Marshawn Lynch is best fantasy football rookie

Filed in archive Fantasy Football on May 16, 2007

Courtesy NFL.com

The Buffalo Bills ushered Willis McGahee out the door before the NFL draft, making the selection of California running back Marshawn Lynch the perfect first-round pick.

The Bills added two giant offensive linemen through free agency for Lynch to run behind, upgrading what was a huge weakness in 2006.

With J.P. Losman evolving into a very serviceable NFL quarterback, who can open things up with long passes to his fleet-footed young receivers, Lynch should have plenty of opportunities to put up better-than-average numbers for a rookie.

When placed in the right situation, rookie runners, unlike first-year quarterbacks and receivers, can impact NFL and a fantasy football teams immediately.

Lynch is a strong, slashing runner with enough speed to break long runs. He can catch the football, and he has a nose for the end zone (Lynch scored 33 touchdowns in his senior year in high school).

Marshawn Lynch will be the Bills feature back. Fantasy football owners can look for 1,400 total yards and 10 touchdowns - phenomenal statistics for a rookie, especially a guy who can be drafted in the third round or later in most fantasy leagues.