What are the best fits for CeeDee Lamb? The NFL Draft is set to proceed later this month. Sure, it will be in a modified format, but fans will still be able to watch as teams select players that they hope will be able to take their franchise to the next level. Lamb is one of those players. There is debate on if he will be the first wide receiver taken off the board, competing with Jerry Jeudy, and even Henry Ruggs. Fantasy football fans care less about when Lamb is taken and more about where he is taken. Though certain teams would make for better fits.
Best Team Fits for CeeDee Lamb in Fantasy Football
Profile
Lamb’s draft profile notes that his strengths are his body control and ball tracking. Many claim that he already does this at an elite level, even by NFL standards, leading to the common comparison of DeAndre Hopkins. He also gets yards after the catch – a lot of them. 24 percent of his total NCAA yards were after the catch. His main knock is that he needs to improve as a route runner, something said of almost every college receiver. Also, he is listed at 6’2” and 198 pounds, so scouts question how he will do against bigger NFL corners. To compound that, he never really faced any real threats on the defensive side.
New York Jets
The first team on the board that would give Lamb an immediate chance to make an impact is the New York Jets. Sam Darnold is coming into his third NFL season and is in desperate need of a reliable weapon to throw the ball to. With Robby Anderson departing to the Carolina Panthers in free agency, that leaves Quincy Enunwa and Jamison Crowder as the incumbents. Breshad Perriman was signed from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but despite his strong finish to the 2019 season, he has been disappointing in his career.
Crowder led the team in yards with 833, but it took him 122 targets to get there, and he only caught 78 of those passes (64 percent). Anderson was next up, with 779 yards on 52 catches. His efficiency was even worse though, as he was targeted 96 times. Lamb should be able to come in and not only put up good numbers but also help improve Darnold’s. The two could end up being a sneaky stack if the Jets pull the trigger on him.
Las Vegas Raiders
If New York passes on Lamb, the next team on the board is the Las Vegas Raiders. With Derek Carr at quarterback, Josh Jacobs at running back, and Darren Waller at the tight end position, the weak link of that offense is inarguably wide receiver. Also, the Raiders boast one of the better offensive lines in football. Gruden’s west coast offense and balanced attack on the surface seem like it could limit Lamb’s production but it won’t.
Remember, Lamb is great after the catch. No doubt head coach Jon Gruden will scheme up creative ways to get Lamb the ball quickly and let him take care of the rest. And with Jacobs keeping guys close to the line of scrimmage, and Waller garnering attention in the middle of the field, it will still give Lamb opportunities to take the top off of defenses at times.
Raider fans have been clamoring for an elite wide receiver since Amari Cooper fizzled out with the team. Lamb might be just what they have been looking for.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles have been in desperate need of a reliable, playmaking wide receiver for years now. Alshon Jeffery has operated as their de-facto number one, but it has been tight end Zach Ertz who has gobbled up targets.
Jeffery hasn’t been terrible for the Eagles, but he has thoroughly underwhelmed. He hasn’t gone over 1,000 yards receiving since 2014 (with the Chicago Bears). Last year was his worst season since his rookie year, as he only managed 490 yards. Sure, some can argue that he wasn’t healthy, but that isn’t anything new. Jeffery has only started all 16 games in a season three times in his eight-year career.
Quarterback Carson Wentz has his health issues, but when he is on the field, he can throw the rock as well as anyone in the league. With Nelson Agholor gone, and DeSean Jackson’s health and age another question mark, he won’t want to rely on second-year wide receiver JJ Arcega-Whiteside. If Lamb is still on the board when Philadelphia has their pick, they will probably pull the trigger. And Lamb will eat.
Minnesota Vikings
The final team on the list of fantasy fits for Lamb is the Minnesota Vikings. With the departure of Stefon Diggs, many expect Adam Thielen to have the entire receiving corps locked down for targets. For the past three seasons, Diggs and Thielen have been arguably the best wide receiver duo in the league, combining for over 6,000 yards during that span.
Diggs had his best year as a pro in 2019, catching 63 balls for 1,130 yards and six touchdowns. Meanwhile, Thielen had a down year due to injury, only managing 418 yards. Rather than having Thielen pick up all the slack, the Vikings might want to go for someone to replace Diggs’ production with. And Lamb just might be that guy.
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