ith the NFL Draft just over a month away, I’ve been breaking down top prospects and their ideal fits for Dynasty fantasy football. If you need a refresher on Dynasty, I wrote about how fun it can be in my previous articles. Here are the prospects I’ve covered so far:
- Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State
- Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State
- David Bell, WR, Purdue
- Isaiah Spiller, RB, Texas A&M
- Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati
- Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh
- Dameon Pierce, RB, Florida
- George Pickens, WR, Georgia
Lucio Vainesman also broke down the best landing spots for these prospects, too:
- Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama
- Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State
- Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas
- Drake London, WR, USC
- Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss
- Kenneth Walker III, RB, Michigan State
Today, we’re talking about Alabama wide receiver John Metchie III. The name of the game for Metchie: speed. He’s a big play waiting to happen. TDN’s Keith Sanchez noted Metchie’s field-stretching capabilities in his scouting report.
“Metchie III’s explosive athleticism combined with his ability to break tackles in the open field can make him a dynamic playmaker in the NFL,” wrote Sanchez.
While Metchie could stand to improve as a natural catcher, that can be fixed with proper coaching. Metchie’s big-play ability can add a whole new layer to an offense and Sanchez specifically likes him in a spread system that utilizes him down the field and on screens.
Remember, this series is about finding teams that can maximize a prospect’s Dynasty value. For example, while I would love to see Metchie on the Chargers or Cowboys, I wouldn’t be too keen on drafting him in fantasy football yet. With that said, I think these teams blend a good fit with good long-term fantasy value.
GREEN BAY PACKERS
At this point, I won’t keep beating this drum. Green Bay needs a wide receiver and Metchie may not find a better situation elsewhere. No true No.1 wide receiver? Check. A great quarterback? Check. Metchie can be used in the slot where he’s schemed into space, or he can be trusted near the boundary as a deep-ball specialist, or he can just be both. The possibilities are endless in Green Bay, so like I’ve said countless times this offseason, you should be all over whichever wide receiver the Packers draft—if they draft any at all.
HOUSTON TEXANS
Before we talk more about Metchie‘s fit in Houston, let’s address the elephant in the room, or should I say, Brandin Cooks. Cooks is once again the subject of trade rumors and I find it hard to believe Houston will keep him and his $16 million cap hit. So, let’s look at this from both sides. Without Cooks, the Texans will have 130+ targets up for grabs. With Cooks, the Texans still don’t have many encouraging receivers, maybe aside from Nico Collins. While quarterback Davis Mills was only average in pass attempts per full game last season, it’s a safe bet Houston won’t be so dangerous next season. That could lead to a lot of negative game scripts. Of course, that’s just talking about one season. If Metchie develops chemistry with Mills and capitalizes on early opportunities, he could very well be set for a long, successful run in the NFL. However, since I don’t know what the league will look like in five years, we should focus more on his immediate introduction to fantasy football. There aren’t many better situations than Houston for Metchie to become a top rookie in the class.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Suddenly, the Chiefs have a wide-open hole at receiver. That’s not to say any rookie wide receiver can come in and replicate Tyreek Hill‘s success but JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling aren’t exactly top weapons. So like what I said about the Packers, my apologies if you’re looking for more in-depth analysis of Kansas City’s receiving corps (I wrote about it in my George Pickens’ article, too), Metchie can help Head Coach Andy Reid’s offense recoup some of that speed and explosiveness they lost when they traded Hill to Miami. At a minimum, Metchie could replace Mecole Hardman as the team’s secondary gadget receiver on the outside. Also, having Patrick Mahomes is a huge bonus. This is a great fit, especially since Mahomes and Metchie could be locked in for a long time together.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Talk about a fit made in football heaven, or at least Bill Belichick‘s idea of football heaven. The Patriots drastically need a dynamic receiver. Jakobi Meyers is solid but he doesn’t exactly strike fear in defenses. Neither do *checks notes* Kendrick Bourne or Nelson Agholor. The addition of DeVante Parker doesn’t move the needle, either. Metchie would provide necessary juice to a vanilla-looking offense and playing with his former college quarterback, Mac Jones, helps too. Adding Metchie would do wonders for Jones. He only threw passes of over 40 yards six times, which was tied for 19th-most in the league. This pairing would help Jones’ Dynasty value, but how does it impact Metchie’s? As the proverbial missing piece to the puzzle, I could see Metchie getting plenty of schemed opportunities. This is a great fit on so many levels and it could make Metchie a top rookie receiver.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
This is another fit we should be pretty excited about. Outside of Michael Thomas, the Saints have been looking for a reliable secondary wideout for eons now. Ok, that’s an exaggeration, though it hopefully proves my point. Metchie’s electric playmaking ability fits perfectly in an offense that’s used to scheming its top players the ball, like Thomas and Alvin Kamara. Even if new Head Coach Dennis Allen rewrites the Saints’ playbook for some reason, the main draw for a rookie receiver here is opportunity. Three New Orleans wide receivers saw 50+ targets last season with Marquez Callaway leading the charge with 89 targets. Seeing as Callaway has yet to truly breakout, I like the chances for a fresher, younger face. The big X-factor here, though, is quarterback Jameis Winston. In the six full games he played in 2021, Winston averaged 8.3 air yards per pass, which would’ve been the seventh-highest rate in football. Winston’s deep-ball tendencies add a new layer to a Saints’ offense that mostly revolves around quick, short passes in space. This offense is begging for someone like Metchie, who would have plenty of opportunities to thrive. I’ll be very interested in Metchie long-term if he becomes a New Orleans Saint.
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