3 NFL Rookies That Will Have Instant Impact in Fantasy Football

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Saquon Barkley burst onto the scene after going No. 2 in the 2018 NFL Draft to the New York Giants. The running back posted one of the greatest rookie seasons ever, tallying 2,028 total yards and 15 touchdowns, something that surely paid off for his fantasy owners.

While this year's crop of rookies is unlikely to replicate Barkley's production, there are still a few players who can make an instant impact on your fantasy football team in 2019. With that in mind, here are three rookies who will immediately be fantasy starters this upcoming season.

1. T.J. Hockenson, TE, Detroit Lions

Tight ends rarely make an impact in their rookie season, but T.J. Hockenson could be an exception to that rule. Hockenson will be the Detroit Lions' starter from day one and could instantly become one of QB Matt Stafford's favorite targets. The Iowa product looks like a matchup nightmare and could be a great mid-round pick, especially in PPR leagues. Hockenson will be a TE1 from the jump.

2. Josh Jacobs, RB, Oakland Raiders

Now that Marshawn Lynch has officially retired (again), it looks like Josh Jacobs is set to be the lead back for the Oakland Raiders in 2019. Jacobs is a powerful back and could be a force running behind the Raiders' revamped offensive line. Judging by Oakland's picks on day one, they want to build a tough, physical identity and feeding the rock to a bowling ball like Jacobs would be the perfect way to establish a smash-mouth identity. He could be an RB1 by the time fantasy drafts roll around.

3. N'Keal Harry, WR, New England Patriots

N'Keal Harry to the New England Patriots is the perfect marriage of player and scheme. Tom Brady relies on short, quick timing routes, which is where Harry does his best work. Harry is a possession receiver that is a monster when it comes to racking up yards after the catch. Now that Rob Gronkowski has retired, Harry could be the second option behind Julian Edelman. The Arizona State product could soak up targets from Brady next season, so 850 receiving yards and eight touchdowns isn't an outlandish projection for his rookie year. Harry should be on the WR2/3 radar in 2019.

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Max Staley is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Max Staley also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username mstaley1212. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.