By Austin Perry
Copyright outkick
When drafting your team in fantasy football, taking a rookie can seem like a bit of a risk. It’s easy to look at that (R) next to a guy’s name when the seconds are ticking down on the draft clock and think, “Man, this guy was lining up against civil engineering students at Purdue eight months ago, and now he’s in the NFL.” That’s not a slight against Purdue, it just shows what a different challenge these guys face after moving on to the big leagues. Luckily for me and millions of other fantasy owners, we pulled the trigger on drafting Tampa Bay Bucs rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, and through two weeks, the results have been outstanding. This kid is an absolute stud! I think I’ve found my leader in the clubhouse for Fantasy Football Rookie of the Year (if such a thing even exists), and it isn’t even close at this point. Egbuka followed up a sensational week one, in which he scored 23.6 points on the back of a pair of touchdown grabs, with a solid 13 point output in week two, avoiding that second week slump we see all too often from rookies who put up big numbers in their first game. What’s even crazier is that Egbuka wasn’t even the best receiver on his college team for large portions of his time in Columbus. The explosive slot receiver had to share the field with Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Jaxson Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr., and, most recently, freshman standout Jeremiah Smith. All of those guys except for Smith were first round NFL draft picks, which is a testament to how much of a wide receiver factory Ohio State has become. The next Buckeye receiver to play in the NFL (most likely Smith) will be on my radar for fantasy football from day one, as a precedent has now been set. Until that time comes, however, Egbuka is the hottest rookie on the block, and he’s showing no signs of slowing down.
