, but what was more impressive was how good he looked doing it. Here are the highlights in case you missed the game:

http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80aa9d6c

I'm 100% sold on him. When you add his impressive performance to his training camp buzz and his solid draft pedigree, you have to think he's for real.

 

[saintfool]

how high?

mile high!

 

[FavreCo]

I was sold on him after his combine & mini-camp performances. A fast dude that catches everything and who's biggest issue coming to the NFL is getting off the jam? That's a player. That says he runs routes very well, which he does. He will be taught how to get off the jam....heck does he even need taught? Hall was totally schooled and afraid to get near Fast Eddie. He's a solid #2 for Denver. I see better #'s for Marshall and Royal than Ocho Zero/Whosimyname barring Marshall screwup/injury.

 

[I Am Rick James]

I don't know if I have ever seen a rookie play so un-rookie like in a first game, ever. I see him moving ahead of all rooks, even Desean Jackson and opportunity also moves him ahead of talented young guys like Sidney Rice.

 

[Kitrick Taylor]

I am doing my best not to get too excited about his prospects, but there's probably only 15 WRs that I would trade him for right now. There are some guys in that 12-20 area of the rankings that are either old or in bad situations. Holt and Housh come to mind. Their years remaining of quality play are limited, and they appear to be on train wrecks this year. Would you give up a young WR with this much talent for that? Redraft, without a doubt. Dynasty? I'd think long and hard about it, but would probably pass as of today.

Royal is in a fantastic situation with a young emerging stud QB, an excellent WR on the other side, and has a quality head coach in a stable situation to boot. Perfect.

 

[EBF]

I am doing my best not to get too excited about his prospects, but there's probably only 15 WRs that I would trade him for right now. There are some guys in that 12-20 area of the rankings that are either old or in bad situations. Holt and Housh come to mind. Their years remaining of quality play are limited, and they appear to be on train wrecks this year. Would you give up a young WR with this much talent for that? Redraft, without a doubt. Dynasty? I'd think long and hard about it, but would probably pass as of today. Royal is in a fantastic situation with a young emerging stud QB, an excellent WR on the other side, and has a quality head coach in a stable situation to boot. Perfect.

I agree. I think I would rank him in the 20-25 range, but with a gun to my head there are probably only about 15 WRs I'd trade him for. Usually I would say someone is overreacting if they bump a player up this much after one game. I think Royal is the real deal though.

 

[Avery]

I am doing my best not to get too excited about his prospects, but there's probably only 15 WRs that I would trade him for right now. There are some guys in that 12-20 area of the rankings that are either old or in bad situations. Holt and Housh come to mind. Their years remaining of quality play are limited, and they appear to be on train wrecks this year. Would you give up a young WR with this much talent for that? Redraft, without a doubt. Dynasty? I'd think long and hard about it, but would probably pass as of today.



Royal is in a fantastic situation with a young emerging stud QB, an excellent WR on the other side, and has a quality head coach in a stable situation to boot. Perfect.

I was just coming in here to post that.

Can't be overstated how important situation is here.

 

[Scooby1974]

Loved the highlight link. He is SILLY fast, those DBacks were AFRAID of him, giving him about a 10 yard cushion. Cutler was dead on with his passes and with that kind of time to let the play develop, Royal will be open 2 or 3 different times per play.

 

[EBF]

Loved the highlight link. He is SILLY fast, those DBacks were AFRAID of him, giving him about a 10 yard cushion. Cutler was dead on with his passes and with that kind of time to let the play develop, Royal will be open 2 or 3 different times per play.

A few plays stood out to me:- The first route where he uses his quickness and choppy little steps to fake Hall to the inside and cut back out for the short catch.- The punt return. Look how explosive he is immediately after he gets the ball. - The reception late in the reel where he's covered to the outside by the zone defense. Seeing that he's covered, he runs inside into the dead spot in the zone and Cutler hits him.The guy looks like a technician after his first pro game. Unreal. And this is a guy who runs high 4.3 and bench presses a small house.

 

[dgreen]

To me, the most encouraging thing is how obvious it is that Denver wants to get the ball in Royal's hands. The route running, hands, and nine receptions were impressive enough. But, add to that the fact that Shanny got him 2 rush attempts, a pass attempt, and return duties, then you see he is someone they want to get the ball to. In fantasy, you can't underestimate a player who the coaches want to constantly feed the ball.

 

[Kitrick Taylor]

Loved the highlight link. He is SILLY fast, those DBacks were AFRAID of him, giving him about a 10 yard cushion. Cutler was dead on with his passes and with that kind of time to let the play develop, Royal will be open 2 or 3 different times per play.

A few plays stood out to me:- The first route where he uses his quickness and choppy little steps to fake Hall to the inside and cut back out for the short catch.

- The punt return. Look how explosive he is immediately after he gets the ball.

- The reception late in the reel where he's covered to the outside by the zone defense. Seeing that he's covered, he runs inside into the dead spot in the zone and Cutler hits him.

The guy looks like a technician after his first pro game. Unreal.

And this is a guy who runs high 4.3 and bench presses a small house.

For a little perspective, his 24 reps of 225 at the combine put Royal in a tie for 10th. Among Linebackers! #3 Among TEs, Stronger than all CBs, Tied for 2nd among Safeties, and of course #1 among WRs.

 

[Ghost of Red Blaik]

When Marshall comes back, does he get the same touches? I think they will go down

 

[Sabertooth]

In an auction/ keep 2 format I am thinking of dropping Welker for him. Short benches and he's out there for the picking. Welker is the only player I have with a big enough salary to get him.

 

[saintfool]

To me, the most encouraging thing is how obvious it is that Denver wants to get the ball in Royal's hands. The route running, hands, and nine receptions were impressive enough. But, add to that the fact that Shanny got him 2 rush attempts, a pass attempt, and return duties, then you see he is someone they want to get the ball to. In fantasy, you can't underestimate a player who the coaches want to constantly feed the ball.

exactly my thinking. as long as he doesn't get worn out or injured because of the ST duty then i like shanny's thinking.

 

[FavreCo]

When Marshall comes back, does he get the same touches? I think they will go down

Yes they will but moreso, the RB touches I think. Marshall/Royal/etc/Cutler/....fire away.

 

[awesomeness]

I think people are ranking this kid a little to high after just 1 game.

Brandon Marshall didn't play, i'd wait to see how many targets Royal gets while Marshall is in the game. Oakland's defence looked HORRIBLE. Reminded me of the Philly vs. St. Louis game as it seemed both the Raiders and Rams were playing against the run, and every deep pass that Denver and Philly made was completed. Plus it looked like the Raiders preferred to give Royal a 10 yard cushion as opposed to jamming him at the line. I dont understand why they wouldn't change things up after Royal kept burning them, shows how poorly the Raiders are being coached.

I'd wait until next game against the Chargers before calling him the OROY or anything else. With Marshall back and with the Broncos facing a tough team, i think next game will be a more realistic showing of what we can expect for him the rest of the year.

 

[valhallan]

I'd put him in the low 20s. I'd probably still take an offer of Roddy White or Greg Jennings for Royal, but it's close.

 

[jdoggydogg]

I'm 100% sold on him. When you add his impressive performance to his training camp buzz and his solid draft pedigree, you have to think he's for real.

I'm glad you posted this. Royal is available in my dynasty league, and I just put in a blind auction bid for him.

 

[Burning Sensation]

I am doing my best not to get too excited about his prospects, but there's probably only 15 WRs that I would trade him for right now. There are some guys in that 12-20 area of the rankings that are either old or in bad situations. Holt and Housh come to mind. Their years remaining of quality play are limited, and they appear to be on train wrecks this year. Would you give up a young WR with this much talent for that? Redraft, without a doubt. Dynasty? I'd think long and hard about it, but would probably pass as of today.

Royal is in a fantastic situation with a young emerging stud QB, an excellent WR on the other side, and has a quality head coach in a stable situation to boot. Perfect.

I agree. I think I would rank him in the 20-25 range, but with a gun to my head there are probably only about 15 WRs I'd trade him for. Usually I would say someone is overreacting if they bump a player up this much after one game. I think Royal is the real deal though.

Hmm, trade Matt Forte after he has a good game, but vault Royal into the top 15 WR's after one good game? I do like Royal, but i would trade him to you for Matt Forte given the opportunity.

 

[EBF]

I am doing my best not to get too excited about his prospects, but there's probably only 15 WRs that I would trade him for right now. There are some guys in that 12-20 area of the rankings that are either old or in bad situations. Holt and Housh come to mind. Their years remaining of quality play are limited, and they appear to be on train wrecks this year. Would you give up a young WR with this much talent for that? Redraft, without a doubt. Dynasty? I'd think long and hard about it, but would probably pass as of today.

Royal is in a fantastic situation with a young emerging stud QB, an excellent WR on the other side, and has a quality head coach in a stable situation to boot. Perfect.

I agree. I think I would rank him in the 20-25 range, but with a gun to my head there are probably only about 15 WRs I'd trade him for. Usually I would say someone is overreacting if they bump a player up this much after one game. I think Royal is the real deal though.

Hmm, trade Matt Forte after he has a good game, but vault Royal into the top 15 WR's after one good game? I do like Royal, but i would trade him to you for Matt Forte given the opportunity.

It's extremely common for rookie RBs to have good games. What Forte did does not qualify as special. How often does a rookie WR torch a Pro Bowl type corner for 9 catches, 150 yards, and a score? Not very often.

That's not to mention my qualitative opinion that Royal looked far more impressive than Forte did independent of the stat line.

I would gladly give Forte for Royal in PPR dynasty. That's just robbery.

 

[Burning Sensation]

I am doing my best not to get too excited about his prospects, but there's probably only 15 WRs that I would trade him for right now. There are some guys in that 12-20 area of the rankings that are either old or in bad situations. Holt and Housh come to mind. Their years remaining of quality play are limited, and they appear to be on train wrecks this year. Would you give up a young WR with this much talent for that? Redraft, without a doubt. Dynasty? I'd think long and hard about it, but would probably pass as of today.

Royal is in a fantastic situation with a young emerging stud QB, an excellent WR on the other side, and has a quality head coach in a stable situation to boot. Perfect.

I agree. I think I would rank him in the 20-25 range, but with a gun to my head there are probably only about 15 WRs I'd trade him for. Usually I would say someone is overreacting if they bump a player up this much after one game. I think Royal is the real deal though.

Hmm, trade Matt Forte after he has a good game, but vault Royal into the top 15 WR's after one good game? I do like Royal, but i would trade him to you for Matt Forte given the opportunity.

It's extremely common for rookie RBs to have good games. What Forte did does not qualify as special. How often does a rookie WR torch a Pro Bowl type corner for 9 catches, 150 yards, and a score? Not very often.

That's not to mention my qualitative opinion that Royal looked far more impressive than Forte did independent of the stat line.

I would gladly give Forte for Royal in PPR dynasty. That's just robbery.

Youre right about that!!!Also, i cant see Royal getting half the targets once Marshall is back, and if Scheffler learns to block, he will be lucky to get 1/3 of the targets he got last night. Dont get me wrong, Royal was one of the only rookies you and i agreed on in the offseason, and last night was certainly encouaraging, but i am not ready to put him in the top 15 WR's.

 

[capstone]

AP article on yahoo (I know it is yahoo, but some parts are interesting)

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP)—Patience is not one of Eddie Royal’s virtues.

He earned a bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech in 3 1/2 years, and he darted up the depth chart after the Denver Broncos selected him in the second round of the NFL draft.

In minicamp, he started out in the slot position but quickly learned to play flanker and split end, too. A week into training camp he surpassed free agents Darrell Jackson and Keary Colbert to earn a starting job opposite playmaker Brandon Marshall.

Starting is one thing for a rookie. Starring is quite another.

Royal caught nine passes for 146 yards in his dramatic debut, the best introduction by a Broncos rookie receiver since Rick Upchurch’s 153-yard performance against Kansas City in 1975.

With Marshall serving his one-game suspension for violating the NFL’s code of conduct, Royal was featured in the offense from the start and capped the Broncos’ opening drive by slipping behind the Oakland secondary for a 26-yard TD catch, igniting Denver’s 41-14 rout of their bitter AFC West rival.

“I’m surprised they did this much without Marshall, being their guy,” Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha said. “I’d be scared to see what they can do with him now.”

The San Diego Chargers will be the first to find out when they visit Invesco Field on Sunday, and quarterback Jay Cutler, for one, is eager to see what his new dynamic duo can accomplish together.

Marshall caught 102 passes for 1,325 yards last season.

“This just opens up a lot of possibilities for us,” Cutler said. “We anticipated B-Marsh getting a lot of double coverage up top, and now you can’t, because Eddie is on the other side. I’ve had a good feel for Eddie, and I’ve been throwing it his way more and more.”

Royal did most of his damage against DeAngelo Hall, who grew so flustered by the rookie that he committed two 15-yard personal fouls against Royal on a second-quarter drive.

The Raiders’ vaunted secondary had no answer for Royal.

“We knew he was a quick guy because of the tapes, but we didn’t know exactly how they were going to use him,” Asomugha said. “In the preseason they didn’t do that much with him. They ran a couple double moves, some short routes, a deep one here and there.

“But with (Denver coach Mike) Shanahan, you never know what you’re preparing for, you never know what he might do. And he came out with this guy, and he was their trick-play guy. He was doing routes with him that we really hadn’t seen before.”

Royal’s 146 yards marked the sixth-most by a player in his NFL debut since 1960, and he became the first rookie receiver to top 100 yards in his first game since Anquan Boldin’s NFL record 217-yard performance in 2003.

With Marshall serving his punishment for a series of off-field misdeeds, Shanahan had no qualms about highlighting his prized rookie in the opener.

“That was our game plan,” Shanahan said. “We’ve been talking about this since Day One. He’s been doing it consistently in practice and the preseason, and he carried it over to (Monday night). I can say it doesn’t surprise me. He’s handled himself like a five-year vet.”

Only a handful of rookie receivers have ever posted 1,000-yard seasons, underscoring how difficult the college-to-pro transition is, perhaps more than at any other position besides quarterback.

“I’ve heard that, but that’s never been my mind-set at all,” Royal said. “I mean, everyone adjusts to the game differently. And I’ve had a lot of people helping me prepare for this challenge.”

Broncos slot receiver Brandon Stokley, a 10-year veteran, said he’s never seen another receiver grasp the intricacies and nuances of the NFL game so quickly.

“He works hard, he studies the game, he asks for advice and he came in willing to learn and wanting to learn, which you don’t see a lot of nowadays,” Stokley said.

Royal is the (baby) face of the Broncos’ youth movement. They have 10 rookies on their 53-man roster, the most in the Shanahan era, including left tackle Ryan Clady, the team’s top draft pick.

Without much experience, Denver isn’t a trendy pick for the playoffs.

“Nobody has been giving us a chance since before the season started,” cornerback Dre’ Bly said. “They keep picking the Chargers and the Colts and the Pats, and that’s what we want. We want to shock the world.”

Champ Bailey got a sneak preview of all the rookies this summer and loved what he saw in Royal.

“He would be tough to cover,” Bailey said. “He’s a special player. And now we get Brandon back. It’s going to be a good situation for us.”

click

 

[moderated]

I agree with the 20-25 rank at this point.

He's been doing it all preseason and been talked about highly by his fellow teammates.

That said i didn't think he would look THAT good and be so polished so early. He didn't look like a rookie at all.

 

[EBF]

Also, i cant see Royal getting half the targets once Marshall is back, and if Scheffler learns to block, he will be lucky to get 1/3 of the targets he got last night.

Obviously he's not going to get 150 receiving yards every week. I draw a pretty big distinction between a rookie RB having a nice debut and a rookie WR going for 9 catches and 150 yards in his first game. The former is far more common than the latter and, IMO, much less likely to be a sign of things to come. I'm sold on the idea of Royal as a legitimate starting caliber talent in the NFL. As for Forte, what he did really doesn't tell us anything about him. I've seen countless mediocre backs excel in a small sample size. I don't think it has a lot of predictive value. Maybe he's Portis. Maybe he's Chris Brown. I need to see a lot more before I give him the benefit of the doubt. As of right now I think there's much more reason to believe Royal is a special player than there is to believe the same about Forte. I would gladly trade Forte for Royal in PPR dynasty and I'm sure it will look like the right move 2-3 years from now.

 

[Football Jones]

I'd trade Royal for Forte so fast I might hurt myself, LOL. And that's even in a PPR. Royal looked great. However, when you consider the dynamics going forward of each player (talking dynasty), Forte is clearly the player I'd want. Not even close, IMO.

 

[Chaos Commish]

When Marshall comes back, does he get the same touches? I think they will go down

As Marshall's original pimp around here, I have been thinking about this more than anything else. I'm afraid this is great for Cutler and the Broncos, but a little negative for Marshall. What I saw last night was a young Steve Smith. Royal has to be double teamed. That's good for Marshall, but you also have to believe that teams will be slow to cover Royal and he will, like Welker, make a mess of man coverage over and over again. Cutler has an interesting history of going to one receiver, and almost one receiver only. He did this at Vanderbilt with Bennett. He did it last year with Marshall. He looks like an elite QB to me, and I expect him to have no problem exploiting a couple options. I am interested to see if Marshall ends up getting ridiculous targets again or if Royal takes a bunch away from Marshall. I expect Jay will be happy to spread it around. Marshall loses a little luster and Royal owners have a nice find. Probably not quite up to EBFs hype with Marshall around, but really nice. I didn't see Royal coming during draft season and figured him for a kick returner. I am always happy to admit I get things wrong, and more importantly act on the better information provided by camp. I waited and waited and waited in a redraft with EBF, but I eventually couldn't wait any longer and drafted Royal in the 24th round a little after EBF took Antonio Bryant. We both need a good WR3 badly at this point, and I think I found mine.

 

[EBF]

I'd trade Royal for Forte so fast I might hurt myself, LOL. And that's even in a PPR. Royal looked great. However, when you consider the dynamics going forward of each player (talking dynasty), Forte is clearly the player I'd want. Not even close, IMO.

I disagree completely. Two years from now Eddie Royal will be a productive WR2-WR3 for fantasy squads. Matt Forte will be hurt and/or a backup RB in the NFL.

 

[Major]

He reminded me so much of Boldin after his first game. This guy is a stud and will do wonders for Cutler. Someone drafted Royal in the 15th round of my draft - that's a shark move for sure.

I'm curious how he'll do with Marshall but I have a feeling they will work well with each other like Fitz and Boldin.

 

[EBF]

I waited and waited and waited in a redraft with EBF, but I eventually couldn't wait any longer and drafted Royal in the 24th round a little after EBF took Antonio Bryant. We both need a good WR3 badly at this point, and I think I found mine.

Really didn't think he'd be this good this fast. Didn't pick him in any redrafts, but have him on the majority of my dynasty squads.

 

[Iwannabeacowboybaby!]

I don't know if I have ever seen a rookie play so un-rookie like in a first game, ever. I see him moving ahead of all rooks, even Desean Jackson and opportunity also moves him ahead of talented young guys like Sidney Rice.

You should have saw Anquan Boldin then.I'm not going to argue that he didn't look impressive, but starting this week Brandon Marshall is on the team. He had over 100 receptions last year, led the league in targets and I think after watching Royal play, he's going to be tough as ever out there.

I'm still a firm believer talent wins out, so even with Marshall on the team, Royal should get his at times because he's good but unless Marshall gets hurt, don't be surprised if this isn't his best game of the season, at least PPR wise.

 

[Football Jones]

I should add, despite my previous post, I do like Royal. However, we play FF. That's something people should always keep in mind. Very rarely will you have a #2 WR put up numbers equal to a top RB. I'm really high on Chris Johnson & Matt Forte, & there's just no way I can put Royal in the same category if we're talking FF. Now, if CJ & Forte fail, sure, but not now...no way.

Marshall is their #1. He's probably the most gifted WR in the NFL right now. When you consider Shanny will never abandon the run, even with the mediocre backs he has now, Marshall is the WR I want from Denver. Royal looks like he's going to be a fantastic #2. In fact, NFL scouts knew he was polished. That's one reason he went so high. He showed during the Combine & workouts he's a mature, smooth, WR. The downside is his limited max growth potential. Meaning, most WRs come into the NFL not nearly as polished as Royal, thus, Royal won't improve nearly as much as most rookie WRs.

Now, that's a good thing. I want to stress that. However, he's not like Marshall, who exploited DBs last year on mostly raw ability alone. Marshall is one of the best WRs in the NFL right now, but he still has a rather large max growth potential. If you're telling me you believe Royal will be their #1, then yeah, I can see where Royal would receive a very generous ranking. I don't agree, but I understand.

To me, though, Marshall is their clear #1. When Royal got drafted by Denver, I immediately lowered him in my rankings. A great NFL prospect, but again, I'm strictly talking FF.

 

[Iwannabeacowboybaby!]

He reminded me so much of Boldin after his first game. This guy is a stud and will do wonders for Cutler. Someone drafted Royal in the 15th round of my draft - that's a shark move for sure.I'm curious how he'll do with Marshall but I have a feeling they will work well with each other like Fitz and Boldin.

He doesn't remind me of Anquan Boldin, I think he reminds me more of a Steve Smith type WR.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Didn't Denver have poor depth at WR last year? Clearly, Marshall is a full-grown man. But his high targets and receptions were partly due to the mediocre talent behind him.

There is no doubt that Marshall is, and will continue to be, the stud in Denver. But Marshall is going to get a lot of coverage flowing his way, and that means plenty of targets for Royal.

 

[Football Jones]

I'd trade Royal for Forte so fast I might hurt myself, LOL. And that's even in a PPR. Royal looked great. However, when you consider the dynamics going forward of each player (talking dynasty), Forte is clearly the player I'd want. Not even close, IMO.

I disagree completely. Two years from now Eddie Royal will be a productive WR2-WR3 for fantasy squads. Matt Forte will be hurt and/or a backup RB in the NFL.

You're on, LOL. I like Chris Johnson & Forte almost equally, & as I explained in the previous post to this one, I'll easily take CJ & Forte over Royal. I know you're not big on CJ, either, but to me, Royal will have to beat out Marshall to get up to the level of what I have projected for CJ/Forte, & I just can't see that happening. No way. Again, talking strictly FF.That said, one reason we play this hobby is for the varying opinions. You have yours & I have mine.

 

[Chaos Commish]

I waited and waited and waited in a redraft with EBF, but I eventually couldn't wait any longer and drafted Royal in the 24th round a little after EBF took Antonio Bryant. We both need a good WR3 badly at this point, and I think I found mine.

Really didn't think he'd be this good this fast. Didn't pick him in any redrafts, but have him on the majority of my dynasty squads.

Well, thanks for the hot tip. No one could have realistically seen last night coming. He was outstanding. It was comical watching him do DeAngelo Hall over and over again. Hall is about as overrated as they come. Shanahan clearly knew that, exploited it, and made a fool of Al Davis again.

 

[Iwannabeacowboybaby!]

Didn't Denver have poor depth at WR last year? Clearly, Marshall is a full-grown man. But his high targets and receptions were partly due to the mediocre talent behind him. There is no doubt that Marshall is, and will continue to be, the stud in Denver. But Marshall is going to get a lot of coverage flowing his way, and that means plenty of targets for Royal.

I think the entire league saw last night what happens if you don't pay attention to Royal. Defenses especially the Raiders will at least try to account for this guy when they play. I'm not saying they'll stop him completely, but I think it's fair to say that the Raiders weren't expecting this guy to be that good and weren't prepared for him.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Didn't Denver have poor depth at WR last year? Clearly, Marshall is a full-grown man. But his high targets and receptions were partly due to the mediocre talent behind him. There is no doubt that Marshall is, and will continue to be, the stud in Denver. But Marshall is going to get a lot of coverage flowing his way, and that means plenty of targets for Royal.

I think the entire league saw last night what happens if you don't pay attention to Royal. Defenses especially the Raiders will at least try to account for this guy when they play. I'm not saying they'll stop him completely, but I think it's fair to say that the Raiders weren't expecting this guy to be that good and weren't prepared for him.

Certainly. But defenses prepare for Wes Welker and often do not have an answer for him. I don't own Royal, but watching him last night, I was pretty impressed.

 

[EBF]

I should add, despite my previous post, I do like Royal. However, we play FF. That's something people should always keep in mind. Very rarely will you have a #2 WR put up numbers equal to a top RB. I'm really high on Chris Johnson & Matt Forte, & there's just no way I can put Royal in the same category if we're talking FF. Now, if CJ & Forte fail, sure, but not now...no way.Marshall is their #1. He's probably the most gifted WR in the NFL right now. When you consider Shanny will never abandon the run, even with the mediocre backs he has now, Marshall is the WR I want from Denver. Royal looks like he's going to be a fantastic #2. In fact, NFL scouts knew he was polished. That's one reason he went so high. He showed during the Combine & workouts he's a mature, smooth, WR. The downside is his limited max growth potential. Meaning, most WRs come into the NFL not nearly as polished as Royal, thus, Royal won't improve nearly as much as most rookie WRs.Now, that's a good thing. I want to stress that. However, he's not like Marshall, who exploited DBs last year on mostly raw ability alone. Marshall is one of the best WRs in the NFL right now, but he still has a rather large max growth potential. If you're telling me you believe Royal will be their #1, then yeah, I can see where Royal would receive a very generous ranking. I don't agree, but I understand. To me, though, Marshall is their clear #1. When Royal got drafted by Denver, I immediately lowered him in my rankings. A great NFL prospect, but again, I'm strictly talking FF.

People act like Brandon Marshall is this colossus that's going to block out the sun and create a black hole into which every Broncos pass catcher will be consumed. I don't think it will happen like that. Look around the league at all the productive #2 wideouts. Guys like TJ Housh, Reggie Wayne, Santonio Holmes, Anquan Boldin, Isaac Bruce, Jerricho Cotchery, and Wes Welker have had a lot of success playing alongside a great WR1. I see no reason why Royal can't have the same kind of success. You're partially right that FF is about RBs, but a good WR can be more valuable than a good RB in PPR formats. Moreover, I think it's far more likely that Royal becomes a dependable starter than it is that Forte does the same. Royal looks much more "special" to me than Forte does. I think he's much less likely to wash out and become irrelevant.

 

[Kitrick Taylor]

Brandon Marshall's best games as a pro:

Jac 7/133/0

KC 10/115/2 1/10 rushing

Eddie Royals' only game as a pro

Oak 9/146/1 2/9 rushing

 

[Chaos Commish]

People act like Brandon Marshall is this colossus that's going to block out the sun and create a black hole into which every Broncos pass catcher will be consumed. I don't think it will happen like that. Look around the league at all the productive #2 wideouts. Guys like TJ Housh, Reggie Wayne, Santonio Holmes, Anquan Boldin, Isaac Bruce, Jerricho Cotchery, and Wes Welker have had a lot of success playing alongside a great WR1. I see no reason why Royal can't have the same kind of success.

Another thing I've been thinking about is Marshall has done some talking about what a great season he's going to have despite the suspension. He may do so, but if he starts losing targets because Royal cannot be covered and Cutler is getting results and things aren't going GREAT for him, as he has claimed they would, he may not have the mentality to handle it very well. He seems to have maturity issues. He's one more screw up from being Cutler's second favorite target... possibly.

 

[ConstruxBoy]

I waited and waited and waited in a redraft with EBF, but I eventually couldn't wait any longer and drafted Royal in the 24th round a little after EBF took Antonio Bryant. We both need a good WR3 badly at this point, and I think I found mine.

Really didn't think he'd be this good this fast. Didn't pick him in any redrafts, but have him on the majority of my dynasty squads.

I know one squad you don't have him on.

 

[AhrnCityPahnder]

So, to steer this dynasty lovefest to more of a short term forecast:

Do you start this guy as a WR3 next week , with Marshall back? I'm thinking about it.

 

[polarized]

Here's what you'll want to watch out for with Royal: He's a fumbler. He's very football smart, but Shanahan does not tolerate fumblers at all (how many times has he benched an RB because of a fumbling problem?) If you watch the nfl.com highlight linked above, watch how many times he loses the ball. He only had one official fumble in that game (during a kick return, and he reacted very quickly and fell on it) but he lost the ball two other times and it seemed like a "near" fumble. A few key fumbles from Royal and shanny will bench his ### and start Nate faster than you can say "Quintin Griffin."

 

[EBF]

I waited and waited and waited in a redraft with EBF, but I eventually couldn't wait any longer and drafted Royal in the 24th round a little after EBF took Antonio Bryant. We both need a good WR3 badly at this point, and I think I found mine.

Really didn't think he'd be this good this fast. Didn't pick him in any redrafts, but have him on the majority of my dynasty squads.

I know one squad you don't have him on.

Nice pickup there. My skill position players in Z30 are all horrible.

 

[Football Jones]

I should add, despite my previous post, I do like Royal. However, we play FF. That's something people should always keep in mind. Very rarely will you have a #2 WR put up numbers equal to a top RB. I'm really high on Chris Johnson & Matt Forte, & there's just no way I can put Royal in the same category if we're talking FF. Now, if CJ & Forte fail, sure, but not now...no way.Marshall is their #1. He's probably the most gifted WR in the NFL right now. When you consider Shanny will never abandon the run, even with the mediocre backs he has now, Marshall is the WR I want from Denver. Royal looks like he's going to be a fantastic #2. In fact, NFL scouts knew he was polished. That's one reason he went so high. He showed during the Combine & workouts he's a mature, smooth, WR. The downside is his limited max growth potential. Meaning, most WRs come into the NFL not nearly as polished as Royal, thus, Royal won't improve nearly as much as most rookie WRs.Now, that's a good thing. I want to stress that. However, he's not like Marshall, who exploited DBs last year on mostly raw ability alone. Marshall is one of the best WRs in the NFL right now, but he still has a rather large max growth potential. If you're telling me you believe Royal will be their #1, then yeah, I can see where Royal would receive a very generous ranking. I don't agree, but I understand. To me, though, Marshall is their clear #1. When Royal got drafted by Denver, I immediately lowered him in my rankings. A great NFL prospect, but again, I'm strictly talking FF.

People act like Brandon Marshall is this colossus that's going to block out the sun and create a black hole into which every Broncos pass catcher will be consumed. I don't think it will happen like that. Look around the league at all the productive #2 wideouts. Guys like TJ Housh, Reggie Wayne, Santonio Holmes, Anquan Boldin, Isaac Bruce, Jerricho Cotchery, and Wes Welker have had a lot of success playing alongside a great WR1. I see no reason why Royal can't have the same kind of success. You're partially right that FF is about RBs, but a good WR can be more valuable than a good RB in PPR formats. Moreover, I think it's far more likely that Royal becomes a dependable starter than it is that Forte does the same. Royal looks much more "special" to me than Forte does. I think he's much less likely to wash out and become irrelevant.

Actually, I'm not a big RB guy (at least in PPR leagues). I like to build thru WRs in most PPR leagues. That said, I tend to favor who I believe will be feature backs (like CJ & Forte) as opposed to WRs who will likely be #2 WRs for their respective teams (Royal), As I've stated, I believe Royal will be a fantastic NFL WR. However, the dynamics of his situation lead me to believe CJ & Forte will be more valuable FF players. That's really all I've said (& that Marshall will continue to be a stud).

 

[EBF]

Actually, I'm not a big RB guy (at least in PPR leagues). I like to build thru WRs in most PPR leagues. That said, I tend to favor who I believe will be feature backs (like CJ & Forte) as opposed to WRs who will likely be #2 WRs for their respective teams (Royal), As I've stated, I believe Royal will be a fantastic NFL WR. However, the dynamics of his situation lead me to believe CJ & Forte will be more valuable FF players. That's really all I've said (& that Marshall will continue to be a stud).

I think what it really boils down to is that you see Forte as a franchise type back whereas I see him as a Chris Brown type stop-gap solution. I would favor Forte over Royal if I also felt he was destined to become a productive workhorse. CJ is more interesting because he's a better athlete with a higher ceiling than Forte. I couldn't really fault anyone for favoring him over Royal in a PPR at this point.

 

[Burning Sensation]

I waited and waited and waited in a redraft with EBF, but I eventually couldn't wait any longer and drafted Royal in the 24th round a little after EBF took Antonio Bryant. We both need a good WR3 badly at this point, and I think I found mine.

Really didn't think he'd be this good this fast. Didn't pick him in any redrafts, but have him on the majority of my dynasty squads.

I know one squad you don't have him on.

Nice pickup there. My skill position players in Z30 are all horrible.

What team are you?

 

[EBF]

I waited and waited and waited in a redraft with EBF, but I eventually couldn't wait any longer and drafted Royal in the 24th round a little after EBF took Antonio Bryant. We both need a good WR3 badly at this point, and I think I found mine.

Really didn't think he'd be this good this fast. Didn't pick him in any redrafts, but have him on the majority of my dynasty squads.

I know one squad you don't have him on.

Nice pickup there. My skill position players in Z30 are all horrible.

What team are you?

z18z30_49ersSomehow won Z18 last year with Thomas Jones and Chris Brown as RB1/RB2. Perpetually suck in Z30 though.

 

[Burning Sensation]

I waited and waited and waited in a redraft with EBF, but I eventually couldn't wait any longer and drafted Royal in the 24th round a little after EBF took Antonio Bryant. We both need a good WR3 badly at this point, and I think I found mine.

Really didn't think he'd be this good this fast. Didn't pick him in any redrafts, but have him on the majority of my dynasty squads.

I know one squad you don't have him on.

Nice pickup there. My skill position players in Z30 are all horrible.

What team are you?

z18z30_49ersSomehow won Z18 last year with Thomas Jones and Chris Brown as RB1/RB2. Perpetually suck in Z30 though.

Alot of familiar names in Z30, what happened to your team, bad inaugural draft?

 

[EBF]

Alot of familiar names in Z30, what happened to your team, bad inaugural draft?

Yea, mostly. Tried a "win now" type of draft. Didn't work so well. I think Ahman Green and Jamal Lewis were my first two picks. I also took a bunch of old receivers who broke down or retired (Glenn, Keyshawn, Muhammad). Probably a year or two away from contending there unless my IDPs carry me.