NFL Draft: Fantasy football impact of Henry Ruggs III to the Las Vegas Raiders

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With the 12th pick in the NFL Draft, the Las Vegas selected wide receiver Henry Ruggs III out of Alabama. Find Ruggs' 2020 Fantasy outlook below:

Henry Ruggs III (WR) Alabama

Height: 6'0"
Weight: 190
Age: 21.2
Dynasty Ranking: 1.06 (WR3)
Redraft Ranking: WR55

16-game projection for the 2020 season as a member of the Las Vegas Raiders: 

Receiving: 49 catches, 689 yards, and 4 touchdowns

Fantasy Outlook in Las Vegas:

Ruggs is a controversial prospect for talent evaluators. On one hand, players who are going to make an impact at the NFL level usually do so at the collegiate level. Even though Ruggs had a ton of competition for opportunities on a loaded Alabama team, it is troublesome that he never topped even 800 receiving yards in a single season.

In addition to the general lack of production, Ruggs wasn't even a strong contributor at the thing he is specifically highly-regarded for -- using his 4.27 speed to beat defenders down the field. Per Scott Barrett, over the past two seasons, Tua Tagovailoa completed 49 deep passes. Jerry Jeudy led the way with 15 deep receptions, while Ruggs pulled down just six deep passes.

Ruggs can contribute in ways other than just the deep ball, though, which should come as no surprise given his top-15 draft projection. He can work all three levels of the field, and his 42-inch vertical and soft hands give Ruggs the ability to go up and get balls in a way that few other receivers at his size can.

The college production may seem lacking, but that has more to do with opportunity than ability. Targets weren't easy to come by while playing alongside three potential first-round talents at wide receiver. Ruggs might actually have less competition for targets at the NFL level than he did in college as a member of the Raiders. Las Vegas was willing to risk taking Ruggs over potentially hall of fame talents like CeeDee Lamb and Jerry Jeudy, so you better believe they have a role in mind for him.

Derek Carr enjoyed a strong 2019 season, in spite of a supporting cast that was lacking. He had the NFL's second-best 'on target' percentage, so from an accuracy standpoint, this is about as good as a receiver being drafted into the top-15 can expect. With that being said, Carr does not profile as the QB who is going to unlock Ruggs' potential as a deep ball weapon. Carr had the third-lowest average depth of target among qualified quarterbacks in 2019, which has become a theme in recent years.  

The transition from college to the pros is not an easy one for receivers. Ruggs' speed and ability to create yards after the catch should allow him to maintain some Fantasy relevancy on a week-to-week basis, but the consistency with which those numbers are delivered may leave season-long owners frustrated.

So which players are poised for breakouts, which sleepers do you need to jump on, and which busts should you avoid at all costs in your Fantasy football league? Join SportsLine now to get early 2020 Fantasy football rankings, plus see which WR is going to come out of nowhere to crack the top 10, all from the model that out-performed experts big time last season.